Of the peasants' outrage in Swabia that broke out in 1525.
764: The farmers' complaints and requests, written in 12 articles. Before April 1525.
Complaints and friendly requests, with attached Christian prayers of the whole community, now assembled, in twelve main articles in the shortest possible way.
This writing is found in the Wittenberg edition (1551), vol. Il, p. 75; in the Jena edition (1553), vol. Ill, p. 115; in the Altenburg edition, vol. Ill, p. Ill and in the Leipzig edition, vol. XIX, p. 250. Sleidanus considers the author in his eommout. d6 "tat" rslix., x. 118, Christoph Schapler, preacher in Memmingen, a follower of Zwingli, whereas Elias Frick in the German Seckendorf, p. 681, considers Joh. Heuglin, whom the Bishop of Constance had burned at Mersburg on May 10, 1527. Luther says in his admonition to the peasants (No. 767 in this volume, K35): "The one who has written your articles is not a pious man. - It should also be noted that a large number of scriptural passages are cited in the margin, which do not serve any purpose at all (in the Gan
33), in order to give the impression that the articles are proven from the Scriptures". Luther 1. e. also speaks about this. - Luther began the "Exhortation to Peace on the Twelve Articles of the Fellowship" etc. on April 19 in Eisleben. After that our time determination. When Luther began this writing, the articles of the Bauerschaft would have already gone out in print, as he says right at the beginning. Köstlin, M. Luther (3), Vol. I, p. 734 states that these articles had been distributed since the month of March.
To the Christian reader peace and grace of God through Christ.
I. There are many unbelievers who now cause the gathered community to revile the gospel, saying that these are the fruits of the new gospel, that they will not obey anyone, that they will rise up in rebellion in all places, that they will run in great numbers with great violence, and that they will gather together to reform and destroy spiritual and temporal authorities, and perhaps even to slay them.
(2) To all these ungodly, sacrilegious judgments these articles described below reply. First of all, that they will not tolerate this disgrace of the word of God.
annul. On the other hand, the disobedience, yes, the indignation of all peasants, Christian excuse.
(3) First, the gospel is not a cause of rebellion or sedition, because it speaks of Christ, the promised Messiah, whose word and life teach nothing but love, peace, patience, and unity, so that all who believe in this Christ may become sweet, peaceful, patient, and united. If then the reason of all the articles of the peasants (as is clearly seen) is to hear the gospel and to live according to it, how can the antichrists call the gospel a cause of indignation and disobedience?
(4) But that some unbelievers and enemies of the gospel should rebel and rise up against such affection and desire is not caused by the gospel, but by the devil, the most harmful enemy of the gospel, who awakens it in his own through unbelief, so that the word of God (which teaches love, peace and unity) is suppressed and taken away.
5 Secondly. For it follows clearly that the peasants, desiring in their articles such a gospel for doctrine and life, may not be called disobedient, rebellious. But whether God wants to hear the peasants (anxiously calling for his word to live): who wants to rebuke the will of God, who wants to reach into his judgment, yes, who wants to resist his majesty? If he heard the children of Israel crying out to him, and delivered them out of the hand of Pharaoh [Ex. 3, 7. f.], may he not still save his own today? Yes, he will save, and in a short time [Luc. 18, 8]. Therefore, Christian reader, read such subsequent articles with diligence, and judge later.
Follow the 12 articles of the building community:
I. First, it is our humble request and desire, as well as the will and opinion of all of us, that we now want to have the authority and power for a whole congregation to choose and elect a pastor themselves, and also to have the authority to remove him again if he behaves improperly. The same elected pastor shall preach the holy gospel to us loudly and clearly, without any human addition, doctrine or commandment; for 1) always proclaiming the true faith to us gives us a reason to ask God for His grace, and to imagine the same true faith and confirm it in us. For if His grace is not imagined in us, then we always remain flesh and blood, which is of no use; as it is clearly stated in the Scriptures that we can only be saved through the true faith.
1) So the Jenaer. Wittenbergers: then.
faith to God, and must be saved by His mercy alone. Therefore, we need such a forerunner and pastor, and this is founded in Scripture.
II. Secondly, after the right tithe has been established in the Old Testament, and fulfilled in the New, nevertheless we will gladly give the right grain tithe 2) as it is due. Accordingly, it should be given to God and shared with his people; if it is due to a pastor who clearly proclaims the word of God, we are willing from now on to collect and collect this tithe from our church priests, if a congregation is established, and to give a pastor, who is chosen by a whole congregation, his fairly sufficient stay, to him and his people, according to the knowledge of a whole congregation; And what is left over shall be given to the poor (who are present in the same village), according to the form of the things and the judgment of a community.
What is left over shall be kept, if one has to travel because of land need; so that one may not apply a land tax on the poor, it shall be paid from this surplus 3). Even if it were the case that one or more villages had sold the tithe themselves, out of some necessity, the same, therefore to show 4 in the form of a whole village, he shall not pay it, but we will compare ourselves with him in a fair way according to form and matter, and redeem him such again with a fair aim and time. But whoever has not bought such from any village, and their ancestors have given them such themselves, we do not want to, shall not and are not obliged to give them anything else, only as stated above, to maintain our chosen priest with it, to pay it off afterwards, or to give it to the poor, as the holy scripture states, be they spiritual or secular. We do not want to give the small tithe at all, because God the Lord created cattle free of man, which we consider an unseemly tithe, 5) which men have invented, therefore we do not want to give it further.
III Thirdly, the custom has been so far that we have been taken for their own people;
2) "gern" is missing in the Wittenberger.
3) Thus the Jenaer. Wittenbergers: Ueberflusse.
4) This is the reading of the Jena edition. Wittenberger: "dieselbigen so der, um zu zeige" etc. The meaning of this somewhat obscure passage will be: The one who can show documents that he has bought the tithe of a whole village shall not pay for it etc.
5) So the Wittenbergers. Jenaer: "set".
which is to be pitied, that Christ hath redeemed and bought us all with his precious shedding of blood, even as the shepherd, and as the most high, no man excepted. Therefore it is in accordance with the Scriptures that we are and want to be free. God does not teach us to be free or to have no authority. We are to live in commandments, not in free carnal will, but to love God as our Lord, to recognize in Him our neighbor, and to show Him everything 1) that we would also like, which God commanded us at the Last Supper; therefore we are to live according to His commandment. [This commandment does not indicate and instruct us that we are not obedient to authority; not only to authority, but we are to humble ourselves against everyone, so that we also gladly obey our chosen and appointed authority (appointed to us by God) in all proper and Christian matters. 2) There is no doubt that you will gladly relinquish our status as true and right Christians, or tell us in the Gospel that we are. 3)
IV. Fourthly, it has been customary up to now that no poor man has had the power to catch game, birds or fish in flowing water, which seems to us to be quite unseemly and unbrotherly, but selfish and not in accordance with the word of God. In some places, too, the authorities want the game to be defiant and to cause great harm, so that the unreasonable animals (which God has made grow for man's benefit) must eat uselessly, suffer wantonly, and keep silent about it, which is against God and our neighbor. When God the Lord created man, He gave him power over all animals, over the bird in the air and over the fish in the water [Gen. 1:28, 30]. Therefore our desire is, if one had water, that he may prove with sufficient writing that the water was knowingly bought in this way, we do not desire to take it by force, but one must have a Christian understanding in it because of brotherly love. But whoever cannot give sufficient notice of this, should communicate it to a congregation in a proper manner.
V. Fifth, we are also burdened with the logging. For our lordship has provided them with all the timber they need, and if the poor man needs any, he has to buy it for two dollars. It is our opinion what kind of woods they are,
1) Inserted by us,
2) In the Jena: be obedient; in the Wittenberg: be obedient, be etc. - Property - serfdom.
3) "That we may be," namely, serfs.
If the clergy or seculars who did not buy it have it, it shall be returned to the whole community, and the community shall be quite free to let anyone take his need into the house, to burn, free of charge. Also, if it would be necessary to carpenter, also take for free; but with the knowledge of those who have been chosen by the community to do so. But if there is none, but that which has been honestly purchased, one shall compare himself with them brotherly and Christianly. If, however, the property had been taken from among them at the beginning, and was sold later, they shall compare themselves according to the condition of the property and the knowledge of brotherly love and holy scripture.
VI. sixthly, because of our hard burden of service, which is increased day by day, and daily increases: we desire that there may be some understanding in this, that we may not be hard burdened, but that we may be graciously regarded in this, as our parents served, according to the word of God alone.
VII Seventhly, that we shall henceforth not allow ourselves to complain any further about a manor, but as a manor is granted to one by right, so he shall possess it, according to the union of this lord and peasant. The lord shall not press him further nor force him, nor demand more service nor anything else from him for nothing, so that the peasant may use and eat such property without complaint 4). However, if the master requires services, the farmer shall be willing and obedient to him before others, but at hour and time, so that the farmer is not disadvantaged, and shall do so for quite a penny.
VIII. Eighthly, we are burdened, and many of those who have estates in their possession, that these estates cannot bear the 5) validity, and the peasants forfeit and spoil theirs on it: that the lordship have these estates inspected by honorable people, and create an 6) interest money according to equity, so that the peasant does not do his work in vain. For every day laborer is worthy of his wages.
IX. Ninthly, we are accused of great crimes, so that new statutes are always made; not that we are punished according to the form of the thing, but at times out of great envy, and at times out of
4) Walch: "measure". - Immediately following should probably be read "dem Herrn" instead of: "des Herrn" in the editions.
5s "Gült" - levy, tax, land rent.
ß) By us "am" l-ein) is put instead of: "am"; because this is a South German document.
great favor; is our opinion to punish us by old written punishment, according to which the matter is acted, and not according to favor.
X. For the tenth time, we have been complained that some have appropriated to them meadows, such fields, which belong to a community; we will take them back to our common hands, unless they have been purchased honestly. But if it has been bought unfairly, we shall settle amicably, brotherly with each other, according to the form of the matter.
XI. Eleventhly, we want to completely abolish the custom called death, which is not to be suffered, nor to allow widows and orphans to be deprived of their property against God and honor in such a disgraceful way, as has happened in many places (in various forms), and of those who were supposed to protect them 1) and guard them, 2) they have harmed us and harmed us, and if they had had little reason, they would have even taken this; that God no longer wants to have, but shall be completely off, no man shall owe anything for it, neither little nor much.
XII. Twelfth, it is our decision and final opinion that if one or more articles, as stated here, were not in accordance with the word of God (as we do not think they are), we would refrain from these articles, if they were explained to us on the basis of Scripture, if some articles were permitted to us now, and were subsequently found to be unlawful, they would be dead and gone from that time on, and would no longer be valid. If there are more articles in the Scriptures that are contrary to God and detrimental to our neighbor, we also want to reserve and decide this, and practice and use all Christian doctrine. Therefore we want to ask God the Lord, who can give us these things, and no one else. The peace of Christ be with us all, amen.
B. How Prince Ludwig of the Palatinate consults Melanchthon about the demands of the walls, and of Luther's and Melanchthon's writings published in this matter.
765 Letter from Elector Ludwig of the Palatinate to Melanchthon, in which he asks him for
1) Wittenberger: own.
2) Jenaer: to handle; this comes from the fact that in the original script it says "hand" instead of "have".
his expert opinion on the twelve articles of the peasants, if he could not come to Heidelberg in person. Dat. Heidelberg, May 18, 1525.
From Cyprian's "Useful Documents," vol. II, p. 345.
Von Gottes Gnaden Ludwig pfaltzgraff bey Rhein Ertztruchsses vnd Churfürst etc.
Our greetings to you, dear friend, We do not doubt that you have heard and know well the extent to which the uprising and elevation of the common man against all authority is also taking place around and in our principality in a noticeable way, and is making it difficult to handle the gospel, but in addition to this, there is a lot of unscrupulousness with robbery, fire, death and other unchristian acts against us, the nen, We have ordered the churches and cloisters to be disobedient to us in all cases of disobedience, and we have asked them, if they have any problems, to help us, although we have had good reason to act against these disobedient, insubordinate and insubordinate assemblies. Thus we, as the sovereign prince, have borne the burden of our own people and Christian blood to soak up 3) and spill, and thereby to prevent the spreading of 4) the inheritance and bequeathing of land and people to us in the way of goodness, We have ridden with these two persons to two assembled houses, and have agreed to deal with them in good faith, and have done so much with them, that we have not been able to find out about the XII. Article XII, which they have requested of us, as you will note here, we will further consider and act upon, which is to be held or not, a Diet to be held in the next week after Pentecost, in the form that we would like to compare it with them, that has its way, but which we could not tolerate, that should be up to the princes and sovereigns of the kingdom, what they would commonly agree to and do in what they consider good, that we also want to let us be sociable and comply with it. Because now not only us, but all the sovereignty and authority for the preservation of fridges and rights noticeably and much in it, also smelting further Nachteyl and damage, therefore to the Strestrewung land.
3) durchechtern (durcbechtenj - pursue. Compare St. Louis edition, Vol. XIV, 793.
4) "lests" will probably be as much as: Setzens, Schädigens.
We have shed our blood and Christian blood, which we have ever taken the greatest pains to do, and also that we do not want to establish justice and righteousness with God, and that you, as a born and bred man, have experienced and practiced the care of others in the Holy Scriptures, and are undoubtedly inclined to peace and righteousness, to which you are named in such articles as a juror. Therefore, we kindly ask and request you to take good care of the matter, and to appear before us here in Heydelberg at the next Pentecost in one of our persons, or, if it should not be possible, at least to give us your counsel and good advice from the divine law of the Gospel Scriptures, with indication of the end and place where it is written, which we, as a secular authority, find to keep the same XII. Article XII, which we, as a secular authority of this XIIth Article, have found to be true, the like of which the opponents of us in this same rejoinder are obliged to perform, and to send to us in writing at the above-mentioned time 1) In which we graciously acknowledge a good work also acceptable to us, D. Heydelberg, Thursday after Cantate [May 18] Anno MVXXV.
The first name of our dear faithful Philippo Melanchthon, now at Wittenberg.
766 Philipp Melanchthon's writing against the articles of the Bauerschast. Late May or early June 1525.
This writing appeared in a single edition in quarto; then in the Wittenberg edition (1551), Pd. Since the Elector of the Palatinate informs Melanchthon in his previous letter that "in the next week after Pentecost (Pentecost fell on June 4) a Diet is to be held" for the discussion of this matter, our writing must be set at the end of May or beginning of June. But the "Appendix" shows that the same was printed only after the victory over the peasants.
(1) Because the community appeals to the holy gospel and uses it as a pretense, it is necessary at first to know what the holy gospel requires of us, or does not require, that one may judge the articles of the community, which they all seem to enforce under the appearance and name of God, and let it be heard that all their articles are a reason to hear the gospel and to live in accordance with it, but they are not.
1) Melanchthon will have fulfilled this by the next writing.
the peasantry covets much that it does not have fug, that it also does not call the gospel. To this end, they use violence and want to carry out their intentions with riots and uprisings, and with murder.
(2) But now they have offered themselves to be instructed with the gospel. Therefore it is right that the gospel and true Christian doctrine be presented to them, for there are undoubtedly many among the common multitude who sin out of ignorance, who, if they were properly instructed, it is to be hoped would refrain from such wicked deeds, and consider God's judgment, their souls, and their poor wives and children.
(3) But many are so wilful and so blinded by the devil that they neither want nor like peace. And these in many places, though they are warned and exhorted to peace by godly scripture and preaching, it is of no avail; and because they anger God more, they only become more wicked and stiff-necked from such exhortation. We will talk about them later. But now we want to understand recently what the Gospel demands, and how a Christian heart is to be wise towards God, his neighbor and the authorities.
4 St. Paul speaks 1 Tim. I, 5, that this is the content of the law, recently formulated: "Love from a pure heart, with a good conscience, and true faith. With faith one acts against God, with love against one's neighbor and authorities. Now what is faith? This is faith when God shows sin to the conscience and truly frightens it, so that it begins to heartily fear God's judgment. For God has commanded to punish sin and to preach repentance. When the heart hears from Christ that through him, without our merit, grace and forgiveness of sins have been granted, and thus feels comfort and joy that it stands at rest before God, and is certain that God has been reconciled again, and therefore in tribulation, as in death or other distresses, relies on God, and knows that God has an eye on us and will help us, and can thus be satisfied, because it is certain of such comfort. This is called faith, which the gospel preaches.
005 When the king of Assyria was before Jerusalem, and Ezekiel was too weak to strike him down, a heart without right faith would either have despaired and surrendered to the enemy, or else fled, or else killed itself, or else in desperation would have dared to do something, and would have fought with the enemy, thinking, If it succeeds, it is gained; but if it does not, it is not gained.
we must perish. But what does Ezekiel do? Because his heart knows God, believes in God, and seeks help from God, he asks God to advise him. God helped him, as it is written in Isa. 37.
6 St. Paul says that it should be a faith without hypocrisy. For there are many people on earth who call themselves Christians, and boast of faith, but they realize when it comes to the meeting that they do not believe. For as soon as misfortune comes, they despair of God, thinking that He does not respect us, and does not care for us as much as is preached, and seek help as long as they can from their own power, wisdom or strength, even from the devil, as Saul did; when he was worried and the enemies had approached, he sought help and counsel from the sorceress.
(7) Thus, many boast of faith and say they are Christians, just as the community wants to be called Christians. But let every man know, if his heart does not sincerely fear God's judgment and trust in God in all offences, but his heart throbs for good, for power, for heaps, that he is not a Christian. For Isaiah 66:2 says that God dwells with those who are of a fearful and lowly heart; and John 3:14: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
8. such a right faith cannot be imagined by human reason or will by its own power, but the Holy Spirit works and creates it in many hearts; as John 6:45 is written: "they must all be taught by God", and Romans 8:14: "they are God's children whom the Spirit of God impels".
9 Thus, the main part of a Christian life is such faith, by which he becomes one with God and reconciled, and comes to rest in all cases. And as your faith is inward in the heart, so Christian being is primarily an inward being. And one must strive for the main part and the seal, as it is called Joh. 6, 27, of Christian being. For this is where glitter separates itself from true piety, which God works.
10 God also orders this faith everywhere in Scripture, and especially in the first commandment, and Jer. 9:23, 24: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his power, nor the rich man in his wealth; but let every man glory in this, that he knoweth me, that I am a God who hath mercy on earth.
to do judgment and to help the righteous; this pleases me," that is, to keep and believe in God and to provide oneself to God in this way, that is right worship and piety.
From love.
The other piece is: love from a pure heart and a good conscience. For when the heart thus recognizes how great a mercy God has shown us, it knows that it should in turn show gratitude to those whom God has commanded us to love and serve. Now God has said: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you shall not kill, you shall not commit unchastity, you shall not steal" etc. Thus, a Christian heart desires to please God in these things; it serves its neighbor, it is kind to him, it demonstrates discipline and chastity in him, it helps him to preserve his goods. These things are required by Christ Matth. 5, 20. ff. and Paul Rom. 12, 8. ff.
From the supremacy.
12. and especially the gospel demands obedience to authority. And because this article is so despised by those who call themselves evangelicals, we want to hold the gospel and God's word against them, in which they see how hard they fight against God under the appearance of the gospel. Paul to the Romans on the 13th, v. 1 ff., speaks thus: "Let every man be subject to the authority that rules over him; for there is no authority but from God alone, and all authority is ordered by God. Whoever resists the authority resists God's order, and whoever resists will be punished. And righteousness is not a fright of good works, but of evil. But if you do not fear authority, do good, and you will receive praise from it. For she is a servant of God, for your good. But if you do evil, fear her; for she does not bear the sword in vain, but is a servant of God, for vengeance and punishment to him who does evil. Therefore it is necessary to be her subject, not only for the sake of punishment, but also for the sake of conscience. Therefore give to the womb, for they are servants of God, and have work to do. Therefore give to all what you owe: to whom the bosom belongs, give the bosom; to whom the toll belongs, give the toll; to whom fear belongs, give fear; to whom honor belongs, give honor."
Here St. Paul teaches three things. First, from whence authority is instituted; and says that God has ordained authority. For because not
Since everyone is a Christian and willingly abstains from harming others, but there are also many wanton people who commit sacrilege against other people's bodies, property, wives or children, God has, in addition to the Gospel, instituted such secular regiment and discipline to protect the honorable and to create peace for them, and to punish sacrilege. For this purpose, the authorities make court and law so that people may divide, possess and use physical goods in peace, and order judges, warriors and the like to protect peace and prevent murder. Luc. 3:14: "Let yourselves be content with your wages."
14 A Christian may make use of such worldly ordinances, even if it is not in one place as in another. For, as has been said above, Christianity is primarily an inward life and being, and is not bound to such order, but should use it according to love and peace. Goods are divided differently in Saxony than on the Rhine, and it may be that one is more miserable than the other; nevertheless, for the sake of peace, a Christian should remain within the rights of his country, and this does him no harm to his soul; indeed, if he does not want to be content, then he does harm to his soul.
15 Thus in some places there is servitude, which he must bear for the sake of peace, even though it does not exist in other dominions. The gospel does not demand that such land ordinances be changed, but demands obedience, without doing anything contrary to God that is commanded by authority. For there one should keep the rule Apost. 5, 29: "One must be obedient to God more than to men."
16 And this is to be noted, that God has appointed the rulers, that they, the rulers, may know that they are in a state that is pleasing to God. For one cannot serve God in works or positions that He has not ordained or instituted. It is also comforting to the authorities that they may have confidence and reason to believe that God will preserve them against the will of the rebellious, as God has often indicated. As with David, even though his own son expelled him from the land, and the whole country had fallen from him, yet God reinstated him and suppressed the rebels. For Solomon says Proverbs 21:30: "No wisdom, no understanding, no art can help against the Lord," and Paul says here that all who resist rulership will be punished. And David asks God to
1) Wittenberger: "Christians" - a Christian.
and reinstate him, because he has ordered it, Ps. 7, 7: "Judge the office that you have appointed.
(17) It is also comforting to the subjects that they know that God is pleased with their obedience to the authorities, and what they do for the good of the authorities, that they do this for God, and thus truly serve God in the burdens they bear from the authorities, be it traveling, giving appraisals or otherwise. And it is just as holy a work to do so as if God were to bless one especially from heaven. Raising the dead, or whatever you want to call it.
This is also frightening to the rebels, because they have a great and powerful Lord as their enemy, against whom they fight. One may stand before guns and other weapons, but to stand against God is impossible. Now God's command is as good as if he had commanded everyone in particular by an angel from heaven not to resist the supremacy. How hard the devil must have possessed the hearts that do not respect such words of God, and yet boast of the Gospel.
19 Secondly, Paul binds the conference and teaches that one should not be obedient to the authorities only because they have imposed punishment, as I must be obedient to a robber, but for the sake of conscience, that is, God demands such obedience and wants to condemn those who are disobedient. And even if the world would be too weak to punish such an outrage, God will not let it go unpunished. God is not pleased with such disobedience to authority, unless He specifically commands one to act against authority, as He commanded Mosiah or Jesus; then He gave signs and testimonies so that one would be certain whom to obey and whom He had made Lord.
20 Thirdly, St. Paul teaches here, in which one should show obedience to the rulers, and says, one should give womb and customs, that is, in order to keep peace, confess it much; to reward people, to build, etc. one should give such money. If the princes invest it badly, they shall answer for it; we owe it to them to advance ours, for the sake of peace.
(21) Secondly, one should show fear, of which it has been said enough above that one should fear authority, because it has command from God. Therefore, one should fear the commandment of authority as if it had been commanded by God, and in service look to God's will, not only to the eyes of the ruler, as St. Paul commanded the servants, not only to the eyes of the masters.
but to serve from the heart etc. because one serves God -aran [Eph. 6, 5. 6. Col. 3, 22. 23.].
22 Solomon teaches such serious fear, Proverbs 16:14: "The king's displeasure is a messenger of death, but a wise man propitiates him"; and Cap. 20:2: "The king's anger is like a lion's roar; he who enrages him denounces his life." This is a terrifying judgment, which God accuses of sin and wants to punish those who anger the rulers. Therefore beware of the disobedient. For even if the world were too weak to punish disobedience, God would not let it go unpunished; as is also said above by the saying of Paul, Rom. 13, 5: Propter conscientiam etc..
(23) Fourthly, they shall be honored. To offer honor is not only to make outward gestures, to bow and take off one's hat; it is to consider them, the rulers, wise and just, and therefore to be grateful to them. Now it happens, as in the game, that he who is entitled thinks he wants to do better. So the subjects often think, when they govern, that it would behoove them to prevent much harm, and to administer justice more efficiently and diligently. Some also often cry out that injustice is done to them or to others; and do not think that they should bear God's will on the sovereignty, and that there has never been a sovereignty on earth that would have been without blame; one cannot dispute it all. There is no doubt that the two best rulers on earth were David and Solomon; nor did David have to hear from his own son, he did not hear the people, he did not straighten things out. So Israel also complained to carry Solomon's essays longer.
There is no reason on earth so great that can suffice the regiment. Yes, where God does not give happiness, it is not possible to maintain a regiment for three days with human wisdom. That is why St. Paul demands that one should give honor to the leadership, that is, that one should consider it wise and just. And if in time other things please us, that we yield to their wisdom and righteousness for the sake of peace, and be thankful for other benefits, which we receive much by their toil, care, and labor. For even if someone is wronged, they still help us to peace, so that we may train our children in discipline and piety, and seek nourishment for them. Is not this worthy of thanksgiving?
(25) Now it would be a great ingratitude if a friend had given me a hundred florins, and I found among them a florin or two that were too light; for this cause I grumbled, and
I pounded with him, and did not thank him for the others. So do the peasants in many articles. They want to hunt and fish, which is not very necessary for them, and therefore they insist with their sovereignty, and do not consider how great goods they would otherwise receive from them. As that the princes must prevent that each knave fall today to one, tomorrow to the other in his own, disgrace him wife and children, deprive them of their food etc. Item, create peace, so that the children may be educated to godliness and respectability. Thus the gospel demands not only obedience to authority, but also reverence.
26 Therefore God also commanded in Exodus 22:28: "You shall not curse your ruler," that is, you shall show him honor, praise him, and consider what he decrees and establishes to be wise and right. For as one says: God is with in the ship, so God is truly with in the rule, and gives fortune and misfortune according to his will. Therefore Solomon says Proverbs 29:26: "Many seek the face of a prince, but every man's judgment comes from the Lord," that is, many take comfort in the grace and power of princes, but as God wills, so it comes to pass; Cap. 21, 1: "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like streams of water, and he inclines it wherever he wills"; and Cap. 16, 10: "Divination is in the mouth of the king, his mouth does not fail in judgment", that is, the regiment is God's order, and God stands with the princes, and gives them wisdom to rule and maintains their regiment. For where God does not keep it, and where God does not give grace and wisdom, it may not be maintained by human skill.
27 You say: But how if they reproach me too harshly or unreasonably? Answer: Even though a ruler does wrong, and scourges and scrapes you, it is not right to cause a riot, just as it is not right, if someone has killed a brother, to avenge it with his own violence. God does not want any outrages to be committed against authority, or anyone to presume to rule without orderly officials. For Christ says Matth. 26, 52: "Whoever takes the sword shall perish with the sword", that is, no one shall avenge himself with his own power, or be subject to the sword and rule, without orderly officials. St. Peter had a right cause, because he wanted to defend Christ, because Christ was wronged. Nevertheless, St. Peter did wrong, because he wanted to fight against ordered officials, and he was not commanded to use the sword. It did not help, and Christ pronounced judgment on him.
terrifying verdict that he was guilty of death: "He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword."
28. also rebellion is forbidden, Rom. 13, 2. since St. Paul says: "Whoever rebels against authority will be punished. God is hard on those who rebel against authority. Also the histories show that rebels have always been punished at the end; as 4Mos. 16 Dathan and Abiram devoured the earth, and Judges. 9,53. a woman threw Abimelech to death. So also Absalom, Siba perished. Zambri [Zimri], 1 Kings 16:18, burned himself. God also punished Baasha for stirring up a rebellion against Nadab, even though the same king was not pleasing to God, 1 Kings 16:11. God has judged many such things among the heathen Apium Decemvirum, Catilinam and others, at Rome and in other countries. For God wants all the world to be obedient to the authorities, and punishes disobedience among all peoples, whether they are called Jews, Gentiles or Christians. Solomon also says Proverbs 24:21 ff: "My child, fear the Lord and the king, and do not mix with the rebellious, for their calamity will come suddenly."
29. above this the gospel demands that one suffer injustice not only from authority but from everyone, as it is written Match. 5:39: "I tell you not to resist evil, but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, offer him the other also"; and Rom. 12:19: "Do not avenge yourselves, my beloved, but give place to wrath. For it is written: Vengeance is mine, I will repay." This is what Christians do; they do not take up the sword, and do not fall upon the goods of others; they do not, like these peasants who call themselves a Christian community, storm to the shame of Christ, because they not only intend disobedience, which God also punishes in the Gentiles and Turks, but also commit robbery.
30 From all this we conclude that, because the gospel demands obedience to authority and rebellion, even if princes do evil, and also otherwise demands that one suffer injustice, they act against the gospel in that they rebel against their authority, and commit and use violence and iniquity against it. And they make themselves liars by writing that they desire to live according to the gospel, and yet they act so publicly against God that it may be assumed that the devil is driving them and intends to destroy them, body and soul. For be it as it may, this sacrilege will be punished in the end, just as
St. Paul says Rom. 13, 2: "Whoever rebels against authority will be punished", and as it can be seen that no murder remains unpunished; for God, because of His order that He has made, keeps Gen. 9, 6: "Whoever spills the blood of man, his blood shall also be spilled by man", so also this outrage will not remain unpunished, because a riot is manifold murder.
(31) Therefore, even if all the articles of the church were commanded in the Gospel, they would still do against God to enforce it by force and rebellion. They are still so wicked, and do such willfulness under the appearance of God's name. But God says: "Whoever misuses His name will not go unpunished. Whoever then fears God, and out of foolishness would have consented to go with the mob, let him desist from it, and consider soul and body, wife and child; for it will not go unpunished.
This is what is said in general about the farmer's action. Now let us talk about the articles.
First of all, I would have liked that the one who wrote the articles, and put on so much writing by mistake, would have added his name. This would be done in the light. It has a very evil appearance to make use of such blind tricks; to make the poor simple-minded people believe that such articles are founded in the Scriptures, but in many places the Scriptures are forged. But whether such lies are from God or from the devil is well to be judged, for they are horrible lies that thus falsely attract the Scriptures.
To the I. Article
From parishes.
34 The authorities are responsible to let the gospel be preached. For Christ says in Matt. 10:15 that the city that will not hear the gospel will be punished more severely than Sodoma and Gomorrah; and Proverbs 25:4, 5: "If you separate the foam from the silver, it becomes a pure vessel. So also, if one takes away God's contempt from the king, righteousness will bring happiness to his throne." God also set Pharaoh as an example, so that the authorities would learn not to despise God's word, but to give it room.
(35) But where ever a ruler, possessed by the devel, would not suffer the gospel to be preached purely, yet let no sedition be stirred up, for God has forbidden sedition; but let every one that believeth aright keep his faith for himself.
He shall confess and teach his household and anyone else who desires to learn. If an authority wants to harm him, he should suffer this and not seek revenge or help from the mob. Yes, this is not a Christian who seeks help from the mob, for Paul says Rom. 12:19: "Do not avenge yourselves, my beloved, but give place to wrath. So Christ punished Peter when he wanted to fight; yes, he also asked that the disciples not be harmed. He wanted to serve himself. It is not valid to want to be a Christian and lay the cross on the backs of others; you must carry it yourself.
(36) The same shall be done with pastors. Where a tyrant does not want to suffer right preachers, you should not do violence to false teachers, but, as Christ is called, avoid them. For Christ did not command that the goods of the Pharisees should be taken away, that they should be put to death, but that their teaching should be shunned.
If you want to have one who teaches right, keep him at your expense, if the authorities do not want to let him follow the parish goods. For even if a pastor is received from a parish, that parish does not have the power to withdraw the use of the property from the one to whom it is given by the authority, but to change the order of such use is solely up to the authority that has had such property in its power up to now. Where the authority has placed a priest in such property, it is robbery if you want to expel him without the authority's will. The goods or use which you are accustomed to give to the authority are no longer yours, but the authority's; to break off something from them is violence and sacrilege.
38 Therefore, if you want to have a better preacher, it is fair that you pay him from yours without robbery, Gal. 6:6: "He who is taught shall share with him who teaches him. For even in St. Paul's day the authorities had not ordained anything for this; the Gentiles had all the use.
39. even if an authority does not permit this, you must not cause a riot, but go to the places where you can hear the right teaching. If an accident happens to you, you shall suffer it and not cause a riot. I also speak of right doctrine, not of seditious doctrine. The gospel does not teach sedition, but peace, discipline and patience.
40 But where a God-fearing authority wants to have the gospel preached, it would be good for the churches everywhere to have the power to elect and call pastors themselves, as Apostles 6 did with the election of deacons. 6 the election of deacons. For even a whole
And Paul does not want to banish Corinthians alone 1 Cor. 5, 1. ff. but with the whole church. That therefore to appoint and to depose was the power of the church.
41 But with such an election there must also be a prince who is entitled to see that nothing rebellious is preached. For a prince is set for the protection of the pious and the punishment of the wicked, Romans 13:3, 4. Now it has happened in many places in the German lands that the peasants themselves have taken on preachers who have pretended to the mob, have taught that one should not give decimas, should not give interest, and the like much more, which has grown into a miserable outrage. Yes, where someone taught obedience or that one should give interest and decimas, they wanted to stone him, although the gospel teaches not only to give what proper authority has instituted, but also means to let go of the cloak, where someone takes your skirt unjustly [Matth. 5, 40].
For this reason St. Paul commands Tito to ordain priests, and to Timothy he says that no one should be chosen unless he has been proven beforehand. Therefore, sovereigns and churches should find out beforehand, so that they know what they are up to. So far, the bishops have accepted ordination, but no one has tried, but like Jeroboam, they have made priests loose, careless, inexperienced people. What good will come of this is now being determined.
To the II. Article
From the tithe.
Tithes are not given by virtue of the Old Testament. For the Old Testament does not bind us, especially in matters of worldly order and government, how goods are to be divided, as St. Paul teaches in Col. 2 and Gal. 5. But one is obligated to give what a worldly authority has appointed, and where it has created it, it is called Decimä or Octavä. For Paul says in Romans 13:7, "To whomsoever the bosom belongs, give the bosom; to whomsoever the toll belongs, give the toll." For a ruler must have a great cost for the common need of the land. The Romans undoubtedly took much property that God had assigned to the priests or to the temple; the Jews also disputed whether they owed it to give differently than God had ordained. Yes, if the peasants now had such a bill, how they would rage! Nevertheless, they have been guilty,
to let them go to the dominion, because they were no longer masters of their goods, but God gave them to other dominions. On this Christ says of the Didrachmo sLinsgroschen^: "Lest we offend them," etc., Matth. 17, 27. John Baptist" Luc. 3, 14. also approved of such an order that one gives a dominion its pay, as he says to the Roman officials: "Be content with your pay."
44 For this reason, one is obligated to tithe, because the authorities have made such an order with the goods. But whoever rebels against such an order wants to take away the authority's right. In Egypt they gave the fifth part, and all the king's goods were his own, and Joseph, who had the Holy Spirit, made such an order, and thus burdened the mob; yet they were obliged to give it.
45 But thou sayest, The lordship hath no need of it; the monks and priests have it, and do nothing for it. Answer: What is that to you? Nevertheless you should not take anything from the authorities, and give what is given to you where they have ordered it, until they do it differently; in this you do right, for to take something from someone by your own authority is sacrilege. However, I would like the authorities to have an understanding with the foundations and monasteries; we will talk about this later.
46 But in sum, the peasants have neither the right nor the justification to break off the tithes of the authorities, and to deal with them as they wish. For to break such land ordinances is to break the common peace, which is against love.
(47) In many places the tithe is of the temporal government; in many places it is bought by the temporal government. To seize it by force and take what does not belong to you is robbery.
They write of the small tithe that they do not want to give it at all, because God created the animals freely. Yes, God created them, but in addition, he decreed that each one should use his own. Otherwise, you may go into my stable and take from it according to your sense etc. Free means that one may eat it without conscience complaint, which is not forbidden, as the Jews were forbidden the swine; does not mean free, that one may take from another what is his. Therefore, the author of the article here has used the Scriptures badly, and the peasants are doing wrong that they want to break off such a thing from a ruler with their own iniquity.
On the III article
From serfdom.
(49) It is also a sacrilege and violence that they will not be bondmen. But that they put on scripture, that Christ has made us free, is speaking of spiritual freedom, that we are sure that through him our sin is taken away, without our satisfaction, and that we may recently provide, ask and hope for good things to God; and that Christ gives the Holy Spirit to his own, so that they resist the devil, that the devil may not cast them into sin, as the wicked, whose hearts he has in his power, drive them to murder, adultery, blasphemy etc.
50 Therefore Christian liberty is in the heart, and cannot be seen with carnal eyes. Outwardly a Christian patiently and cheerfully bears all worldly and civil ordinances, and needs them as food and clothing; he may be a serf and a subject; he may also be noble and a ruler; he may hold to Saxon rights or Roman rights in custom and the division of property. Such things do not mislead the faith; indeed, the gospel demands that such worldly orders be kept for the sake of peace. Paul to Eph. 6, v. 5-7: "Ye bondmen, be obedient to your fleshly masters with fear and trembling, with a willing heart, as to Christ, not with service only in view, as to please men, but as servants of Christ; and do such wills of God kindly from the heart" etc., and to Colossians 3, 22: "Ye bondmen, be obedient in all things to your fleshly masters" etc. [V. 25.:] "He who does wrong will receive what he has wronged." So Joseph himself was a bondman in Egypt for a long time, and other saints much.
Therefore, the imposition of the peasants has no appearance; indeed, it would be necessary that such a wild, naughty people, as the Germans are, should have even less freedom than they have. Joseph complained severely to Egypt that the people should not be allowed to go too far. But our rulers allow the people all courage, take only money from them, and keep them in no restraint; from this follows great mischief.
To the IV. Article
From hunting.
It is wrong to hunt in the forests of princes. For Roman law also teaches that a man may forbid anyone to enter his own territory.
But that the peasants say that God has created it freely, shall stand by it, that everyone may use his own, without harm to others.
(53) Neither shall the princes harm any man with the wild, as it may be ordered, or suffer any to fall upon his own.
The peasants themselves want to judge here and demand that everyone prove where he has his water or the like. Such is violence, for they are not judges. If a village has a complaint against the one who has taken a possession from a community, it may petition him legally. For thus saith God, Deut. 25:1, If there be a quarrel between men, let them be brought before the courts, and let them be judged: and Christ, Luc. 12:14, would not judge, saying, Who hath made me a judge, or a hereditary judge over you, but direct them to the proper officers.
On the V. Article
From forests
55 This is also my opinion, that they should not drive by force. If, however, someone has seized common forests, he is justified in requesting it. Also, often a ruler may have cause to take common property, to cultivate it, or otherwise; and even if it were force, it is unjust to demand it with riots.
To the VI article
From services.
(56) Let the ministries also act legally, for this is why there is judgment and authority in the world, as Paul says in Romans 13:3, for the fear of the wicked and for the protection of the righteous, so that no one is harmed contrary to the law. Also, for the sake of peace, the authorities should give in, as the ancients advised Roboam to give in, 1 Kings 12:7. This also answers the seventh article.
To the VIII. Article
From interest.
(57) This is a wide matter, of interest, to speak of it shortly. First of all, it is not wrong for one to buy a servitude in another's property; for God allows one to give away his body; should he not also allow that in the property? Where the property does not bear the interest, one may rightly decide for anyone. It often happens that the peasants themselves buy the estates.
and take up; is there fair that they kick^) of goods? It does not apply so that if they have made debts, that they wanted to call it others pay. Paul 1 Thess. 4, 6. says: "Let no one reach too far, nor overcharge his brother in action! For the Lord is the avenger of all these things."
To the IX article
From punishment.
(58) A government may impose punishment according to the need of the land, for God has ordained it to ward off evil and to punish it. And are not the peasants right to want to make a rule, a law in it. They are such a naughty, wanton, bloodthirsty people, Germans, that they should be held much more harshly. For Solomon says, Proverbs 26:3: "A scourge belongs to the horse, and a bridle to the ass, and a rod to the fool's back"; and Sir 33:25: "A donkey's fodder, scourge and burden. Thus to the servant his bread, punishment and work.
(59) God also calls the temporal government a sword. But a sword that shall cut, whether it be punishment of goods, of life or limb, as the iniquity requires. It is all-merciful, if one cuts another, and damages him in the body, paralyzes him, so that one can pay with money. One can see how seriously God punished in the wilderness. He also said in the Law, Deut. 19:13, 21: "You shall not show mercy." In this way he indicated that he wanted the regiment to be serious, but so that no one would be wronged, and so that no one would be wronged by authority, as Ahab did and others whom God punished severely. Now there is much beating without measure in Germany, also feasting and fornication, which sins God punished with death in the Old Testament. Deut. 21, 18. ff.
Before the tenth article is spoken above in the sixth.
To the XI article.
60 The fall of death is a servitude. Now we have said above that servitude is to be suffered, and also that it is not contrary to the gospel. But here in this piece the lordship should give way, and look upon the poor orphans, whom they help.
1) This "they" will refer to those who bought the interest; the next "they" to the farmers.
guilty before God. For so plead court. 14, 4. 5.: If you have mercy on the fatherless, I will heal the wounds etc. God also commanded, Deut. 24, 17: "You shall not take the widow's garment as a pledge." In this way God indicates that He wants the poor, abandoned orphans to be spared.
Decision.
First, the community is wrong and acts against God by rebelling and using force against the authorities, if all articles were very Christian, because God demands obedience to the authorities, as St. Paul says in Romans 13:2.He who resists authority will be punished"; and Proverbs 24:21 f.: "My child, fear the Lord and the King, and do not mix with the rebellious, for their disaster will come suddenly; and who knows when the rebellious' misfortune will come?
62 Secondly, the gospel gives the right to suffer injustice; therefore the peasants act unchristianly, covering themselves with the name of the gospel. And consider that the devil incites the peasants to this, only that the holy gospel is reviled and blasphemed, and thus false delusion is introduced from the faith, that the gospel again, as before, is obscured.
Thirdly, it is wrong to cause a riot, if the articles were all right, but one should yield to the authorities. Now the several articles are also unjust, as is indicated above; that it is to be pitied that the blind people put their poor wife and child, their body and soul, in danger, because of such wicked things. Yes, by this one may feel that the devil is revengeful; he takes pleasure in killing, as Christ says Joh. 8, 44: "The devil has been a murderer from the beginning.
A prince deserves honor and all good things when he has created peace in a country, so that we may train the poor children to discipline and godliness. How blind we are that we ourselves break the peace, and deal dishonestly with those who have nevertheless obtained peace, to whom we owe great gratitude. Consider this, every honorable heart, and think of God's will, which demands heartfelt gratitude toward the rulers, and refrain from iniquity and wantonness. God will show one day what displeasure he bears from such iniquity. For he says, Proverbs 24:22, "Their accident will come suddenly.
1) In Luther: "operation" - driving, instigating.
Do not be mistaken, dear friend, that you are called a hypocrite or otherwise; God will judge the matter well, and has already judged it in many places. The rebels are still so possessed by the devil that they will not be satisfied; they despise their oaths; what they grant they do not keep, and cry out that it is evangelical. But it is written in the other commandment that no unfaithful person shall prosper, for the text thus says: "God will not let him go unpunished who takes His name in vain.
66) Fourthly, I ask that the princes take amicable action at the first, and leave something that would be fair, according to the advice of the ancients, 1 Kings 12:7, who advised King Roboam that he had imposed the burdens of Solomon, who had undoubtedly ruled very well and had not burdened anyone unfairly.
67 Even though they have sinned in many ways, who knows what God will do to them if they do not humble themselves? For God has kept it this way, that He has cast down all dominion from the beginning, when the will to reign has become too great. The Assyrians, the Syrians, the Greeks, the Romans, Carthage, have all been destroyed; the Jewish kingdom, which God Himself had ordered and instituted, has also disintegrated, which, after all, had such great promises from God that the Jews always thought that it would remain standing until the end of the world. But because one forgets God in the great happiness, punishment always follows; as God especially showed in the king Nabuchodonosor. Dan. 4, 30.
68 It is also necessary that the princes take action with the monasteries and foundations, so that the great abuse that is in the mass is stopped. For it is evident how frivolously the mass is treated, and how a great fair is made of it, when St. Paul says: "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, lest he should distinguish the body of the Lord" [1 Cor. 11:27]. Now it is known how it happens in the churches everywhere, how loose people let themselves be driven to mass for the sake of their bellies. Therefore, God truly punishes the land and the people, as St. Paul also says that many weak and sick people were among the Corinthians because of the abuse of the mass [1 Cor. 11, 30].
The princes should also allow spiritual persons to marry. For St. Paul says that they are devilish spirits who forbid marriage; and they should deal with the estates of monasteries and convents in such a way that the poor people who are in foundations or convents are primarily provided for from them.
and not cast out naked as they are now and chased away by the murderous peasants.
70 After that, such goods should be used for the benefit of the poor, especially for schools, so that the Christian doctrine could be learned in earnest, and other things that serve to maintain worldly rule. For everything that was given to the old monasteries by kings and princes was given so that they could receive Christian teaching, which the bishops did not consider for a long time. Where schools are not set up properly, unlearned preachers will have to be set up everywhere, who will cause discord and destruction of all things, as has already happened a lot. In the same way, there will not be people in the secular government who are fit to rule.
(71) If the princes were thus kind to their own, and helped to put an end to some abuses, it was to be hoped that a good word would find a good place, as Solomon says: Responsio mollis mitigat iram. If there are some who do not want to accept such a good opinion of the rulers, but continue to exercise their will, take what is theirs from the rich, disgrace their wives and children, push the rulers to the ground, then the rulers should try everything in their power to punish them as murderers; and they should know that they serve God in this, because God has appointed them to prevent murder, Rom. 13, 4: "The rulers are God's servants and avengers, for the punishment of the wicked.
022 So David fought against his own son, and slew twenty thousand rebels one day. He also waged war against the rebellious Sibah.
73 And let the princes pray to God that, since he has established authority and they are his servants, he will also preserve, protect and shield them for the sake of the poor people, of whom there are still many in all countries, who do not delight in rebellion, but would like to be at rest and have peace. If one knows what one is doing right and has a good conscience, one should flee to God, who calls Himself a helper in trouble, Ps. 9, 10. But rebels cannot have a good conscience, who have nothing else in mind but robbery and murder. God grant mercy and peace. For where God does not protect the city, our watch is in vain, Ps. 127, 1.
(74) Now that God has given victory, and the murderous mob that did not want peace has been punished according to God's order, let them be punished.
The rulers must exercise moderation so that the innocent do not suffer injustice, and they must show mercy to the poor, some of whom have sinned out of fear and some out of foolishness. But it is difficult to keep moderation when things are going well. But the lords, as the sensible ones, should leave the best in them. 1)
Christ says Matth. 5, 5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," that is, the world thinks it wants to gain and keep power and wealth with revenge and defiance, but God refuses such pokes and gives happiness to the meek, and Solomon says Proverbs 20, 28: "Kindness and faithfulness protect the king, and mercy fortifies his kingdom. For God wants people to show love and to forgive one another, especially the powerful and wise to the weak and foolish, who are in need of love. Therefore he wants to forgive us again, to give happiness and salvation; and as Paul says, to the members whom we consider dishonest we put the greatest honor, and the members who are evil to us we adorn the most. In the same way, the mighty and wise should deal with the poor, foolish, erring people, and show mercy to those who can be hoped to improve, help them up again, and wait for thanksgiving and reward from God.
76 So David, after he had driven out of the land, and had slain his son that stirred up the rebellion, and was restored, said to Jordan, Let no man perish any more, and let live Shimei, which before had cast stones at him in flight, and cursed him: but David slew no man more than they that perish in battle, whom he should not or could not spare.
This is how David, who had the Holy Spirit, acted. When it was necessary, he punished severely, but also showed mercy where he could. The Gentiles also behaved honorably in such a case. For God has set many examples to the rulers, not only by holy and Jewish princes, but also by pagan ones.
It happened in Athens that many honest and wealthy citizens were chased away by thirty men who were in the regiment and had a lot of courage. But the game was turned around, as God does not allow any crime to last, and the citizens who had been chased away returned by God's help and slew the thirty men. Now
1) So the Wittenbergers. It would like to read perhaps "see" far.
44 Erl.(2.)S4,271 f. Sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasants' revolt. No. 766ff. W. XVI, S6-S9. 45
In the meantime, the property of the expelled citizens had fallen into foreign hands, many had committed other crimes, and during the Thirties they had committed outrages against the oppressed citizens. However, so that there would be no cause for further bloodshed and desolation of the city, it was decided that everyone should forget his damage, and no one would be expelled from the estates or otherwise accused of such an act, which had taken place before the Thirty. This resulted in unity and peace in the city, since they forgave each other, and for the sake of common peace, many forgave their hereditary estates.
79. So may God have mercy that the lords also forget their harm, and forgive the poor, and not demand retribution with vehemence.
80 In Sicyon, there was even more commendable action. There was a rebel who was powerful and drove out Aratum, whose parents had ruled before, and thus chased away many other honest citizens. God helped Arato after many years and punished the rebel, who until then had been very brave and had committed many murders, and had taken the goods of the expelled citizens to his companions. Now that Aetrarch had returned to power and the banished citizens were to be given back their property, there had been a great change in the meantime in the estates through marriages, inheritances, etc., so that it was very difficult to expel all those who were sitting in other people's estates. So he helped to make peace:
He borrowed a large sum of money from his friend King Ptolemao in Egypt and appointed people to act between the rightful lords of the estates and the others, so that whoever wanted to give up estates should be given as much money as they were worth. If one did not want to give way, the other should be reimbursed for the money. So everyone had enough, and there was joy, and the city prospered again.
This is called acting kindly and princely with the people; for it is the duty of princes not only to punish the wicked, but also to help the innocent, so that they may live in peace and quiet, as St. Paul says. For this reason they should also help to ensure that what is conducive to peace and tranquility is carried out; that the courts are properly appointed, and that the youth is properly educated. The schools should also be well organized, so that Christian and other doctrines are taught, thereby educating the people to peace and respectability.
Also, the authorities should be concerned that God's word be preached rightly, and that the order of the people be kept.
If the churches, which are against God, were changed, God would give them peace and happiness in their reign, as he gave Ezekiel and other pious kings, who changed old abuses in the worship of God. For he saith 1 Sam. 2:30: "Him that honoureth me I will honor again; him that despiseth me I will put to shame again."
767 and 768. D. M. Luther's "Exhortation to Peace on the Twelve Articles of the Bauerschaft in Swabia". May 1525.
This writing, which Luther had begun in Eisleben on April 19 in the garden of Mansfeld's chancellor Thür, was published in May by Joseph Klug in Wittenberg under the title: "Crmanunge auff die zwelff artikel der Bawrfchafft ynn Schwaben. Mart. Luther Wittemberg. In the same year, a large number of individual editions came out (the Erlangen edition (2) gives a total of 19 printings), partly in Wittenberg, partly in southern Germany, Nuremberg, Strasbourg, and Tübingen, including one in Low German. In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, p. 77; in the Jena (1556), vol. Ill, p. 118; in the Altenburg, vol. Ill, p. 114; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, p. 253; in the Erlanger (I), vol. 24, p. 259 and in the second edition of the same, vol. 24, p. 271. We have followed the text of the latter, comparing the Wittenberg and the Jena. Namely, we have quoted the scriptural passages, like these, according to the Bible. The refutation of the twelve articles, which Walch had separated from this writing as No. 768, we have reunited with it.
(1) The peasants, who have now gathered in Swabia, have written twelve articles of their unmistakable complaints against the authorities, and have undertaken to establish them with several sayings of the Scriptures, and to have them printed. In the twelfth article, they offer to gladly and willingly accept better instruction where it is lacking and necessary, and to allow themselves to be instructed, insofar as this is done by clear, public, undeniable sayings of Scripture; as it is right and just that no one's conscience be instructed and instructed further or differently than with divine Scripture.
If this is their earnestness and simple-minded opinion, which I have no other right to interpret, because they want to freely present themselves with the same articles and do not want to shy away from the light, then there is still good hope that it will be good. And I, as one who is also
is counted among those who act the divine Scriptures now on earth, but especially, if they call me by name in the other note and appoint me, it gives all the greater courage and confidence to give my teaching, friendly Christian opinion, according to brotherly love duty, also to the day publicly, 'lest by my silence I also be assigned and laid open before God and the world, if something mischievous and accidental should arise from it.
3. but if this is only offered by them for color and appearance, as there are undoubtedly some of this kind among them; for it is not possible that such a large number should all be true Christians and have a good opinion, but a large part of the others need good opinion for their will to be strong, and seek their own under it; such will undoubtedly not succeed much, or ever succeed to their great harm and eternal ruin.
4. Because this matter is great and annual, as it concerns both God's kingdom and the world's kingdom; for if this rebellion should continue and gain the upper hand, both kingdoms would perish, that neither worldly rule nor divine word, but an eternal disturbance of the whole German land would follow: So it is necessary that we speak and counsel freely about it, no one regarded; again, that we also listen willingly, and let ourselves be told once, so that our hearts are not hardened and ears blocked, as has happened so far, God's wrath gains its full course and momentum. For as many cruel signs as have hitherto occurred in heaven and on earth, a great calamity exists and indicates a great change in German lands, although we unfortunately turn little to it, but God nevertheless continues and will one day soften our hard heads.
To the princes and lords.
First of all, we may thank no one on earth for such mischief and sedition, but you princes and lords, especially you blind bishops and mad priests and monks, who, still obstinate today, do not cease to rage and rage against the holy gospel, even though you know that it is right, and that it is not right.
You do not do more in the worldly regiment than that you flay and cherish, to lead your splendor and arrogance, until the poor common man cannot bear it any longer. The sword is on your neck; you still think that you sit so firmly in the saddle that you will not be lifted out. Such certainty and stubborn presumption will break your neck; you will see that. I have told you many times before that you should beware of the saying, Ps. 107:40: Effundit contemptum super Principes, "he pours contempt on 2) princes. ! You struggle for it and want to be hit on the head, no warning nor admonition helps.
2 Because you are the cause of God's wrath, it will undoubtedly come upon you if you do not mend your ways in time. The signs in the heavens and the wonders on earth are for you, dear lords; no good will come to you, no good will happen to you. There is already a great part of wrath that God sends so many false teachers and prophets among us, so that we may first richly deserve hell and eternal damnation with error and blasphemy. The other part is also present, that the peasants rot, from which, where God does not resist, moved by our repentance, must follow destruction, disturbance and devastation of the German land by gruesome murder and bloodshed.
For you should know, dear sirs, that God creates it so that you cannot, nor will you, nor should you tolerate the length of your madness. You must become different and yield to God's word. If you do not do it in a friendly, willing way, you will have to do it in a powerful and pernicious way. If these peasants do not do it, others must do it. Even if you beat them all, they are still undefeated; God will raise up others. For He wants to beat you, and He will beat you. It is not peasants, dear lords, who set themselves against you; it is God Himself who sets Himself against you, to afflict your desolation. There are some un-
1) In the old editions: "announces".
2) The Erlanger Vorlage offers: "over", but the first Psalter translation of 1524, the Wittenberg and the Jena editions read: "from", like our Bible.
48 Erl. (2.) 24,274-27K. Section 2: Outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. No. 767 f. W. XVI, 61-64. 49
Among you, they have said that they will set about eradicating the Lutheran doctrine from the land and people. What do you think if you had been your own prophets, and had already set the country and the people against it? Do not joke with God, dear sirs. The Jews also said, >"we have no king" [John 19:15], and it has become such a serious matter that they must be eternally without a king.
(4) But that ye might still further sin, and perish without all mercy, some have looked, and blamed the gospel, saying, This is the fruit of my doctrine. Now, now, blaspheme quickly, dear sirs, you do not want to know what I have taught and what the gospel is. But he is at the door, who will teach you very soon, if you do not mend your ways. You and everyone must bear witness to me that I have taught with all silence, have fought fiercely against rebellion, and have kept and admonished the subjects with the greatest diligence for obedience and honor, even to your tyrannical and praising superiors, since this rebellion cannot come from me, but the prophets of murder, who are as hostile to me as they are to you, have come among this rabble, so that they have now passed longer than three years, and no one has so nearly flourished and resisted as I alone.
If God now intends to punish you, and lets the devil stir up the mad mob against you through his false prophets, and perhaps wants me to resist no longer, what can I or my gospel do about it? Which hitherto, and still, hath not only suffered your persecutions, and murders, and ravings, but hath also pleaded for you, that your sovereignty should help to protect and administer it among the common man.
And if I had a desire to take revenge on you, I would now laugh in my fist and watch the peasants, or even strike at them and make things worse, but my God shall protect me as before. Therefore, my dear gentlemen, whether you are enemies or friends, I humbly ask you not to despise my loyalty, even though I am a poor man. Do not despise this rebellion either, that is what I ask. Not that I respect or fear that they should be too powerful for you, nor do I want you to be afraid of them for that reason.
If he punishes you as you deserve, he will punish you, even if the peasants are a hundred times less; he can turn stones into peasants, and again, and by one peasant slay a hundred of yours, so that all your armor and strength will be too little for you.
7 If you still need advice, my dear sirs, give way a little to anger for God's sake. Let a cartload of hay give way to a drunken man; how much more should you cease from raving and disruptive tyranny, and act with reason toward the peasants than toward the drunken or the insane. Do not pick a quarrel with them, for you do not know where the end will be. Seek amicably beforehand, because you do not know what God wants to do, lest a spark be lit and set all of Germany on fire, so that no one can extinguish it. Our sins are there before God, because of which we have to fear His wrath, even if only one leaf rustles, let alone if such a crowd stirs. You lose nothing with goodness, and even if you lose something in it, it can be restored to you tenfold in peace, since you may lose body and goods with strife. Why do you want to give yourselves up to the chase, if you could create more benefit with another good way?
(8) They have set forth twelve articles, among which some are so just and right that they take away your glory before God and the world, and make the Psalms (107:40) true, that they pour contempt on princes. But almost all of them are set for their benefit and for their good, and not set for their good. I would have had to write other articles against you, which concern Germany and the regiment in general, as I did in the book to the German nobility, which would have been more appropriate. But because you have thrown them to the wind, you now have to listen to and suffer such self-serving articles, and it serves you just as well as it should not be said to them.
(9) The first article, where they desire to hear the gospel and the right to choose a pastor, you cannot refuse with some pretense. Although they pretend to receive such a priest with the tithe, who does not receive the tithe, for their own benefit.
But if it is theirs, this is the summa, let them preach the gospel. No authority can or should oppose this. Yes, authority should not prevent what everyone wants to teach and believe, be it the gospel or lies; it is enough that it prevents sedition and discord.
(10) The other articles, which refer to physical burdens, such as the fall of the body, taxes, and the like, are also just and right. For the supreme authority is not instituted to seek its benefit and goodwill in the subjects, but to provide benefit and the best for the subjects. Now it is not a long time to appreciate and toil in this way. What good would it do if a farmer's field yielded as many guilders as stalks and grains, so that the lordship would only take more and more, and thus make his splendor greater and greater, and the manor would be so lavished with clothing, food, drink, building and the like, as if it were chaff? One would have to take in the splendor and stop the spending, so that a poor man could also keep something. You have heard further instruction from their notes, since they offer their complaints sufficiently.
To the building community.
You have heard, dear friends, nothing else than that I confess that it is unfortunately all too true and certain that the princes and lords who forbid the preaching of the gospel, and who so blatantly complain about the people, are worthy and well deserving of being thrown off the throne by God, as those who greatly sin against God and men; they also have no excuse. Nothing less is to be provided for you, that you do your things with a good conscience and right. For if you have a good conscience, you have the comforting benefit that God will stand by you and help you through it. And even if you fail for a while, or even if you die because of it, you will still be forgiven in the end, and the soul will be preserved eternally with all its saints. But if you do not have the right nor a good conscience, then you must succumb; and even if you conquer for a time, and slay all princes, yet in the end you will be lost eternally in body and soul. Therefore you are
Do not joke here; body and soul are eternally on your side. And the most important thing is to be aware of this, and to look at it with all seriousness, not only how powerful you are, and how great a wrong those are, but how good a right and conscience you have.
Therefore, my friendly, brotherly request, dear lords and brothers, watch diligently what you do and do not believe all kinds of spirits and preachers, now that the wicked Satan has awakened many savage spirits and murderous spirits under the name of the gospel and is filling the world with them. Hear and be told, as you then offer yourselves manifoldly. I will not spare my faithful warning to you, as I owe. Whether some, poisoned by the spirits of murder, will hate me for it and call me a hypocrite, I will not inquire; it is enough for me whether I save some of your good-hearted, righteous ones from the journey of divine wrath. I will fear the others as little as they despise me; neither shall they harm me; I know one who is greater and mightier than they are, who teaches me thus Ps. 3:17: "I am not afraid of many hundred thousand who set themselves against me." My defiance shall endure their defiance, that verily I know.
First of all, brethren, you bear the name of God, and call yourselves a Christian group or association, and pretend that you want to drive and act according to divine law. Well then, you also know that God's name, word and title should not be used in vain or uselessly, as He says in the other commandment [Ex. 20:7]: "You shall not use the name of God your Lord uselessly," and adds [v. 8]: "For God will not let him be innocent who uses His name uselessly." Here the text stands brightly and clearly, which concerns you as well as all men, and regardless of your great multitude, right and terror, it threatens you with his wrath, as well as us and all others.
4 He is also, as you know, powerful and strong enough to punish you, as he does here, where you take his name in vain and uselessly, so that no happiness but all misfortune is waiting for you where you are.
52 Erl. (2 ) 24,278-281. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 767 f. W. XVI, "6-69. 53
If he falsely bears his name, know how to correct yourselves, and be kindly warned. It is a bad thing for him to choke or hinder so many peasants, who drowns the whole world with the flood of sin and sinks Sodoma with fire. He is an almighty, terrible God.
(5) Secondly, that you are those who uselessly use and profane the name of God is easy to prove; and that therefore in the end all misfortune will befall you, there is also no doubt, unless God is not true. For here is the word of God speaking through the mouth of Christ [Matt. 26:52]: "He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword." This is nothing else than that no one should submit to violence by his own iniquity, but as Paul says [Rom. 13:1]: "Let every soul be subject to authority with fear and honor".
(6) How could you, before these sayings and laws of God, who pride yourselves on following divine law, and yet take the sword yourselves, and rebel against the authority ordained by God. Do you not think that the judgment of St. Paul, Rom. 13:2, will affect you: "Whoever resists God's order will be condemned"? That is to use God's name uselessly, to pretend that God is right, and yet to strive against God's right under the same name. Oh, beware, dear sirs, it will not come to this in the end.
(7) Thirdly, ye say, the authorities are too wicked and unjust, because they will not let us have the gospel, and press us too hard into temporal goods, and so destroy us in body and soul. I answer: That the authorities are wicked and unjust does not excuse either rioting or rebellion. For the punishment of wickedness does not belong to anyone, but to the temporal authorities who wield the sword, as Paul Rom. 13:4 and Peter 1 Ep. 2:14 say that they are ordained by God to punish the wicked. So there is also the natural law and the law of all the world, that no one should be his own judge or avenge himself. For true is the saying: He who strikes back is unjust. Item, who like
The one who beats him causes strife. Divine right agrees with this and says Deut. 32, 35: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Now you may not deny that your rebellion is such that you make yourselves judges, and avenge yourselves, and do not want to suffer injustice. This is not only against Christian law and the gospel, but also against natural law and all equity.
(8) If you are to stand firm in your undertaking, and yet you have both divine and Christian law in the New and Old Testaments, as well as natural law against you, you must bring a new, special command from God, confirmed with signs and wonders, which will give you the power to do this. Otherwise, God will not let His word and order be broken by your own iniquity, but because you praise divine right and yet go against it, He will let you, as those who bring His name to shame, fall and be punished most horribly, and also condemn you eternally, as was said above.
(9) For here also it is according to the saying of Christ, Matt. 7:3, that ye see the mote that is in the eye of the rulers, and see not the beam that is in your own eye: according to the saying of St. Paul, Rom. 3:8, Let us do evil, that good may follow; which condemnation is just and right. For the authorities do wrong, it is true, that they hinder the gospel, and weigh you down in temporal goods. But much more do ye wrong, that ye not only reject the word of God, but also trample it under foot, and encroach upon its power and right, and also pass over God, and take from the authorities their power and right also, yea, all that they have; for what keep they when they have lost their power?
(10) I will make you judges of yourselves, and put it to your judgment which robber is the worst: whether it be he that taketh away a great piece of another's goods, and yet leaveth him something; or he that taketh away all that he hath, and the body with it? The rulers take from you your goods, that is, a piece. Again, you take from them their power, in which all their goods, body and life stand. Therefore you are much greater robbers than they.
and intend to do more harm than they have done. Yes, you say, we want to leave them enough body and goods. I do not believe that, whoever wants to. He who dares to do so much wrong as to take away a man's power, the greatest and most important thing, will not leave it alone; he will also take away the other and least thing that is attached to it. If the wolf eats a whole sheep, then he eats certainly also an ear of it. And even if you would be so pious that you would leave them body and goods enough, nevertheless this is all too much robbery and injustice, that you take the best, namely the power, and make yourselves masters over them. God will judge you to be the greatest robbers.
(11) Can you not think or reckon, dear friends, that if your conduct were right, each one would be a judge against the other, and there would be no power, nor authority, nor order, nor justice in the world, but only murder and bloodshed? For as soon as he saw that any man did him wrong, he would come and judge and punish him himself. Now if this is unjust and not to be suffered by a single person, it is also not to be suffered by any mob or group. But if it is to be suffered by a mob or a group, then it cannot be denied to the individual person with any justification or right. For it is the same cause on both sides, namely injustice.
012 And how would ye do, if such iniquity were begun in your company, that every one sat down against another, and took vengeance on his offender? Would you also suffer it? Would you not say that he should judge and avenge others who were set by you? How then will you stand before God and the world, judging and avenging yourselves against your offenders, even against your sovereignty, ordained by God?
13 Now, all this has been said about common divine and natural law, which even pagans, Turks and Jews must keep, if peace and order are to remain in the world. And if ye keep all these things, yet do ye no better than the heathen and the Turk. For not judging or avenging oneself, but leaving it to the power and authority, does not make one a Christian; one must do it in the end, one must do it.
gladly or unwillingly. But because ye go against such law, ye are manifestly worse than the heathen and the Turk, let alone that ye should be Christians. But what do you think that Christ will say to you that you bear his name, and call yourselves a Christian congregation, when you are so far from it, and do and live so abominably against his law, that you are not yet worthy to be called Gentiles or Turks, but are much worse than those who, against divine and natural law, are common to all the Gentiles, rage and strive?
(14) Behold, dear friends, what preachers ye have, how they mean your souls. I fear that there have come among you some prophets of murder, who would gladly become lords of the world through you; for which they have long since contended, and ask not that they may lead you in body, estate, honor, and soul, both temporally and eternally. If you now want to keep divine justice, as you boast, then do it, for God says [Deut. 32:35]: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay"; item [1 Pet. 2:18]: "Be subject not only to good lords, but also to evil ones." If you do so, well, if you do not, you may well cause misfortune, but it will come upon you at last, but no one doubts it, for God is just and will not suffer it. Therefore beware of your freedom, lest you run away from the rain and fall into the water; and if you think you will become free in body, then you will lose your body, your goods and your soul forever. God's wrath is here, be afraid, I advise you; the devil has sent false prophets among you, beware of them.
(15) Now let us also speak of the Christian and evangelical law, which does not bind the Gentiles as the former law does. For if you boast and gladly hear that you are called Christians and want to be held to that, you will also suffer that your right is reproached to you. Listen now, dear Christians, to your Christian right. Thus saith your most high Lord, Christ, whose name ye bear, Matt. 5:39-41, Ye shall not resist evil: but whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two miles. And whosoever taketh away thy coat, let him have it also.
56 Erl. (2.) 24,283-285. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 767 f. W. XVI, 72-74. 57
Skirt. And whoever slaps you on one cheek, slap him on the other.
16 Do you hear it, you Christian collection? How does your nobility rhyme with this right? Ye will not suffer evil and wrong to be done unto you, but be free, and suffer only good and right; and Christ saith, Resist neither evil nor wrong, but always yield, suffer, and be taken. If ye will not bear this right, rather, put away the Christian name also from you, and boast of another that is according to your doings, or Christ himself will take away his name from you, which shall be too hard for you.
17 St. Paul also says Rom. 12, 19: "Do not avenge yourselves, my beloved, but give place to the wrath of God"; item, he praises the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 11, 19. 20. that they gladly suffer if someone beats them or robs them; item, 1 Cor. 6, 7. he punishes them that they fought for good and did not suffer injustice. Yes, our Duke Jesus Christ says Matth. 5, 44, "we should wish good to those who offend us, and pray for our persecutors, and love our enemies, and do good to our wrongdoers. These are our Christian rights, dear friends.
(18) Now see how far the false prophets have led you away, and call you Christians, when they have made you worse than the heathen. For by these sayings a child grasps that Christian right is: not to resist injustice, not to take up the sword, not to defend oneself, not to avenge oneself, but to go forth, body and soul, that he who robs may rob; for we have enough in our Lord, who will not leave us as he has promised. Suffering, suffering, cross, cross, is the right of Christians, and no other.
019 But now therefore ye fight for temporal goods, and will not leave the garment for the mantle, but repeat the mantle: when then will ye die, and leave the body, or love your enemies, or do good? O of loose Christians! Dear friends, Christians are not so mean that so many should gather in one heap; it is a strange bird about a Christian; would to God we were the more part good,
pious pagans who held the natural law, I am silent of the Christian.
020 I will also tell you some examples of the Christian law, that ye may see whither the foolish prophets have led you. Look at St. Peter in the garden, who wanted to defend his Lord Christ with the sword, and cut off the ear of Malcho. Tell me, who can, was Peter not right in this case? Was it not a grave injustice that they should take from Christ not only his goods but also his life? Yes, they not only took away his body and goods, but also completely suppressed the gospel, by which they were to be saved, and thus deprived them of the kingdom of heaven. You have not yet suffered all such injustice, dear friends.
21 Now behold what Christ does and teaches here. How great such an injustice was, yet he defends St. Petro, and calls him to take the sword, and will not suffer him to avenge or defend such an injustice. In addition, he passes a fatal sentence on him, as on a murderer, and says: "Whoever takes the sword shall perish by the sword. Then we must realize that it is not enough if someone does us wrong, and we have good cause and right, but we must also have the right and power of the sword, commanded by God, to punish such. In order that a Christian may also suffer this, if one wants to deny him the gospel, it is otherwise possible to deny the gospel to someone; as we shall hear.
Another example: Christ Himself, what does He do, when His life is taken from Him on the cross, and thus His preaching ministry is laid down, for which He was sent by God Himself, to do good to souls? [That is what he does, as St. Peter says: "He brought it home to the one who judges rightly", and he suffered such unfortunate injustice. Above this he prayed for his persecutors, saying [Luc. 23:34], "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Now that you are true Christians, you must truly do the same and follow this example. If you do not, you must soon abandon the Christian name and the glory of Christian law. For then you are certainly not Christians, but-
1) "he" is missing in the Erlanger.
58 Erl. (2.) 24, 285-287. cap. 10. of the peasant revolt. W. XVI, 74-77. 5A
They are against Christ and his law, against doctrine and example.
But if you do, you will soon see God's miracles, so that he will help you as he did Christ, whom he smelled after the completion of his suffering, so that his gospel and kingdom penetrated and prevailed with power, in defiance of all his enemies. So he would also help you, so that his gospel would rise up with power among you, if you would first go out and give him back his cause, and stand up to his vengeance. But if you fall into it yourselves and do not want to conquer and preserve it with suffering but with your fist, you will hinder his vengeance and will make it so that you will keep neither the gospel nor the fist.
(24) I must also count myself as a present example of this time. Pope and emperor have set against me and raged. Now, how have I come to this, that the more the pope and emperor have raged, the more my gospel has passed away? I have never drawn a sword nor sought revenge, I have not started a riot, but have helped the secular authorities, even those who persecuted the gospel and me, to defend their power and honor as much as I could. But in this way I have remained completely secret from God and have always relied on his hand. Therefore, in defiance of both the pope and all tyrants, he has not only kept me alive (which many, and rightly so, consider a great miracle, and I myself must also confess), but has allowed my gospel to increase more and more. Now you fall into it, want to help the gospel, and do not see that you hinder and suppress it in the highest way.
(25) I say all this, my dear friends, to warn you faithfully to speak out in this matter of the Christian name and glory of Christian right. For, be ye right as ye will, it behooveth no Christian to be right nor to fight, but to suffer injustice and to endure evil; for there is no other way out, 1 Cor. 6:7. As ye yourselves confess in the preface, that all they which believe in Christ become lovely, peaceable, patient, and of one mind. But in fact you prove vain.
Impatience, strife, and iniquity against your own word. You want to call those patient who do not want to suffer injustice or evil, but only right and good. But that would be a fine patience, which even a knave can suffer, let alone a man of faith.
26 Therefore I say again, I will let your cause be as good and right as it can be; but because you will defend it yourselves, and suffer neither violence nor injustice, you may do and leave what God does not prevent you from doing. But the Christian name, the Christian name, I say, let it stand, and do not make it the cover of shame of your impatient, unpeaceful, unchristian conduct; I will not let you have it nor grant it to you, but tear both off from you with writings and words according to my ability, as long as a vein stirs in my body. For you will not succeed, or will succeed to the destruction of body and soul.
27. Not that I want to justify or defend the authorities in their unmistakable injustice, which you are suffering (they are and are doing terrible injustice, I confess), but that is what I want: If you will not let yourselves be rebuked on both sides, and (since God is for you) sit down together and meet, that on neither side shall you be called Christians, but, as otherwise in the course of the world, one people contends with another, and (as it is said) that God punishes one wicked man with another. Of this kind and name I will count you, if it comes to a dispute (which God graciously turns around), so that the authorities know how they do not dispute against Christians, but against pagans, and you in turn also know that you do not dispute as Christians, but as pagans against the authorities. For Christians do not fight for themselves with the sword, nor with guns, but with the cross and suffering, just as their duke, Christ, does not wield the sword, but hangs on the coffin. Therefore their victory is not in obedience and dominion or force, but in defeat and powerlessness; as St. Paul says in 2 Cor. 10:4: "The weapons of our knighthood are not bodily, but mighty in God," and again: "Strength is made perfect through powerlessness.
028 Therefore your title and name shall be, and must be, that ye are the people which
60 Erl. (2.) 24, 287-2S0. Section 2: Outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. No. 767 f. W. XVI, 77-79. 61
Strive so that they will not suffer injustice or evil, as nature gives; keep the name, and leave Christ's name in peace. For this also is your work, and so do ye. If you do not want to keep the name, but keep the Christian name, then I must understand the matter in no other way than that it applies to me, and count and consider you as enemies who want to dampen or hinder my gospel, more than the pope and emperor have done so far, because under the name of the gospel you go against the gospel and do so.
(29) Again, I will not save you from what I will do. I will place the matter in God's hands, dare to take it on by the grace of God, and rely on him in defiance, as I have done so far against the pope and emperor, and pray for you that he will enlighten you and stand against your presumption, so that he will not let it happen. For I see that the devil, if he has not yet been able to kill me through the pope, is trying to destroy and devour me through the bloodthirsty prophets of murder and the spirits of the mob that are among you. Well, he eats me, his belly shall be tight enough from it, that I know. And even if you win, you shall not enjoy it much. But I ask you humbly and kindly to think carefully and keep it that way, so that I do not need such defiance and prayer to God against you.
(30) For even though I am a poor, sinful man, I know and am certain that in this case I have a right cause when I fight for the Christian name and ask that it not be profaned. So I am also certain that my prayer is pleasing before God and will be heard. For He Himself taught us to pray in this way in the Lord's Prayer, where we say, "Let your name be hallowed" [Matt. 6:9], and forbade to desecrate it in the other commandment [Ex. 20:7]. Therefore I pray that you will not despise such a prayer of mine and of all who pray with me. For it will be too powerful for you, and God will awaken against you, as St. Jacob says [Cap. 5, 16]: "The righteous prayer is able to do much where it lasts," as Elijah's prayer did. And we also have the comforting promise of God, that he will save us from
John 14:14: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do"; and 1 John 5:14: "If we shall ask anything according to his will, he will hear us."
You cannot have such comfort and confidence to ask, because your conscience and the Scriptures convince you that your conduct is pagan and not Christian, and acts under the name of the Gospel against the Gospel and to the shame of the Christian name. I also know that none of you has ever asked or appealed to God in this matter, nor can you yet. For you must not lift up your eyes against Him in the matter, but only defy Him with your fist, which you have gathered out of impatience and ill will, which will not go well with you.
If you were Christians, you would leave off fist and sword, defiance and anger, and turn to Our Father, and with prayer further your cause with God, 1) and say Match. 6, 10: "Thy will be done"; item, v. 13: "Deliver us from evil, amen." As you see, in the Psalter the true saints bear and lament their distress before God and seek help from Him, not defending themselves nor resisting evil. Such prayer would have helped you more in all your troubles than if the world were full of you. You should also have a good conscience and comforting confidence that you will be heard, as his promises are 1 Tim. 4:10: "He is the helper of all men, especially of the faithful"; and Ps. 50:15: "Call upon me in trouble, and I will help you"; and Ps. 91:15: "He hath called upon me, and I will hear him; I am with him in trouble, and I will pluck him out."
Behold, this is the right Christian way to get rid of misfortune and evil, namely, to endure and to call upon God. But since you do none of these things, neither calling nor tolerating, but helping yourselves with your own power, and making yourselves your God and Savior, God must not and cannot be your God or Savior.
1) In the Wittenberg: "federn", which, as Dietz 8. v. indicates, can mean both "fordern" and "fördern"; we have preferred the latter meaning because of the preposition "bei". Jenaer: "fordern"; Erlanger: "fodern"; a codex: "fürdern".
be. So you may also, as pagans and blasphemers, achieve something, if God decrees it, for which we ask, but not that, because to your eternal and temporal ruin. But as Christians or evangelicals you will gain nothing, I would bet a thousand necks on it.
(34) From this it is easy to answer all your articles. For even if they were all naturally right and just, you have forgotten the Christian right, in that you have not conquered and executed them with patience and prayer to God, as befits Christian people, 1) but have undertaken with your own impatience and iniquity to dissuade the authorities and to force them by force; which is also against the law of the land and natural justice.
35 And he that wrote your articles is not a pious and upright man. For he has drawn many chapters from the Scriptures in the margin, as if the articles were founded, and yet he keeps the pulp in his mouth, and leaves the sayings outside, that he may make a pretense of his wickedness and of your pretensions, to deceive you, and to stir you up, and to make you go astray. For such chapters as these, when they are read, do not speak much of your wickedness, but rather of the contradiction that one should live and drive in a Christian way. There will be a red prophet, for example, who will seek his courage through you in the gospel; let God ward him off and protect you from him.
36 First of all, that you come forward in the preface and boast how you do not want to be rebellious, but excuse yourselves that you desire to teach and live according to the gospel, etc. your own mouth and work punish you. For you confess that you roll and revolt, and want to gloss over this with the gospel. You have heard above that the gospel teaches Christians to suffer and tolerate injustice, and to pray to God in all kinds of distress. But you do not want to suffer, but, like the pagans, force the authorities according to your will and impatience.
37. you also bring the children of Israel as an example, that god hears their cry, and
I) "have" is missing in the Erlanger.
I have redeemed them. Why do you not keep the same example that you boast of? Cry out to God in this way and wait until he sends you a Moses who proves with signs and wonders that he was sent by God. The children of Israel did not redouble themselves against Pharaoh, nor did they help themselves, as you suppose. Therefore, such an example is a reproach to you and a condemnation to you who boast about it and yet do the opposite.
38 Neither is it true that ye boast that ye teach and live according to the gospel. There is not one article that teaches a single piece of the gospel, but everything is directed to you having your body and goods free. And summa, they all presuppose worldly, temporal things, that you should have power and good, not to suffer any wrong, when the gospel takes no notice of worldly things at all, and sets the outward life only in suffering, wrong, cross, patience, and contempt of temporal goods and life.
39 How then does the gospel rhyme with you? without seeking the appearance of your unevangelical and unchristian conduct, and do not see how you thereby disgrace the holy gospel of Christ and make it a cover of shame. Therefore you must change your position here, either drop this matter altogether and commit yourselves to suffer such injustice, if you want to be and be called Christians; or, if you want to carry out the matter, put forward another name and not be called and respected as Christians; there is no remedy, and it will not turn out differently.
40 It is true that ye are right in that ye desire the gospel, if ye be otherwise earnest. Yes, I will sharpen this article more than you do, and thus say: It is ever unpleasant to shut someone out of heaven and forcibly send him to hell; no one should suffer such a thing before a hundred necks are cut. But he who denies me the gospel locks me into heaven and forcibly drives me into hell; because there is no other way or means to salvation than the gospel, I shall not suffer this for the loss of my soul.
Behold, is not the right proven strongly enough? It does not yet follow that I am
I should make a fist at the authorities who do such injustice to me. So you say: How then shall I suffer and not suffer at the same time? Here it is easy to answer, "It is impossible that anyone should be denied the gospel. Nor is there any power in heaven or earth that can do this. For it is a public doctrine that goes freely under heaven, bound to no place, as the star that showed Christ's birth to the wise men from the east, walking in the air.
(42) It is true that cities, towns, and places where the gospel or preachers are may well resist the lords there. But thou mayest leave the same city or place, and run after the gospel into another place; and it is not necessary that thou shouldest take or keep the city or place for the gospel's sake; but let the Lord have his city, and follow the gospel: so suffer thou that they may wrong thee, and chase thee away, and at the same time suffer not that they may take or hinder the gospel from thee. Behold, the two things come to pass, suffering and not suffering. Otherwise, even if you want to keep the city with the gospel, you rob the Lord of the city of what is his, and pretend that you do it for the gospel. Dear, the gospel does not teach you to steal or take, although the lord of the manor does it against God and unjustly, and misuses it to your detriment. The gospel must not remain in a physical place or city; it must and will remain in the heart.
43 Christ taught this in Matt. 10:23: "If they drive you out of one city, flee to another. He does not say, "If they drive you out of one city, stay in it and take the city for the praise of the gospel, and make yourselves red against the rulers of the city, as is now done and taught. "For I tell you, ye shall not align the cities all, till the Son of man come."
44 Thus he also says Matth. 23, 34, that the wicked will drive out his evangelists from one city to another. St. Paul also says 1 Cor. 4, 11: "We are not interested in any of them.
certain place." If, then, a Christian must always move from one place to another for the sake of the gospel, leaving everything where he is and what he has, or ever sits uncertain, and waits all hours for such things, then it is right for him, as it should be for a Christian. For because he will not suffer the gospel to be taken from him or to be withheld, he suffers cities, places, goods, and all that he is and has to be taken from him and withheld. Where then rhymes your nobility, who take and keep cities and places that are not yours, and will not suffer them to be taken from you, but take them from their natural masters and defend them? What kind of Christians are these who become robbers, thieves and scoundrels for the sake of the gospel, and then claim to be evangelical?
^Relocation of the twelve articles of the permanent chest.^
On the first article.
A whole congregation shall have power to elect and remove a pastor. This article is right, if only it were applied in a Christian manner, so that the chapters, as indicated in the margin, do not serve any purpose. If the goods of the parish come from the authorities and not from the congregation, the congregation may not give the same goods to the one it chooses, for that would be robbed and taken; but, if it wants to have a parish priest, it must first humbly request such from the authorities. If the superior does not want one, then he shall choose one of his own, and feed him from his own goods, and leave the superior his goods, or obtain them from them by right. But if the authorities do not want to suffer their chosen and fed pastor, let him flee to another city, and let whoever wants to flee with him, as Christ teaches. This means to choose and have a Christian and Protestant pastor of one's own. Anyone who does otherwise is acting unchristian, as a robber and sacrilegious person.
1) This heading is found in the Jena edition. In the table of contents, Walch recognizes it as a mistake that the following is made into a special number, since it belongs to the preceding number.
On the other article.
The tithes are to be distributed to the parish priest and poor people, the rest is to be kept for the country's needs etc. This article is vain robbery and public thievery. For they want to seize the tithe, which is not theirs but the authority's, and do what they want with it. Not so, dear friends, that is to say, the authority is completely deposed, since you stipulate in the preface that you will take from no one what is theirs. If you want to give and do good, do it out of your good, as the wise man says; for God through Isaiah says: "I hate the sacrifice that comes from robbery" [Is. 61, 8].
You speak in this article as if you were already lords of the land and had taken all the goods of the sovereignty to yourselves and did not want to be subject to anyone or give anything. By this you can grasp what you have in mind. Dear lords, let go, let go, you will not end it. The chapters of Scripture, which your false preacher and false prophet has smeared in the margin, do not help you, but are against you.
To the third article.
There shall be no serf, because Christ has set us all free. What is this? That is to make Christian freedom completely carnal. Did not Abraham and other patriarchs and prophets also have serfs? Read St. Paul, what he teaches about the servants, who were all serfs at that time. Therefore this article is contrary to the gospel, and is robbery, that every man should take his own body, which is his own, from his lord. For a bondman may well be a Christian and have Christian freedom, just as a prisoner or a sick person is a Christian and yet is not free. This article wants to make all men equal, and to turn the spiritual kingdom of Christ into a worldly, external kingdom, which is impossible. For a worldly kingdom cannot stand unless there is inequality in persons, that some are free, some are captives, some are masters, some are subjects etc. As St. Paul says in Galatians 3:28, that in Christ master and servant are one thing. My lord and friend, Urban Rhegius, has written enough about this, so you can read on.
On the audern acht*) Article.
The other articles, about the free property of game, birds, fish, wood, forests, about services, interest, taxes, fees/) death case etc., I command the legal experts. For it is not for me, as an evangelist, to judge and pass judgment in this matter. I am to instruct and teach the consciences concerning divine and Christian matters; there are enough books of this in imperial law. So I have said above that such things do not concern a Christian; he does not ask for them, he lets rob, take, press, torture, scrape, eat and rage, whoever he wants, because he is a martyr on earth. For this reason, the community here should leave the Christian name in peace, and act under the name of those who would like to have human and natural justice, not as those who sought Christian justice, which means that they stand still in all these matters, suffer, and complain to God alone.
Behold, dear lords and friends, this is my instruction, which you have desired from me in another note, and I beg you to remember your offering, that you may gladly be instructed with Scripture. Now when this comes to you, do not cry out so soon: Luther hypocrites the prince, he speaks against the gospel. Read first, and see my reason from the Scriptures, for it is for you. I am excused before God and the world. I know well the false prophets among you; do not obey them, they truly deceive you. They do not mean your conscience, but would like to make Galatians out of you, so that they would get good and honor through you, and after that they would have to be damned eternally in hell together with you.
Admonition both to the supremacy and
Bauerschaft.
Since there is nothing Christian on either side, nor is there any Christian matter between you, but both lords and peasants have to deal with pagan or worldly right and wrong, and with temporal good, both sides are acting against God.
1) Not "nine", because in the 12th article the peasants do not demand anything, but offer to be instructed.
2) "Zeise" is as much as Accise, vketiZal, tridutuin.
68 Erl. (2.) 24, SSS-SS8. Section 2: Outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. No. 767 f. W. XVI. 87-90. 69
and are under his wrath, as you have heard: then let yourselves be told and advised for God's sake, and attack the things as such things are to be attacked, that is, with justice, and not with violence nor with strife, so that you do not cause endless bloodshed in German lands. For because you are both partly wrong, and in addition you want to avenge and protect yourselves, you will ruin yourselves on both sides, and God will push one knave with the other.
You lords have against you the Scriptures and history, as the tyrants are punished, that even the heathen poets write, as the tyrants seldom die a dry death, but are commonly strangled, and perish in blood. Because it is certain that you rule in a tyrannical and furious way, forbidding the gospel and thus oppressing and oppressing the poor man, you have no consolation or hope, except that you perish as your equals have perished. Look at all kingdoms, how they have come to an end by the sword, as Assyria, Persia, Greece/) Romans and so on, which are all at last destroyed, as they destroyed others before. So that God proves that he is judge on earth and leaves no injustice unpunished. For this reason, nothing more certain than judgment lies on your neck, whether now or hereafter, if you do not mend your ways.
You peasants also have scripture and experience against you, that no rebellion has ever come to a good end; and God has always kept this word strictly: "He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword" [Matth. 26, 52]. Because you do wrong by judging and avenging yourselves, and because you use the Christian name unworthily, you are certainly under God's wrath. And even if you win and destroy all dominion, you will still have to tear yourselves apart like raging beasts. For since no spirit but flesh and blood reigns among you, God will soon send an evil spirit among you, as He did with those of Assurance and Abimelech [Judges 9:49, 53]. Behold how all ruthlessness has finally come to an end, as Korah, Deut. 16,
1) Erlanger: "Jews" instead of: Greeks.
31. 32. Item, Absalom, Sheba, Zimri, and the like [2 Sam. 18, 9. 14. Judg. 8, 21. 1 Kings 1b, 9. 18.]. In short, both tyrants and mobs are hostile to God. Therefore he incites them against each other, so that they both perish shamefully, and thus his wrath and judgment is executed against the wicked.
(4) I am most sorry and highly to be pitied, and would gladly buy it with my life and death, that on both sides two insurmountable damages follow. For since neither side contends with a good conscience, but both sides look to preserve the injustice, it must first follow that those who would be slain are eternally lost, body and soul, as those who die in their sins without repentance and grace, in the wrath of God; there is no help nor counsel for them. For the lords would contend that they should confirm and maintain their tyranny and persecution of the gospel, and unjust afflictions of the poor, or ever help and handle those who are such; this is ever abominably unjust and contrary to God; whoever is found therein must be eternally lost. Again, the peasants would fight to defend their ruthlessness and abuse of the Christian name, which is also both highly against God, and whoever dies in it and over it must also be eternally lost, there is also no help for it.
The other pity is that Germany will be devastated, and once such bloodshed begins, it will hardly stop unless everything is destroyed. For the conflict is about to begin, but it is not in our power to stop it if we want to. What have you done to so many innocent children, women and old people, who you fools take with you on such a journey, to make the land full of blood, robbery, widows and orphans?
O, the devil has a wicked mind! God is very angry and urges us to let him go and to cool his troubles in our blood and souls. Take heed, dear sirs, and be wise; it is for both of you. What good does it do you to condemn yourselves eternally and wilfully, and to have a desolate and bloody land behind you and your descendants?
You may well be better able to counsel things in time by repentance toward God, and kindly contract or willingly suffer before men. With defiance and strife you will accomplish nothing.
Therefore, it would be my faithful advice that some counts and lords from the nobility and some councilors from the cities be appointed, and that the matters be dealt with and settled in a friendly manner, so that you lords would let down your stiff courage, which you must leave at last, whether you want to or not; and give way a little from your tyranny and oppression, so that the poor man might also gain air and space to live. Again, the peasants also let themselves be instructed, and surrendered and let go of some articles that are too much and too high, so that the matter, even if it cannot be dealt with in a Christian way, may nevertheless be settled according to human rights and contracts.
If you will not follow such advice, since God is for you, I must leave you together; but I am innocent of your soul, blood and goods, and you will bear it yourselves. I have told you that you are wrong on both sides and are fighting for injustice. You lords do not fight against Christians. For Christians do nothing to you, but suffer everything; but you fight against public robbers and desecrators of the Christian name; those who die among them are already eternally damned. Again, you peasants do not fight against Christians, but against tyrants and persecutors of God and men, and against murderers of the saints of Christ; those who die are also eternally damned. There you all have your share of God's judgment, I know that for sure! Do now what you will, if you do not want to preserve your body and soul.
(9) But I will pray with mine own God, that he may either tolerate and unite you in both, or graciously prevent you from going out according to your will; although the terrible signs and wonders that have happened at this time give me a heavy heart, and I worry that God's wrath is too strong, as he says in Ezekiel chapter 14:14: "If Noah, Job and Daniel were before me, I would not have a will for the people. 14:14]: "If Noah, Job and Daniel were standing before me, I would not have any will for the people. Would God that you feared
I will protect you from his wrath, and I will help you so that the plague may be delayed and prolonged. Well then, as my conscience testifies, I have advised you all faithfully enough in a Christian and brotherly way. God grant that it may help, amen?)
769. 9. Martin Luther's writing against the predatory and murderous mobs of peasants.
Boron mid-May 1525.
Luther wrote this soon after the previous one, before the middle of May (Köstlin, M. Luther (3), Vol. I, p. 746), which went out under the following title: "WJder die mördischen und reubischen Rotten der Paurenn. Martinus Luther Wittemberg. Psalm vij. Seine tück werden in selbs treffen, Vnd sein mutwill Wirt über jn außgeen." Without place and year. 1 quarto sheet. Also together with the preceding writing with the superscription: "Widder die stürmenden bawren Martinus Luther." The Erlangen edition (2) lists a total of twenty individual editions. In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, p. 87; in the Jena (1556), vol. Ill, p. 129; in the Altenburg, vol. Ill, p. 124; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, p. 264; in the first edition of the Erlanger, vol. 24, p. 287 and in the second edition, p. 299. We have followed the latter, comparing the Wittenberg and the Jena.
Psalm 7:17.
"His calamity shall come upon his head, and his iniquity shall fall upon his crown."
In the previous booklet I was not allowed to judge the peasants, because they offered themselves for right and better instruction, as Christ says that one should not judge, Matth. 7, 1. But before I look around, they continue to attack with their fist, forgetting their offer; they rob and rage and act like mad dogs. Now they see what they have had in their wrong mind, and that what they have said under the name of the gospel in the twelve articles was a vain lie. In short, they are doing the devil's work, and it is especially the archdevil who rules at Mulhouse,
1) The Erlanger has here the words, which Walch prefixed in German language of the scripture [Ps. 7,17.s: Oonvertetur äolor sjus, in ouput 6jus, et in vsrtiosni ipsins iniynits" one dssosn^at. In one edition they are written from the title page in Latin, in the original of the Erlanger in German. The latter also contains the next edition, to which the psalm words undoubtedly belong, but not to our "Exhortation".
and does nothing but rob, murder, and shed blood, as Christ says of him, John 8:44, that he is a murderer from the beginning. Now that such peasants and wretched people let themselves be deceived and do differently than they have spoken, I must also write differently about them; and first put their sin before their eyes, as God commands Isaiah Cap. 58,1. and Ezekiel Cap. 2, 7, if some would recognize themselves, and then instruct the consciences of the worldly rulers as to how they should conduct themselves in this matter.
(2) These peasants are charged with three grievous sins against God and man, by which they have deserved death in body and soul manifoldly. Firstly, that they swore allegiance and oath to their superiors to be submissive and obedient, as God commanded when He said [Matth. 22, 21]: "Pray to Caesar what is Caesar's"; and Rom. 13,1: "Let every man be subject to his superiors" etc. But because they break this obedience wilfully and sacrilegiously, and set themselves in opposition to their masters, they have thereby forfeited body and soul, as the unfaithful, perjured, lying, disobedient knaves and wicked men are wont to do. Therefore St. Paul Rom. 13, 2. passes such a judgment on them: "Those who resist authority will be judged. Whatever sentence will finally befall the peasants, it will be sooner or later. For God wants to keep faith and duty.
3. secondly, that they cause riots, rob and plunder monasteries and castles that are not theirs, so that they alone, as public highwaymen and murderers, may be guilty of death to body and soul; also a rebellious person, whom one can testify, is already in God's and the emperor's custody, so that whoever can and may kill him first, does right and well. For over a public rebel every man is both chief judge and executioner. Just as when a fire starts, he who can put it out first is the best. For sedition is not a bad murder, but as a great fire that kindles and devastates a land; so sedition brings with it a land full of murder, bloodshed, and makes widows and orphans, and
Therefore, let anyone who can, secretly or publicly, throw, choke and stab, and remember that there can be nothing more poisonous, more harmful, more devilish than a rebellious man. It's like beating a mad dog to death; if you don't beat it, it will beat you and the whole country with you.
Thirdly, that they cover such horrible, abominable sin with the gospel, call themselves Christian brothers, take oaths and oaths, and force the people to keep to such abominations with them. So that they become the greatest blasphemers and desecrators of his holy name, and honor and serve the devil under the appearance of the gospel, so that they deserve death ten times over in body and soul, that I have never heard of such uglier sin. And beware also that the devil may feel the latter day, that he should do such outrageous things. As if he should say: It is the last, therefore it should be the worst, and wants to stir the basic soup and push out the bottom. He even wants to expel the bottom. May God resist him. Then see what a mighty prince the devil is, how he has the world in his hands and can mix it up, who can so soon catch, seduce, blind, harden and outrage so many thousands of peasants, and do with them what his most ferocious fury intends.
(5) Nor does it help the peasants to pretend that Genesis 1:28 and 2:15 say that all things are created free and common, and that we are all baptized the same. For in the new testament Moses does not hold and is not valid, but there our Master Christ stands, and casts us with body and goods under emperor and worldly law, saying [Matth. 22, 2.]: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." So also Paul saith Rom. 13, 1. to all baptized Christians, "Let every man be subject unto authority"; and Peter [1 Ep. 2, 13.], "Be subject unto all human order." To this doctrine of Christ we owe to live, 1) as the Father gives from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, whom he heareth" [Matth. 17, 5. Marc. 9, 7. Luc. 9, 35.].
(6) For baptism does not set free body and goods, but souls. Also makes the Evan-
1) Wittenberger and Jenaer: "gleuben".
The apostles and disciples Apost. 4, 32, who did not demand that the goods of Pilate and Herod be common, as our nonsensical peasants do, but their own goods. 4, 32. who did not demand that Pilate's and Herod's foreign goods be common, as our nonsensical farmers rage, but their own goods. But our peasants want to have other people's goods in common and keep their own for themselves; these are fine Christians to me. I think that there is no devil left in hell, but all the peasants have been driven into it; the raging is excessive and beyond all measure.
(7) Because the peasants are charging both God and man, and are so often already guilty of death in body and soul, and neither confess nor wait for justice, but are always raging, I must instruct the secular authorities how they should proceed in this with a clear conscience. First of all, I will not refuse the authorities, if they can and want to beat and punish such peasants without first asking for justice and equity, even if they [the authorities] do not suffer the gospel; For it is well justified, since the peasants are no longer fighting for the gospel, but have publicly become faithless, perjured, disobedient, rebellious murderers, robbers, blasphemers, whom even pagan authorities have the right and power to punish, and are even obliged to punish such boys. For this reason she carries the sword and is God's servant over the one who does evil, Rom. 13, 4.
(8) But the authorities, who are Christian and suffer the gospel, because even the peasants have no pretense against them, should act here with fear. And first of all, give the things back to God, and confess that we have well deserved it, since we fear that God may thus arouse the devil to the common punishment of the German land. Then we humbly ask for help against the devil. For here we do not only fight against blood and flesh, but against the spiritual evil-doers in the air, who must be attacked with prayer [Eph. 6:12, 18]. If then the heart is so turned against God that one lets his divine will prevail, whether he wants us or not to be princes and lords, one should defend oneself against the mad peasants for the sake of abundance (even if they are not worthy of it) rightly and
Offer to do the same. After that, if that doesn't help, quickly reach for the sword.
(9) For a ruler and lord must think here, as he is God's officer and servant of His wrath, Rom. 13:4, to whom the sword is commanded over such wretches, and sins as highly before God, if he does not punish and defend, and does not execute his office, as if one murders, to whom the sword is not commanded. For if he can, and does not punish, whether by murder or bloodshed, he is guilty of all the murder and evil that such wicked men commit, as he who willfully, by neglecting his divine command, permits such wicked men to practice their wickedness, if he can and is guilty of it. Therefore, there is no sleeping here. Nor is patience or mercy valid here; it is the time of the sword and wrath here, and not the time of grace.
(10) So let the authorities go on with confidence and strike with a clear conscience, because they can stir up a vein. For here the advantage is that the peasants have evil consciences and unrighteous things; and whichever peasant is slain thereby is lost body and soul and is eternally of the devil. But the rulers have a good conscience and right things, and can thus say to God with all certainty of heart: "Behold, my God, you have made me ruler or lord, which I cannot doubt, and have commanded me the sword over the evildoers, Rom. 13:4. It is your word, and may not lie; so I must execute such office, at the loss of your grace; so it is also public that these peasants deserve death in many ways before you and before the world, and have commanded me to punish them. If then thou wilt cause me to be put to death by them, and take away my sovereignty again, and cause it to perish: well then, let thy will be done, yet I die and perish in thy divine command and word, and am found in obedience to thy command and my office. Therefore I will punish and smite as long as I can stir a vein; thou wilt judge and do it well.
(11) Therefore it may happen that he who is slain on the ropes of the rulers is a true martyr before God, if he contends with such a conscience as has been said. For he walks in the divine word and obedience.
76 Erl. (s.) 84, 307-511. Section 2: Outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. No. 769 f. W. XVI. S7-SS. 77
Again, what perishes on the peasants' side is an eternal hellfire. For he wields the sword against God's word and obedience, and is a devil's member.
12. even if the peasants were to fall (since God is for them), for all things are possible to God, and we do not know whether he might want to destroy all order and supremacy through the devil, and throw the world into a desolate house, in the run-up to the last day, which will not be far off, those who are found in their sword office will surely die and go to ruin with a good conscience, and leave the worldly kingdom to the devil, and take the eternal kingdom in exchange. Such strange times are now, that a prince can earn heaven by shedding blood more than others can earn it by praying.
In the end, there is one more thing that should move the authorities. For the peasants do not let them be satisfied that they are of the devil, but force and coerce many pious people, who do it unwillingly, into their devilish alliance, and thus make the same ones partakers of all their wickedness and damnation. For he who consents with them goes with them to the devil, and is guilty of all the evil they do, and yet must do it, because they are so weak in faith that they cannot resist. For a pious Christian shall suffer a hundred deaths before he allows a hair's breadth in the peasant's matter. Oh, many martyrs could now become through the bloodthirsty peasants and murder prophets.
Now, the authorities should have mercy on such prisoners among the peasants; and if they otherwise had no cause to confidently let the sword go against the peasants, and even to risk life and property, this would still be great enough to save and help such souls, who are forced by the peasants into such a diabolical alliance, and without their will have to sin and be condemned with them so horribly. For such souls are rightly in purgatory, yes, in hell and devil's bonds.
Therefore, dear sirs, redeem here, ride here, help here, have mercy on the poor people, stab, beat, strangle here, whoever can. If you remain dead over it, good for you, you can never get a more blessed death. For you die
in obedience to divine word and command, Rom. 13:4, and in the service of love to save your neighbor from hell and the devil's chains.
(16) I ask you, then, to flee from the peasants, whoever you can, as from the devil himself. But those who do not flee, I pray that God would enlighten and convert them. But those who cannot be converted, God grant that they may not have happiness or success. Let every devout Christian say: Amen. For prayer is right and good, and pleases God well, I know. If anyone thinks this is too hard, let him think that there is no doubt that there is turmoil, and that all the hours of the world are to be waited for.
770. Luthers Sendbrief von dem hatte" Büchlein wider die Bauern. June or
July 1525.
This writing appeared under the title: "Eyn Sendebrieff von dem harten buchlin Widder die bauren. Martin Luther. Wittemberg. MDXX V." 4 quarto sheets. The Erlangen edition (2) lists six individual editions. In the collective editions: m the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, p. 89b; in the Jena (1556), vol. ill, p. 149b; in the Altenburg, Bö. Ill, p. 141; in the Leipzig, vol. XIX, p. 267; in the Erlangen (I), vol. 24, p. 295 and in its second edition, vol. 24, p. 310. We give the text according to the latter, comparing the Wittenberg and the Jena.
To the honorable and prudent Caspar Müller, Chancellor of Mansfeld, my good friend.
1. grace and peace in Christ. Honorable and prudent one! I have had to answer your writing by printing it, because the complaining and questioning about my booklet, against the rebellious peasants, is so much, as if it should be unchristian and too hard. Although I had resolved to plug my ears and to let the blind, ungrateful hearts, which only seek cause to be angry with me, get stuck in such annoyance that they would have to rot inside, since they have not improved so much from other little books of mine that they would also want to recognize such a coarse, bad, earthly judgment as right. For I thought of the word of Christ, John 3:12: "If you do not believe when I speak of earthly things, how will you believe when I speak of heavenly things?
things spake?" And when the disciples said Matth. 15, 12.: "Do you also know that the Pharisees were offended at the word?" he said, v. 14.: Let them be offended, "they are blind and leaders of the blind".
They cry out and boast: There, one sees Luther's spirit, that he sheds blood without all mercy, the devil must speak out of him. Well, if I were not used to being judged and condemned, this might move me. But I know no greater hope in me than that my doings and teachings must first stand and be crucified. It would not be valid for anyone to judge Luther; Luther is the mark and goal of contradiction, and everyone must try him out to see if he might become a knight and win the jewel. In such a case, everyone has a higher spirit than I; but I must be completely carnal. And if God wanted them to have only a higher spirit, I would rather 1) be carnal, and as St. Paul also says to his Corinthians [1 Ep. 4, 8]: "You have already been filled, you have already become rich, you reign without us." But I fear they have too truly a high spirit. For I do not yet see anything special that they accomplish, unless they finally become sins and disgraces. 3)
3. but they do not see how they start by such judgment, and expose their heart's thoughts by such contradiction, as Luc. 2:34. says of Christ Simeon etc. They realize, they say, what kind of spirit I have. So I notice how finely they have grasped and learned the gospel. Yes, they do not know a single thing about it 3) and yet they talk a lot about it. For how should they know what heavenly righteousness is in Christ according to the gospel, who do not yet know what earthly righteousness is in worldly authority, according to the law?
(4) Such people are worthy that they hear no word, and see no work, in which they may
1) In the editions: "I wanted to wait gladly carnal". It will be "zewarten" (zwarten) - indeed, freely, to be read. Compare No. 1000, ß 4 in this volume.
2) Erlanger: makes. Should this reading be correct, "that" is to be read shortly before.
3) "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
But they should have vain vexation, as happened to the Jews in Christ, because their heart is so full of evil that they desire nothing better than to have vexation, so that it may happen to them according to the saying Ps. 18:27: "With the wicked thou art wicked"; and Deut. 32:21: "I will provoke them against that which is not a nation, against a foolish people will I provoke them to anger.
5. These were my reasons why I wanted to keep quiet and let them confidently run and get angry, so that they would have to perish according to their merit, hardened in vain anger 4) and blinded, who with such ingratitude have so richly resounded everywhere by such a great and bright light of the gospel, have learned nothing at all, and have put the fear of God so much in the background that they no longer regard anything as evangelical, but judge and despise others, and allow themselves to think that they are of great spirit and high understanding, and through the teaching of humility only grasp vain hope, as a spider sucks vain poison from a rose.
(6) But because you desire instruction, not for yourselves, but to shut up such useless people; although I consider that you are doing a vain, impossible work, for who can shut up a fool, because the heart is full of foolishness, and the mouth must overflow, because the heart is full? [But in this I will also do you another lost service.
(7) And first of all, warn those who reproach my booklet to keep their mouths shut and beware, for surely they are also rebellious in heart; lest they be unwise, and once go behind their heads, as Solomon says, "My child, fear the Lord and the king, and do not mix with the rebellious. For their calamity will come suddenly, and who knows when both calamities will come?" Proverbs 24:21, 22, where we see that both the rebellious and those who mingle with them are condemned, and God does not want to make a joke out of it, but the king and the ruler are to be feared. But those who mingle
4) Erlanger: hidden.
80 ed. (p.) 24,313-315. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 770, W. XVI, I0S-I04. 81
Among the rebels, who take care of them, complain, justify and have mercy, whom God does not have mercy on, but wants to punish and destroy. For he who takes care of the rebels in this way gives enough to understand that, where he had space and time, he would also bring disaster, as he had decided in his heart. Therefore, the authorities should take hold of such people's hoods so that they shut their mouths and realize that they are serious.
(8) If they think such an answer is too harsh, and say that it is spoken by force and that their mouths are shut, I say, "That is right. For a rebel is not worthy to be answered with reason, for he will not accept it; one must answer such mouths with the fist, so that the sweat runs out of the nose. The peasants did not want to listen either, they did not even let them say anything; then you have to poke their ears open with cans so that their heads jumped up in the air. To such disciples belongs such a rod. He who will not hear the word of God with kindness must hear the executioner with sharpness. If it is said that I am unkind and unmerciful in this, I answer: "Merciful here, merciful there, we are now talking about the word of God, he wants to honor the king and destroy the rebels, and yet he is as merciful as we are.
(9) I do not want to hear or know about mercy here, but to pay attention to what God's word wants. Therefore my booklet shall be right and remain right, even if all the world is angry with it. Why do I ask that you dislike it, if it pleases God? If he will have wrath, and not mercy, what dealest thou with mercy? Did not Saul sin against Amalek with mercy, that he did not execute God's wrath, as he was commanded? [Did not Ahab sin in being merciful to the king of Syria, and let him live contrary to the word of God? [If thou wilt have mercy, mingle not with the rebellious, but fear the rulers, and do good. If you do evil, fear (says Paul [Rom. 13:3, 4]), it does not bear the sword in vain.
(10) Such an answer would be enough for all those who are annoyed with my booklet and who are useless.
make. Is it not fair to shut one's mouth when one hears that God says and wants it that way? Or is God guilty of giving such useless mouths cause and account for why he wants it that way? I cried, it would be enough to silence all creatures, if he only waved one eye, let alone if he spoke. There is his word [Proverbs 24:22]: "My child, fear the Lord and the King; if not, your calamity will come suddenly" etc. Item, Rom. 13, 2.: "Whoever resists God's order will receive judgment against himself." Why is St. Paul not merciful here either? If we are to preach God's word, we must also preach that which proclaims wrath, as well as that which proclaims mercy. One must also preach about hell as well as heaven, and on both sides, about the pious and the wicked, God's word, judgment and work must help to punish the wicked and protect the pious.
(11) But so that the pious God may remain before such judges, and His judgment be found right and pure, let us represent His word against such free mouths, and show the cause of His divine will, that we may also put two candles to the devil. They reproach me that Christ teaches [Luc. 6, 36]: "Be merciful, as your Father is merciful"; item [Matth. 12, 7]: "I want mercy and not sacrifice"; item [Luc. 9, 56]: "The Son of Man did not come to destroy souls, but to save them", and the like.
Here they think they have failed; if Luther taught that the peasants were to be pitied, he teaches that they should be killed quickly. What do you think? Let us see if Luther will jump over the little piece; I think he is caught. Well, I thank my dear masters. For if these high spirits had not taught me this, how would I have known or experienced it? How would I know that God promotes mercy, when I have taught and written about mercy more than anyone else in a thousand years?
There is a devil in the skin who would gladly do evil if he could. Therefore, he stirs and fights even the good and pious hearts.
with such pieces that they should not see how black he is, and wants to make himself beautiful under the glory of mercy, but it will not help him. Dear, you who praise mercy so well because the peasants are beaten, why do you not praise it when the peasants raged, beat, robbed, burned and plundered, so that it was terrible to see and hear? Why were they not merciful to the princes and lords who wanted to destroy them completely? There was no one who said of mercy, all must be right, there was mercy silent and nothing; right, right, right, that applied and went up. But now they are beaten, and the stone falls on their head, which they cast toward heaven, let no one speak of justice, but only of mercy.
14 And yet they are so coarse, and think that one should not notice the mischief. No, one sees you well, you black, ugly devil. You do not praise mercy, that you are serious, and love mercy, otherwise you would have praised it against the peasants; you fear the skin, and would gladly escape the rod and punishment of God with the appearance and name of mercy. Not so, dear fellow, you have to stand here and die without any mercy. St. Paul says [Rom. 13, 4]: "If you do evil, fear. For the power of the sword is not in vain, but for the punishment of him that doeth evil." Thou wilt do evil, yet not suffer wrath, but with boasting mercy cover thee. Yes, come back tomorrow, we will bake you a little cake. Who could not do that?
(15) I would also run into a man's house, ravish his wife and daughters, break open his caskets, take his money and goods, and put a sword to his breast, saying, If thou wilt not suffer this, I will stab thee, for thou art an ungodly man. But if the servants came and strangled me, or the judge beheaded me, I would cry out: Christ teaches you to be merciful and not to strangle me; what can you say to that? My peasants and defenders of the peasants are doing the same now. Now they have exercised all courage against the masters, like the robbers, murderers, thieves, and
Peel, first sing a little song of mercy, and say, Be ye merciful, as Christ teacheth, and let us rage, as the devil teacheth us; do ye good to us, and let us do the worst to you; be well pleased and be right in what we have done, and be wrong in what ye do.
(16) Dear one, who would not like this? If this is called mercy, then we want to do a fine thing, that is, that there be no sword, authority, court, punishment, executioner, or prison, but let every boy do what he wants; and if he is to be punished, we want to sing: Be merciful, as Christ teaches. O, that should be a fine order! There you see what those have in mind who judge my booklet as lacking all mercy. They are certainly good rascals, rebellious, and real bloodhounds, or are seduced by such people. For they would like to have all evil unpunished, and under the name of mercy they are the most ruthless and cruel corrupters of the whole world, as much as it would depend on them.
(17) Yes, they say, we do not justify the peasants, nor do we resist punishment; but it seems unjust to us that you teach that you have no mercy on the poor peasants, for you say that they should be killed without any mercy. I answer: If you mean that right, then I am golden; it is all the cover of your bloodthirsty will, that the peasants' nature pleases you secretly. Where have I ever taught that one should not practice mercy at all? Is it not also written in the same booklet that I ask the authorities to accept those who surrender to mercy? Why do you not open your eyes and read it? Then you would not have had to condemn my booklet and get angry.
(18) But because you are so poisonous that you take the one piece alone, when I write that those who will not surrender nor listen should be swiftly put to death without all mercy, and leave the other, when I write that those who surrender should be received with mercy, it is evident that you are a spider sucking poison from the rose, and it is not true that you do wrong to the peasants or love mercy, but would have
84 Erl. (s.) 2t, 317-319. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 770, W. XVI, I07-II0. 85
like to have a freely unpunished wickedness, and that the worldly sword would come to nothing. But you will not end it.
(19) Let this be said to the unchristian, unmerciful bloodhounds, who praise the sayings of mercy to the effect that unrighteousness and unmercifulness shall reign in the world according to their will.
20. To the others who are deceived by these, or are otherwise so weak that they do not like to compare my booklet with the sayings of Christ, let this be said. There are two kingdoms: one is God's kingdom, the other is the kingdom of the world, as I have written so often that I am surprised how people do not yet know or realize this. For whoever knows how to separate the two kingdoms from each other properly, will certainly not be annoyed by my little book, and will also hear the sayings about mercy well. God's kingdom is a kingdom of grace and mercy, and not a kingdom of wrath or punishment. For there is only forgiveness, sparing, loving, serving, doing good, having peace and joy etc. But the worldly kingdom is a kingdom of wrath and severity. For there it is all punishment, defense, judgment and sentencing, to compel the wicked and protect the pious. Therefore it also has and wields the sword, and a ruler or lord is called God's wrath or God's rod in the Scriptures, Isa. 14, 5.
21 The sayings that speak of mercy belong to God's kingdom and to Christians, not to the worldly kingdom. For a Christian shall not only be merciful, but shall also suffer all manner of things, robbery, fire, murder, the devil, and hell, except he should smite, slay, or requite any man. But the temporal kingdom, which is nothing but the servant of divine wrath upon the wicked, and a veritable forerunner of hell and eternal death, shall not be merciful, but stern, earnest, and wrathful in his office and work. For his armor is not a rosary or a flower of love, but a mere sword; but a sword is a sign of wrath, severity and punishment, and is directed nowhere but at the poseurs; on these it looks to punish and keep them in check and peace, for the protection and salvation of the pious.
22 Therefore God, in the Law of Moses, and in Exodus 21:14, when He uses the sword, says, "Thou shalt also take away the murderer from My altar, and shalt not have mercy on him. And the epistle to the Hebrews confesses that he who did contrary to the law must die without all mercy. This indicates that the temporal authorities cannot be merciful in their own office, nor should they be, even though they may celebrate the office by grace.
(23) Whoever would mix these two kingdoms together, as our false spirits do, would put wrath in the kingdom of God and mercy in the kingdom of the world; that would be putting the devil in heaven and God in hell. These Burmese also wanted to do both of these things. Before, they wanted to ride with the sword, and as Christian brothers fight for the gospel, and kill others, because they were supposed to be merciful and patient. Now, when the worldly kingdom passes over them, they want to have mercy within, that is, they do not want to suffer a worldly kingdom, and yet they themselves do not want to grant God's kingdom to anyone; what would be devised for intercourse? Not so, dear friends; if one has earned wrath in the worldly realm, then one surrenders and suffers the punishment, or humbly remits it. But those who are in God's kingdom should have mercy on everyone and pray for them, but not hinder the worldly kingdom in its right and work, but help to promote it.
(24) But though such severity and wrath of the worldly kingdom seem a ruthless thing, yet, when rightly considered, it is not the least bit of divine mercy. For let every man take himself, and tell me hereupon a judgment: If I have wife and child, house and servants, and goods, and a thief or murderer assaults me, strangles me in my house, violates my wife and child, takes what I have, and he should remain unpunished for it, that he does it more where he wants: tell me, which would be the most worthy and necessary of mercy here? I, or the thief and murderer? Without a doubt, it would be most necessary for me to be shown mercy. But where will such mercy be shown to me and my poor, miserable wife and children, so that such booing may be resisted and I and my children protected?
keep me in the right; or, if he does not let him defend himself and continues to do him his right, punish him so that he has to let it go? What a fine mercy it would be to me, that one would be merciful to the thief and murderer, and let me remain murdered, violated and robbed by him?
25. Such peasant defenders do not look at such mercy, which rules and acts in the secular sword, but only open their eyes and mouths at the wrath and seriousness; We pretend to the furious princes and lords that we teach them to punish the wicked, when they are ten times worse hypocrites of the murderous boys and wicked peasants, and are themselves also bloodthirsty murderers with rebellious hearts, that they have no mercy at all on those who are overpowered by the peasants, robbed, violated, and forced to do all kinds of injustice. For where the peasants had been going about their business, no honest man could have remained safe from them, but whoever had more than a penny would have had to take the blame, as they had already begun to do. And if that had not been enough, they would have had to put their wives and children to shame and strangle each other, so that peace and safety would never have remained.
26 What is ever heard more wicked than the mad mob and peasant, when he is full and full and gets violence? as Solomon says, Proverbs 30:21, 22, that such people the earth cannot bear. And should we first have mercy on such people and let them rage as they wish with everyone's life, limb, wife, child, honor and property, without any punishment, and let the innocent perish so shamefully before us without all mercy, help and comfort?
27 I constantly hear that the Bamberg peasants were offered to be let off more, because they asked that they should only sit quietly; they still did not want to. And Margrave Casimir vowed to his own that what others had acquired by strife and rebellion, he would otherwise let them have, with mercy; that did not help either. Thus it is well known that the Frankish peasants hold nothing against them but robbery, burning, breaking and destruction, out of sheer will of courage. The Thuringian peasants
I have experienced myself that the more they were admonished and taught, the more stubborn, proud, and foolish they became, and they have stood up everywhere so wilfully and defiantly, as if they wanted to be strangled without all grace and mercy, and have immediately offered God's wrath the most magnificent defiance. And so it is with them, as the 109th Psalm, v. 17, says: "They did not want grace, so it is now far enough from them.
Therefore the Scripture has fine, pure eyes, and sees the secular sword rightly, as that out of great mercy must be merciless, and for vain goodness exercise wrath and severity, as Paul [Rom. 13:4] and Peter [1 Pet. 2:14] say, that it is God's servant for vengeance, wrath and punishment over the wicked, and for the protection, praise and honor of the pious. It looks at the pious and has mercy on them, and so that no harm comes to them, it fights, bites, stabs, cuts, cuts, murders, as God has commanded it, whose servant is recognized in this.
29. That the wicked are punished in this way without mercy is not because the punishment of the wicked alone is sought, and lust is atoned for in their blood, but so that the pious are protected, peace and security are preserved. Which are undoubtedly the most precious works of great mercy, love and kindness (for there is nothing more wretched on earth than strife, insecurity, oppression, violence, injustice, etc.). For who could or would want to stay alive, where it should be like this? Therefore, the sword's anger and seriousness is so necessary among the people, as eating and drinking, even as life itself.
(30) Yes, they say, we are not talking about the stiff-necked peasants who do not want to surrender, but about those who have overcome or surrendered; one should show mercy to such people and not deal with them in such an abominable way. I answer, "You must not be pious to blaspheme my booklet as if I were speaking of such overcome, devoted peasants, when I speak so plainly in it of those whom one first asks kindly, but they do not want. All my words go against the stiff-necked, stubborn, blinded peasants, who
88 Erl. (2.) 2t, 322-321.. Section 2: Outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. No. 770, W. XVI, H2-IIS. 89
neither want to see nor hear, how one may grasp it. And you say, I teach the wretched captive peasants to strangle without all mercy. If you want to read books and interpret them according to your will, what book will remain before you?
Therefore, as I wrote then, so I write now. Let no one have mercy on the stiff-necked, obstinate, blinded peasants who do not let them be told, but let them cut, stab, choke, and strike as if they were mad dogs, whoever they can and however they can; and all this so that one may have mercy on those who are corrupted, chased away, and seduced by such peasants, that one may have peace and safety. It is better to cut off a limb without all mercy than for the whole body to perish by fire or some such pestilence. How do you like that? Am I also an evangelical preacher who teaches grace and mercy? If I am not, there is no power in it. For you are a bloodhound and seditious murderer and corrupter of the land with your mad peasants. For thou art hypocritical in their sedition.
They go on to say: The peasants have not strangled anyone yet, as they are strangled. Dear, what can one say? What a beautiful answer is this, they have not strangled anyone; that made it necessary to do what they wanted; but they nevertheless threatened to kill whoever did not want to go along with them, and took the sword in their fist that was not theirs, attacked the goods, houses and possessions. So a thief and a murderer would not be a murderer, who would do to me with death what he wanted. But if they had done what was kindly desired of them, they would not have been killed. But since they would not, it was right to do to them as they would have done, and to do to those who would not do as they would.
Moreover, they are publicly unfaithful, perjured, disobedient, rebellious thieves, robbers, murderers and blasphemers, so that none of them deserves death tenfold without all mercy. One ever wants to look with the shrew's eye only at the punishment, how painful it is, and not also at the guilt and merit, and unspeakable damage and destruction, which there is.
should have followed. If the punishment hurts you, then leave the wickedness; as Paul also answers such, Rom. 13, 3. 4.: "If you do not fear the sword, then do good; but if you do evil, then fear" etc.
Thirdly, they say: The lords abuse their sword, and strangle too horribly etc. I answer: What is that to do with my book? Why do you lay foreign guilt on me? If they abuse their power, they have not learned it from me, they will find their share. For the supreme judge, who punishes the wanton peasants through them, has not forgotten them, nor will they escape him. My booklet does not say what the lords deserve, but what the peasants deserve and how they should be punished; I have not hypocritized anyone with this. If it is the time and the matter that I should do it, I will certainly attack the princes and lords. For as far as my office of teaching is concerned, a prince is just as important to me as a peasant. I have already earned them in such a way that they are not too dear to me; I do not care much about them either. I have one who is greater than them all, as St. John says [Cap. 10, 29].
If, however, my advice had been followed at first, when the riot began, and one peasant or a hundred had dared to do it, and had been beaten on the heads, so that the others would have bumped into them, and had not let them get so out of hand, many thousands would have been preserved, who now had to die, and would probably have remained at home. That would have been a necessary mercy with little anger, since one now had to take so much seriousness to control so many.
But it has been God's will to joke with us on both sides. First of all, the peasants, that they might learn how to be at ease, and not suffer good days in peace, that they might learn to thank God for it, if they had to give one cow, so that they might enjoy the other with peace. For it is always better to have half of the estate in peace and safety, than to have the whole estate in danger all the time among thieves and murderers, and yet not have it. The peasants did not know how precious it was for peace and security that one might have
enjoy his morsel and drink cheerfully and safely, and did not thank God for it; that he now had to teach them in this way, that they 1) forgot the tickle.
It was also useful for the lords to learn what was behind the mob and how to trust it, so that they could learn to govern properly and to cultivate land and roads. There was no longer any regiment or order; everything stood open and idle. There was no longer any fear or timidity among the people; everyone did what he wanted. No one wanted to give anything, and yet they splurged, drank, dressed and walked idly, as if they were all masters. The donkey wants to be beaten, and the mob wants to be ruled by force; God knew that well. That is why he did not give the authorities a fox's tail, but a sword in their hands.
(38) Nor is this one of the least pieces they put on: there were many pious people among the peasants who came to this innocently, and had to do it, who were wronged before God by being executed in this way. I answer, "People talk about such things as if they had never heard a word from God. Therefore I must also answer here, as to those who are still young children or pagans. So nothing is directed among the people with so many books and sermons.
39 First of all, I say that there is no injustice done to those who are forced by the peasants; nor is there any Christian man left among them, nor do they come to it innocently, as they pretend. It may well be seen as if they were wronged, but it is not so. Tell me, dear friend, what excuse is there if someone strangles your father and mother, violates your wife and child, burns your house, and takes your money and possessions, and then says that he had to do it, that he was forced to do it?
40. Who has ever heard of anyone being forced to do good or evil? Who can force a man's will? O, it does not exist, nor is it, that one says, I must do wrong, and I will do wrong.
1) Erlanger: they.
forced to do so. To deny Christ and the Word of God is a great sin and wrong, and many are forced to do so; but do you think that they are excused by this? So, "to make a riot, to disobey the authorities, to be unfaithful and perjurious, to rob and burn" is great wrong, and some peasants are forced to do it; what does it help them? Why do they let themselves be forced?
(41) Yes, they say, I am threatened to take my body and my goods. O my beloved, that thou mightest keep my body and my goods, wilt thou transgress the commandment of God, and slay me, and ravish my wife and my child; how would God and I do it? Would you also suffer it so from me? If you were forced, then, that the peasants had bound you hand and foot and brought you under them by force, and you had resisted with your mouth and punished them for it, and thus your heart had confessed and testified that it did not like to do it, nor did it consent to it, then you would stand with honor, and would indeed be forced with your body, but yet unconstrained with your will. But if you keep silent, do not punish them, and still follow with the crowd, and do not confess your displeasure, it does not help you; and you have been waiting too long to confess your displeasure at first. For you should fear and respect God's commandment more than men, even if you had to ride and risk death over it; he would not let you go, but would have faithfully stood by you, saved you and helped you. Therefore, just as those who deny God are condemned, even if they are forced to do so, so the peasants are not excused for allowing themselves to be forced.
(42) If the excuse were valid, there would be no need to punish sin or vice. For where is there a sin that the devil and the flesh and the world do not drive and force alike? Do you not think that at times an evil desire drives to adultery with such fervor and rage that it might be called a greater urge and compulsion than to urge a peasant to riot? For who is mighty of heart? Who can resist the devil and the flesh? Is it not possible for us to resist the slightest sin, since Scripture says that we are to resist the devil and the flesh?
92 Erl. (2.) 24,826-328. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 770, W. XVI, 118-120. 93
We are prisoners of the devil [2 Tim. 2, 26], as of our Prince and God, that we must do what he wills and gives us to do; as is sometimes proved by some horrible stories; should it therefore be unpunished and right?
(43) Not so, it is to call upon God for help, and to resist sin and wrongdoing. If you die or suffer for it, good for you, and blessed is your soul before God and the world in the highest honor. But if you give in and follow, you will die ashamed before God and the world, because you have allowed yourself to be forced into wrongdoing. It would be better for you to die with honor and bliss, praising God, than to die in disgrace, as a punishment and torment to you.
44. Yes, say you, O Lord God, who would have known such things! So I also say: Lord God, what can I do about it? Ignorance will not excuse either. Should a Christian not know what he needs to know? Why don't they learn it? Why don't they have good preachers? One wants to be ignorant with will. The "gospel has come to Germany, many pursue it, few desire it, far fewer accept it, and those who accept it, stand by it so lazily and lazily, let schools perish, parishes and preaching stands fall, no one thinks to preserve it and raise up people; and let us be seen everywhere as if we were sorry that we were learning something, and would gladly know nothing. What wonder, then, if God will also visit us, and let us again see a piece, to punish his gospel contempt, in which we are all guilty, though we are innocent of some of the rebellion, which we have well deserved; that he may admonish us and send us to school, that we may one day also become witty and knowledgeable?
(45) How must one do in wars, since even the innocent must go away with the guilty, even more than the innocent, as it seems to us, since widows and orphans also become. These are plagues, sent to us by God, and otherwise well deserved, which one must truly suffer with the other, if we want to live differently with one another. For as it is said, one neighbor owes another a fire.
46. whoever wants to be in the community must
He will also help to bear and suffer the burden, journey and damage of the community, even though he has not forfeited it, but his neighbor, just like him, is entitled to peace, benefit, protection, property, freedom and the community's home, even though he has not acquired or brought about the same, and will learn to sing and comfort himself with Job: "If we have received good things from the Lord, why should we not also bear evil things? So many good days are worth an evil hour, and so many good years are worth an evil day or year. We have had peace and good days for a long time, until we became too horny and unhappy, did not know what peace and good days were, and did not even thank God for them; this we must now learn.
(47) Yes, we may well refrain from such complaining and grumbling, I advise, and thank God that through His grace and mercy no greater calamity has come upon us than the devil intended to inflict through the peasants, just as Jeremiah did: when the Jews were driven out, captured and murdered, he consoled himself and said: "It is God's grace and goodness that we have not been completely destroyed" [Klagl. 3, 22]. And we Germans, who are much worse than the Jews, and yet not so driven out and strangled, want first of all to grumble and be impatient/) and justify ourselves, and not let a part of us be strangled, so that God may be enraged even more, and let us go to the ground, take off our hand, and give us completely to the devil. We do as the foolish Germans do, who know nothing of God, and speak of such things as if there were no God who does such things and wants to have them, and think that we suffer nothing at all, but are vain noblemen who sit on cushions, and want to do according to all their will.
48 For you should have seen that if the devil's thing had gone on in the peasants, and God had not fed them with the sword through the prayers of devout Christians, then it would have happened throughout the whole of the German lands as it happens now to those who are stabbed and killed, and much worse. There would be no one before the other
1) "his" is missing in the Erlanger.
Each would have strangled the other, burned house and yard, and desecrated wife and child. For God had not begun and there was no order, and there was already such a situation among them that no one trusted or believed the others; they deposed one captain after the other and had to leave, not as honest people did, but as the most ruthless boys said and wanted. For the devil had it in mind, he wanted to devastate Germany completely, because otherwise he could not defend the Gospel.
49. And who knows what else will happen if we want to grumble and be ungrateful like this? God may well let the peasants become mad once again, or let another one start, so that [it] will be worse afterwards than now. Methinks it was a good strong admonition and warning. If we take care of it and do not turn away from it and do not fear God, then we may see what happens to us, so that this is not a joke and seriousness follows.
50 Finally, one would like to say: You yourself teach sedition, because you say that one should quickly strike and stab the seditious, whoever can, each one being the supreme judge and executioner in this case. Here I answer: My booklet is not written against bad offenders, but against the seditious; but you must distinguish a seditious far, far from a murderer or robber, or any other offender. For a murderer or other malefactor leaves the head and the authority, and attacks only his members or goods; indeed, he is afraid of the authority. Because the head remains, no one should attack such a murderer, because the head can punish him, but wait for the judgment and command of the head, to whom God has commanded the sword and office to punish.
(51) But a rebel attacks the head himself, and falls on his sword and office, so that his offense has no equal with the murderer. Here it is not necessary to wait for the head to command and judge. For it cannot, and is imprisoned and beaten, but shall run to whoever can, uncalled and uncommanded, and as a faithful member help save its head with stabbing, cutting, choking, and put body and goods to the head.
(52) I must imagine this with a rough similitude. If I were a master's servant and saw that his enemy was running at him with a bare sword, and I could ward it off, but stood still and let my master be so shamefully slain: tell me, what would both God and the world say of me? would they not justly say that I was a desperate villain and traitor, and must certainly have head and tail with the enemy? But if I were to go to the enemy and intervene between the enemy and the master, and put my body on the line for my master, and stab the enemy to death, would that not be an honorable and honest deed, which would be praised and glorified before God and the world? Or, if I were stabbed to death over it, how could I die more Christianly? because I would die in right worship, as much as it is in the work itself; and if faith were involved, I would be a right holy martyr of God.
(53) But if I should excuse myself, saying, I will therefore hold my peace until my lord shall call me; what would that excuse do, but to accuse me two times more, and to make me worthy to be cursed of all men, as one that jesteth in such wickedness? Did not Christ himself vow all these things in the Gospel, and declare it to be right, that servants should fight for their masters, when he stood before Pilate and said [John 18:36], "If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight for me, that I should not be delivered to the Jews." There you see that it is right in the sight of God and the world for servants to fight for their masters; otherwise what would the worldly government be?
54 Now behold, such a man is the agitator, that he runneth upon the head and the lord with the naked sword: there shall no man tarry till the lord be called to resist, but shall go and stab the wicked, unnamed, he that is able first, and shall not take care that he commit murder, but he shall resist an arch-murderer, which seeketh to murder the whole land. Yes, where he does not stab and murder, but lets the lord stab, he is also an arch-murderer. For he must and should then think, because his lord suffers and lies, that he is lord, judge and executioner in the case. For sedition is not a joke, and
96 ed. (2.) 24, 330-332. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 770, W. XVI, 123-126. 97
No evil on earth is equal to it. Other vices are individual pieces; sedition is a deluge of all vices.
(55) I am called a spiritual man, and I hold the office of the word. But yet, if I were a servant of a Turkish lord, and saw my lord on the road, I would forget my spiritual office, and stab and slash freshly, because I could stir a vein; if I were stabbed over it, I would go up to heaven in the work of the mouth. For rebellion is not worthy of any judgment or mercy, whether it be among Gentiles, Jews, Turks, Christians, or wherever it may be, but it has already been interrogated, judged, and condemned, and delivered to death in every man's hand. Therefore, there is nothing more to be done here than to quickly strangle the rebel and do him justice.
(56) No murderer does or deserves such evil. For a murderer does a criminal wickedness and lets the punishment remain. A rebel wants to have a free, unpunishable wickedness and attacks the punishment himself. Moreover, at this time they make an evil cry to the gospel among the gospel's enemies, who blame such sedition on the gospel, and open their mouths wide enough to blaspheme, though they are not excused by it, and know it well otherwise; Christ will also strike them well in his time.
(57) See now whether I have rightly and justly written in my booklet that one should stab the rebellious without all mercy. But I did not teach that one should not show mercy to the captives and the devoted, as I am blamed, and my booklet shows otherwise.
(58) I do not want to strengthen the angry tyrants, nor do I want to praise their raging. For I hear that some of my disciples are cruel beyond measure to the poor people, and are almost bold and defiant, as if they had won and were firmly established. Well, they do not seek punishment and correction of the rebellion, but atone for their fierce will and cool their troubles, which they may have borne for a long time; they think that they have now gained space and reason to do so.
59) But especially 'they now confidently oppose the gospel, want to rebuild monasteries and convents, and to give the pope the
Crown, mix our cause among the rebellious. But they will soon reap what they are sowing. For he that sitteth above seeth them, and will come before they look. They shall lack what they intend, that I know, as they have lacked hitherto.
I have also written in the same booklet that now is such a strange time that one may earn heaven with murder and bloodshed. Help God, how has Luther forgotten himself, who until now has taught that one must attain grace and be saved without works, by faith alone. But here he does not give salvation to works alone, but also to the horrible work of shedding blood. There, the Rhine has broken out.
61 Dear God, how closely I am sought, how they lie in wait for me, and yet they do not help me. For I hope that they will let me keep the custom of words and the manner of speech, which not only the common man has, but also the Scriptures keep. Does not Christ say Matth. 5, 3. 10. 12.: "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; and blessed are you when you suffer persecution. For your reward is great in heaven"; and Matth. 25, 34. where he rewards the works of mercy etc., and the like much more. And yet it remains true that works do nothing in the sight of God, but faith alone. But how this happens I have written so many times, and especially in the sermon on unjust mammon. Whoever does not want to be satisfied by this, let him always go and be angry all his life long.
62. But that I have made the work of bloodshed so dear, my booklet in the same place will abundantly testify that I have spoken of temporal rulers who are Christian, and who conduct their office in a Christian way, especially when they fight against the rebellious mobs. If they do not do well by shedding blood and carrying out their office, Samson, Samuel and David should not have done well either, since they punished the evildoers and shed blood. If it is not good nor right to shed blood like this, then let the sword stand, and let us be free brothers and do what we want.
63 For this I beseech you, and every man with diligence, that they will yet read my booklet.
and do not go so far beyond, they will see that I, as befits a Christian preacher, have instructed only the Christian, pious authorities. I say again, and for the third time, that I alone have written to the authorities who want to go Christian or otherwise honestly, so that they may instruct their consciences in such a case, namely, that they should immediately strike into the pile of the rebels, regardless of whether they hit the guilty or the innocent. And even if they strike the innocent, they are not to make a conscience of it, but to confess to God that they are guilty of his service. Afterwards, when they have won, they shall show mercy, not only to the innocent (as they think), but also to the guilty.
But I did not intend to teach the furious, raging and senseless tyrants, who even after the battle are not satisfied with blood, and in their whole life do not ask much about Christ. For to such bloodhounds it counts the same, they strangle guilty or innocent, it pleases God or the devil, they have the sword, only their lust and will to atone; I let their master, the devil, lead them as he leads them.
When I heard that at Mulhouse, among some great merchants, one of them brought the poor wife of Thomas Muenzer, who is now a widow and pregnant, to him, fell on his knees before her and said: Dear wife, let me take you to N. O, a chivalrous, noble deed, committed on a miserable, abandoned, pregnant woman; that is a bold hero, who would be worth three knights. 1) What should I write to such rangers and sows? The Scriptures call such people beasts, that is, wild animals, as there are wolves, sows, bears and lions, so I do not want to make them human either; but one must still suffer them, if God wants to plague us through them.
I have taken care of both: if the peasants would become lords, the devil would become abbot; but if such tyrants would become lords, his mother would become abbess. Therefore, I would have gladly satisfied both, the peasants.
1) "would be" only in the Jena.
and pious superiority taught. But since the peasants did not want to listen, they have received their wages. But these also do not want to listen; well, they will also have their wages. Without pity they should be murdered by the peasants, that would be a fox's tail. Hellish fire, trembling and gnashing of teeth in hell will be their reward forever if they do not repent.
(67) These things, my lord and friend, I have answered your writing; I hope I have done more than enough. But if anyone has not done enough, let him be wise and prudent, pious and holy in God's name, and let me remain a fool and a sinner. Although I would like to be left in peace, nothing will be said against me, and what I teach and write should remain right, even if the whole world should burst at it. If one wants to be strange, then I will also be strange, and see who will be right in the end. Hereby God commands, and tells Conrad to watch, hit it and lie down in the right bed. The printer shall also avoid it henceforth, and no longer call you Chancellor, amen.
771 Spalatin's concerns about old and new levies, addressed to a friend who was presumably a nobleman and who wanted to act in conscience against his subjects.
From Cyprian's "Useful Documents," vol. II, p. 348.
After diligent consideration and contemplation of the facts, I believe that the previous comforting report should be taken into account. Considering that it is not only clothed in God's Word, but also originates not only from me, but also from the venerable, highly respected Doctor Martin Luther. And one cannot do better than to follow the report that comes from others rather than one's own thoughts. Therefore I base, as before, on the previous report, both my own, and highly esteemed Doctor Martin Luther's opinion. If there are old debts, about people's memory, and have arisen before your arrival and housekeeping, then I want to let them go, in God's name, and otherwise show my subjects honest and favorable will, in which I always want. But if there were of you, in and by
of your household, the old levies, also interest of woods, more hunting service etc., and how it would have more and more names, from new over the old levies, burden and burden raised, set and imposed on the people, then it would be called fair, as God in Isaiah 58, 6. says: Solve colligationes iniquitatis etc.. Likewise with the feudal
The fiefs of some feudal lords are now so high that they are lamented in heaven, and God will surely hear such prayers and hurt many feudal lords, pressing them very hard. For it is ever too much to drive the fief so high that many widows and orphans must be left heirless. Some are so clever that they put the fine only on the money, and do not want a farmer to come to food or to stay with it. Some force the subjects, as often as they want, to hunt over the old custom that was brought here, although it should have been done only rarely in the past. Some of them take timber and chicken rents from the subjects, because they have been allowed to graze in the woods. But now they get ready, give the interest another name, do not let the people graze in the woods, but still take the interest most strictly etc. Who will and can tell all about such new burdens, levies and burdens? Where such new burdens were recently imposed on the people, a relief was made before the conscience would not let up with its bite. In the old ones, however, and in the ones imposed by others, I satisfied my heart with God's help. In addition, I am moved by the divine scripture mentioned above, the example of the great archfather Joseph, who, as it is written in the first book of Moses, v. 24, 26, 47, decreed to give the fifth part of the Egyptian field to Pharaoh, except for the priestly field, which was not Pharaoh's own. On the other hand, such ordinances are police ordinances that God allows to pass at any time. So also St. Peter says in his first epistle in the other chapter [v. 13]: "Be subject to all human orders." Thirdly, the common rabble is bridleless, insolent, and rough, and must be kept hard; otherwise it shall well do all mischief. For thus says King Solomon in the 26th chapter of his Proverbs [v. 3.], that a whip belongs to the horse, a bridle to the ass, a rod to the fool's back, otherwise none of you will do well. Fourth, even if you were to do away with the old customs, it would not help the cause, but would cause more disruption, suspicion and disobedience, as well as a burdensome introduction for others.
For not everyone would follow this example. If only God wanted that the new taxes could be alleviated and solved smoothly and unnoticeably. I would also not object to you bequeathing something to the poor people every year in your will and last will, which would be to their benefit for the payment of the tax due; but in all cases now unannounced. For it might make the people wanton and you suspicious. Secondly, if such thoughts occur to you, take the Holy Scriptures before you and compose a psalm or something else. For this is the only true book of comfort, as Paul indicates in Romans 15:4. Thirdly, God's mercy is greater than the life of all men, as it is written in the 63rd Psalm, v. 4. And as St. John says in his first epistle in the third chapter, v. 20: "If our heart punishes us, God is much greater than our heart. Fourthly, in such afflictions of conscience, you have recourse to God, to dear prayer, and to the reception of the holy Sacrament and the absolution of your pastor, as well as to the diligent hearing of God's Word, without doubt, God will, through these Christian divine means, give your conscience and heart, if not complete peace and tranquility, then at least good, blessed relief. For it is true, as it is written in Job, chapter 7, v. 1, that man must always be in conflict. That is why God is also called the Lord of hosts, that he and his poor little band must always be in the field. But praise God! and as Paul says in 1 Cor. 15, 57, that God has given us the victory through Christ. Above this, as St. Paul says in 2 Cor. 2, 14, we thank God that He always gives us victory in Christ. Finally, you should also be with your sons about this, and faithfully instruct them to be content with the old traditional taxes, and not to burden the subjects with some innovation, but to follow the laudable and praiseworthy example of the Roman emperor Tiberii, of whom Suetonius writes that, since some of his councilors would have him lay and enforce taxes and duties on the people, he gave them this answer: He will not do it. For it behooves a faithful, pious shepherd not to shear the sheep, but to shear them.
That would be just enough. God grant you blessed relief in your conscience. For Satan will never let us come to complete rest in this restless world, even in our restless blood and flesh.
6. how this indignation was sought to be dampened by amicable settlement.
772 The treaty made with the peasants at Lake Constance and in Algau on April 22, 1525, with Luther's preface and admonition to the peasants.
This document was published under the title: "Vertrag zwischen dem löblichen Bund zu Schwaben, vnd den zweyen Haussen vnd versamlung der Bawrn am Bodensee und Algew. M.D.XXV. Wittemberg." At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg durch Joseph Klug." 1^ Bogen in 4. In the "Gesammtausgabe": in the Wittenberger (1569), vol. IX, p. 219, in the Jenaer (1556), vol. Ill, p. 102; in the Altenburger, vol. Ill, p. 106; in the Leipziger, vol.XIX, p. 246 and in the Erlanger, vol. 65, p. 2.
Preface by Martin Luther.
I have received this treaty between the laudable union of Swabia and the communities at Lake Constance and in the Algäu with great joy, as a special grace of God in these desolate, horrible times, which the devil is wreaking through his red spirits and murderous prophets.
2 And I have again sent the same one to ask whether God would perhaps also give His grace in our lands, so that the same example of the devil's work might be countered and his bloodthirsty enterprise might be resisted, and also our peasants might want to desist from their dangerous, damned enterprise and go to peace and friendly agreement before God Himself comes, and their horrible raving, both undertaken against divine and human law, might be brought home with merciless earnestness.
For he himself said [Matt. 26:52], "He that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword." And he also let St. Paul say [Rom. 13, 2.]: "He who resists the authorities resists God's order; but he who resists it will receive judgment." He wants such sayings and will have kept them, and will not consider whether we are peasants or lords, whether we call ourselves Christian brothers, or what we pretend to be; each one may judge himself according to them, God will not be mocked.
I. It is only to be known that the subjects of Lake Constance, also in the Algäu, swore an alliance by conspiracy over and against the golden bull of the Roman and imperial, Hispanic royal majesty, princes, rulers and other estates of the holy empire's reformation and established land peace, and thereupon threw themselves off their lords, nobles and sovereigns, in addition to which some of them violently seized their castles, villages, towns and houses, partly burned them, also plundered some of them, urged their servants and others of their own to swear and do homage to them, and thus aroused warlike indignation in the Holy Empire: Thus the Roman imperial and Hispanic royal majesty, princes, princes and other estates of the laudable confederation of Swabia, to prove due aid, protection and protection to the conquered and damaged, their confederation's relatives, also to undertake physical resistance, and deaths, fire and capture, devastation of land and people have resulted: that the benevolent Lord, Lord Hug, Count of Montfort and Rottenfels, Lord Wolf Gremlich von Jüngingen, Knight, also the prudent, honorable and wise mayors and councillors of Ravenspurg, through their appointed council friends and messengers, Gwer Schellang and Johannes. Kriegling, to put an end to such deaths, fires, seizures, devastation of land and people, and to prevent as much as possible, the well-born Lord, Mr. Georgen Truchsessen, Baron of Waltburg, the chief field commander of the reported confederation, together with Count Wilhelm von Fürstenberg, and Mr. Frowein von Hütten, 1) chief of the footmen and the men-at-arms, as well as of other princes, lords, and councillors of the confederation, requesting with the utmost diligence that they be granted amicable negotiations in this matter. And after the granted amicable discussion, of unnecessary to indicate the length, and reported war disturbance, between Roman, imperial and Hispanic royal majesty, princes, princes, also other states of the reported confederation, and predetermined subjects, be settled amicably, as follows:
2 First, the two groups of Algäu and Lake Constance shall hand over their treaty and alliance letters, which they have drawn up with each other and handed over to each other, to a common assembly.
3. on the other hand, they shall also fulfill their duty, so
1) This name is spelled in all editions soon "Hütten", soon "huts"; but the former is predominant.
104 Erl. 65,4-6, Sect. 2, On the Outbreak of the Peasants' Revolt. No. 772, W. XVI, 133-135. 105
They have joined together for the sake of their alliance and union, count each other finally and completely as their own, and neither continues to attract the other for this reason.
(4) Thirdly, after they have committed their insurrection and rebellion, as well as the deprivation of their sovereigns and dominions, against the Roman Emperor's Majesty and the Holy Roman Empire's peace, the Golden Bull and common law, the peasants shall vow and swear to avoid such alliances, contracts and rebellions from now on.
5. Fourthly, they shall vow and swear that they will be faithful, obedient and faithful to their lords, sovereigns, from whom they have renounced, and that they will do their duty to them again, to pay their interest, taxes, tithes and other righteousnesses, as they gave and did them before this rebellion, until they have rightfully revoked all or part of them by one of the following resignations or by ordinary law.
(6) Fifthly, they shall also hand over and deliver all monasteries, castles, towns, villages, houses and estates, however much they have conquered and taken in this rebellion and outrage, together with the stolen 1) property, as much as may be found or reported in their possession, to the 2) deviants as soon as possible.
(7) Sixthly, whether in this outrage they would have forced anyone to duties or to vouched or unvouched estimation, 3) to give prescription for that reason, they shall be dead and gone.
8. seventhly, if everything and anything as above has been completely done and executed: whether one or more, common or special, of the above-mentioned two groups want to think that they are burdened by their superiors and sovereigns, in whatever way that may be, so that they may therefore get due turn and settlement, as common estates are most inclined to promote.
9. in turn, what the same sovereigns and lords may say and declare against their subjects and subjects, commonly or specially.
1) Wittenberger: entwandten; Jenaer: entwarten; Erlanger: Entwerten. - After the immediately following: "so much" we have, just like Walch, omitted a pleonastic "they".
2) Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer and Erlanger: devaluate. May the one or the other reading be correct, the meaning is not doubtful: the deprived.
3) Thus the Erlangen. Wittenberg and Jena: Statutes.
The peasants shall have the right to take and give the settlement to each other for all and any of such matters. Namely, if a sovereignty or lordship proposes two or three respectable towns of their liking, and the subjects of the peasants also propose two or three towns of their liking, and if they do not agree amicably or legally, then they shall choose and request the F.D. to be an umpire, and it shall also remain unanswered. 4)
(10) Eighth, so that no one has to complain about the cost or inconvenience of seeking justice before the princes or judges of the confederation, which party should be more pleased, that each sovereignty or lordship and its subjects and subjects, between whom there is confusion and infirmity, give and decree two different honorable men of secular standing, who will diligently endeavor to unite and reconcile them in kindness with knowledge on account of such infirmities.
11) The ninth, in which articles they would not find the goodness, that then the parties want to be finally satisfied about the same.
12) For the tenth, and namely so, the parties shall agree on a chairman; and if they could not agree, then each part shall appoint one, two or three, and draw lots for it, or the common estates of the Union of Swabia shall choose and give one of them to the assembly as chairman.
(13) The eleventh, and what by the same chairman and additions all, or the more parts of all parties, orally or in writing, bring forward, is spoken in kind, or rightly recognized, that it shall remain so, finally and unrefuted, accepted and executed by each part which such touches, without objection.
14. In the twelfth place, each of the authorities of the same subjects, backsides, and dependents shall also agree on the proposed legal or amicable resignations, and unite them with each other, or one of them with the other, within a lunar period of time, also needful Compromise and Commencement Deed therefore comprehended, and with sufficient faith, promise and sealing, as befits, erect and thereafter make, with the but clause that amicable or legal action, after date of the Commencement and Compromise, in one year and three months the next
4) "solle" added by Walch. - "F. D." perhaps: Fürstlichen Durchlauchten?
5) Erlanger: any.
unless the reasons for which the parties or the chairman are responsible, which are justified and based in law, cause a longer delay.
15. To the thirteenth, so that peace, tranquility and unity in the holy realm may be kept the more steadfastly, and the obedient, peaceful subjects may not again be seduced by the rebellious, disobedient ones and brought to ruinous harm, the said subjects of the two tribes shall keep a faithful and diligent watch in all courts and communities, whether any or more of them do not live up to this treaty and all that is contained in it, or continue to cause rebellion and disobedience, If any or more of them do not live up to and comply with this treaty and all that is contained therein, or if they continue to stir up and disobey it, they shall report them to the authorities under whom they have been seated and help to imprison them. So that they may be punished for their disobedience and transgression as is proper.
16. Fourteenthly, if it should happen that the above-mentioned lords, nobles and sovereigns do not live up to and comply with this 1) treaty, including the articles contained therein, as far as they are concerned, or complain to the subjects, together or separately, against the law, and urge them further than the above-mentioned treaty contains, and report the complaints of such to the federal captains and councillors, the common estates shall, as far as they are able, with the help of the complainants, bring them to obey the treaty of its contents in all respects, so that every complainant, who desires justice, may receive it and be granted it as is due.
Finally, all ill-will that has occurred between the sovereigns and the many subjects under this outrage shall be put away and be over, and neither part shall inflict anything unfriendly or harmful on the other outside of the law, and further than this treaty admits. Hereupon, the said subjects of Lake Constance and Algaeu, the appointed committee, councillors and fully authorized attorneys, have handed over to Mr. Jörgen Truchsefsen, supreme field captain, a sealed, frugal power: namely, Ditterich Hurlenwagen of Lindau, and Thomam Maierhofer of Raitnau, on account of the subjects of the place Ober-Raitnau; Eitelhans Zigelmüller of Unterthüringen, Otmar Kelk and Hans Aggenbach of Riethain, on account of Bermatinger Platz. Hans Katzmair of Lottenweiler, and Conrad Scherer of Wernsreutin, by reason of Ailinger Platz. Conrad Hablützel, by reason of Marchdorfer Platz. Hans Hagen by reason of Mörsbürger Platz. Conrad Her-
1) Wittenberger: "this"; Jenaer and Erlanger: "these", and: "the articles".
moved from Suplingen and Jakob Harsch from Bondorf, by reason of Obniger Platz. Hans Bach of Rappersweiler, Hans Lencker of Linnau and Curlin Schmidt of Rüßried, by reason of Rappersweiler Platz. Antonius Wäger von Osterach, Jakob Wikel von Rottenbühel and Hans Schwelling von Galkreutin, by reason of Osteracher Platz. Hans Wirt von Hasenweiler, by reason of Zusdorfer Platz. Christian Rupp, Hans Gerber and Rudolph Scherer of Tetnang, by reason of Tetnanger Platz. Görg Beck, by reason of Argewer Platz. Hans Hörnstein of Nuvenhoren, Claus Eberlin of Entzisweiler and Hans Hagk of Berg, by reason of Wasserburger Platz. Thomas Biechlin and Michel Pfeifer, by reason of new Ravenspurger place. Bastian Müller von Zell, Hans Nickel von Lanckrain and Görg Schaup vom Hof, by reason of Zeller Platz. Wildbold Dürner of Riethhausen, Franz Mülner of Ebenweiler, Thomas Michelberg of Letzelbach, and Hans Moser of Furt, on account of the square in the Altdorf field. Hans Stiegklein, Conrad Meier of Althain, Görg Mülner of Langen-Eßlingen, and Görg Krauß of Tongendorf, on account of Unlenger Platz. Hans Kem and Urban Ziegelmüller, by reason of Altdorfer Platz. Martin Resch of Buchars, and Bartholmes Müller of Weitnau, on account of Truchberger Platz. Hans Schweiglein of Stifenhofen, and Hans Schaidebach of Langnau, on account of Stoffer Platz. Jörg Jöck of Schonau, by reason of Lindenberger Platz; and Caspar Küttel of Küsleg, on account of the places on Leukircherhaid, vow and swear for themselves and their above-mentioned subjects, their fellow relatives and principal souls, with open fingers and learned words, bodily to God and the saints, that they will all together and without divorce, and each of them in particular, to understand, to be able to understand, and to abide by all of the foregoing articles and this agreement from word to word, nothing excepted, true, firm, steady, and unbroken, and to faithfully perform, live, comply, and obey the same in all respects, without any excerpt or objection.
18) And that for even greater security, they all agree, 2) also that each of them in particular is bound to the highest and commits everything, that this contract, also all and every article contained therein, binds them and is imposed upon them, nothing separate, to grant right against all their lords, nobles and sovereigns, to be guarantor and comforted one behind the other.
19) Thus, if it should happen and come to pass, 3) [that] all or especially this contract in all
2) Wittenberger: signed.
3) Erlanger: "zutrügen".
108 Eri. es, 9-11. sect. 2. of the outbreak of the peasant revolt. No. 772. W. xvi, 138-140. 10A
also every article, such as those contained therein, not strictly lived, obeyed and complied with their content, but would in some way contravene it, 1) it would be by deed or in some other way, nothing excluded, that [they] then de facto fell into the Roman Imperial and Hispanic Royal Majesty's disfavor, also the Holy Empire's attention and disregard. Also the Roman imperial and Hispanic royal majesty, princes and other estates of the laudable confederation of Swabia, in addition their lords, nobles and superiors, also all and any others who want to charge and accept these matters, have full power and right, They all and everyone in particular, without any previous denunciation, declaration and further legal compliance, to attack their possessions and goods, lying, driving, borrowing and own, to take them into their hands, as their own goods to have, to use, to use, to move, to sell.
20. Or against them and their bodies, as the openly rebellious, disobedient, denunciated, declared, prescribed eights and aberrants, with deathblows, taking, burning and other means, also ways, to use against any rebellious, disobedient and contradictory, to perform and act, always, as long and much, until they have completely satisfied, made unenforceable and compensated their lords, nobles and superiors for all their losses, deficiencies and infirmities, according to the assets and contents of this contract, together with the costs and damages incurred, and they have all, and everyone in particular, been brought to obedience. In addition, all that this contract, also all and every article, therein conceived, contained, have fully reimbursed and executed.
21. and we Georg Truchsess, Baron of Waltburg, as supreme field captain, Wilhelm, Count of Fürstenberg etc., and Frowein von Hütten, knight, reported covenanting foot soldiers and cavalry colonels, also the above-mentioned Unterthedinger, Hug, Count of Montfort and Rottenfels, Gwer Schellang and Johann Krieglein, both citizens and of the council of Ravenspurg, as mayors and councilors there, plus a predetermined two-man committee, Councillors and authorized attorneys, for ourselves, also reported subjects, our fellow relatives and principals, all confess everything that is conceived in this letter and contract, acted upon, finally accepted and decided with the will, knowledge, understanding and permission of all of us, and especially of the often reported subjects of the two groups.
22. and we Georg Truchsess etc., Wilhelm, Count
1) In the issues: would.
zu Fürstenberg, and Frowein von Hütten, knight, instead of and in the name of the common confederates, with our honors, dignities and highest faith. And we the Committees, Councils and fully authorized attorneys of the aforementioned two tribunals, on behalf of ourselves and our many subjects, our principals as well as our relatives, together and especially by the aforementioned oaths we have sworn, and by the penitence herein contained, promising, that everything, as far as such touches each one, shall be kept true, steady and unbroken, to live most faithfully, to comply, and by ourselves or anyone else for our sake, not to do nor create anything contrary thereto, all faithfully and safely.
23. In witness whereof we Georg Truchsess, Baron of Waltburg, Wilhelm, Count of Fürstenberg, Frowein of Hütten, Knight, Hug, Count of Montfort, Mayor and Council of the City of Ravenspurg, and we the Amman, Mayors, and Councillors of the Cities and Towns of Totnang, Marchdorf, Mörsburg, and Altdorf for ourselves, as co-relatives of certain alliances of the two groups of Lake Constance and Algäu, also at the earnest request of the aforementioned same Committee, Councillors and authorized attorneys, that we, the committee councillors and attorneys, confess, have thus asked and requested them, all our and the mentioned cities' seals, but to us the subjects and common city of Ravenspurg in all ways without harm, publicly attached to this letter, which is given on the second and twentieth day of the moon Aprilis, after the birth of Christ fifteen hundred twenty and five years.
Martin Luther's admonition.
1. No one can deny that our community has no right cause at all, but is burdened with grievous, grave sins and arouses God's terrible and unmistakable wrath against them, so that they break the loyalty, oaths and duties they have sworn to their rulers and fall into disobedience, to go against the authority ordered and commanded by God, to avenge themselves, and to take the sword with their own iniquity and thirst, even though God wants to fear and honor the authority, even if it were pagan and did vile wrong, as Christ himself honored it in Pilate, his unjust judge and crucifier. But the peasants do not have it enough that they rage so faithlessly, perjuredly, disobediently and sacrilegiously against God's order, but they also plunder
rob, take, wherever they like, as the public highwaymen and murderers, who disturb the peace of the land and the households. And, worst of all, they carry out such raging and atrocious vices under the Christian name and pretense of the Gospel, so that they profane and blaspheme God's name to the highest degree, just as if God had pleasure and favor in the faithless and perjured (who are otherwise also called traitors and evil-doers) and in public robbers and murderers and blasphemers.
O woe and woe to you damned false prophets, who deceive the poor simple-minded people to such ruin of their souls and perhaps also loss of body and good! For whichever peasant in such presumption shall be made whole, or be destroyed, he shall
as a faithless man, a perjurer, a robber, a murderer, a blasphemer and an enemy of Christ. Where he will go, the children may well tell you. They are Christian brothers. Yes, as Judas kisses and greets Christ, the devils reign there.
Therefore, dear peasants, desist, listen, and let it be said to you: You are already condemned before God according to your soul, who knows how your body and your goods will fare? Finally, if you win or lose, it must be over you, for your injustice is too great and too high, God cannot suffer it for long. Give yourselves to peace and agreement, even if it must happen with bodily harm, so that the sin and destruction of souls may cease, where one no longer wants to obtain; then God will grant His grace, amen.