Section Four of Chapter Ten.

Writings and news, which belong to the history of Thomas Münzer and the peasant revolt, and explain the same.

785 Letter from Hans Zeis, Schösser zu Allstädt, to Georg Spalatin concerning the examination of the teachings of Thomas Münzer. July 20, 1524.

From Kapp's Nachlese nützlicher Reformation-Urkunden, Theil II, p. 612.

Salutem, my dear sir, special friend! As I asked you next to the Lochau, as I also asked our most gracious lord in writing at that time, and reported that it was very necessary that Magister Thomas be interrogated, you promised to take care of it, and, as soon as my most gracious lord would come from the hunt this time, to bring it faithfully. Now it is very necessary that this be done quickly, as Doctor Bridges has also reported here that he complains that he is not being heard, nor is he being interrogated; and so his teaching is being spread among the common people, so that they are also reddening and pressing for it with the sermon. It is high time to undertake this matter with the interrogation; for if it is not done, then contemptus principum is present, it is to be feared that the people will throw themselves together in heaps, as he then publicly provokes; this will torment and rob, and become such a displeasure in this way, of which no one has ever heard. Therefore, be diligent to set a day for a public hearing, to know whether his doctrine is right; if it is found to be righteous, to hold it.

If not, this should be abolished, because it is not possible to make a change without being heard. The people are firmly attached to him; he recently delivered a sermon before my gracious lords, the two princes, which I am sending you here; he has promised the chancellor, by our gracious lord's order, not to have a thing printed; his princely graces or my gracious lord, Duke Hans, have then inspected it; He wants to have all kinds of people with him, as you may have heard. I have had the letter to Sittichbach delivered to Mr. Volkmarn. With this I commend you and myself to God Almighty. Date urgent, Wednesdays after Alexii s20. Julis Anno 1524. 4) I ask for your friendly answer.

Hans Zeis, Schösser zu Allstädt.

786: Hans Zei's report to Spalatin on Münzer's and the citizens of Mühlhausen's election. February 22 and March 5, 1525.

From Cyprian's Documents, vol. II, p. 339.

My undaunted kind service before. My dear Lord and friend! Because this

4) "1524" placed by us instead of: "rel. 24." in the old edition, which probably (as in the inscription of No. 787) should mean "st". It will be necessary to resolve "rel." by rsll^ua.

forgiven message fell to me in a hurry, I have not failed to visit you with this instruction, and add you to know that ErH Jobst . . . went to Nuremberg 6 days ago, wants to fetch his wife and send himself to Allstädt. The council gives him one guilder a week, plus he has so much grain from the fief of the castle that he has enough bread for the three of him, also so much money that he can have shoes and a shirt, that I reckon he can get along well, except for his known piety and honesty. For if I see that he is in need, I will give him my help and assistance with everything I can to help him, and I hope that God will graciously preserve the man. God thanks you for your care and support for the poor people, shown here in this case. And let it be known to you that Thomas Münzer has been in Fulda, there he has lain in the tower for some time, and the Abbot has said in Arnstedt on the von Schwarzburg estate: if he had known that it was Thomas Münzer, he would not have let him go. And the rumor is that he is back in Mulhouse; I would have a whole day to tell you about the cruel disagreement and turmoil that a preacher called Pfeiffer and he are causing there; and in sum, Mr. Omnes has taken the regiment from the council, who is not allowed to punish, rule, write or act against their will. And after Pfeiffer and Münzern, as you may have heard, had been expelled by the council, and since they had been in Nuremberg and expelled, Pfeiffer returned, and applied and complained in the villages of Mühlhausen, how he had been expelled violently, just for the truth and for the sake that he had wanted to preach and make them free from the council and the authorities and from all encumbrances 2c., and the same peasants gathered with their guns and went to the suburbs of Mulhouse, stood there and preached by force. When the city council of Mulhouse became aware that Pfeiffer was intruding on them by force, they made their order in the city and gathered together to drive Pfeiffer out of the city. And when it was supposed to happen, the commoners, who were supposed to be loyal to the council, went to the council and played such an infidelity, not to speak of it. And their captain saw that the common people had fallen from the council, and with great effort and work he quieted the game and the noise, but not otherwise than that these

1) In the old edition: "Ern."; in Cyprian: "Ern".

The preachers remain, and the council, as mentioned above, has been forced not to do anything or create anything without the knowledge and will of the community. Thus their sword is taken away from them, and things are going strangely; they are gathering together, and the same group is secretly escaping at times, subjecting themselves to storming the priests at night in the countryside of Duke George, as has now happened in Hermesleben, where Philipp Reybisch is a magistrate; and since they have been found out, Duke George has had some of them denounced in Mühlhausen. But he will not be allowed to do so. I hope it will come to pass. It will not get any better, because they will attack the people of Mulhouse, move their roads and streets, otherwise such a huge mob of boys will gather there and cause trouble for the whole country, and all the enthusiasts will perhaps get involved with Doctor Karlstat and others, where they will find a naughty, simple-minded people. I did not want to behave like that in a hurry, as my favorable lord and friend. For you have me willingly to serve you, and hereby command me into your intercession against God, who will mercifully ... and keep you always. Datum Petri Cathedra [22 Feb] Anno 1525.

Your willing servant Hans Zeis, Schösser zu Allstädt.

I have also been told that Thomas Muenzer, who is coming to Mulhouse again, wants to be a preacher, and he insists that he wants to be the town clerk and a member of the town council. The devil is doing all this because he wants to help cause an outrage. I wrote this first letter on the day of Cathedra Petri, but the messenger did not take it with him and it has been lost until now. But today, Invocavit [March 5], I sent this messenger. I read your letter the next day, I will do my utmost, also to please you, to contact the Domina of Nauendorf 2) with her pensions, and to be helpful, constant and helpful to them, where they desire it, but there is unpleasantness at times; I really wanted them to follow your gentle instruction. If they will, it shall not be lacking in me; they have brought in the greater part of this year's interest. Mr. Jobst has not yet arrived from Nuremberg. With this I entrust myself to your intercession against God 2c. Date 2c.

To the respectable and honorable Magister Georgio Spalatin, my favorable dear master and friend.

2) In his introduction to this writing, Cyprian writes: "Newendorff."

787 Hans Zei's letter to Spalatin about the peasants' revolt in Thuringia. May 7, 1525.

From Kapp's Nachlese, Part II, p. 664.

My willing service always before, my dear lord and friend! I have read your letter, but I would like you to know that things are bad and miserable here; all the monasteries around here have been devastated. The Domina of Naucndors is in Halle. No dominion is respected here any longer, but a great contempt is poured out. Münzer and Pfeiffer of Mühlhausen are in their army themselves Rottmeister and captains, storming and plundering everywhere they can; they hold 15,000 strong, some say more than 50,000. The legend does not come to the same. But it is a pitiful thing that there should be so many princes in this country, and no one dares to draw his sword against them; they have plundered and burned Mr. Apel's castle of Ebleben, called Ebleben, one of them called Schlothein; a castle on the Eyffelt, called Harenburg, is that of Boltzungsleben. But he had to withdraw from Rosenberg. Thus 6000 men lie here two miles from Allstädt, also belong to him, they increase every day, move out every day, tear down the noble farms, because they have no more monasteries. They take cows and feed themselves. But they are much more honest than Münzer's bunch, they are not as bloodthirsty as Münzer. With this, God is always at your command, I will do to you what is dear to you. Datum Jubilate [May 7] Anno 1525.

Hans Zeis, Schösser zu Allstädt.

To my favorable dear lord and friend, Georgen Spalatin 2c. 1) For my own hands.

788 Rudolph von der Planitz and Hans von Weißenbach, knight, report from Mühlhausen on the bloody outcome of the Peasants' War in Thuringia, submitted to the council of Altenburg in 1525. June 2, 1525.

From Cyprian's Documents, vol. II, p. 354.

Our very kind and willing service before. Strict and honorable, especially dear friends! Your letter is received by us at noon at Mühlhaufen in the city.

1) In the old edition: "rel." probably for: etc.

have been answered, and give you in haste to know that M. G. Lord, Duke George 2c., Duke Henry of Brunswick, and the Landgrave with their warband, on Monday after Cantate [May 15^, before and in Frankenhausen, have slain up to 7000 citizens and peasants, at the same time our most gracious Lord Elector of the Unfern also had a part. On Tuesday after Vocem Jucunditatis [May 23], the princes all moved into the field before Schlatheim, up to 5000 well-equipped horses and about 7000 on foot, with a considerable number of guns. The princes who lay in the field are our most gracious Lord, the Elector, together with his son, Duke George of Saxony, the Landgrave, Duke Henry of Brunswick, as the highest field commander, Duke Philip, Duke Otto of Brunswick and Lüneburg, that of Anhalt, and many other counts and lords, also honest people. On Wednesday after the Sunday Vocem Jucunditatis, up to 1200 virgins and women came into the camp to the warlords, fell on their knees, with open hands, with pathetic display, begged for mercy for the sake of Christ's suffering; but they did not receive a final answer. The following Thursday we advanced with the whole army before Mulhouse; there the people of Mulhouse together with their villages came into the field to the warlords, begged for mercy on their knees for the sake of God, handed over the keys of all the fortresses, and surrendered to mercy and disgrace. Then our 300 men took the city, and the princes camped half a mile away.

Thomas Muenzer and Pfeiffer, as seducers of Christian people, were captured and beheaded [May 30]; but subsequently put on the spit. Many of Frankenhausen's and Mühlhausen's heads were cut off. They are deprived of all their weapons.

This day are over 3000 men who drag the rampart on the city and fill the ditches.

It is said that the von Mühlhaufen have to give good money to the warlords. They have practiced unchristian works and will be punished severely.

One makes up one's mind to set out tomorrow; but where one will turn one's head out is not yet actually in the day.

New newspapers have come that the Confederation has again slain 4000 peasants before Tübingen; and the Duke of Lorraine has slain 18,000 peasants in the city of Olsthabern, which he won by storm.

The Confederation moves to Witzberg [with] 3000 horses-.

10,000 good servants, thinking to beat the peasants there as well.

It is said that the peasants there broke, burned and devastated up to 60 castles and monasteries, and committed many miserable wrongs against those of Abel and clergy.

May the merciful God grant grace that the divine will may be done everywhere.

This is what we wanted to tell you in response to your letter, because we recognize that we owe it to you, as our dear friends, to serve you with faithful diligence. Date in haste, Friday after Exaudi [June 2] Anno 1525.

789 New newspaper from the rebellious peasants back and forth. June 18, 1525.

From Cyprian's Documents, vol. II, p. 357. The superscription is by Spalatin.

My gracious lord has moved on Wednesday in Whitsun [June 7] with the camp before Meiningen and arrived on Friday at Coburg, and has remained allda until Wednesday after Trinity [June 14]. Where his C. G. did not come over the forest, the place would also have fallen down.

The city of Meiningen has granted my most gracious lord the honor.

Assured the peasants at 3000 before Mellerstadt, 16 pieces of rifles, and handed over the nobility horses. They gave his C. G. duke Philippo and count Albrecht.

112 castles were broken into, plundered and burned by the peasants of Bamberg and Würzburg Abbey.

The Swabian League reinstated the bishop of Wuerzburg, and stabbed many peasants; but many were lost.

The Confederation burns almost all rebellious villages.

They also want to reinstate the bishop of Bamberg. His towns and peasants surrender in grace and in disgrace.

Both bishops of Bressanone and Trento have even been expelled from their territories.

The Tyrolean and Austrian regions did not want to suffer Salamanka any longer with the archduke. Then he fled to the Fugger in Augsburg. They did not want to tolerate him there either. So he must be hidden.

The bishop of Salzburg had a Protestant preacher seen; two of the burghers had him released. He had their heads cut off. Because of this, the city and the entire countryside rose up against him and paid him 20,000 euros.

The castle is strongly besieged and the hopeful priest is to be brought out. He should offer to resign his clerical status and become secular, and to do everything the countryside wants. But they do not want. They say they want to cut him into pieces, cook him and eat him, so that it can be said of them that they have eaten their unfaithful master, who acted against the word of God.

The Duke of Lorraine stabbed the peasants in Alsace in 30,000, also plundered Zabern, the bishop of Strasbourg, completely.

It is said that the duke has since suffered damage from the peasants on the Rhine.

Strasbourg and Constance are said to have fallen to Switzerland.

The peasants have taken Freiburg im Breisgau; and advanced before Breisach, are said to be in 30,000 strong.

The people of Erfurt are very afraid of the confederation because the bishop of Mainz has been plundered by the peasants in Erfurt.

The covenant shall have in 1800 horses, some want 1200 horses, and 6000 servants.

Today, my most gracious lord has come to Weimar, not to stay there for more than three or four days, and then to turn to the Vogtland.

Duke Ott will retire.

His C. G. want 3 or 400 righteous horses.

The abbot of Salfeld has been deprived of everything he had. And Mr. Friedrich Thunn feeds him.

Date Sunday after Corporis Christi [18 June Anno Domini 1525.

790th Newspaper on how to deal with the rebellious peasants. July 12, 1525.

From Cyprian's Documents, Vol. II, p. 360. The superscription is in Spalatin's hand.

The cutting off of heads has not yet stopped in these lands.

Doctor Teutsche, 1) the blind monk, and a nobleman, Stephan Mentzinger, were beheaded in Rothenburg on selb 25.

In these lands, many poor people, widows and orphans are made out of the measure.

The Franconian princes have made a day performance to Forchheim, there those of Nuremberg have also dispatched theirs.

1) Turning, turner. See No. 791.

Marx Sitich von Embs has the farmers in Hegau

beat.

The Bündische seem to make peace in the same places in a short time, and then rescue the Cardinal of Salzburg, who has lost the whole monastery and is besieged in his castle above the city.

A few days ago, the peasants of the same place, twelve miles from Salzburg, at a place called Rastadt, laid down an excellent summa of warriors, Bohemians and Steyrians, on horseback and on foot, and wounded and captured Herr Siegmund von Dittrichstein, Landshauptmann.

The princes urge the imperial cities to restore the old customs and to put an end to what they have done in accordance with the Gospel.

The King of France has been led to Barcelona in Hispania.

791 The beginning and end of the pernicious Peasants' War, as it happened in Rothenburg an der Tauber in 1525.

From Kapp's Nachlese, Theil IV, p. 561. Kapp took this from a manuscript in the Kraft Library in Ulm.

After the preachers of Rothenburg, Mr. Caspar Christian, Commenthur and priest here at the German House, also brothers Melchior, both of the German Order, who took the blind monk's sister in marriage (has wedding in Leonhard Schmerzens house), especially by Johann Drechsler, preacher, Mr. Hansen Rothfux, blind monk of the Order of the Barefoot, together with one who pretended to be a farmer, who also preached here, outside the city on the Pruel and in Kupferzell, and some citizens here in Rothenburg, the Jewish and Carolstadt sect took over, by special permission of the authorities; and D. Andreas Carolstad went to Rothenburg in his own person to preach here, and also desired to become a citizen here: it happened on a Tuesday after Oculi [21. March], that 30 or 40 farmers gathered in the town of Rothenburg, and bought a kettledrum in the Prueglin house, proudly, wantonly and wantonly went back and forth with it in the town, over and above all the prohibitions of the judge and an honorable council; then they left the town, partly to Pretta in the village, partly to Ohrenbach, and gathered there on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the 24th of March the inner and outer council met and the 5 guards were present, all citizens were asked to come to the town hall; whoever wanted to stand with an honorable council should now stand openly; out of the whole community no more than 26 remained with an honorable council; the rest have from that time on the several part of the town hall against a council; Stephan Metzger 2) has jumped with Lorenz .... jumped on the bench, let themselves be heard against the municipality, with a wrong shape and opinion, they want to take it under their hands, where they surrender with a vow, want to perform their duties for them and request 36 men to the committee; which then soon took a course, with obligation in the place of an oath. In this way, the congregation approached the gates, slammed them shut, and demanded the keys from the gatekeepers by force, to prevent disloyalty and malice according to the council and the community. Knowing that Contz Eberhard and Georg Bremter from the inner council, Gabriel Langenberger and Benedict Malsch from the outer council were sent to the peasants to inquire about their intentions, they could not get an answer from the peasants, because they let themselves be heard that they were not all together yet; In the meantime, letters have also arrived from Margrave Casimir, which have been read out by a whole community, which wants to indicate to an honorable council and common city help and assistance, and, where necessary, to appear in person, to make peace and unity, with other friendly offers. However, some of the congregation and the committee wilfully despised it and did not want to accept it at all. And this evening between 5 and 6 o'clock, the Lord God was beheaded on the cross and his arms were cut off in the churchyard. On the day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the inner and outer councils remained together in great danger, fear and anxiety, and the congregation and 36 members of the committee demanded the inner and outer councils, which they found very difficult to do; 3)

1) The indication: "on Friday thereafter was the Annunciation of Mary" is erroneous; in 1525, March 25 was on a Saturday. We have corrected the error by changing the punctuation.

2) This is called Stephan Mensinger in Vol. II, p. 361 in Cyprian's Reformation documents, also further on in this document; in the previous number: Mentzinger.

3) The meaning should be: the members of the inner and outer council have answered that it is difficult for them to do so.

but with such a condition the inner council has counted them free of their duty and oath, they have become quite common; Stephan Metzger has requested the oath from them, to which Jeremias Ofmer replied: Not to you, Metzger, do we pledge, but to a whole community; So one after the other took the oath, and just as the outer council was counted by the inner council, so also the inner council was counted by the outer council free of their oath and vow, and on Monday after that they also had to owe the community, in such fears and worries that they would have lost part of their lives, for one after the other they were demanded out of the council chamber, each thinking that he would have to die, which two of the committee went before and two after. After the oath and duty were done, each one was taken home, unaware of the other. On Sunday Lätare [March 26] Christianus the Beck threw the missal from the altar to the priest in the old chapel, and thus chased the priest from the altar. On this day the peasants let themselves be seen in order, in the field before the gallows gate. On the following Monday, Ehrenfried Knuff told the priest in the parish church, while he was singing, that if he wanted to be safe, he should leave the altar; he threw down the missal and the masses were suspended. This night, some people from Swabian Hall were let in, namely Herman Buschlein and Dietrich Blanckenfried, to make time for things; however, nothing was done. On Tuesday, 700 peasants were assembled, and those who did not want to join their army were taken away from them and forced to do so, as happened to a peasant in Wetterich. On Wednesday, Christoph von Rosenberg, a farmer, and many from Schipfergrund joined them. On Friday [March 31], the peasants in the army all came together, joined them at 2000, and went to Neuseß the same day; Lorenz Knobloch went out to them and promised to become their captain. On the same day, some of the peasants were sent to the city to report their request. In the meantime, the imperial and confederate councilors came to make peace and rode off again without being taken away, as did those from Nuremberg. On this day, all craftsmen are to present their complaints and concerns to a committee.

1) "they also the" put by us instead of: "themselves also the" in the old edition.

Umgeld. At night the peasants went to the sand yard. On Friday after Ambrosii [April 7], the Knieberlein threw the lamps from the Sacramenthäuslein with light and oil into the church during the sermon, in the presence of some of the council. On the same day, the peasants departed, and Fritz Wölckner, their ensign, came with some peasants to Rothenburg; the rest redoubled and went before Stetten, from there to Margenthal and Bischofsheim, and stormed the cellars and cellars everywhere. On Char Friday [April 14], all services in the church at Rothenburg were suspended, so that neither singing nor reading took place, only D. Johann 2) Drechsel was preached, emperor, king, princes and lords, ecclesiastical and secular, reviled; spoken, they want to hinder the word of God. On Sunday in vigilia Rogate 3) the blind monk, Mr. Hans Rothfuchs, called the sacrament idolatry. On the holy day of Easter there was neither singing nor reading. On Monday after [April 17] D. Andreas Carlstadt preached against the Sacrament. And in this night Kupferzell was stormed by some millers, who threw the boards and pictures into the Tauber. On Tuesday after Easter, the articles of the exodus were announced and proclaimed, that the young priests should and may take wives, and that they should be allowed to continue their benefices for 11 years, after which they should be deprived of them, but that the old ones should be allowed to remain for the rest of their lives. While this was being proclaimed, the servants 5) and the dipendiaries approached our women's altar and wanted to throw the images out; the others refused, and several bare knives were pulled out. On this day it was also decided that the inner council should be changed. On Wednesday, the boards in Kupferzell were broken; some millers carried some of the paintings home with them and caused a great commotion. On this day Carolstad again preached against the sacrament and other ceremonies; the priest of Scheckenbach was drunk 4 buckets of wine by farmers. On that day, the women took 11 mills of grain from Mr. Conrad Volckhamer in front of his house, and once again they took

2) This is called l. c. of the Cyprianic documents D. Teutschel (Walch).

3) This time determination is in any case erroneous, because a Sunday cannot be the vigil of the Sunday Rogate. In addition, the reporter would reach here into the second half of May.

4) In the old edition: "friends". - Immediately following: "Verliebten" instead of: "Verlebten".

5) Probably the same as the one called "Knieberlein" above.

Michael Eisenhart together with the sisters 1) house. On that date Georg Berneder was elected mayor; and from the council old Hans Zagsthammer, Lorenz Eberhard, Enders Stellwag, Seisried Schmid were appointed; and Stephan Mensinger and Hieronymus Hassel were placed in the tax offices; 12 of them were also appointed from the committee, to whom all the interrogation matters shall be addressed. On Thursday after Easter [April 20] the women with halberds, forks, and sticks went around in the Hafengasse and made a great ruckus, saying that they wanted to storm and plunder all the priests' houses. On Friday, all priests had to become citizens for safety's sake, otherwise everything would have been taken from them, as they were then all ready to submit; they gave their belongings to the town hall and had to swear to Stephan Mensinger, together with the committee, as follows. . . Article that they have neither forced nor urged to do so; each citizen has to give 1 guilder to watch over the gate and work on the moat. On Monday [after] 2) Georgii at the first hour the council together with the committee appeared in the parish church, there announced to the congregation how the peasants wanted 200 men with 100 long spears, a snake, a main gun and 2 tents; the quartermasters answered not to give anything to the peasants, neither vowed nor swore to give or send anything to them; Pfaf Holenbach, their envoy, has said how some of them, while they were in the sand yard, let themselves be heard in the presence of Leonhard Dener, their chancellor, and many others from the city, that they want to be helpful and constant in their undertaking, to leave life and limb with them; therefore they are now desiring the same, but have neither named nor indicated anyone. On the 5th [after] St. George's Day, Hans Balbierer had the small one enveloped and proclaimed to give the unpaid wages; while Holenbach and his family left the city again, they were told to answer the peasants to their request in writing. On this day the Margravial 15 came and promised help and assistance. On the day of Vitualis [April 28] grain was distributed, but not everyone took it. On Wednesday 3) Lorenz Knobloch of Oeten was killed by peasants.

1) "Sisters" put by us instead of: "Sister". From the following it is clear that the "sister house" is meant.

2) "after" put by us, because Georgius (the 23rd of April) was a Sunday in 1525.

3) Here the report probably reaches back again, because Vitalis was a Friday.

They were cut into pieces and threw the pieces at each other. Finally, they cut off his head and split it in two. On the day of Vitalis, the peasants marched before Jpphofen, then before Meinbruch, and let themselves be heard that they wanted to see what the Rothenburgers were doing. On the day of Philippi Jacobi [May 1] during the night, the monastery of Eichenhausen was burned; the same night, the peasants of Dünkelspiel plundered Münchsroth, and the peasants also plundered the monastery of Schwartzach. The castle at Clevensperg was burned; wine and grain were plundered by the von Ayb. On Thursday after Crucis [May 4] the peasants, called Schwaetzhauf, went from Heibronn to Bischesheim, desired the bullet that was in Boxberg. The night before they lay in Bütenheim. On the day of St. John ante portam latinam [May 6], early in the morning, they rang the great bell of the community in the parish church, was held up to them by Mr. Carlen von Hobsperg, Friedrich von Toedwang, Count Manderscheid, the margrave's friendly request, as his grace with his wife, also all his jewels to Rothenburg to go, body and goods with them leave, sed major pars. 5). . . Also, the question is whether to send the peasants or not? therefore, in the afternoon, the community is required to go to the town hall. On the day of Epimach [May 10], news was received through writings that 3 cities, namely Heilbrunnen, Dünckelspiel, Wimpfen, have joined forces with the peasants and stood by them, and how no less Rothenburg would be required more and higher: the people of Rothenburg should leave their wives and children and join them, for the sake of the word of God. After such, at 6 o'clock, all citizens are again called to give their vote, whether one should send men or bullets to the farmers? has been the council of the several parts, one should send them bullets and spears, has been sent to them before night, and the night one wanted to raid the Heisterhof, Deutschhof and Frauenkloster; on the day Nerei and Pancratii [12. May^ at 8 o'clock they made a noise, and demanded and summoned all jurors and pledges to the market in front of the town hall, where they were proclaimed by Erasmum Nißle that all priests who have property should hand it over to the committee.

4) Crucis is Cross's invention.

ässcripta, tarn vitiosa, ut.Oeäipo opus sit.

Town hall, at penance and loss of their property; it has also been shouted out in some alleys. Afterwards, clergy and seculars entered the order, stepped in front of the Henserhof at first, some of the council and committee went in, and took the house. Mr. Caspar von Stein was told not to drink anything, except for a while, after which the monastery, sister house, women's monastery, German house, were accepted in the same way with vows. After that they came before Master Augustin Gumppelein's house, at the pure Mary's, took the same, and with 12 buckets of wine at the Gemein verbeut and drank up. On Monday the envoys came to the farmers, Eberhard and Kretzer were killed. On Sunday Cantate [May 14] some of the peasants appeared at the town hall, some articles were held up to them, they were ordered to accompany the cannon. After that, on Monday, May 15, early after the striking, the bells were rung in a common way, and everyone ran to them. In the parish church, Florian Geyer held up a number of articles to the congregation concerning the peasants' brotherhood, which was to last a hundred and one years, and that nothing else was to be done, except what was Protestant, for the special salvation of God's word, and that neither rent nor validity was to be given until the matter was settled, except what old debts were known. And thereupon requested a council, committee and community to commit themselves to the peasants with an oath and vow and to bind themselves that [it] be done immediately; although many of them did not like it, they still had to obey in part. So also on this day Rothenburg passed from the kingdom to the peasants. In the meantime, a gallows was erected on the market to punish the evil in the opinion and according to their brotherhood. After that, at 5 o'clock, 2 tents, 3 wagons with powder and stone 1) were led to the pile, Ehrenfried Kunst, Georg Spelter the Younger, together with several others, went out through the city in great pomp and splendor, accompanied the bullet together with the peasants into the camp, in the opinion of conquering the castle of Würzburg, and Hans Böstlein, a bowler, was accepted by the peasants as a gun master. On Monday after Cantate, more than 300 peasants ran up the mountain to storm the castle of Wuerzburg, all of whom perished: some were thrown, some shot, some slain, caught like birds. In the meantime the

1) "Stone" - balls.

Peasants, who in the city and also by heart made a plot to take the city by embezzlement, demanded that they be slept in at the hospital gate, and those in the city wanted to run down the gate and take possession of it. When they became aware of this, they prepared to defend themselves. So they let them in at the Kupferzellerthor, and the assumption was that they wanted to beat them all to death; but they were resisted by the old lords. On May 12, the Hohenlohe peasants, Entrieb Wütig von Adelshofen, Hans Biebra von Dierbach, their own lord, ravaged the castle of Schillingsfürst through Heinrich Zeitgrafen. On Monday after that Margrave Casimir went out with power to castigate his peasants by burning. On Friday after that burned Sundheim, Westheim, Wundelspach, Hegen. Cat. Exaudi [May 28] Mr. Hans Kolein, the nobleman, priest at Werinch, was beheaded with 4 peasants at Lentershausen, and 7 had their fingers cut off; at Neustadt an der Aisch 18 citizens and peasants were beheaded. On the Friday before Pentecost [June 2], 4000 peasants were slain by the Bündische at Königshöfen in the Tauber Valley, including 22 from Mergentheim, among them also 7 priests, 42 from Weickersheim, where they were burned down for 800 fl. and 7 beheaded. On Pentecost, more peasants were slain by the Bündische at Bithard and Sulzdorf, namely 8000; 300 escaped to a castle called Ingolstadt, located near Gieberlstadt, before which the Bund suffered the greatest damage; for in such battles more than 200 Bündische on horseback and on foot did not perish. On the day of Pentecost, Conrad Eberhard, Erasmus von Mihle, and Thomä Zweifel were sent to Margrave Casimir in Rothenburg. They led red crosses and tried hard to obtain pardon; they were told that they would not be accepted in any other way than by grace and disgrace. for blood and fire, or banned from the city 30 miles behind; in addition, the city had to give several tons of powder. On Thursday [June 8], when the Confederation retook the city of Wuerzburg, 26 men were beheaded there, namely captains, Fähndrich, Waibel and 6 of the council. On Friday after Corporis Christi [June 16], Mass was held again here in Rothenburg at the Holy Blood. On Friday after Pentecost [June 9] Florian Geyer is on

2) Mutiny?

Afterwards the alliance moved to Bamberg, where 21 were beheaded, and 58 had their eyes gouged out at Kitzing. On the day of Corporis Christi [June 15], they began to give the 7 fl. On Tuesday, Spielbach and Schwarzenbronn were burned. At the Rothenburg Kirchweih, they started singing Vespers again. On the day of the church consecration, Stephan Mensingen, as he was leaving the church after the sermon, was caught in a black lot, and when he was led across the market, he shouted: Help, dear Christians, help, but no help was forthcoming. On the evening of St. John the Baptist [June 23], D. Johann Drechsel was caught and imprisoned together with the blind monk. Caspar Commenthör and the priest escaped secretly with D. Andreas Carolstad, brother Melchior, who had the blind monk's sister.

On the day of St. John the Baptist, the German gentlemen again began to sing our Lady's Mass and the Daily Mass; it has not been sung for 13 weeks. On the days of Petri and Pauli [29. June], Margrave Casimir rode into Rothenburg with 800 on horseback, 1000 on foot, 200 wagons, well equipped with his best bullets, which were led to the market, and 500 Margravial and canine footmen arrived in Rothenburg on that day, divided into 2 groups: the first on Ahrenbach, thatelbige plundered, afterwards together with the church in reason burned; the second bunch to Breda moved, a beautiful village, have it also plundered, some stabbed, namely Regryß behind the table, Brandhans in the stable, and Hans Schmid on the lane, Hans Element and Marx Hans were stabbed from the Holzzlein; The 12 of them were bound together, and thus imprisoned until Bühn, where they were released, after the church and the village had been burned down, and 600 head of cattle and 30 wagons of plunder had been taken. On Friday after Petri and Pauli [30. June] was in the city of Rothenburg by the herald with the Drommete blown up, and all citizens and residents required on the market in a circle, which the Landsknechte with spikes had decided and made together with the Reisigen; Hans von Seckendorf, the burghers of Rothenburg, was reported to have resigned from the kingdom and fallen to the peasants, as well as the great and severe misfortune into which they had fallen and forfeited life, honor and property; in addition, the entire city was closed, with many other frightening words, which frightened the men; however, in view of some honorable and respectable people, they graciously wanted to forgive this, but

The measure and form that they should all now owe to the empire, and swear to the covenant, with many other words; this was done immediately with raised fingers. In attendance was Margrave Casimir of Pappenheim by virtue of the covenant, and many nobles. Afterwards, several citizens were read out, who had been beheaded from the beginning, namely Peter Reichel, furrier, Engelhard Goppel, Georg Stull, Georg Pflüger, Hans Conrad, der Prüglin Mann, Thome Heichtel, Burkhart Weidner, Hans Böhm, Wilhelm Besamair, M. Hans Rumpf, Vicarius in the parish church; the bodies were left lying on the market all day. Some of the ring, Lorenz the furrier, Job Schat, Fritz Dalck, Melchior Mader, Hans Marck, would otherwise also have been judged. On Saturday [July 1] they beheaded at night on the market: as Junker Stephan Mensing, D. Johann Preding, 1) the landlord of Ohrenbach, Kilian Schmid of Spielbach, Leonhard Leuter of Ohrenbach, Hans Kretzer, landlord, Burkhart Müller, the shoemaker. The blind monk was executed standing up, but failed. Sebald, butcher, piece, Peter Lenck of Detewang, the peasant of Enzerweil. Otherwise two farmers, a lansquenet, lay the whole day on the market, later buried on the churchyard to the pure Margareth. On the following Sunday [July 2], Margrave Casimir went away with all the people to Blofelden, where he captured several peasants, namely 10, then came to Hildesheim, and had 4 of the peasants beheaded. On Sunday, Catharina Greuser and Regina Schusterin were put in the stocks, and the town was subsequently banned because they had taken grain from Volkheim. On the following Saturday, Mr. Stöcklen, pastor, was imprisoned in Neuseß.

On Monday after that, all the women of Detwang were put into the jester's house, there were 10 of them, because they mowed down the German lord's meadows and burned the hay 2c. On Wednesday after that, Mr. Hans Hertzog, pastor of Steinsfeld, was caught and released. On Friday after Ascension Day [August 18], Georg Renich, vicar of the hospital, was captured; in the evening of Bartholomew [August 23], he was banned from the city.

On Tuesday after Nativitatis Mariae [September 12], Mr. Hans Stücklein, pastor of Neuseß, was put in the stocks, a cross was burned on his forehead, and then he and a farmer from

1) "Preding" - the preacher, that is D. Johann Drechsler.

2) "Ascension" here is Assumption Day, August 15.

Ohrenbach was struck out with rods, because he said he knew how to bring 300 peasants into the city, and also how to make a fog. On the same day, the funeral was held for Margrave Hansen of Brandenburg, who was in Hispania; and here Fritz Mölckner von Warthenberg, Kilian Tückischerer, Michel Leinweber, Kilian Weitner were beheaded. On Wednesday after that Adam von Düngen with 80 on horseback and some on foot burned down Schweinsdorf together with the church, also Nerthenberg, Weiler, Harterzhofen, Gottenhofen, Reutsagen, Adelshofen, die Hart, Hückelhausen, Steinsfeld; partly Grumpelshofen, Helmelshofen; And while doing so, he wrote an enemy letter to the city, complaining how his mother and also his housewife in his dwelling at Würzburg had been robbed of some jewels, household goods and other things by the peasants of Rothenburg and also by some citizens, and how in other weaknesses it had been proven that he had often been required to give in, and that no sacrifice had been made to him. Therefore, he and his helper wanted to be their enemy, and thus wanted to preserve his honor; they took more than 2000 head of cattle, also plundered several wagons full, later he took 100 lansquenets, the previous ones bravely besieged.

On Tuesday before Michaelmas [Sept. 26], Hans Lachinger, a nobleman of Welkershofen, was captured and delivered here to Rothenburg, put in a tower, and later released. On Burckardi [Oct. 14], Leonhard von Schwarzbrunn, the peasant captain, was stabbed to death by one of our mercenaries in the inn behind the table in Teidsiedel. [Adam von Düngen with his helpers also laid down 8 wagons with wine, between Neubrunnen and Kerndorf, more 3 unloaded wagons, some of the carters were stabbed, 4 loaded wagons were Georgen Bremeders, 2 of Hieronymus Hesels, and over 800 fl. were struck. Thereupon the market or fair was suspended and canceled, and on St. Andrew's Eve [Nov. 29] not rung, as before, nor any stuff not knocked out, to prevent other infidelities. Also on Sundays the house, called Catharina, went on fire, and the women's house immediately by the guards, one has put the woman in tower, and expelled the city. On Sunday after St. Andrew's Day (Dec. 3), in the evening after Vespers, Cressanii, the German lord, provided Adam Hübner's wife with the sacrament, six boys ran to meet him, spat on him, and beat him with sticks, along with many other mocking words. While walking back and forth they shouted: "Will you carry the idol again?

home! In the morning, they were grabbed and put in the tower, painted with whips, and left out again the next day. On Niclaus evening [Dec. 5] Paulus Wacker's house was set on fire. The same day Peter Keßler of Kelberbach had his eyes gouged out at the market because he had betrayed the wine. Anno 26 on Wednesday after Judica s^21. Marches 2 Scheuren burned down to the Lindla, thereafter on Thursday to Herbach the land tower, and in the village 10 Scheuren burned down. On Monday after the Palm Day ^26. Marches one has cut off the Wegerer of Breda the fingers on the market, from the country offered, has been the farmer Fähndrich. On the same day letters came from Speyer, from the Minster and Chapter, St?) Johann Ordens, to a council, have requested that one should restitute to them again what one has taken from them to the rich red and yard here in the city. After that the Commenthur, Caspar von Stein, was given 60 Fl. and was counted again free of his oath and duty. But after Adam von Düngen, with the responsibility of an honorable councilor, could neither be quieted nor calmed, but rather provoked and moved to tyranny out of anger fund) reluctance, he dared to enter the city before Exaudi, which was the day of John [ante portam latinam,] 2) ... assembled with his assistants and helpers, Wölfen von Velberg and Georg von Reich", Dieterich and Georg von Düngen, Philippus von Berling, Hans von Berling, Valtin von Grumbach, Wilhelm von Crailsheim, Eberhard von Stetten, Georg Fuchs, Philipp von Rosenberg, Caspar von Landstorf, Hans von Cubspach, Count of Hesse, and others of the Fellers in the city and castle, about 500 on horseback and 500 on foot, in size and shape, as if they were dogs, and wanted to join the covenant, with red raised crosses. On Monday after Exaudi [May 14] they were located in Blabach and moved across the hunt. At night they came before Oberstetten. They captured, plundered and burned it for 2000 fl. and 100; they captured some peasants, they also undertook to capture Thierbach, although it could not have been the same day, but on Tuesday they captured it, plundered it, and burned out more parts. On Wednesday they plundered Hemberg, there-

1) "St." placed by us instead of: "5,".

2) Added by us to make some sense, instead of: "provoked and moved to tyranny out of anger against will, may be hard, before Exaudi, which was his day Johannis ... versammlet" 2c.

even the Landthurm, 1) Schönhof and Oberfigenroth, Spindelbach, Lentzendorf, zum Hegelin. In the same night they burned out Buch near Hausen. On Thursday the Landthurm near Funckstadt. On Friday morning they burned and plundered Reubach, Wetterich together with the churchyard, Ober- and Unter-Gallau, Gamsfeld, the castle Dippach, etman bought from Georgen von Rein for 3000 fl, and to Burkstall the sheep yard empty burned treasured around 42 Fl.; are the Sandhof on the mountain moved, afterwards on Toberzell; on the Crützenbruner height they let their gun against the city go off, in a Hochmuth, with 12 or 14 shot; one is harmless with the drinking house on the market Niedergängen, the other in the Barfüßerkloster, the third with St. Johanniswerth, by grace. Johanniswerth, by the grace of God no one was damaged; while clergy and seculars ran to the market, walls and tower, with armor and defense, ours together with the Nuremberg gunsmiths bravely shot out with our bullets on the old castle and elsewhere. In the meantime, our mercenaries plundered and burned Georg von Rein's Weden Geilingdorf, located near Ohrbach, and captured several peasants. On the same evening 200 soldiers from Nuremberg came here, on Saturday before Pentecost in the morning our enemies started again and burned Vorbach, Düenhof, Weder, Leutzenbrunn, Halkenbrunn, Heuendorf, Behmweiler, Schmerbach together with the church, Reinbach together with the tower; and so they left the army and returned home with great plunder and looting. On the day of Pentecost, D. Georg von N. was sent here from Anspach with a credentials, excusing the Margrave and his own. On the same day 60 lansquenets came from Frankfurt, were on pay, although some of them were on leave again. In the evening of Praxedis [July 20] Georg vom Rein with 45 on horseback fell into the army, estimated the host at Ellmerzhofen, burned Northenberg. The noise was raised, in the city everyone, clergy and secular, ran to the market with armor and weapons, and stood there until vespers. The servants and some of the townspeople went out with five rifles, and captured the market, but did not burn it. They came back around the time of the beating. Later, at the Diet of Speyer, all wars and hostilities were judged, agreed upon, and resolved, so that all prisoners on both sides were left alone without money, and whoever lost was forfeited.

1) "Landthurm" put by us instead of: "Landthllren".

loren. At this Diet, Conrad Eberhard fell into a fatal illness and soon died; he has Bonifacius Wernitzer with him. On St. Andrew's Day [Nov. 30] Lutz Kutraff of Dierbach, one 2) of the most prominent from the peasants' revolt, was captured. In the same week Martin Beck of Bloweil was captured, he was also fined 100 fl. On Saturday after St. Thomas [Dec. 22] Michael Scherer was beheaded in Pfeffleinsbad, because he had taken two wives. The following have been fled from Rothenburg: Ehrenfried Kumpf, Georg Kumpf, Christian der Beck, Georg Spelter der Junge, Niclaus Freikürschner, Kargbarthel, Metzger Kilian, Lutz Schuster, Leonhard Großmann, Kürschner, Bernhard...Peter Melchior, Hans Begen, shoemaker, Philipp Tuchscherer, Valtin Zagsthamer, Melchior Mader, shoemaker, Schilling, the carter, Jakob Kreutzer, Hans Mark, vine dresser, Bernhard Schmid, Hieronymus Hertlein, Martin Blank, clothier, Georg Hermann, shoemaker, Christoph Seler, Hans Metzler, Martin Mörlein, white tanner, Johann Dipendann, Asmus Bremer, Mr. Leonhard Dener, Mr. Hans Helenbach, Jost Öffner in the Judengasse, Leonhard Kern, book printer, Michael Heberling, grocer, Balthasar Leibbeuer, Niclaus Pfeiffer, Sebald Retlein. . ., Stellwagen, shoemaker, Michael Köhler, summa 35. Anno 27, Friday after Kunigunda [March 8], here in Rothenburg in the inner council of the local and fugitive citizens acted, and shall Lorenz the furrier give 100 fl. and come in again; Hieronymus Hertlein 10 fl. and shall come in; Hans Oswald, locksmith, 10 fl. and come in again; Ehrenfried Kumpf, 400 fl, shall remain outside; Georg Hermann, shoemaker, shall remain outside; Christian, the beck, 300 fl., shall remain outside. On this day Andreas Apfelbach's wife has her arm cut off because of theft. Tuesday before Jacobi [July 23] Hans Hörlein of Oßheim was beheaded for theft. On St. Anne's Day [July 26] the fingers of 4 of them were cut off, namely Peter Dörer of Gütelhausen, Simon Muser, Hans Reuter, Barthel Schmid, all 3 from Ohrenbach, because of the peasant war. Anno 1527 on the Sunday before Laurentii [Aug. 4] a Jew was baptized here in Rothenburg in the parish church, with the name Esaias, and Georg Marschall von Pappenheim, Commenthur im Deutschen Haus, Caspar von Stein, Commenthur zu St. Johann allhie, were the godparents, and was called Georg Caspar.

2) Here we have deleted "off" because it is too much.

For the resolution, each citizen had to give 7 guilders, rich or poor, or he would be expelled from the city. Many honest citizens also left the town themselves.

The first part of the book is an account of the peasants' wars and their highly unfortunate outcome for the peasants, in which he also recalls Luther's and Melanchthon's zealous efforts to control this evil.

This document is found in the Eisleben Collection, vol. I, p. 277; in the Altenburger, vol. Ill, p. 303 ' and in the Leipziger, vol. XIX, p. 302.

In this twenty-fifth year, a new fire has been lit and a great noise has arisen, which the devil has aroused against the teachings of the Lord, namely, the peasants' revolt. For in Alsace and Swabia, also in Franconia and Thuringia, the peasants rose up, stormed the monasteries, burned and destroyed the castles and residences of many noblemen, wanted to withdraw obedience from princes, counts and other authorities, and even pretended to abolish them and put them to death. And especially in Thuringia was such a riot and game beginner and Rädleinsführer Thomas Münzer, pastor of Allstädt, who camped with the peasants to Frankenhausen.

Against this murderous spirit, Doctor Martin Luther wrote earnestly, and warned the city of Mulhouse against the Muenzer, and also wrote to other estates to beware of outrages and riots. In the same way, Philippus Melanchthon had several splendid writings printed to extinguish this fire. But God, as a founder and protector of the sovereignty, soon controlled this murderous spirit. For on the Rhine River, many thousands of the rebellious peasants were slain by Duke Anthoni of Lorraine at Alsace-Zabern; but the Swabian peasants were put down by the Swabian League. Thus, Prince John, Duke George of Saxony, Landgrave Philip of Hesse, and Duke Henry of Brunswick also defeated the rebellious peasants at Frankenhausen, and had Thomas Muenzer captured and beheaded in front of Mulhouse, along with one of his companions, called Pfeiffer.

On Easter Day [April 16], when Luther had preached in Wittenberg early in the morning, he left after noon for Mansfeld and visited Eisleben, Stollberg, Nordhausen, Erfurt, Weimar, Orlamünde, Kahla and Jena, there to control the uprising with sermons and exhortations;

But in his absence Duke Frederick, Elector, departed with death to Lochau, Wednesday after Jubilate [May 10] buried at Wittenberg, therefore M. Luther hurriedly arrived again the Saturday after Misericordias Domini [May 6] at Wittenberg, and preached the Sunday Jubilate there.

793. D. Martin Luther's Preface to the Scripture: "Terrible History and Judgment of God on Thomas Muenzer."

See No. 776.

To all dear Germans Martinus Luther.

Grace and peace! This manifest judgment of the eternal God, and terrible history, which he has let pass over and against the doctrine and scripture and mobs of Thomas Muenzer, the murderous and bloodthirsty prophet, I have let go forth to warn, to frighten, to admonish all those who are now engaged in sedition and discord, and for the comfort and strength of all those who see and have to suffer such misery, so that they may understand and feel how God condemns the spirits of the mob and the seditionists, and is willing to punish them with wrath.

For here you see how this murderous spirit boasts that God speaks and works through him, and is his divine will, and does as if everything had been won with him; and before he looks around, he lies in the dirt with several thousand. But if God had spoken through him, this would not have happened. For God does not lie, but holds fast to His word [Deut. 23:19, Heb. 6:18]. But now Thomas Muenzer is missing, it is on the day that he spoke and drove under God's name through the devil.

(3) But that it may be seen the more clearly how he has become a liar by the judgment of God, I will let some of his letters go beforehand, wherein he thus defies God and blasphemes His name, so that it must be counted as God could no longer tolerate it. May the grace of God be with us, amen.

The first part of the book is the first part of the book.

This writing is found in the Wittenberg edition (1881), vol.II, p.473d; in the Jena edition (1686), vol.III, p.131 b; in the Altenburg, vol. Ill, p. 126 and in the

Leipziger, vol. XIX, p. 293. Von der Hardt, nntogr. I^ntti., tom. I, p. 210, gives the following title: "Die Historia Thomä Müntzers, des Anfängers der Thüringischen Aufruhr, sehr nützlich zu lesen"; this title is also in the old collective editions. We give the text after the Wittenberg.

After Martin Luther had preached for several years and taught the gospel purely and clearly, the devil sowed his seed and raised up many false and harmful preachers, which again blinded and suppressed the gospel and caused much bloodshed. For Christ has given the devil the title, and has thus contrafited him, that he has been a slayer from the beginning, and until the end of the world he commits murder [John 8:44].

2 Therefore he possessed one, whose name was Thomas Muenzer, who was well learned in the holy Scriptures, but did not stay on track with the holy Scriptures, but the devil deceived him and drove him away from the Scriptures, so that he began no longer to preach the Gospel and how the people should become devout, but from a false understanding of the holy Scriptures he invented false and seditious doctrine, that all authority should be put to death, and that henceforth all goods should be common, that there should no longer be a prince or a king.

This he drove into the foolish mob very violently, reviled and scolded the princes, how they oppressed the poor man, weighed him down, scolded and scraped him, so that they might maintain their useless splendor and expense. Item, they pelted the poor man with harm, when Christian love demands that no one set himself above the other, that everyone be free, and be the community of all goods.

4 He also made a pretense of such devilish teachings, pretending that he had revelation from heaven, and did not teach otherwise, nor did he offer anything, because God had told him so. It is not to be measured how hard the devil possessed man, that he was allowed to boast of heavenly revelation, and to attract God's name so brazenly with lies. Yes, it will also not be believable among the descendants that a man could fall into such presumption, that he may boast of such great things, where there is not 2) to it.

(5) But there were more such things before. For there was one called Manes, who pretended to be the true Christ and Son of God, and made disciples of him, and

1) Thus the Jena; Wittenberg: den.

2) Wittenberg and Jena: not.

He had many people attached to him, whom the devil thus drove into error, that he might destroy them of body and soul.

This is what has happened now, and the devil has used such cunning, which cannot be understood by reason and cannot be believed by inexperienced people. But one has driven so with this Thomae that one has recognized him well. I will also recite the histories most diligently and tell how he behaved.

7 There is a place called Allstädt in Thuringia on the Harz Mountains near Saxony, which belongs to the Elector of Saxony, and Thomas went there. For although he boasted that he had the Holy Spirit, and was not afraid, and had a divine command to preach in all the world, he nevertheless sought a nest there, so that he would be safe under the protection of the pious prince, Duke Frederick, the Elector of Saxony, under whom the priests, who preached against old inept customs, were safer than otherwise.

8th Now that he was in residence at Allstädt, he first preached that he had made a great rumor against the pope and Luther alike, how the papal and Lutheran doctrine was incompetent. The pope had bound the consciences too hard with unreasonable burdens and ceremonies, but Luther made the consciences free from papal burdens, but let them remain in carnal freedom, did not lead them further in spirit and to God. With such chatter he opened the mouths of the simple-minded rabble, and they ran to hear something new, as Homerus says that the new song is the best for the rabble.

(9) What the pope and Luther teach is too long to recount here. But what Muenzer taught, and how he fell from one error into another, is useful to know and to remember, so that we may take an example from such history, and watch, and pray to God to protect us, so that we do not fall into error, and become blinded, so that we get out of the Christian way altogether. For as when a man travels overland, if he misses the way once, it often happens that the further he gets from the right way, so it is also in these matters: as soon as one misses the truth once, and one has allowed oneself to be deceived by the devil, one goes astray the longer the further, and the devil leads the wretched people by the nose, as one leads a buffalo.

10 Now let us recently summarize what Thomas preached. He taught: it is true that piety is not in papal orders, therefore it should be left alone. And he taught that one must come to right and Christian piety. Initially, one had to refrain from public

The body should be chastised and tortured with fasting and bad clothing. Thereby one would have to mortify and torture the body with fasting, with bad clothing, speaking little, seeing sourly, not cutting the beard. He calls such childish discipline the death of the flesh and the cross, which is written in the Gospel. All his sermons were based on this.

(11) Further, when one had thus adorned himself and colored himself, he taught that one should go to secret places and often think of God, what he is, and whether he also takes care of us, then the heart would find that it doubts it, does not know whether God greatly inquires after us, also whether it is true that Christ suffered for our sake and redeemed us, because we are still in such great need and misery; it would also want to know whether our faith or that of the Turks is right. Until now, such a sermon would have been sufferable, but he has taught great blasphemy.

(12) Then one should demand a sign from God, so that God will testify how He cares for us and that our faith is right and true. If God does not give such signs soon, one should not desist, but continue to boldly demand them with great earnestness, to be angry with God, to curse him, and to reproach him for his righteousness, that if it is written of him that he wants to make everyone blessed [1 Tim. 2:4] and to teach the truth, and to give why one asks him, he is doing wrong if he does not show a sign to such a heart that desires from him true knowledge of God.

(13) In such wrath, says Thomas, God would be very pleased. For from this he would feel how much they desired him, and would act like a father, and give signs, and quench this thirst of souls, because it is written of him that he will water the thirsty [Is. 55,1. Revelation 21, 6.] and says that God would then come and speak verbally with them, as with Abraham, Jacob and others.

14 Yes, he says publicly, which is frightening to hear, that he wanted to shit on God if he did not talk to him, as he did with Abraham and other patriarchs. This he called the certain way to heaven, and drew on the fable much scripture falsified, cried and scolded horribly. He called those who spoke against it Pharisees, who did not know God rightly and truly, but looked into the Scriptures like blind men, and yet did not find God there.

15. all this pleased the people well, that

1) Wittenberger: "not alone". The Jenaer has erased "alone".

they should talk with God, see signs. For human nature is inquisitive and desires to know great and secret things. It would also do the rude people good to think that they were more holy and learned than all the students.

16 But it is useful to say what signs Thomas dealt with. He says that God reveals His will through dreams, and bases the whole construction on dreams. Whoever had dreamed something of God, considered himself pious, or whoever had a dream that could be interpreted as a story, considered them Christians and prophets, praised them in open sermons, so that he would draw them to himself, and with such praise also ignited them to defend him more fiercely.

17 Thus he made him a coincidence with the mad mob, and for the sake of it he also changed the church ceremonies, singing, clothing and the like. For such novelty was well loved by the frivolous rabble.

18 Since he thought that he had enough reputation and that the common man would follow him, he broke out further and planned to make a noise under the pretense of the Gospel, so that he would overthrow the rulers and he would sit in the nest, become powerful and rich; he started in Allstädt and made a register, wrote down all those who joined him and committed themselves to punish the unchristian princes and to establish Christian rule. For he pretended that God had commanded him to change the secular regime.

19 Until now he had not yet spoken publicly against the authorities, but only the dream that we have told, how the people should become devout and know God, was driven into the people and preached against Luther and the pope at the same time.

20 Because he did not teach rebellion, Duke Frederick, Elector of Saxony, tolerated him and did not chase him away. Luther also wrote to Duke Frederick that he should not be chased away.

21 But when he began, thinking he had help enough to make a noise, he began, and taught sedition, that one should not be obedient to worldly authority, and should cast them out of the regiment; to such (he said) God had chosen him, by whom the whole world would be helped.

22 Thus Thomas taught two errors in sum. One of spiritual things, that one should demand signs from God, not take comfort in the Scriptures, even that dreams were a sure sign that one had received the Holy Spirit. The other error has been of worldly rule, that one should not follow the same

The Scriptures very earnestly command such obedience.

Then Duke Frederick expelled him from the country. Thomas then forgot his great spirit, and made off and hid himself for half a year. After that he emerged. For the devil did not let him rest, and went to Nuremberg. But God took special care of that city so that Thomas would not be imprisoned there. For if Thomas had succeeded there, it is to be feared that a much more terrible noise would have arisen than in Thuringia.

The Nuremberg council chased him out of the city. Then he turned around and went back to Thuringia to Mulhouse. While he had been in Allstädt, he had attracted a number of naughty boys from Mühlhausen, and they made room for him in the city and made him a customer, so that the congregation accepted him as a preacher.

But the council opposed this. But in order to continue his enterprise, he, Thomas, encouraged the mob to dismiss the council as unchristian and to elect a new Christian council that would allow him to preach. This happened, and the honorable people were deposed from the council, and some were even driven out of the city.

This was the beginning of the new Christian regime. After that, they expelled the monks, took the monasteries and monastery estates; there the Knights of St. John had a farm, and great rent, the same farm took Thomas.

27 And that he might be in all the games, he also went along to counsel, and pretended: To speak rightly must be done by revelation from God and by the Bible. So what pleased him was judged, and it was considered to be especially God's command.

28 He also taught that all GMr should be common, as it is written in Actis Apostolorum [Cap. 4, 32] that they have the goods together. With this, he made the rabble so unwilling that they no longer wanted to work, but where a grain or cloth was needed, he went to a rich man, where he wanted, he demanded it out of Christian right, because Christ wanted one to share with the poor [Matth. 19, 21]. Where a rich man did not willingly give what was demanded, it was taken from him by force. This happened to many, including those who lived with Thomas in the court of St. John. Thomas was driven by such courage, and he repeated it every day, threatening all the princes in the neighborhood that he would humiliate them.

He did this for almost a year, until he was in the

1525. year, when the peasantry in Swabia and Franconia aroused, because Thomas was not so bold that he would have started a racket, although he said, God had commanded him, until he hoped, he would have a back at the foreign peasantry. For in Franconia more than 40,000 men lay in the field in three heaps, had chased away the nobles, burned and plundered almost all castles.

Then Thomas thought he wanted to meet the hour, the princes would be frightened, the nobility would be chased away, the peasants would keep the field, and he also wanted to be in the game and start his reformation; and he let himself be heard in sermons, the time would come, he wanted to go to the field, he poured rifles in the Barfüßer choir, the peasants also ran to Mühlhausen in droves, they all wanted to become rich.

He had a preacher with him, whose name was Pfeiffer, a monk who had run away, very good at games, wicked and wanton, who wanted to make the first attack, and pretended that he had had a vision from which he realized that God was asking him to continue. He had a dream that he had been in a stable and had seen many mice, all of which he had chased away; thus, he thought, God had indicated to him that he should go out and chase away all nobility.

32 And since Thomas, out of fear, did not want to go, he became very angry with Thoma and threatened him fiercely, wanting to expel him if he did not let him go and scare off the people. For Thomas did not want to attack, because he would be strong enough and would not come out of the city, because the peasants had stirred up all over the neighborhood. Thereupon he wrote to the mountain people of Mansfeld 1) a very diabolical letter that they should strike at the princes as at the anvil Nimrod pinkepank; 2) he also hoped that the Frankish peasants would move closer against Thuringia.

33 Pfeiffer went out into the ice field, plundered castles and churches, chased away and caught the nobles, came home, brought much robbery. The common rabble became angry because he had succeeded. The peasants of Frankenhausen, not far from Mulhouse, were aroused. They also invaded the counties of Mansfeld and Stollberg, broke and looted the castles.

34 Then Thomas went out. For he thought that the whole land of the princes had fallen away, and he went to Frankenhausen with three hundred boys.

1) No. 779 in this volume. '

L), In the old editions: "Bmck Banck".

of Mulhouse, and the rabble was dispersed in all the cities. And although the Saxon princes prepared themselves to defend the peasants, and the Landgrave of Hesse and the Dukes of Brunswick were on their way to quiet the noise, they would have missed the game if the peasants had not soon been frightened into defaulting and not leaving to take the cities.

35 But the peasants were terrified because the county of Mansfeld had revolted, and therefore all the counties that bordered it, and Albrecht set out with sixty horses and stabbed two hundred; and the peasants were frightened and did not go away, but all ran to Frankenhausen to wait until the mob grew larger, and there they moved until the princes also came together.

So the princes, Duke John of Saxony, Duke George of Saxony, Landgrave Philip of Hesse and Duke Henry of Brunswick marched against the peasants with fifteen hundred horses and not many foot soldiers. The peasants had built their fortress on a mountain near Frankenhausen, so that it was not easy to get to them with the soldiers; however, they did not have much artillery and armor, and were completely clumsy and unarmed.

37 The princes saw this, and took pity on the foolish, wretched people, and took action to admonish them, and sent to them to depart, and delivered up the captains and beginners of the noise. The poor people were frightened, and would have been well advised; but the devil willed his courage through Thomae, who drove Thomae to admonish them to stay and resist. Therefore he stood up and spoke thus:

(38) Dear brothers, you see that the tyrants, our enemies, are there, and they dare to strangle us, and yet they are so fearful that they may not attack us, and they demand that you leave, that you hand over the beginners of this matter. Now, dear brethren, you know that I have begun such a thing by God's command, and not by my own presumption or boldness. For I have never been a warrior my day. But since God has verbally commanded me to go out, I am obliged, and all of you, to stay there and wait for the end.

39. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son; now Abraham did not know how to do it, yet he followed God and went on, wanting to sacrifice and kill the pious child. Then God saved Isaac and kept him alive.

So also we, having command from God, shall expect the end, and let God take care of us.

(40) But I have no doubt that it will be well, and we will see God's help this day, and all our enemies will be destroyed. For God often says in the Scriptures that He wants to help the poor and the pious, and to exterminate the wicked [Ps. 37:38-40]. Now we are ever the poor and those who desire to receive God's word. Therefore, we should not doubt, there will be happiness on our side.

41 But what are the princes? They are nothing but tyrants, they oppress the people, they waste our blood and sweat with courting, with useless pomp, with harlots and knaves. God commanded in the fifth book of Moses [Cap. 17:16]: The king shall not have many horses with him and shall not lead a great pomp, nor shall a king have the law book in his hands daily.

42 But what do our princes do? They do not take care of the government, do not hear the poor people, do not administer justice, do not keep the streets clean, do not prevent murder and robbery, do not punish outrages and wantonness, do not defend widows and orphans, do not help the poor to justice, do not ensure that the youth is properly educated in good manners, do not promote worship, They do not promote divine service, although God has instituted sovereignty for the sake of such causes, but only spoil the poor more and more with new complaints, do not use their power to keep the peace, but for their own defiance, so that one might be strong enough for his neighbor, spoil the country and the people with unnecessary wars, rob, burn, and murder. These are the princely virtues, so that they now deal with them. You should not think that God will suffer such things any longer. For as He destroyed the Canaanites, so will He destroy these princes [Ex. 33:2, 34:11].

And even though this is to be suffered, God cannot suffer that they want to defend the false worship of the priests and monks. Who does not know what abominable idolatry happens with the buying and selling in the mass! As Christ expelled the merchants from the temple [Matth. 21, 12], so he will destroy these priests and what is attached to them. And as God vowed to Phinehas that he would punish fornication with Casbi [Deut. 25:7, 8 ff], so God will give us luck to punish the fornicators.

44 Therefore be of good cheer, and do the service of God, and destroy this unprofitable rulership. For what good would it do if we made peace with them? For they still want to continue, not to set us free.

drive us to idolatry. Now we are guilty of dying rather than consenting to their idolatry. It would ever be better for us to become martyrs than to suffer the gospel to be taken away from us and to be forced into the abuses of the priests.

I know for certain that God will help us and give us victory. For He has verbally promised me this and commanded me to reform all the estates. It is no wonder that God gives victory to a few and unarmed people against many thousands. For Gideon with a few men [Judges 7:23 ff], Jonathan with his few boys defeated many thousands [1 Sam 14:14], David with no armor killed the great Goliath [1 Sam 17:49].

46 Therefore I have no doubt that such a thing will happen now, that we, though unarmed, will be defeated; heaven and earth must change before we are abandoned, as the nature of the sea changed, so that help came to the Israelites when Pharaoh pursued them [Ex. 14:16]. Let not the weak flesh be afraid, and attack the enemy boldly, fear not the cannon. For ye shall see that I will take in my sleeve all the cannon stones which they shoot against us. Yes, you see that God is on our side. For He is giving us a sign now. Do you not see the rainbow in the sky? It means that God wants to help us, who carry the rainbow in our banner, and He threatens the murderous princes with judgment and punishment. Therefore, be undaunted, and take comfort in divine help, and stand in defense; God does not want you to make peace with the godless princes.

47 When Thomas had finished speaking, the majority were terrified and would have liked to have been there, and they saw that the water wanted to go over the baskets. But there was no order and regiment, that one would have held council, what one should do. There were also some boys who had a mind to fight and to do them harm, and because they had the same mind, they fell for Thomas, and not only were they enraged by Thomas's speech, but they were moved by the rainbow that appeared while Thomas was speaking. For since they carried a rainbow in their ensign, they thought that God had given them a sign of victory. Also the heap was quite large, and was probably because they thought they were strong enough for the princes. For the peasants numbered about eight thousand, and so some of the boys shouted that they should stand in defense, and began to sing the song: Veni Sancte Spiritus [Come, Holy Spirit].

So the princes received no answer to their appeal. Thomas also had a young nobleman, a certain son of an old man, sent with others to the camp to recruit, stabbed, against all the world's ways of war. This angered the princes and the nobility so much that they got angry with the peasants. And the landgrave of Hefsen, who was the youngest among the princes there, rode around the stuff, and exhorted them to save the common peace, and spoke thus:

Dear friends, you see the poor people before you, against whom you have been led to defend their disobedience and iniquity. Now the princes have taken pity on their misery, and we have dealt with them, that they depart, surrender, and deliver up the captains. To such they give no answer, and prepare to strike: so the great necessity demands that we defend ourselves. Therefore I urge you to attack them chivalrously and to defend the faithless villains and murderers.

50 The devil has blinded the people so much that they do not want to give them advice or help. For even though they complain greatly about the rulers, there is no cause on earth sufficient to stir up rebellion and do violence against the rulers. For it is a very serious commandment of God to honor and fear the rulers, for which God has thus kept that sedition has never gone unpunished. For Paul says [Rom. 13, 2.], "He who resists authority is punished." For authority is ordered by God. Therefore God keeps it so that no creature can tear it apart. As it is God's order that day and night shall be, and no man may tear the sun from heaven and take away day and night: so neither the devil nor the devil's apostle, the peasants of Munch, will have any happiness against ordered authority.

(51) I do not say this to make myself look like a prince and to make the peasants' case bad, but it is the whole truth. I know well that we are often criminal, because we are human beings, and often do wrong; nevertheless, one should not make a fuss about it. It is God's command to honor rulership, but then one should honor it especially when it is in greatest need of honor. Now, the highest need for honor is when it is disgraced, perhaps even when it has been disgraced; so the subjects should help to bear the disgrace of the authorities, bring it to honor and cover it, as Shem covered Noah [Gen. 9:23], so that they may remain and live with one another in peace and unity.

(52) But what do these unfaithful evildoers do? They do not cover up our faults, but make them more reprehensible, yes, they also lie a lot. For it has ever been fabricated and lied that we do not keep the common peace of the land, that we do not order the courts, that we do not ward off murder and robbery in the countries. For we are bound according to our ability to maintain peaceful rule. Now the burden that the subjects bear in money or interest is ever small compared to the care and effort that we bear.

(53) But everyone considers his own troubles the greatest; what other people suffer, no one wants to measure. The peasants give little interest, therefore they sit securely, may feed wife and child, may educate children to discipline and honor. To maintain such security, their interest is invested; tell me, who benefits most from it? The subjects; therefore their complaints are null and void. But it is true that not everything can be sufficiently organized in the regiment. For this is the common misfortune of the world. The grain in the field does not grow every year. That is why God demands that we honor the rulers. For if the ruler were not lacking, his honor would not be in danger; but because it is in danger, God wants to protect it and has commanded that it be honored.

They complain that they are not allowed to hear the gospel, but they should not make a fuss about it. For as Christ forbade Petro to fight, so let every man answer for himself what he believes. If the authorities want to kill him, he shall suffer it, and shall not take up the sword and provoke other people to save him by force. Christ passed a terrible sentence on Petro, when he wanted to fence, that he was guilty of death: "He who takes the sword shall perish with the sword," says Christ Matth. 26, 52], and let himself be hanged on the cross. So rebellion is against the commandment and example of Christ.

55 Furthermore, it is evident that this coiner and his followers do not teach the gospel, but murder and robbery; no one blasphemes the gospel more than these boys, who under the pretense of the holy name do all that they can. This is their gospel, to take from the rich what is theirs, to disgrace other people's wives and children, to take from the rulers so that no one can defend them. God does not let such great dishonor of the holy name of the gospel go unscented. For He speaks in the other commandment that he who abuses God's name shall not go unpunished [Exodus 20:7].

Because the peasants are so wicked, blaspheme God, revile their rulers, and have no just cause for rebellion, you should confidently attack them as murderers, and help save the common peace, help pious, honorable people, protect your wife and child against these murderers; in this you do God a great favor. And even though we are strong enough to judge the wretched people (in a human way), I would not attack them if I did not know that I was doing the right thing. For God has given us the sword not to commit murder, but to prevent murder. But if I know that I am doing right, I will help to punish them, and I have no doubt that God will help us to win. For he says: "Whoever resists the authorities will be punished" [Rom. 13, 2].

When the landgrave had finished speaking, the peasants were approached and shot. The poor people, however, stood there and sang: "Now we pray to the Holy Spirit", as if they were insane, neither defending themselves nor fleeing, many also consoled themselves with the great promise of Thomas that God would show help from heaven, because Thomas had said that he would take all the shots in his arms.

58 When they broke into the wagon castle and began to stab them, the wretched people turned to flee; the larger group toward the village of Frankenhausen, some also on the other side of the mountain, and there was no resistance from the peasants, because a small group, which had gathered in the valley of the mountain, defended itself against a few horsemen. For even the rice stuff, seeing that there was no ride and no resistance, did not keep order, and so had scattered from each other. In that place they wounded some, and cut down two or three horsemen. Then the soldiers were more enraged and surprised not only this group, but also what they might encounter in flight, leaving five thousand men dead.

59) After the battle, they moved into [the] village, 1) took it, and caught three hundred men, who were beheaded there. But Thomas had escaped to the village of Frankenhausen, to a house near the gate. Now he might have escaped in the meantime, or he might have hidden himself very well, if God had not particularly wanted him to be caught; no one particularly resented him, and no one was looking for him.

60 But a nobleman from Lüneburg had moved into the same house by the gate, whose

1) The "spot" will mean Frankenhaufen.

The servant goes up to the floor of the house, wants to see what they have for lodging, so he finds one lying in bed, as if he were sick, speaks to him, and asks who he is, whether he is also a rebel? Now Thomas had lain down in bed as if he were weak, thought he wanted to hide himself and escape, and Thomas answered the Reuter that he was a sick man, lying there and had febres, and was very weak, he had never come to the riot.

61 The Reuter found a bag lying by the bed, took it, and thought he might get some booty, but he found letters in it that Count Albrecht of Mansfeld had written to Thomä to warn him to desist from his will to be brave. Then the Reuter asks: Where do the letters come from? Was he Thomas? Thomas was frightened, and at first he denied that he was the man, but at last he confessed, since the magistrate was threatening him. So the magistrate took him prisoner. The princes were informed of this. Then Duke George and the landgrave sent to Thomae.

62 When he came before the princes, they asked him what he had accused the poor people of, that he had thus deceived them. He answered defiantly that he had done right, that he had intended to punish the princes because they were against the gospel.

63 The landgrave, however, sat down with him and proved to him from the Scriptures that one should honor authority, that God had forbidden rebellion, that it was especially not due to Christians to take revenge, even if they were wronged; from this the wretched coiner knew nothing to speak.

It also happened that they screwed his thumbsticks tighter, and he cried out. Duke George said, "Thomas, this hurts you, but it hurt the poor people today that they were stabbed, whom you had brought into such misery. Thomas answered laughing like a man possessed: "They wouldn't have it any other way. From such sacrilegious words, everyone could sense that the devil had made man completely nonsensical, that he would have no mercy at all on the misery of the slain people.

65 He was then led to Heldrungen in Thurm and examined there. But it was because of this that he was sent to Heldrungen: for he had written Count Ernsten von Mansfeld a letter to Heldrungen, in which these words were written: I am going away. But so that Thomas would be inside of his sacrilege, he was tied to a wagon and drove there.

After some days Thomas was badly martyred at Heldrung in the question in which he confessed that he had formerly been a student at Halle.

and began at that time to make a union to reform Christendom. After that, he started such a covenant at Allstädt, and finally at Mulhouse; he hoped that, since the peasants in Swabia had revolted, he would have room to make a noise. He also went to Swabia to find out their intentions. But he said that he didn't like their nobility and that they didn't want to hear him. He also showed the names of his confederates in Allstädt and Mühlhausen.

67 Furthermore, he was not asked about his revelationibus or what had moved him to make such noise. It is also unwise, since he has boasted of divine revelation, that one has not asked whether he has invented such things, or whether the devil has seduced him with visions; such would be useful to know.

68 After some days the princes went before Mulhouse, which surrendered to them. There the princes beheaded a bunch of rebels, including Pfeiffer; Thomam was also led into the camp and beheaded there. However, he was very pusillanimous in this last emergency, and so lost with himself that he could not pray the faith alone, but Duke Henry of Brunswick prayed it to him; he also publicly confessed that he had done wrong, and yet in the ring he admonished the princes that they should not be so hard on the poor people, so they should not wait for such a ride, and said that they should read libros Regum. After such a speech, he was beheaded and his head was put on a spike in the field as a memorial.

(69) This end of Thomas Muenzer's is to be well considered, so that everyone may learn that one should not believe those who boast of divine revelation, if they intend something against the Scriptures. For God leaves nothing unspotted, as it is written in the other commandment: Non habebit Deus insontem etc.

70 We should also learn how severely God punishes disobedience and rebellion against authority. For God has commanded to honor and be obedient to the authorities. Therefore, whoever acts contrary to it, God will not let him go unpunished, as Paul says Rom. 13:2: "He who resists authority will be punished."

Thus, in other places this year, as in Thuringia, rebellion was punished, and the authorities were miraculously preserved by God against the great power of the rebels. Such examples, as a special history of God, should remain in the memory of the descendants and be written out with great diligence.