Section eleven of Chapter thirteen.

From the other parting of the Augsburg Diet and Luther's writings published against it, as well as some historical news from this Diet.

1155 The Imperial Edict, or the Resolution of the Diet of Augsburg, Concerning Religion. November 19, 1530.

and in Goldast, eonstitat. iurper., tom. Ill, x. 508. excerpted in many other places.

We Carl the Fifth by the Grace of God, elected R. Emperor etc. etc. confess and declare to all men: Although at the first Imperial Diet held at Worms, before our departure from the Holy Roman Empire, for which we have caused a great deal from previous feuds and wars, for the preservation of our kingdoms and lands, as men know, with timely advice, knowledge and will of ours and of the Holy Empire

Princes and estates, for the preservation of our holy Christian faith, peace and justice in the holy empire, good order, German nation to honor, benefit, welfare, reception and prosperity, established: Nevertheless, we have heard for some time, with great sorrow in our hearts, how the discord of our holy Christian faith, as a result of our edict issued by the Emperor at Worms, has divided and taken root in our absence in many difficult sects, from which the common German nation has suffered no small harm and accident. Since, however, so far, no salutary counsel has been found for such incumbent burdens and burdens by many imperial congresses and other brave and diligent actions of our governor, orator and commissars, nor of the princes, princes and estates of the empire, except by our presence, we have, after the advent of the new church, taken the necessary measures to prevent the conflict.

In order that the Hispanic kingdoms of the time of our departure may live in the more peace, tranquility and unity, out of the special love and gracious affection which we have and bear for the German nation and the Holy Roman Empire, we have exalted ourselves from our Hispanic hereditary kingdoms, left the latter, and at first settled in Italy, and have placed the latter our Italian lands (praise be to God!) also in good peace.) in good unity and peace; and so that we may come the more favorably into the German nation, and foresee such grave mischief in time, refrain from visiting our kingdom of Neapolis, as that would have greatly required our and our subjects' opportunity, welfare and need, and to receive our imperial coronation (which we could have obtained in Rome without any danger or difficulty, and from there we could have come to the affected kingdom of Neapolis) in Bononia, and thereupon to hold a common imperial diet in our and the Holy Roman Empire's city of Augsburg on the 8th day of April next year. The Council of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Holy Roman Empire, Augsburg, on the eighth day of April next, to consider and act on all matters concerning the Holy Roman Empire, common Christendom, and the German nation, and especially how the confusion and discord concerning our holy faith and Christian religion (as not the least of these) might be more fruitfully acted upon and resolved upon, how to put an end to this discord of faith, how to forestall unwillingness, and how to surrender to Christ our Savior the errors that have been committed, our Saviour, and to hear, understand and consider every man's opinion between himself in love and kindness, to bring them to one Christian truth and to compare them, to put away everything that would not be rightly interpreted or acted for both parts, to accept and hold one true religion by all of us, and as we are and contend all under one Christ, so to live all in one fellowship of the church and unity; and finally, to make, establish, resolve and maintain good unity, peace and welfare of the holy realm, in this and other matters incumbent upon it, as our writing of this Imperial Diet contains and is able to contain this and other things according to the length.

2) At which Imperial Diet we, as well as the Electors, Princes, and other estates of the Holy Roman Empire, appeared before us obediently in a noticeable public number, in our own persons, and some through their embassies with full authority.

3. accordingly, we, together with the same our

Princes, Prelates, Counts and Estates, and the absent embassies, the article of the disagreement of our holy Christian faith, in the above-mentioned letter of ours, as the noblest and most important point, first taken before the hand, and (by virtue of the same letter of ours) graciously offered to hear anyone who has wanted to bring up something on account of such disagreement of faith. Thereupon our and the Holy Roman Empire's princes, princes and cities, John, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave in Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, Archmarshall and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, George, Margrave of Brandenburg, Stettin, Pomerania, Duke of the Cassuben and Wenden, Burgrave of Nuremberg and Prince of Rügen, Ernst and Franciscus, brothers, dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Philip, landgrave of Hesse, and Wolfgang, prince of Anhalt, also the envoys of the cities of Nuremberg, Reutlingen, Kempten, Heilbrunn, Winsheim, and Weißenburg in the northern part of Gau, have brought before us their confession and opinion, for the sake of faith, in writings; which we have graciously received from them, and have publicly read them in the presence of all the princes, princes and estates of the Holy Roman Empire who have been assembled here. And although we, after having had the constant counsel of excellent theologians and scribes from many nations, had such a confession of theirs refuted and rejected with good reason in accordance with the holy Gospel and holy Scripture, yet such a thing did not catch on with them so much that they would have compared themselves with us, electors, princes and other common estates in all articles. Whereupon, for the good and welfare of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Nation, so that peace and unity may be preserved therein, we, out of imperial clemency and but by grace, grant them the right of appeal. We therefore, out of Imperial clemency and mercy, offer the above-mentioned Princes, Princes and six cities the following gracious agreement, and graciously request that they accept it: Namely, that between here and the fifteenth day of the month of April next, they should consider whether or not they wish to confess and unite with the Christian Church, Papal Holiness, us, and the other Princes, Princes, and commonwealths of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as other Christian leaders and members of common Christendom, in the meantime of the discussion of a future Concilii. And that they inform us of their minds under their seals before the end of the above-mentioned fifteenth day, in the meantime we also want to consider what is due to us, and then to give them

open our opinion likewise; with some almost quite attached articles, which they are to behave in the meantime of the same thinking.

4. namely, that it be our earnest will, opinion, and command that the Elector of Saxony, together with his kinsmen, decree in the meantime of the aforementioned 15th day of April, that nothing new, for the sake of matters of faith, be printed, traded, or sold in their principalities, lands, and territories; and that all electors, princes, and estates of the Holy Roman Empire, in the meantime of this intention, shall keep good peace and unity.

And that neither the Elector of Saxony, the five princes and six cities, nor their subjects, ours and the Holy Roman Empire, nor the other electors, princes, and commoners' subjects, as has been done so far, shall not draw on themselves and their sect, or compel them to do so. Whether some of the Elector of Saxony's, the five princes' and six cities' subjects, regardless of their dignity or status, still adhere to the old Christian faith and nature, or want to adhere to it, all of them in their churches and places of worship shall not err or oppress in their services and ceremonies, nor shall they initiate any further innovation therein. Likewise, the male and female members of the order shall not prevent them from attending mass and hearing confessions, and from serving and receiving the holy sacrament.

6. To this end, the aforementioned Elector, the five princes and six cities are to compare themselves with us, along with the other electors, princes and states, against those who do not keep the reverend sacrament and against the Anabaptists, and are not to separate themselves from us, their loved ones and them in any way, but are to advise, encourage and help as to what and how action is to be taken against them; As all our princes, princes and estates have granted and promised us all this, as stated above, as far as each of them is concerned.

7. And because no common council has been held in the Christian church for many years, and yet many abuses and complaints have occurred in common Christendom for a long time, we have gathered here at Augsburg with all our and the Holy Roman Empire's princes, rulers and estates and their embassies, now assembled here at Augsburg, in common good will and counsel, and at the humble request and entreaty of all of them, in addition to papal sanctity, have finally resolved, also with all of the aforementioned princes, princes and estates and the same embassies, to petition the affected papal

Holiness, and all Christian kings and potentates, so much to decree that for Christian reformation a common Christian concilium, within six months, the next after the end of this Diet of ours, shall be advertised at the appropriate place, and that for the most beneficial and longest time within a year after such advertisement, shall be held, in the good hope and confidence that thereby the community of Christendom, for the sake of its spiritual and temporal things, shall be brought into lasting good unity and peace.

8) Furthermore, since the commandments of God and man, as well as the Gospel, are able to dictate that no one should be deprived of his own by force, or that he should be deprived of it, and since this has been done by them and their country manifoldly, therefore we have been approached daily by the deprived abbots or abbesses, as well as by others, and have been called upon with pleading and lamenting requests to help them regain theirs. Accordingly, as a Christian emperor, who should not deny justice to anyone, it would not be otherwise due to us (since the laws stipulate and want that every spoliir and deposed person should first of all be restituted and reinstated), than to make due allowance for this; Therefore, it is our earnest command that the Elector of Saxony and his co-relatives let the same spoliated monasteries and other clergy in their principalities and territories, without any means and in the most beneficial way, return to their monasteries and estates, from which they have been deposed, expelled and driven out, restitute and reinstate them, so that we would not be caused, as a Christian Emperor, to do due execution ourselves.

9 However, the Elector of Saxony and his kinsmen, as reported above, did not want to accept such our gracious farewell, but rejected it, and thereupon partly went away.

10 The envoys of our and the Holy Roman Empire's cities, Strasbourg, Constance, Memmingen and Lindau, have handed over to us their confession of their faith in writings; which we have had read and considered with the greatest diligence for ourselves, as well as by many learned, brave doctors of the Holy Scriptures of many nations. And after we have heard from the same their own delivered confession, also otherwise credibly reported, and for themselves publicly, that the said four our and the empire's cities not only separated themselves in faith from all other free and imperial cities, but also from the whole German nation, also from the common Christendom, and that the heavy insanity against the reverend Sacra-

The same are also spread among the common man of the German nation, and are included in the booklet that is carried over from time to time, which neither they nor anyone else is entitled or entitled to. Thus, to praise God Almighty, to promote the salvation of souls, to preserve Christian love, and especially for the peace, welfare and unity of the German nation, we, through the scholars of the Holy Scriptures of many nations, and also with the valiant counsel of our and the Holy Roman Empire's princes, rulers and estates, all assembled here, have had a counter-report, founded in the Gospel and Holy Scriptures, drawn up, which we have publicly read to them before the princes, rulers and estates, and have graciously reminded, admonished and requested them, because they have clearly noted their error in the face of our confutation and understand that they have renounced this cruel error, and have compared themselves to us, as well as to the princes, rulers and estates of the empire and common Christendom, which we have agreed to provide for them.

At such our most gracious remembrance and request, the envoys of the aforementioned four cities have humbly asked to be given a copy of such a confutation, with the indication that they alone have orders from their council friends to request a copy of what is held before them and to send it behind them. We refused their request for movable reasons, and at the same time offered to have the same confutation read to them again two or three times, so that they would know how to act accordingly, and therefore again asked them to comply with our request. For if such Christian admonition and reminder would not take place with them (that we do not fail to do), then the same four cities could think that we are caused to show ourselves and behave in the matters as is due to us, as Roman Christian emperor, supreme sovereign and patron of the holy Christian church, ex officio, according to our conscience, as previously reported in the confutation. But upon such and such our most gracious remembrance and request, the envoys of the four cities concerned have insisted on their opinion.

(12) Since we, as Roman Emperor and Supreme Pontiff of Christendom, are due, by virtue of the imperial office imposed upon us, as we also acknowledge our duty, to uphold the holy Christian faith, as it is upheld by the holy common Christian Church, and to uphold it in the name of the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, and the Holy Roman Emperor.

and honorably kept and executed, to handle, protect and shield, also to execute our imperial edict, issued at our first Imperial Diet at Worms: We, together with other electors, princes and estates obedient to us and to the Holy Roman Empire, have finally resolved, and also granted, for ourselves and our subjects, and have promised and pledged to one another to remain and hold firmly to the old, true, long-established Christian faith and religion, as well as to the same honest, praiseworthy ceremonies and customs, practiced in the common church until now, and also not to allow any change to be made before the decision of the next General Council.

13 And because of the edict we issued at Worms, and also because of many subsequent decrees of our imperial congresses held at Nuremberg and Speier, all kinds of complaints and innovations contrary to the Christian faith and religion were torn down.

(14) Specifically, some have taught, written, and preached that in the reverend sacrament of the altar, the body and blood of Christ, under both the form of bread and wine, is not essential and present, but only figurative and significant, with other more unchristian circumstances, additions, and appendages.

(15) Some preach and teach that every man, by Christ's commandment, is obligated to receive the reverend sacrament of the altar under both forms, and that those who pass and receive it under one form do wrong.

16 Some have even abandoned the office of the holy mass and preached that the mass is the highest blasphemy.

Some have not completely abandoned the mass, but have imposed a special change in it, contrary to the long usage, order and statutes of the common Christian church, again to their liking. Likewise, the usual chants of the mass, times of day, other hymns of praise of the Mother of God, of the dear saints, and of the holy fathers, made for the glory of God and devotion of men, and commonly and uniformly ordered, set, and kept in the common Christian church, have been done away with as annoying and unchristian, and yet in their place other chants of their liking have been made.

18 Some have taught that infant baptism is nothing, but that every person who comes to understanding should be baptized again; they also consider baptism to be no sacrament. In this, some have rejected the praiseworthy Christian ordinances.

and prayers, which are held at the Taus, abgethan and made others.

19. some do not use prayer, ceremonies, and do not have their children baptized by priests, but by any layman, male or female, outside of necessity, and in bad well water.

20 Some have not confirmed their children, nor given the dying person the sacrament or the blessing.

Some have smashed and burned the images of our Blessed Christ, as well as of His most blessed Mother Mary and the dear saints, which were kept for a long time for the remembrance and commemoration of all Christian people, and have raged inhumanly with them.

22 Some have held that there is no free will, but everything that happens must happen in this way, and not otherwise, out of unavoidable necessity, and that therefore God is a real cause of evil.

(23) Some have taught that there is no authority among Christians, nor should anyone use it.

(24) Some have taught that faith alone, without love and good works, saves, and have rejected good works altogether.

Some have even destroyed and devastated the monasteries, parish churches and Maria.

Some have abolished, or allowed to diminish, in monasteries, parishes, and other benefices, the laudable Christian ceremonies and customs, which until now have been practiced in the common church, for the remembrance and stimulation of all Christian people, for the devotion and contemplation of the life, suffering, death, and work of Christ, our Savior, and have imposed other un-Christian orders, of their own will, power, and pleasure.

Some have completely stopped preaching in the monasteries of the four mendicant orders, to whom such preaching is due according to their rule or religious profession, and has been in use from time immemorial, thereby depriving many pious old Christians of the right true feeding of God's Word, and against their conscience they have been forced to listen to the new seductive preachers, or else to refrain from all preaching.

Item 28: Some lords have forbidden their subjects, under severe penalty, to hear the preaching of the old, right, true faith, in or outside their villages, nor to go to the same preaching or churches, nor to follow the old faith.

to adhere to it. And if they enter into it, they have been punished unjustly.

Item 29: Some bind their servants in their duty not to listen to the above-mentioned preachers, but only to their seducing preachers, and to adhere to the same sect.

30 Some have turned monasteries, foundations, and vacated benefices into their own use, or into other ways of disorderly measure, of their liking, and have not lent them further, against their foundation, or allowed others to lend them.

Item 31: Some have removed the provosts, confessors, preachers, and other Christian leaders of the same monasteries in women's monasteries, and appointed the seductive preachers, confessors, and teachers in their place.

Some have completely and partially closed and barred the monasteries, and forbidden them to sing, read, hold mass, distribute, receive, and give sacramenta among them, the religious, according to traditional Christian usage.

Some of the monasteries of male and female religious, endowments and other benefices, and of the deceased endowments and foundations, established by many of our ancestors, of blessed and mild memory, Roman emperors, kings, princes, and other noble estates, have, contrary to their last will and decree, been completely or partially taken away, or have completely ceased to exist. The persons of the male and female orders were tolerated and allowed to leave the monasteries without the permission of their ordinary authorities and to enter into a supposed marital or other secular state. They also did not want to allow the prelates to abolish this or to be in favor of it. They have also urged some men's and women's religious to forever pardon themselves of the monasteries and their goods, and to give their renunciation briefs over themselves, in which they must also confess that their monastic life was unchristian and devilish.

34 Some have allowed the religious to remove their habit and to wear secular or other garments than they were allowed to wear after the expulsion of their rule and vows, and have nevertheless allowed them to live in the monasteries.

35 Some religious are forbidden to accept others who wish to join them in orders, and to receive profession or obedience from those who are already in their monasteries.

1) "marital" put by us instead of: honest.

Some have forcibly taken their children and friends out of the monasteries against their will.

37. Some have installed and deposed priests in parishes and other benefices, as and when they pleased, without presenting them to the ordinaries, so that they might have been examined and invested; in addition, they have prevented the ordinaries from using their jurisdiction over the priests, as well as from visiting the parish priests and priesthood; to allow and tolerate the parish priests and preachers to interpret the divine word and scripture according to their will and liking, to reject the office of the holy mass in general, including prayer for the deceased, and to destroy Christian ceremonies. Singing, reading, praying, fasting, celebrating, and otherwise generally introducing and practicing all kinds of idiosyncratic deeds; which were and still are not only in accordance with our edict issued at Worms and the imperial decrees established since then, but also with Christian order and devotion, over which such things are not proper and due to anyone, regardless of his status, nor have they had any authority or command.

38. From all this, no good came, but rather that the other traditional practices of the common church were despised, all nobility and respectability in their preaching desecrated, blasphemed, the pious simple-minded people and laymen incited against each other, and all kinds of frivolity arose from it, The seductive and previously rejected and condemned doctrine has gained the upper hand, much seductive insanity has grown up among the common people, all true devotion has died out, and finally all Christian honor, discipline, virtue, commandment, fear of God, respectability, and good honest conduct and life, even the true love of one's neighbor, have completely fallen into disrepair.

39. And all this is not only contrary to the holy Gospel and divine Scripture, but also contrary to the old laudable custom and practice of the Christian church and ceremonies, and has been done and done in an unjust manner: We have therefore united with our princes, princes and estates, and they in turn with us, and have resolved that the above, and all others, contrary to the common Christian church faith, order, religion, ceremonies, and all laudable statutes, shall be abolished, and all praiseworthy statutes, long established usage, as decreed by the same common Christian church, and Concilia held some hundred years ago, are done and passed, and we therefore shall and will be and decree, as I

It is due that those who have undertaken such an innovation unite and compare with us and the affected common princes and estates until a forthcoming concilio.

(40) Accordingly, we command and intend that it be firmly held, taught, and preached throughout the Roman Empire that under the species of bread and wine, and under each of them, the true body and blood of Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, is substantially and truly present. And all those who teach, write, preach or hold contrary thereto shall not be tolerated, accepted or permitted. From this also it follows that the Christian Church, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and good causes, has salutary ordained and commanded that every Christian man, apart from the celebration of Mass, shall be administered the reverend Sacrament by the Consecrant under the form of bread alone, yet under one form no more or less than under two, be enjoyed and received. As we also want to hold herewith, and that in this until the decision of future Concilii, no innovation is to be made, have commanded 1).

In the same way, common and special masses, with singing, with the inculcation and observance of the major and minor canons, as well as other prayers, garments, ceremonies, statutes, orders, and all measures, shall be held as has been and still is done in the common Christian church, and in all of this no change or innovation shall be made.

For the sake of the Anabaptists, we leave it at our previous constitution and statutes, which we want to have renewed again here with the advice and consent of the princes, rulers, and estates; and we command that the children be baptized in a similar manner, with the bestowal of the Chrism, as well as with the praiseworthy salvific prayers and ceremonies, which have long been established and held by the Christian common church. For the more unchristian and frightening it is to close and deprive the poor young children of the way of salvation and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

43. we also command and intend that the confirmation of children and other Christian people, as well as the confirmation of dying people, should not be omitted, but should be firmly maintained and used in the same way as it has been in the Christian church up to now.

44. because the image of Christ, his dear mother Mary and the dear saints is also the symbol of the

1) "commanded" put by us instead of: asked.

We order that the images mentioned above shall not be removed, but shall be erected and maintained devoutly by all Christian people. Likewise, the altars and sacramental halls, where they have been removed, are to be restored and preserved for the glory of God.

45 Furthermore, as some hold that there is no free will, etc. Because the same error with its appendages is not human, but rather animal, and a blasphemy, it should not be held, taught, or preached.

46 Likewise, since the supremacy is ordained by God and proven from the holy Gospels, St. Paul, and other divine writings, nothing shall be preached, taught, or given out in any way, either publicly or secretly, that may be opposed to it or may come to scorn, disdain, or disparagement.

Since it is evident from the Scriptures that faith alone, without love and good works, does not make one righteous, and since God requires good works from men in many places in the Scriptures, the above article (that faith alone makes one righteous, and that good works should be rejected) should not be preached or taught, but rather modesty and distinction should be maintained, as the common Christian church and the holy fathers have maintained and taught until now.

In particular, the seven holy sacraments and their ceremonies should be kept everywhere as they have been used in the Christian Church from time immemorial and before this division, and all innovation should be stopped.

Item 49: That all high and low monasteries, convents, parishes, foundations, and benefices, in particular, be kept in their statutes, orders, rules, endowments, foundations, chants, reading, preaching, mass, prayers, burial, and ordinary Christian ceremonies, as they have been practiced in the common church until now.

50) That also the vacated benefices, according to proper measure, be bestowed on suitable, skilful persons, the deceased be given a foundation, and the clergy be given due visitation and punishment of the parish priests, priesthoods and clergy.

not be prevented. That also the religious and secular priests should completely abstain from marrying.

(51) And the priests who are supposed to have been married before this our departure shall from this time be deprived of their ecclesiastical benefices, administration and offices, and their benefices shall be filled by the patrons or ordinaries of any place, in time of right, to be approached next after the end of this Diet, and the pastors and other ecclesiastical benefices shall be filled by their ecclesiastical superiors or patrons with other, skillful, unmarried priests.

52 However, if some married priests want to leave their supposed wives and return to Christian order and practice, and also receive and accept absolution and penance worthy of their crime, papal holiness shall now be requested by the legate to give the ordinaries power to absolve the secular priests and rehabilitate them for their administration.

(53) But the priests who do not want to convert, or to live up to our leave, as and where they are found, or (ecclesiastical persons [monks and nuns]) 1) have intermarried with each other, or with other persons, they shall not be left in any principalities, dominions, and territories, but shall be expelled, or taken into due and lawful punishment.

54 In no jurisdiction shall clergymen be permitted to live dishonestly in public, and especially to live with dishonest, lewd wives, or to have them with them, nor shall they be permitted or allowed to live in dishonest, unpriestly dress and behavior; but the offenders shall be punished according to the requirements of the case, and this shall not be allowed to continue, as has been done hitherto, so that all annoyance may be avoided.

(55) Where the clergy in some places have entered into unjust eavesdropping easements, patronage or contracts, we want such easements, patronage or contracts to be dead and gone, irrespective of any oaths or obligations that may have been sworn or made in a way for that reason. Likewise, where monasteries or other ecclesiastical properties and other such things in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation have been sold, altered, or turned to improper use or custom, all such things shall also be unbundled, null and void, and shall be restored to their former status from that time on,

1) inserted by us.

and the goods sold shall be reimbursed and paid for at their due value.

56 And all pastors and preachers, whether they are religious or secular priests, are to observe the above and subsequent imperial ordinances. The same applies to the preaching of the sermons.

57 We have thereupon compared and united with princes, sovereigns, and estates, and have decreed and ordained that no preacher shall now be admitted to preach in any place, or be installed, unless he has first been examined by the archbishop or bishop under whom he has sat, and has been found experienced and skilled in life, doctrine, and skill, and has also been sufficiently recognized for the office of preaching. These licensed and accredited preachers, be they religious or other priests, none excepted, also regardless of some liberty, shall keep their preaching in accordance with this our decree. And especially that in their preaching they shall avoid and refrain from anything that might lead the common man to move against authority, or lead the Christian people into error, or incite them against one another, or give them cause to do so. And in particular, they should not be ashamed to speak in such a way that some have not been ashamed to do until now, that they want to suppress and destroy the gospel and the holy word of God, which has never been ours or the common people's opinion, but rather has been the concern and affection of the Christian mind, and also of the Christian mind, that the holy word of God, for the increase of Christian love, fear of God, devotion and good works, be planted and preserved in Christian nature, and not, as is now the use of the new teachers, be preached according to the will, benefit, envy, hope, or for the seduction of the unintelligent common laity; But it is our will, mind and opinion that the preachers preach and teach the Gospel, according to the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and teachers, approved and accepted by the common holy Christian Church, and what is disputable, to refrain from preaching and teaching the same, in addition to insulting, 1) reviling and blaspheming, and expect the said Christian Concilii decision about it.

58. the same preachers should especially avoid turning away the common Christian people from the offices of holy masses, prayers, and other good works, as has been done in many places until now, which is to be pityed, but should properly

1) "Schimpfirens" put by us instead of: "stumpfirens".

instruct, instruct and incite them to hear the office of the holy mass with great devotion, to do their prayers devoutly to God, to devoutly command themselves much to the virgins of Mary and the dear worshippers, to forbid them against God; celebrate, also keep the commanded fast days, and avoid forbidden food, as is customary in the Christian Church; also, do not refuse religious and others from their vows, but teach them that they are obliged to keep them, also give alms, and practice other Christian, mild and good works.

59. Such men, regardless of their status, shall keep themselves in accordance with and obedient to our order, statutes, and well-established Christian customs, ceremonies, and all other things that have hitherto been decently ordered, established, and used in the Christian church, as far as our holy Christian faith and worship are concerned, and shall not innovate against any of these things, all under penalty of death, injury, or property, which each authority shall and may impose on the transgressor, according to the form of the transgression. Nor shall any authority prevent the other in this, but one shall assist the other at its request; all this we, in order to avoid the above-mentioned punishment and penalties, wish to have kept completely between here and the next General Council decision.

60. And since much evil has arisen from disorderly printing up to now, we decree and order that every prince, sovereign and state of the realm, ecclesiastical and secular, in the meantime of the future Council, take care with serious diligence in all printing houses, also with all bookkeepers, that nothing new is printed or offered for sale, and especially invective, paintings and the like, are neither publicly nor secretly printed or sold, unless previously inspected by the same ecclesiastical or secular authorities, and the name and surname of the printer, as well as the city in which it is printed, are written in the same words. And where there is a deficiency, the same shall not be allowed to be printed or to have it, nor shall such defamatory or similar books as have been printed before be offered for sale or sold. And where the poets, printers or sellers transgress such order and commandments, he shall be punished by the authority under which he sat or entered, according to occasion, in body or goods; and where some authority, whoever it may be, is found remiss in this, then our Imperial Fiscal shall and may order that the same be punished. Fiscal may proceed and proceed against the same authority for the punishment, which punishment, according to the occasion, shall be imposed.

The Imperial Court of Appeal shall have the power to set and lax any superiority and the same negligence.

61. After many bishoprics, high and other monasteries, also monasteries, have since our imperial outgoing edict been unreasonably destroyed, devastated and desolated, the bishops, prelates, parish priests, religious and ecclesiastical persons have been expelled from theirs without lawful knowledge or cause, The bishops, prelates, parish priests, religious and ecclesiastical persons have been expelled, driven out of their territories without lawful knowledge or cause, their bishoprics, monasteries, convents, castles, possessions, interest, favors, ornaments or treasures have been taken, or they have been sold in whole or in part, arrested, detained and held up for trial; and in divine, ecclesiastical and imperial laws it is provided and forbidden that no one shall take, deprive and rob another of his own property, contrary to law, in an unseemly manner, and especially of property devoted to the Church and to God, much less deprive or extinguish an honest foundation made in praise of God, we decree and order that the bishoprics, monasteries and monasteries and their properties, which have been unfairly taken for themselves by clergy or seculars, or wrested in the peasant revolt, shall be restored to those to whom they are entitled and rightfully due; or, where the monasteries or parishes have been devastated, demolished or desolated, be rebuilt and erected. Likewise, in bishoprics, monasteries, foundations, and parishes, singing, reading, mass, and the performance of other customary laudable Christian ceremonies, as well as their possessions and goods and the same administration, as they have been and are from time immemorial, shall remain peaceful, all with penalty of our imperial peace, attention, and disregard, as we will therefore issue and proclaim our special penalty mandate, with further content.

62 And since we have no doubt in our imperial minds that there are still many steadfast Christians who adhere to the old true Christian faith. We have no doubt that there are still many steadfast Christians who adhere to the old true Christian faith, and to whom the rebellious, seductive and previously condemned doctrine is highly repugnant. So that they may be kept in their honorable, steadfast minds, as is only right, and not be turned away from it by some oppression of others, we, also the princes, princes and estates, want that those who sat in the authorities, cities, towns and villages, who have not accepted this our farewell (as far as they persist and insist on their Christian opinion, and keep and live by this our farewell), with their possessions, wives and children, in our and the Holy Roman Empire's but protection and defense.

and should enjoy and use them as other relatives of ours and of the Holy Roman Empire. For this purpose we want to grant by imperial power For this purpose, we, by imperial power, will allow and grant to the same citizens and inhabitants, who are still of the old Christian faith and persist in it, according to their opportunity, with their body, possessions and goods, a free departure from and immigration to the above-mentioned authorities, cities, towns and villages, without complaint of any additional tax or deduction of their goods, and unhindered male, and do so herewith knowingly. They also want that such shall not bring them any harm or injury to their civic duties, city or civil rights, in any way or manner. And if some of the above-mentioned authorities, towns or villages have freedoms or privileges contrary to or against this, we want to have them derogated and all this hereby annulled in this case.

63 And because in many years no common council has been held in the holy Christian church, and it is of the highest necessity that it be held, so that the above-mentioned errors, abuses and complaints in our holy faith, and what has been torn down in the meantime, may be reformed and corrected: Likewise, because many kingdoms and other things have been taken away by the enemy of the holy Christian faith, the Turks, and still more may be taken away, if this is not done in time, so that against it, according to the greatest need, salutary and fruitful action may be taken; and since all our and the Holy Roman Empire's princes, princes and estates, and their embassies, have gathered with us here in Augsburg, without distinction, as well as those who have compared themselves with us and our old true Christian faith, as it has been held laudably by the Holy Christian Church, as those who have made the above-mentioned and other innovations, in order to promote such a council, have humbly appealed and asked us: We have therefore, for a Christian reformation and handling of Christian faith, undertaken, as we have now, with our and the Holy Empire's princes, princedoms and estates, finally resolved, by papal holiness, to promote and decree so much, that by their holiness a common Christian concilium is to be advertised within six months after the end of the Imperial Diet, and that it is to be started and held in the most beneficial way and for the longest time within a year after such advertisement, in comforting and definitive manner.

Confidence that other Christian kings, princes and potentates will also allow them to appear at such a council and help to bring the common Christianity, for the sake of its spiritual and temporal matters, into constant good unity and peace.

(64) Item, as we have here before in many established imperial decrees clearly expressed and provided that the ecclesiastics and seculars should have their interest, rent, validity and tithe paid and paid without objection and hindrance, also that due right tithe should be given, and that it should not be prevented to lend and to enter, so we nevertheless find that in some places this has been little enforced, and that we, as Roman Emperor, have to see that no one reserves his own by force against the law: so we order that each of the ecclesiastics and seculars shall have their interest, rent, validity and tithe paid and paid without objection and hindrance. We therefore decree that each person, whether of ecclesiastical or secular status, shall remain with their pensions, dues, interest, tithes, rights, and justices, and that no one shall deprive the other of all of these, prevent them, or deprive them of all of these, but that each person shall pay, pay, and follow his inheritance, perpetual and other interest, dues, tithes, and other rights and justices. In this also each authority shall assist the other; all with avoidance of punishment, comprehended in our land peace. In addition, if some authority acts contrary to our order, our Fiscal shall, by virtue of our proclaimed Land Peace, have the power and command to proceed against the same authority.

65. Since in some places the sovereigns have made special orders, statutes and ordinances, and have also obtained liberties, or still wish to make and obtain them, that they should have the power to redeem hereditary and perpetual interest, ecclesiastical and secular, but which the princes, sovereigns and estates complain of, for reasons that this is contrary to law, equity, ancient custom and usage, and is detrimental not only to the sovereigns, but also to the justice of the people: Accordingly, we decree, order, will and mean, out of right knowledge and imperial power and perfection, that all and every order, statute, charter and liberties, which have been made, obtained and issued for this reason, or which may be made, obtained and issued in the future, shall be abolished, dead, powerless and void; As we also hereby recognize, by Roman imperial authority, right knowledge, and our own motive, void, null, and unbundled, and wish that it shall remain and be firmly held for the sake of such perpetual and hereditary interest as per the above article.

66. and mean, set and want that this

We hereby declare that we have fully lived up to and complied with our agreement, and that it is to be carried out in all its contents, opinions and concepts, irrespective of all other agreements made at our previous imperial congresses, insofar as these may be contrary to or in conflict with our agreement and regulations for the sake of the faith. Likewise, without regard to all objections, oppositions and appeals, which are against them, and which have happened or may happen to us or anyone else without a common concilium; All of which are null and void in themselves, and we want to have them annulled and rescinded as null and void by our imperial authority, and with the common counsel and will of our obedient princes, princes and estates of the empire, all of which we reserve the right to do according to the circumstances and as is proper.

67. We, the princes, princes, prelates, counts and estates, who have accepted and approved this agreement, have unanimously agreed and promised each other in good faith that no one, whether of spiritual or secular rank, will violate or overtake the other on account of his faith, nor deprive his sovereign of rent, interest, tithe and goods, nor shall any of the other's subjects and relatives, on account of their faith or other causes, take them into his protection and shield against their sovereign, nor do they wish to do so; All this under penalty and punishment of our imperial peace established at Worms, which all its contents shall remain in dignity, be firmly held, and be enforced.

68 And so that there may be no lack of all this in handling or execution, we have promised and pledged to our and the Holy Roman Empire's princes, rulers and estates, and in turn to princes, rulers and estates, in matters concerning the old Christian faith and religion, to faithfully place our kingdom, land and people, also body and goods, in each other's hands. And thereupon further compared and agreed, if it should come to pass that one estate, contrary to all that has been reported above, wanted to overrun the other with army force or otherwise violently, that then our imperial chamber court, upon request of that or those who were concerned about the overrun, and duly asked for justice, should have complete command, power and authority, to forbid those who were in trade and armor, under penalty and punishment of the eight, from such his violent and vicious action.

and to be duly satisfied with what is rightfully theirs.

If, however, the person or persons thus commanded should disobey, our Imperial Fiscal shall immediately proceed and execute the declaration against the disobedient person or persons, on the above-mentioned mandates, without delay and in the most favorable manner, and the same disobedient persons shall be judged and declared by our Court of Appeals to be liable to the eight and other penalties of the peace of the land, as is due. And in addition to this, our Court of Appeal shall nevertheless issue a common demand, with penalty of the eight, against all and any helpers, who, as mentioned above, are in armor and are in charge of the mighty armor, also for the most beneficial. Similarly, the other neighboring imperial states must also immediately, with the penalty of eight, require and exhort everything to be done, as mentioned above, to help the person or persons who want to be overdrawn and raped in this way, and to rescue them.

70 We, as Roman Emperor and Head, together with our hereditary lands, also want to draw and save the damaged party against this farewell.

71 The rapist shall also be obliged to pay and reimburse those who would be required and conscripted as a matter of course for the war expenses they have incurred, and shall be at the will of the helpers to be able to bring the rapist to an end with the deed as soon as possible, to refuse the charge, or to bring him to the moderation of our Court of Appeal with a penalty of eight, for which he shall also be helped by our Court of Appeal in a conducive and unrefused manner.

1156 "D. Martin Luther's Warning to His Dear Germans," to which the above-mentioned imperial treaty gave rise. In the first months of the year 1531.

This writing was first published under the title: "Warnunge D. Martini Luther, An seine lieben Deudschen. Wittemberg. 1531." At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg Durch Hans Lufft M.D.XXXI." and again in the same year without indication of the place and printer. Likewise, an edition in Low German printed at Magdeburg by Hans Walther. In 1546, this writing was republished under the title: "Warnung D. Martini Luther an seine lieben Deudschen. vor etlichen Jaren geschrieben auff diesen fall, so die Feinde Christlicher Warheit diese Kirchen und Land, darinne pur Lere des Evangelii geprediget wird, mit Krieg vberziehen vnd zerstören wollen. With a preface by Philippi Melanthon. Witteberg. Printed by Hans Lufft. 1546." On

Conclusion: "Printed at Witteberg by Hans Lufft. In the same and the following year, other editions were published by the same author and elsewhere. An excerpt from this writing was published in 1620 (at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War) together with passages from other writings of Luther, mostly from the book "wider den Meuchler zu Dresden". In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1554), vol. VII, p. 4616; in the Jena (1566), vol. V, p. 273; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 259; in the Leipzig, vol. XX, p. 298; in the Erlanger (1st), vol. 25, p. 1; second edition, vol. 25, p. 3 and in Chyträus German, p. 532. In Latin translation in 6o6l68tinu8, nist. Oowitioruin, anno 1530. xnAULtag oolodratorurn, torn. IV, toi. 100. With Melanchthon's preface only in the Wittenberg and Leipzig editions and in Walch. We give the text after the second edition of the Erlanger.

Philipp Melanchthon's Preface. The

July 10, 1546.

Since our Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sacrificed Himself on the cross to His eternal Father for our sins, and Mary and John were next to Him, He commanded His mother Mary shortly before His death, indicating that He wanted to command all men, and especially the rulers, His poor Church, which suffers contempt and persecution in the world.

2. Now all people on earth, and especially the members of the Church, from the beginning of the world to the end, should consider themselves standing under the cross, seeing and contemplating this wonderful work, that the Son of God has borne such terrible wrath of His eternal Father for us; and to accept the great grace that we have thereby obtained, to be grateful for it, and to know that all our life and death should be directed primarily to praising God, and especially to receiving right doctrine of this great work, and to giving thanks for this wonderful counsel of God; and therefore to help hold together His Church, which preaches, learns, and loves this right doctrine, and calls upon the true God in the knowledge of Christ. As Christ also said to Petro [Luc. 22, 32.], "And if thou be converted, thou shalt strengthen thy brethren."

3. all this is known to all people who are not crude godless people, but have a shred of Christian understanding and faith, namely, that a man should not live like a beast, seeking only his own gentle life, but serving for the knowledge of God and the preservation of the true church.

4 Let all God-fearing people in Germany now seriously consider this and remember what they have done to God in this terrible time.

The pope owes us a debt of gratitude for the armament of the war. For since it is public that the pope is doing such great help for this war with money and men of war, there can be no doubt that the matter is primarily meant by him to eradicate the true doctrine preached in our churches, to reestablish and eternally strengthen his idolatry and error with bloodshed and murder, and eternal devastation of the German nation, and the tearing apart of the choral and princely houses.

(5) What every honest man is obliged to do in such a case can easily be remembered by all God-fearers, namely, that they owe God first of all this, that they do not help to strengthen idolatry, as it is written [1 Tim. 5:22]: "Thou shalt not make thyself a partner in other men's sins. Item, 2 Cor. 6, 14-17: "You shall not help unbelievers," understand to strengthen idolatry. "For how can Christ and Belial be joined together? And how is it fair that idols are set in temples of God? But ye are the temple of the living God, as God saith, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from among them, and separate yourselves, says the Lord."

6. secondly, that each one, if he does not despise God, may be known of his opinion of God. For this is the purpose for which the human race was created in the first place, that we should recognize, praise and testify of God. And our Savior Christ says [Matth. 10, 33]: "Whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my heavenly Father."

7 And this confession shall be made according to each man's profession and ability. The preachers are to confess by teaching, the rulers by putting away idolatry and protecting right doctrine. And all who can help in such protection, with body or goods, should faithfully cooperate, as the saying 1 John 3:16 says: "By this we know love, that as Christ gave his life for us, so we also should give our lives for the brethren." Let each one continue to contemplate this reminder, and read the following book diligently and take it to heart.

Now the people on earth are unequal, one respects God's zeal, right invocation and right teaching for the highest and most necessary, the other does not. And the God-fearing are also unequal. One is firmer than the other. Because many others, who do not know the reason for the tragedy, are reported badly through the words of evil men, this warning is also to be given here.

9. it is said that the enemies of our church give

They claim that they do not want to fight because of doctrine or religion, but that they want to punish some disobedient people who have interfered with the bishops' and monasteries' justice, item, who have expelled monks, item, who have imprisoned the Duke of Brunswick etc. There is also no doubt that some people have been given this excuse: they should first have some hard heads cleared up, after which they will be able to come to a good and harmonious order.

(10) But that this is used only for a pretense, and that basically the destruction of right doctrine and the establishment of idolatry are sought, is found in these speeches themselves. For what do they want to use the monks for but to establish their idolatrous masses and all false doctrine and hypocrisy? Item, that they can again tease the preachers, blaspheme right doctrine, cause division in cities and countries. Whoever does not consider these things to be matters of religion, is not hard on religion. What concerns idolatry is great and not to be disregarded.

(11) But not only this installation of the monks is meant, but basically the extermination of the whole doctrine and the murder of many Christian priests and rulers is sought. For it is quite certain that the pope has practiced many things, until he has finally worked the matter to arouse this war, helping it with great money and people; which he truly does not do out of great love for the German nation, but, as every sensible person can see, that this doctrine be destroyed, and that this punishment be an example and strengthening of all his idolatry in all nations.

12. weather the principalities are given to the Hispanics and Italians, what religion will be in Germany, honest people want to consider for themselves.

(13) And if it were serious that one did not want to exterminate right doctrine, but that this war concerned only external regiments, it should nevertheless be considered by the Germans whether they want to accustom the Hispanics and Italians to learn to divide the principalities in Germany among themselves, as they have divided up Neapolis and Sicily.

14) But that some cry out: the emperor would like to make a good united order, but he cannot come to it, he must first clear up some hard heads, preachers, princes and rulers: this is first of all a laudable beginning to a Christian reformation; and how the reformation will be, is easily seen from the previous actions, from the burning, from the recent session of the Council of Trent, and from the articles, at Louvain, of the Council of Europe.

1) to be respected. The old errors will color them a little and confirm the idolatry.

(15) If our doctrine is in the light of day, and all those of understanding who do not wish to speak against their conscience must confess that many high articles, necessary to the whole of Christendom, have been declared right and pure, of which great harmful errors were previously preached throughout the world. Because we do not want to deny this public divine truth, we must be called hard heads. But if our enemies adorn and color themselves as they please, there is no other reason why they thirst for our blood, except this alone, that we have done right, faithful work with a good conscience, to plant necessary, wholesome doctrine; and God, who knows all hearts, will be the judge.

But they say: we ourselves have a lot of disorder and disunity, unrest, trouble, and yet we do not want to suffer a judge, no reformation; and this doctrine cannot remain, because no church government, no unity, no consistory etc. is preserved; therefore the high potentates must do it by force.

(17) To this I answer, "I will confess even more; alas, it is true that there is not only much disorder, but also much sin among us, both unknowingly and knowingly. And there are many weeds among us, as always grows up in the true church of God; as beside David, Nathan and other true saints in God's people were Absalom, Ahitophel etc. Nevertheless, we must not, because of our own and other people's sins and grievances, throw away right doctrine and accept idolatry.

(18) Nor do the high potentates seek to bring disorder into correction, for which we have often shown them the way, that the bishops should accept right doctrine; and on the other hand they should have their authority, as bishops, over our churches, keep them together, so that a proper church government may be and remain. To this they have always given no other answer than: Crucifige eum, we should be murdered and exterminated. Nevertheless, with God's help, we have in the meantime preserved Christian doctrine and other laudable arts, studia, and in the studiis, consistoria, and quite church order and discipline, with great labor, because they, the bishops and canonici, eat their rich prebends and work nothing for it.

19. it is not different in this miserable life in all government, they are and remain sins.

1) These are the articles against which "Luther's writing against the 32 articles of the theologians at Louvain" is directed, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1808.

and sorrow for and for on earth until the resurrection. But if all the sins and grievances that have occurred among those who now learn and love right doctrine were gathered together in one heap, they are still much less than the idolatry of the persecutors, practiced in masses and holy services, and their fornication and murder; which sins and grievances they still want to protect and strengthen for justice and for worship.

20. and this difference between both parts of sins is well to be noted: in the right church in this life there is and remains weakness, sin, and sorrow. As, the great saints, Aaron, David, have committed cruel sins and grievances; but they do not persist in them, and especially they do not protect idolatry, and are not knowingly persecutors of the truth and murderers of the saints.

(21) These abominable things, blasphemy and murder, are not in this company that learneth and loveth right doctrine, but are the devil's own works, which worketh his company, and so poureth out and sheweth his fury and hatred against God, as it is written [John 8:44], Ye are of the devil, and he is a liar and a murderer."

(22) All people should flee these sins to the highest, and pray to God daily and earnestly that He will graciously keep us from falling into such rages.

(23) Therefore, if you look at both parts and consider where you want to be and stay, and you see a lot of sin and trouble on both parts, it is very important for you to consider this difference at the same time, that you should not be with this part, which practices and strengthens blasphemy and persecution of the right members of Christ.

024 And though thy life perish with Abel, yet thou hast this great consolation, that thou knowest that God will hear thee, and be gracious unto thee. For all other sins are forgiven, but blasphemy is not forgiven [Matth. 12, 31], that is, knowingly strengthening idolatry and murder.

Now God knows that there are many of us in our churches who have no other reason why they have not followed the teachings of these churches, but that they have wanted to flee these two things for the sake of God and their salvation, namely blasphemy and murder. And it is public that they have not sought pleasure or money or violence, but have suffered much misery and shame. -Now if such die as Abel, they shall much rather want such death,

because Cain's life and all the pleasure and violence of all the bishops and cardinals. After all, all people are put to death. But this is to be considered how we want to stand before God's and the whole church's judgment in eternity after this life. You see that Abel, Jeremiah, John Baptist, Christ, Paul were also eaten up by the tyrants; let them be witnesses to you that after this another eternal judgment will be held. And let it be a great honor to you that you should thus add your present life in confession of the right doctrine of God; as Christ says Matth. 10, 28]: "You should not fear those who can only kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul" etc.

Since the most important cause of this war is that the pope, bishops and monks want to strengthen their idolatry and error, and have decided to wage war in the first place, we are sure that the resistance is right. Let everyone remember this consolation.

27 And that, on the other hand, some say that the resistance is unjust against the authorities. Although one would answer without sophistry that the pope, clergy and monks are primarily the instigators and leaders of this war, as one knows that the pope ordered the people and money in Germany, this is also certainly true, the regiments are a proper thing, in which the authorities as well as the subjects are set a goal; and natural resistance is a right work that God has planted in nature. And there is a very wide distinction between resistance and rebellion. If a murderer in the street or in your house wants to attack you or your wife or child, then protection and resistance is a work rightly pleasing to God, even if the murderer is stabbed to death because of it. For the gospel, which preaches eternal righteousness, naturally does not want to annihilate law and orderly rule in this bodily life, but just as it considers the married state, father and mother to be right godly states, so it also wants to consider orderly protection to be a work rightly pleasing to God. And how far this extends between the orderly degree of the high and the lower power, that can well be judged by scholars and those of understanding. Abdias was right in keeping the prophets secretly in caves, against his king's prohibition. The Armenians were right to protect their church and country against the Emperor Maximianum.

28. victorinus was a great prince, who had the imperial government at cologne at the time of the gauls, and ruled commendably, but is from its

A scribe, who saw him with his wife, was stabbed to death. Marius acquitted a young soldier and put a wreath on him, who stabbed his captain, who was a friend of Mario; for the boy had to protect himself, and all the people of the war thanked Mario for this judgment. Such protection is right, and in Christians pleasing to God; indeed, they are special testimonies of divine judgment against unjust violence and excessive arrogance of the powerful.

(29) From all this, every man of understanding can well remember what is right, even in the present case. For war has been decided against this part, without all reasonable foreknowledge, and is public violentia, marriage-breaking, erection of public idolatry. And it must be taken into account that if the Hispanics and Italians, and perhaps also the Turks, were to come to the German cities (which God would mercifully prevent), since until then, by the grace of God, discipline and honest rule have been preserved, they would practice no small disgrace and cruelty in them.

(30) But against this, first of all, all God-fearing fathers of the household, with their wives and children, should cry out to God with heartfelt sighs, crying out that he will preserve true doctrine for his knowledge and for his glory, and will not let these churches and lands in which it is preached be destroyed. And that such prayer may be made the more earnestly and without hindrance, let us all amend our lives in godliness, faith, and other virtues, and consider the saying [Zach. 1:3], "Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you also." Truly, this is a great thing, and come what may, an eternal change in worldly government and in religion will follow; that is certain.

(31) And I am very surprised that wise people have allowed themselves to be persuaded to start this war. But it is not only man's work; the devils are raging and would like to cause even greater destruction and misery in Christendom. In time, the present disputes will peacefully come to Christian unity, so it would have been better if the rulers had done so. But because the wrath of the devils and the idolatrous crowd is so great, they will give rise to a change that will be difficult for themselves. But I ask all God-fearing people to earnestly pray to God that he will graciously preserve his church, in which right doctrine is preached, and Christian rule.

32. secondly, let all the godly also remember that each according to his state

1624 Erl. (s.) 35.3-5. Sect. 11. The other Reichstag resolution. No. 1156 W. XVI, I959-1WI. 1625

and ability to serve the preservation of correct Christian doctrine. This is the main reason why we live, and we cannot do anything better in this life. These things look very similar to the time of the Maccabees, and they try cunning and violence; therefore, every understanding person may remember much from the same histories.

Date the 10th of July 1546.

Warning D. Martini Luther to his dear Germans.

I have publicly sent out my diligent and faithful admonition to the clergy at this Imperial Diet in Augsburg, and have asked most earnestly that they should not let the Imperial Diet, for which all the world hopes and gazes with great longing, pass without end, but should act so that peace may be made, some of their abominations changed, and room given to the Gospel, which I have also sought and sighed for with my prayer before God with all my strength, together with all devout Christians.

But that neither our diligent prayer to God nor our faithful admonition to them helped anything, it is easy to reckon what it means, namely, that God, as the hardened and blinded ones, whom so much innocent blood, blasphemy and abominable unrepentant life oppresses, does not consider them worthy of a good thought or sigh, or of obeying some word of wholesome and peaceful admonition. And stand with them as it was with the Jews in Jeremiah's time, when God said to him, Jer. 15:1: "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet have I no heart toward this people; only drive them away from me, and let them go." And Jer. 7:16: "And thou shalt not pray for this people, neither mourn nor plead for them, neither shall thou plead for them: for I will not hear thee."

3. such 1) answer I and mine must now also let us apply and be told, and have so far asked in vain for the clergy, because God by the deed bears mighty witness that he will not hear us for them; but let them go, and sin, like Pharaoh, in the Holy Spirit until neither

1) Original: "Solchs".

repentance nor improvement can be hoped for. For if something should have been obtained by praying before God, and something should have been obtained from the clergy by exhortation, supplication, humility, patience, offering, truth, justice, good things, etc. it should certainly have been obtained now at the Diet, so earnestly (that I know) have the Christians prayed, and so high humility, patience and supplication have been proven there, and so good right things have they had before them.

Now that they have not only let the imperial diet pass without peace and without end, but have also strengthened discord and decided to be angry and defiant, I, together with my people, will also collect our prayers according to God's command, and as St. John [1 John 5:16] teaches, I will not pray for sin to lead to death, but will watch the hardened Pharaoh as God will drown him in the Red Sea. For our prayer and supplication for peace, even if it is lost among the hardened, will help us all the more, and has already done great wonders enough, even at Augsburg, and shall also penetrate to the end with God's grace. For we have been heard and must be heard. We have not lacked this up to now, nor shall we lack it yet, I truly know, amen. And let it be according to the saying of Christ, that if the apostle's greeting and peace should not be found in a house, nor peace quenched, then their peace should be turned to them again. So also here, because the clergy respect neither prayer nor peace, let both, prayer and peace, therefore be undestroyed, but return to us, and let the clergy, instead of prayer, have vile curses, and instead of peace, vile strife, and both the fullness, amen.

(5) Therefore, because their nobles stand badly and stiffly on authority, and set their cause in their fist against the public and known truth of God, let no one be afraid of them, and only let everyone be 2) confident and

2) Walch: "quite joyful". - From here on, Walch has a large number of unnecessary additions, the source of which is unknown to us; they are also not found in the Wittenberg and Jena editions. In the first Erlangen edition, all of the additions are appended in notes; we do not note them; they number more than two hundred.

1626 Erl. (2.) 25.5-7. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, IMI-I964. 1627

unafraid against such angry enemies of God. For they do not call and pray to God, nor can they pray because of evil conscience and things; out of arrogance and defiance, they go after flesh and blood, and are not allowed to ask God about it, nor are they allowed to ask Him whether He wants what they think. There God takes great pleasure and love in it, and allows such defiance and contempt of His grace to please Him very well, and also gives great happiness and victory to such defiance and presumption, so that both horse and man lie in the Red Sea, and everything passes over and over, until not one remains.

6 But we are quite sure that their furious actions are not in their power, but in God's hand, and that they do not yet have what they want. He will also want to be a Lord over them, as has always been the case up to now; that they shall well know. So now I will make it as if there were no God, and as if I thought in vain in a dream that their thoughts and intentions will begin and continue by force.

(7) Now, when things get very bad, two things must happen, a war or a riot; perhaps both at the same time. For it is certain (we are now speaking in a dream, since there is no God) that, if they start a war, a small band will rise up and a mob will gather, even among their own people, that both they and we will perish with them. For in such a case they must not rely on our doctrine, as if they were now sure that no one will stand against them, because we have written hard against sedition and taught that one should also suffer the outrages of tyrants and not defend oneself. It is well taught, but I cannot create the perpetrators, since all other parts of our doctrine are held and respected by few.

If the people would not keep our doctrine against the rebellion taught by us, especially because that outrage and wanton war would give such an unpleasant cause for it, then the devil would throw them under the bus and expose them in a very pretty and ridiculous way. I always talk in dreams now, but they may see that the dream does not come true. The dream does not harm me; if it hits them, they have it.

(9) Well then, if, as I have said, it comes to war or to rebellion (although God's wrath must pass away as I must see to it), I will have testified here with this writing before God and all the world that we, who are scolded by the Lutherans, have given no counsel nor will, nor even any cause, but have always and without ceasing asked and called for peace. And the papists themselves know and must confess that we have hitherto taught peace, and also kept it, and now at the Diet most earnestly desire it. For this reason, where war or rebellion is imminent, one cannot say, nor can one: Behold, this is the fruit of Lutheran doctrine; but must say, Behold, this is the doctrine and fruit of the Papists, who have not wished to have peace, neither for themselves, nor to suffer others to have it. For we have hitherto taught and lived in silence, have not drawn a sword, have burned no one, murdered no one, robbed no one, as they have done and still do; but have borne their murdering and robbing, raving and raging with the utmost patience.

(10) Moreover, now, at the Diet, when the papists have been so angry, defiant, insistent, scornful and mocking, our people have always humbled themselves in the deepest way, let themselves be trampled underfoot, and yet have always asked for peace, confessed, and offered everything that God may suffer. And if our part had been vain beggars, it would have been more than too much. I will not say that such high, great princes, lords, pious and honest people are, that I certainly think that such confession, such humility and patience have not happened much, because Christianity has stood, and my hope is to be the greatest before the last day. It does not help yet.

The Münzer and the rebels did not do this, but they did as the papists do now, neither wanting to have peace nor to give it, intervening by force, not allowing any means or offer, badly with their heads. They would not even let their doctrine be interrogated, as ours are now doing at Augsburg; but badly condemned all doctrine and praised their own, to the same extent as the papists are now doing.

1628 Erl. (s.) 25.7-10. sec. II. The other Reichstag agreement. No. 1156. W. XVI, 1964-1968. 1629

do not want to reveal their writings to the light, and yet condemn our doctrine; of which more hereafter. That, in short, neither guilt nor cause, neither war nor rebellion, may be laid to our charge, neither before God nor before the world.

(12) Therefore, if our conscience is innocent, pure, and safe in this case, and the conscience of the papists must be guilty, impure, and sorrowful, then let us go happily forth, and let us be in the worst, whether it be war or rebellion, as God's wrath will inflict it. If there is a riot, then my God and Lord Jesus Christ can save me and mine, as he saved dear Lot from Sodom. Just as he saved me in the next turmoil, when I was in danger of losing my life and limb more than once, and yet I earned such gratitude from the desperate boys, I mean the papists. If he does not want to save me, let him be praised and thanked; I have lived long enough, have well deserved death, and have honestly begun to avenge my Lord Christ on the papacy; after my death, they shall first of all feel Luther right.

13 However, even now, when I am murdered in such a papal and pope uproar, I will take a bunch of bishops, priests and monks with me, so that they will say: Doctor Martinus is brought to the grave with a great procession. For he is a great doctor above all bishops, priests and monks, therefore they shall also go with him to the grave, on their backs, so that one shall sing and say about it. They, the papists, to the abyss of hell, to their god of lies and murder, whom they served with lies and murder; I to my Lord Jesus Christ, whom I served in truth and peace. For it is good to reckon: He who kills Doctor Luther in rebellion will not spare many of the priests; so we will go with each other: they, in the name of all devils, to hell, I, in the name of God, to heaven. No one can harm me, I know that, as little as I desire to harm anyone.

014 But they shall not do so wickedly; I will make it worse with them, and they shall not have such hard heads; I will make it worse with them.

have a hard head. If they had not only this Emperor Carol, but also the Turkish Emperor for themselves, they shall not make me despondent nor frightened, but I will make them despondent and frightened. They shall depart from me henceforth; I will not depart from them. I will remain, they shall perish, they have gone too far. For my life shall be their executioner, my death shall be their devil; that and no other. They shall know this, and only now let them laugh confidently.

(15) But if there is a war, I must suffer again, with my own, and wait to see what counsel and judgment our God will give us, who has hitherto stood by us faithfully and has never forsaken us. And in this we again have great advantage, first of all, if we die or perish, we will not suffer any harm, for it is written: "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake" [Matth. 5, 10. 1 Petr. 3, 14.]. He who says this is not lying, of that we are certain. Thus the papists themselves know and confess, and the devil thanks them that they should say otherwise, that our doctrine is not contrary to any article of faith, nor to the holy Scriptures, but is contrary to their church custom and the laws of the popes. Therefore, they may not call us heretics, nor must they give the lie to their own hearts and mouths, because no one can be called a heretic who does not teach against the Holy Scriptures or the articles of faith; Much less can they punish us as heretics or wage war against us, and have so far, as liars against themselves, murderers and traitors, blasphemed, burned, murdered and persecuted the pious Lenhard Keser and the like for heretics, about which they still have no remorse or repentance, but remain hardened in such blood and lies; who then should be afraid of such warriors?

16 Secondly, we know that they may not initiate such warfare in God's name, nor may they pray or call upon God for help. And in spite of them all, both universally and especially, they are commanded to say to God from their hearts, "Help us, God, to war in this matter, for their consciences are too heavily burdened, not only with lies, blasphemies, blood, murder and all abominations, but also, above all of this, with obstinate, unbelieving, and unjust thoughts.

1630 Erl. (2.) 25,10-12. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg 1530. w. XVI, 1968-1971. 1631

repentant heart and sins into the Holy Spirit. Therefore, because they have an evil conscience because of blasphemous things, they shall have neither happiness nor salvation.

(17) Let us then pronounce a blessing upon them, which shall read: As pious as you are in the sight of God, and as good a cause as you have, so great happiness and victory may God grant you, amen. And let it happen to you as it happened to us Germans, when we also began to break the peace against Saint John Hus and to fight the Bohemians, and the Pope also sacrificed us on the flesh bench, so that we had to atone for his lust with our blood and heads, and fought against truth and justice, as you are doing now; so that the Pope may once again have something to laugh about in his fist, when he has caused such a merry bloodbath among us, the most holy Father and the kindest shepherd of our souls. God may well raise up a Judah Maccabee (although I and mine sit still and suffer), who will crush Antiochum with his army, and teach us right war; as he taught us war and peace against the Bohemians.

(18) So will I not, with mine own, celebrate with prayers and supplications unto God, that he may give them a despondent, stupid, cowardly heart, when they lie in the field, that here and there his conscience may stir and bite him, saying, O woe! 0 woe! I am in yearly war! We have wicked things, and fight against God and his word! how will we fare? where are we going? And when they see a Maccabean coming against them, they will flee away and be destroyed like chaff in the wind. Do you not think that God can still do such art? As he says to his people [Deut. 28:25]: "I will give you a despondent heart, that when you flee one way against your enemies, you shall flee back through seven ways, and a rustling leaf shall terrify you" [Deut. 26:36]. Verily, so did he to the stubborn Egyptians in the Red Sea, who were as stiff and sure as the Papists are; yet when the hour came for their conscience to stir them, they said, "Alas! let us flee, God is fighting against us" [Ex. 14:25]. Whoever does not know what it is to fight with an evil conscience and a despondent heart, let him try it now; when the

If he gets the papists, he shall know it, just as our ancestors learned it from the Bohemians and the Ziska in the same case.

019 And let not our prayer hide us, but let us make it known publicly, even the seventh Psalm, which smote all Israel in the first battle, that twenty thousand men with Absalom were slain in the field of battle, slain by a small company [2 Sam. 18:7]. I know that he has enough guns, powder and armor.

20 Thirdly, because it is not my duty to wage war, nor to advise or incite to war, as a preacher in the spiritual office, but rather to advise from war to peace; as I have also done most diligently up to now, to which all the world must bear witness; but our enemies do not want peace, but war. If it comes to that that a war starts, then I will truly hold my pen still and keep silent, and no longer lie down as I did in the next uprising, but will also let go what is going on, and no bishop, nor priest, nor monk should remain, and I myself also go down with them.

(21) For their defiance and boasting is too grievous to God, and their hardened hearts make it too hard and too much. They have pleaded and begged for peace beyond all measure, and they want to push it out by flesh and blood; so I will push it out with them by spirit and God, and from now on I will not have one or two papists, but the whole papacy on me, until the judge in heaven draws three. I will not and cannot fear such wretched enemies of God. Their defiance is my pride, their anger is my laughter. They cannot take from me more than a sack full of infirm flesh; but what I can take from them they shall know in a little while.

22 Further, when it comes to war, if God is for it, I will not rebelliously reproach or scold the part that takes up arms against the murderous and bloodthirsty papists, but will let it go and let it happen that they call it an emergency defense, and will thereby point them to the right and to the lawyers. For in such a case, if the murderers and bloodhounds ever get and murder

1632 Erl. (2.) 25,12-14. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1156 W. XVI, I97I-I974. 1633

In truth, it is not a rebellion to oppose and defend oneself against them. Not that I want to incite or arouse anyone to such opposition, nor justify it, for that is not my office, much less my judgment or sentence.

23 A Christian knows what he should do, that he should give to God what is God's, and also to Caesar what is Caesar's, but not to the bloodhounds what is not theirs; but that I give a distinction between sedition and other deeds, and will not leave the bloodhounds the cover of shame, that they should boast as if they had warred against seditious people, and had good reason according to temporal and divine right, as the little cat would like to groom and adorn itself. Likewise, I will not let the consciences of the people be burdened with the worry that their opposition is seditious. For such a name is too evil and too heavy in such a case; it shall have another name, which the righteous shall well find.

(24) One must not let everything be seditious that the bloodhounds call seditious. For with this they want to bind the mouth and fist of all the world, so that no one should punish them with preaching or defend themselves with the fist, and they keep an open mouth and a free hand; thus, by the name of sedition, they want to frighten and see all the world, but comfort themselves and make them safe. No, dear fellow, the definition and interpretation would have to be presented to you differently! Sedition is not when someone does something against the law; otherwise all transgressions of the law would have to be called sedition, but he is called a seditionist who does not want to suffer the authorities and the law, but attacks them and fights against them and wants to suppress them, and be master himself, and establish justice, as the coiner did (aliud est invasor, aliud transgressor): that is rightly called a seditionist. So that the opposition to the bloodhounds cannot be seditious; for the papists looked at and want to make war and not keep peace, nor leave it to the others, who would like to have peace; so that the papists are much closer to the name and virtue that is called sedition.

25 For they have no right at all, divine or temporal, for themselves, but act

out of malice, against all divine and worldly rights, as the murderers and evildoers. This is easy to prove: for they themselves know well that our teaching is right, and yet they want to exterminate it. As a great bishop of St. Nicolas 1) in Augsburg himself said: he would like to suffer that everywhere such a doctrine should be held as in Wittenberg; but that such a doctrine should begin and come out of the hole and the corner, that is not to be suffered. What do you think? Are these not fine episcopal words? Likewise, the papal legate, Cardinal Campegius, also confessed: he could allow such doctrine, but it would become a great example that other nations and kingdoms would have to allow it, too; but that would not be good. And another great bishop also said of their scholars, thus: Our scholars defend us finely; they themselves confess that our thing is not founded in Scripture. So that they almost know that our doctrine is not wrong, but is founded in Scripture; and yet they want to condemn us wilfully, and to eradicate the doctrine, against divine right and truth.

26) That they also act contrary to imperial and natural law is obvious, for they have first of all hardly allowed our part to be interrogated. After that, when they made their slow, 2) lazy verbal rebuttal, they badly did not want to give a copy of it, nor did they let us be held responsible, as bats shun the light, until this day. Now it is both divine, imperial and natural law, which the pagan Portius also held against the Jews via St. Paul, that one should not condemn, but first hear the answer of the condemned. For God did not want to condemn Adam either, he asks him for an answer first. We, however, have now appeared at Augsburg willingly, and offered to answer with all humility and diligence, and yet we have been refused with all iniquity and courage, and their refutation, however much we asked for it, has not been granted to us.

1) Niclasbischof == Children's play bishop. In the old edition: "Niclas, Bishop of Augsburg," etc.

2) "slow" because the confutation was not finished for six weeks. See s 29.

1634 He. (L.) 25,14-16. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, IS74-I977. 1635

Nevertheless condemned by the holy fathers in God, and by the Christian princes. O fine teachers! O beautiful judges! who force all the world to believe, and are not allowed to state what it is that one should believe. I am to believe, and yet I do not know what I am to believe; I must be called wrong, but they will not show why I am wrong.

(27) O wretched ones, all of you who were on the side of the Pabst at Augsburg! All your descendants will be ashamed of you forever, and will not be happy to hear that they had such wretched ancestors. If we had shied away from the light and had not wanted to answer, you would have been the ones who urged us to do so. Now we come, and not only want to answer gladly, but also ask, call, cry out, that we may answer; consume great goods over it, miss much more, and suffer all shame, mockery, scorn and driving, and you have shamefully and wickedly refused us all this. So also, if we had not desired nor wanted your bat or night owl, that is, your backtalk, you should have been the ones to hand it to us without our will and let it out. Now we ask, complain and demand with all perseverance, and you refuse your answer and deny us our answer.

28 O the shameful Imperial Diet, the like of which has never been held, never been heard, and shall never be held nor heard! because of such a shameful act, which must be an eternal stain on all princes and the entire empire, and makes all of us Germans ashamed before God and all the world. What will the Turk and his whole empire say to this, when they hear such an outrageous act from our empire? What will the Tartars and Moscowites say? Who will henceforth under all heaven be afraid of us Germans, or think anything honest of us, when they hear that we let the accursed pope with his larvae thus ape us, fool us, turn us into children, even into blocks and boulders, that for the sake of their blasphemous, sodomitic, shameful doctrines and life we act so shamefully, yes, over and over shamefully in public imperial days against law and truth? It should be fair for every German to

reue that he would have been born German, and be called a German!

29 But I will well believe that they will keep such their refutation and fine booklet from special great wisdom, because their conscience itself well feels that it is a rotten, loose, cold thing, of which they should be ashamed, where it would come out, and should let themselves be seen in the light or suffer answer. For I know the highly learned doctors well, who have probably spent six weeks boiling over it and trying to find out whether they can make a nose of it with chatter in front of the ignorant. But when it comes to paper, it has neither hands nor feet, but lies there in a desolate heap, as if a drunkard had spat it out; as one can see especially in D. Schmid and D. Ecken's writings. It will neither sound nor work when it is their turn to write; that is why they are more concerned with shouting and chatting.

(30) I have also learned that when the confession of ours was read, many of the opponents were astonished and confessed that it was the truth and could not be refuted by the Scriptures. Again, when their refutation was read, they hung their heads down and confessed with gestures that it was a rotten and loose thing against the confession of ours. But ours and many pious hearts are highly pleased and wonderfully strengthened, since they have heard that those, out of all their power and art, which they then had to prove to the highest degree, knew how to bring forth nothing else than such loose refutation, which now, praise God, a woman, a child, a layman, a peasant, is man enough to resist, on good grounds of Scripture and truth. And this is also the just cause, why they did not want to hand over such opposition. The fleeting evil consciences were afraid of themselves and did not want to wait for the truth to be answered.

31 And it is easy to see that they were so confident, and that they arranged this Diet, that they certainly thought that our part should never be so bold as to appear, but that if they brought the Emperor personally into Germany, everyone would be frightened and say to them, "My lords, what do you want? Since the

1636 Erl. (p.) 25,16-18. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1156. W. XVI, I977-IS7S. 1637

and the Elector of Saxony was the very first to appear: help God, how their pants began to stink! 1) How their confidence was lost! What a riding together and secretly discussing and murmuring arose there! And yet no one had to know, Christ himself, nor I, what the things were, as little as we had known before this year about the princes' rotteries. But that was the summa at last, how to find ways and paths, because ours appeared so joyful and happy the very first, so that they would not be interrogated. Since this could not be at all, they nevertheless finally did the honor that they were not allowed to hand over their loose rebuttal, nor to give room to answer.

For the impudent mouth and bloodthirsty sophist, Doctor Eck, their most distinguished counselor, has let himself be heard with public words before our people, that if the emperor had followed the council decided at Bononia, and had attacked the Lutherans with the sword swiftly and freshly, beheading one after the other, the matter would have been well advised. But since he would have let the Elector of Saxony speak and interrogate him through his chancellor, this would have been prevented. What do you think of such doctors and holy fathers? How full of love and truth they are! So the secret council had to break out, as papal holiness had acted with the emperor in Bononia. But what game should have become of it, where the emperor would have attacked the matter with murders according to such papal and diabolical advice? There should have been an imperial diet that neither bishops nor princes would have left a fingernail, especially in such a dangerous time, when everything was so lively and distant, and all the world was waiting for a gracious imperial diet; as the announcement also indicates and suggests, and yet unfortunately it is not held that way.

33) But someone might say that the emperor wanted to hand over such a rebuttal of that part to ours, if ours wanted to commit themselves that it would not come to an end or that it would not come to an end.

1) Original: "begonsten".

would be revealed. That is true, and so it is supposed for us. But here everyone grasps and gropes, even if he can neither see nor hear, what kind of people are these who neither want nor are allowed to let their things come to light? If it is such a delicious thing and so well founded in the Scriptures, as they cry out and praise, why does it shun the light? What is the use of hiding such public things from us and from everyone, since they must be taught and kept? But if it is unfounded and loose, why did they let the Elector of Brandenburg proclaim in the first farewell and state in writing that the confession of ours is based on Scripture and good reason? If this were true, and their own consciences did not themselves give the lie to this, they would not only have had such a delicious, well-founded confession read, but would also have given it in writing and said: "There you have it, despite who is responsible for it, as we have done with our confession, and still do.

But Christ must remain truthful, since he says: "He who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works will not be punished. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, as they were in God." According to this judgment of Christ, God has let ours come from this Kingdom Day with such eternal honors that even the adverse must confess how we have not shied away from the light, but have most freely and cheerfully sought and waited for it, but have left them with such and eternal disgrace, that they, like night owls and bats, yes, like their father of lies and murder, have fled and shunned the light in the most ruthless and obvious way, and do not wait for nor suffer their loose, lazy, dark talk of the answer.

(35) This is also a fine little Christian thing, that our people should commit themselves to be in favor of it, so that such delicious art and well-founded wisdom of their refutation would not go out nor be revealed. How much God has blinded and deceived the papists!

2) "against" in the Jena. Original: "against".

1638 Erl. (2.) L5,18-20. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg 1530. w. xvi. 1979-1982. 1639.

that they have neither reason nor shame any longer! How is it possible - I will remain silent, how reasonable - to commit oneself to keeping secret such a writing, which had to come under so many hands, and was read once before the empire? And if it were to come out of that part itself afterwards, it would have to be our fault.

But godless reason must seek such cleverness and pretty plots, because it does not like truth and light, and could not otherwise find a better remedy, so that it would remain in darkness and would not have to utter its contradictions. Well then, let it remain in darkness as it is, and let it also remain in eternal hellish darkness, and yet at the last judgment, if it does not happen sooner, it will come to light all too brightly.

(37) Yes, you say, even though they have not given their rebuttal or transfer, nor have they allowed it to be answered for, they have made a committee for it, ordered some princes and scholars on both sides to act amicably among themselves in the matter. Dress up, decorate yourself, kitten, we have guests coming! How silly and foolish is the poor man Christ, who cannot notice such perfidy at all! The committee is held, that is true; but what has been done inside? Nothing anywhere about their transfer or rebuttal, which remained in the dark, and the committee had to help the noses, so that their loose transfer, with about a glimpse, would remain in place and would not have to come out.

38 For in the committee they did not explain their transfer, but made our confession, and negotiated with ours on how much of it we wanted to let up and revoke, or (as they interpret it) compare ourselves with them. Everything was worked and directed so that they would cry out with great joy: Behold, dear people! Hear, all the world! How obdurate and stiff-necked are the Lutherans! First of all, their confession is established with Scripture and well-founded reasons, and then they are dealt with kindly. What more can be done? They do not want to give way, they are overcome or kindly taught.

(39) Well, we must let go of the cry of lies; it shall not help them, I know. So God has also prepared them in such a way.

This is a lie to our boast. For when the Elector of Brandenburg proclaimed and gave that our confession had been moved with Scripture and good reason, our people did not accept it, nor did they keep quiet about it, but freely contradicted it publicly before the emperor and the empire and testified that our confession had not been moved, but had been established and founded in such a way that even the gates of hell could do nothing against it. They had to eat up such a defeat again. For this much is said in German: What the Elector of Brandenburg proclaimed in his farewell is not true, but a lie. That is right. For the well-founded transfer is not yet in the light, but perhaps sleeps with the old Dannheuser [Tannhäufer] in the Venusberg.

40. Since it is now clear that they have kept their refutation in darkness and have not revealed it to the light, it is not only an outrageous lie that they have pretended that our confession is based on Scripture and good grounds, but it is the devil's own lying mouth that they can boast about it and preen and shout to their delight that we have been overcome and will not give way; Even though their consciences are so convinced of such lies that one has to take hold of them everywhere, as they are hurried to glorify, as all those do who have evil things, and mend themselves so miserably, and seek all kinds of plots, so that their evil thing does not come to light, and summa, it becomes obvious that they have despaired of their cause, and have provided for nothing less, than that ours would come and appear. So they have put off on mere force, and have focused on neither truth nor light.

(41) How kindly they meant it with the committee, it is easy to notice in the one piece that they, among other articles, were allowed to suggest to us that we should teach about both forms of the sacrament: it is not wrong, but right, that one also gives and takes one form alone. If we did this, they would again admit us and let us teach that we may give and take both forms. Is not this a great friendship? Who would have thought of such love for such people?

1640 Eri. (2.) 25.20-32. sec. II. The other Reichstag farewell. No. 1156. w. xvi. 1982-1985. 1641

See? Until now, they have persecuted all those who enjoyed both forms as heretics, and they have inflicted all plagues on them. Now, however, they want to call it right and Christian and let it be so, while we in turn teach that they also act right and Christian with one form. That means in German, to blow cold and warm out of one mouth: it is unjust, and yet it is uffrecht, what and how they want; nor does it have to be called a lie.

(42) When the Romans had approved and accepted this, there should first have been a shouting and crying in all the world: "Behold, dear people, the Lutherans are revoking their doctrine; before they taught that it was wrong to use the same form; now they teach that it is right. Now you hear that we have taught right, and they have been found wrong in their own confession. So they have tried, the faithful, simple-minded people, to confirm with this one piece all their abominations and devilry, and to blame us as revocers of all our doctrine. Moreover, they have established their poisonous doctrine in our churches through our own mouths, and at the same time they have violently propagated our doctrine in their churches, so that their mouths have not taught our doctrine in their churches; thus they wanted to penetrate and plant themselves in our churches through our own mouths, and at the same time shut us out of their churches altogether. Are they not fine, friendly, equal means, which serve well for friendly action?

(43) But as the transfer is, so is the committee; the transfer is a dark night owl, and will not come into the light; the committee is vain guile and false deceit. And as true and praiseworthy is the glory that they have published our confession with Scripture and good reason, so true and honest is also the glory that they have pretended friendly action; both are vain lies and deceit! Of course, they did not want us to deal with them in this way. But I do not intend now to write about the trade of this Reichstag, nor to attack their transfer, but, God willing, I will do so; 1) but this time alone I want to have

1) As we believe, Luther fulfilled this promise by the next writing: "Glosse auf das vermeinte kaiserliche Edict", which Luther will have written and published immediately after this one.

The papists want no peace, no truth, no tranquility, but will go through with their heads and either start a war or a riot, be it good or bad for us, nothing will help. But we must dare and wait. Because our pleas and cries for peace will not be heard, nor will our humility and patience count for anything, let what cannot remain be brought here.

But because I am the prophet of the Germans (for I must henceforth ascribe such a trustworthy name to myself, for the pleasure and favor of my papists and asses), it will nevertheless behoove me, as a faithful teacher, to warn my dear Germans of their harm and danger, and to give Christian instruction as to how they should conduct themselves where the emperor, incited by his devils, the papists, would offer to wage war against the princes and cities of our part. Not that I worry that the Emperor's Majesty will follow such poisonous blasphemies and initiate such an unjust war, but that I do not want to neglect my own, and that I want to keep my conscience pardoned and unburdened in all adventures. For it is much better for me to have given a remaining and unnecessary admonition and warning, and to have made a vain report, than to have neglected it, and, if it were otherwise than I had presumed, to have come too slowly after it, and to have no more to comfort me than the word: Non putassem, I had not meant it! It is (say the wise) also to be cared for, if it is certain; how much more is it now in such strange courses, when the papists' rage so horribly provokes God's anger, that neither wind nor weather is to be trusted, however friendly it may be, and Paul Rom. 12:8 also commands that those who preside over others should care.

45 Therefore, whichever German wants to follow my faithful advice, let him follow; whoever does not want to, let him leave it. I am not seeking my own salvation here, but that of you, the Germans. It could not happen to me personally that the papists eat me, tear me, bite me, or how else they help me out of the sinful, deadly maggot sack; yet I say when they are most angry: "Dear lords, if you are angry, get off the wall, put on your bathing gown, and hang it around your neck; and in short, I want to be left unpunched and unpunished by them.

1642 Erl. (S.) SS, S2-25. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 1985-1987. 1643

I will be defied. For I know where my cause stands and where I shall remain; praise be to God! If they do not accept my service for their own good, the wretched devil thanks them where they show me a drop of love or mercy; if they may not accept my teaching, I may accept much less of their mercy, and if they rage and rage in the name of the devil, I laugh in the name of God.

46. But this is my faithful advice, that if the Emperor should rise up and want to war against our part for the sake of the Pope's things or our doctrine, as the papists are now horribly boasting and defying (but I do not yet promise myself to the Emperor), that in such a case no man will let himself be used, nor will he obey the emperor, but be sure that he is strictly forbidden by God to obey the emperor in such a case, and whoever obeys him, that he knows how he will disobey God, and his body and soul will perish eternally. For the emperor then acts not only against God and divine right, but also against his own imperial rights, oaths, duty, seals and letters. And lest you think that such a thing is my poem, or that I am giving you such advice from my own head, I will show you the causes and reasons so strongly and clearly that you will realize that it is not my advice, but God's serious and manifold strict commandment, before whose wrath you should be reasonably frightened, and finally must also be frightened.

First of all, I must excuse dear Emperor Carol on account of his person; for he has so far shown himself, even now at the Imperial Diet, that he has won the favor and love of all the world, and would be worthy of no harm, nor do our people know anything but imperial virtue and praise to say of him.

48 And that I show several examples of all this, it is a strange, strange gentleness that his imperial majesty did not want to condemn our doctrine, even though it was vehemently urged and provoked by ecclesiastical and secular princes, with incessant persistence, even before he came from Spain. But his majesty has stood like a rock, and has hurried to the imperial diet, and has issued a gracious proclamation, willing to deal with the matter amicably and amicably. Shall also

The people of the city have said that it does not have to be such an evil doctrine, because so many great, high, learned, and honest people accept it.

49 Which also turned out to be the case at Augsburg. When our confession was read before the imperial majesty, they themselves found out that this doctrine was not so evil as it had been presented by their poisonous preachers and ear-blowers and hateful princes. Yes, they had not even imagined that it should be such a good doctrine, and have themselves confessed much about it: it is the true holy scripture, one cannot refute it with the scripture; that they had been reported much differently before.

50 This was also the reason why it was hardly allowed to be read. For the envious princes and poisonous liars worried that, wherever it was read, their poisonous lies would be disgraced; they would have liked to see the imperial majesty condemn everything unread and unheard. But since his imperial majesty could not obtain that it be read publicly before everyone, she nevertheless did so much that it had to be read and heard before the imperial estates, however highly this was opposed by other princes and bishops and sophists, and bitterly annoyed them.

51. And even though a great deal of money was consumed at the Diet, and it seems as if nothing was spent, I say for myself that if twice more had been consumed, everything would have been amply paid for with this piece alone, and enough would have been spent that Junker Neidhard and Master Lügenhard have been disgraced in their envy and lies, and have had to see and hear that our doctrine is not contrary to the Scriptures or articles of faith, which they have previously made so horrible with lies and envy everywhere, by writing, preaching and after-talk, as if no worse doctrine had ever come to light. Such envy, I say, has been disgraced at the Imperial Diet, and such lies have been revealed. Therefore, we should be grateful to our dear Emperor Carol, and give thanks for this virtue, that God has, through him, adorned and redeemed our doctrine from the lying, blasphemous titles of heresy, and other shameful names, and thus has destroyed the liars and

1644 Erl. (2.) S5, S5-S7. Sect. II. The other Reichstag partition. No. 1156. w. XVI, 1987-1990. 1645

Enviers are really honestly beaten on the mouth, even though they have an iron forehead and are not ashamed. But it doesn't matter, we're well fed up with the beginning and it should get better.

Item, the imperial majesty is also said to have said: If the priests were pious, they would not be allowed to listen to Luther. What else is this said, than as Solomon says [Prov. 16, 10]: "The king's lips prophesy"? For his majesty wants to indicate that Luther is the ruthlessness of the priests, and they have well deserved it, and are not right in their nature. This is also sufficiently confessed by them. For the bishop of Salzburg said to Magister Philipp: "Oh, what do you want to reform us priests; we priests have never been good. Look and listen to the pious people! They know and confess that they are evil and wrong, and they want to remain so, to be unreformed, and not to give way to public truth; and yet they cry out and call on the emperor and all princes to fight for them and to protect them. What else is this said but this: "Dear emperor, dear Germans, go to war, shed your blood, stake all your possessions, body, child and wife on it, so that you may protect us in our shameful, devilish life and nature, against the truth, which we know well, but still cannot stand, and also do not want to improve. What do you think? If you fight for such people and spill your blood, are you not a beautiful martyr, and almost well invested with your blood and goods?

53) Item, when ours had wanted to hand over their answer to the imperial majesty against the Sophists' transfer, as much of it had been kept after the reading, and the imperial majesty now reached for it with his hand and wanted to accept it, King Ferdinand shrugged back the hand of the imperial majesty that such an answer did not have to be accepted. From this, once again, it seems clear who the people are who, under the name of imperial majesty, are carrying out their hatred and envy. From this it once again appears who the people are who carry on their hatred and envy under the name of the imperial majesty, even though the imperial majesty would be of a different mind and inclined otherwise.

54 Item, since the Elector of Brandenburg had decided in his farewell with excellent, splendid, defiant words, how imperial majesty, princes and estates of the realm

and people, life and property, and blood, at which words our people were supposed to be frightened. But because it was not said, "if God wills," the words remained and passed with the reverberations; since they were over, no one was afraid. But Imperial Maj. Maj. had let himself be noticed here again, and did not call such a speaker a liar, but said: it would be too much talk; and many other great princes and lords won here to create, how they would like to gloss over such words. Some pretended that the opinion should be: where our part wanted to attack someone of that part by force, they wanted to put together body and goods, blood, land and people; but our part never thought such, but always asked and cried for peace, as they themselves know in the best way. Some, however, publicly testified before the emperor that they would never have consented to such a speech by the margrave, even if their opinion were nothing everywhere.

55 Although land and people are soon named with the mouth, whether one is so powerful with the fist of the same, to put on blood, body and goods, without need, in addition against God and right, that should well learn the experience. I am sure that they will at least be asked about it beforehand, and that they will not leave such a plan undisclosed. It is also true that God does not always have to give and do what we may think and say. Their mouths may have lied miserably to great lords, and their plots may have deceived them shamefully. But the best thing is that they do not call upon God, or even think of Him, when they defy and insist in this way. But in this the emperor's heart is felt that he is not such a mad bloodhound, and that such defiant words and deeds do not please him.

But it must happen to the dear emperor like to all pious princes and lords. For where a prince is not half a devil, but wants to rule with a litter, it cannot be otherwise; the "greatest" scoundrels and villains come into the regiment and into the offices, and they do what they want under the prince's name. For they must not be afraid, because they know that the prince is pious and likes to be told. What should this

1646 Erl. (2.) 25,27-29. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg 1530. w. XVI. 1990-1993. 1647

How can pious emperors cope with so many villains and evil-doers, especially against the arch-villain Pope Clement, who is full of mischievousness and has so far proven himself honestly against the emperor? I D. Luther am more learned in the Scriptures than the emperor, also more experienced in daily practice: still I worry, where I should be among so many scoundrels, and always hear their poisonous tongues, and against it no other instruction, I would truly also be too pious for them, and they would drown me out in some pieces; as has often happened to me through some spirits and clever ones.

Therefore let no one be surprised or dismayed if prohibitions or letters go out under the emperor's name, contrary to God and law; he cannot prevent it, but let him be sure that all this is a plot by the chief ruler of the world, the pope, who is doing this through his plate stallions and hypocrites, whether he could cause a bloodbath among us Germans, so that we would fall to the ground. And believe for me that if he does not end it through this emperor, he will go to the Turkish emperor and charge us with the same; there we will find the money that we have given the pope for his indulgence and haggling so many years ago for the treasure against the Turkish war.

That is enough said about the emperor's excuse this time. Let us now give warning and indicate the causes, so that everyone should be afraid to obey the emperor in such a case and to fight against our part. And say again, as above, that I will neither advise nor incite anyone to war. My heart's desire and request is that peace be kept and that no part start war or give cause for it. For I will keep my conscience clear, and will not bear the name before God or the world, that out of my counsel or will anyone should wage war or defend himself, except those who are commanded to do so and have the right to do so, Rom. 13:4. But where the devil has so completely possessed the papists that they neither want nor can have peace nor suffer, and want to wage war badly or give causes for it, that shall be on their conscience; I must let it happen, because my defense will neither apply nor help.

(59) The first reason that you should not be obedient to the emperor in such a case is this: that you (as well as the emperor himself) swore in baptism to keep the gospel of Christ and not to persecute or dispute it. Now you know that the emperor of this case is incited and deceived by the pope to dispute against the gospel of Christ, because our doctrine is publicly invented at Augsburg that it is the true gospel and the holy scripture. And thou shalt therefore say unto the commandment of the emperor or thy prince, Yea, dear emperor, dear prince, if thou shalt keep thy oath and duty, which thou didst in baptism, then thou shalt be my dear lord, and I will be obedient unto thee, if thou wilt. But if thou wilt not keep thy baptismal duty and Christian covenant, made with Christ, but wilt persecute it, then be obedient to thee in my stead; I will not for thy sake blaspheme my God and persecute his word, and so boldly run and leap with thee into the abyss of hell.

(60) This first cause includes many other great and terrible causes. For he who fights and contends against the gospel must at the same time fight against God, against Jesus Christ, against the Holy Spirit, against the holy blood of Christ, against his death, against the word of God, against all articles of faith, against all sacraments, against all doctrine given, confirmed, and preserved by the gospel, as of the authorities, and temporal peace, and estates, and summa, against all angels and saints, against heaven and earth, and all creatures. For he who contends against God must contend against everything that is God's or that holds with God. But what end this would have in the end, you would well realize. And, what is even worse, such arguing would happen knowingly. For it is known and confessed that this teaching is the gospel. The Turk and the Tattern do not know that it is God's word; therefore no Turk can be as evil as you, but you must be condemned ten times deeper than all Turks, Tatterns, Gentiles and Jews.

(61) Although it is a terrible thing that Christians have come to the point of needing such a warning, just when

1648 Erl. (p.) 25, 29-31. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1156 W. XVI, 19S3-I995. 1649

they themselves would not know what a horrible, terrible thing it is to knowingly fight against God and his word. This is a sign that among Christians there must be few right Christians and many worse Turks than in Turkey or in hell. But the true Christians, though they are few, know it well themselves, and must not be warned; but the Papists, who bear the name and appearance of Christians with all dishonor, and yet are ten times worse than the Turks, must be warned. If it helps, it is good; if it does not help, we are excused, and their punishment is all the greater. For the Turk is not so foolish as to fight or rage against his Mahomet or his Alkoran, as our devils do, the papists, and rage and rage against their own gospel, which they know to be right, and thus make the Turk a pure saint against them, and themselves true devils.

(62) The other cause is: Even if our doctrine is not right (as they all know otherwise), that alone should deter you too much, that by such disputing you burden yourself, make yourself partaker of and guilty before God of all the abominations that have been committed and continue to be committed throughout the entire papacy. This cause includes innumerable abominations and all wickedness, sin and harm. In short, it is the causeless hell itself, with all sins, of which you must be a part, if you are obedient to the emperor in this case. But we want to tell some of them and put them before the eyes, so that they will not be forgotten. For the papists would gladly cleanse themselves, and put such abominations under the bench, unpunished and unremedied, until the time when they could pull them out again and raise them up.

(63) Here you must first of all take upon yourself all the shameful lives they have led and are still leading. For they have no intention of reforming any of them, but you must shed your blood and risk your life to protect and preserve their cursed, wicked lives. Then on your neck and conscience come all the fornication, adultery and fornication that have been and are still practiced in the cathedrals and monasteries, and your heart must have such glory and honor that it has fought for the

The greatest and most whores and knaves that are on earth, to confirm their whore and knave life, and to make you partake of it all. Oh, that is a beautiful glory and fine cause for you to dare your life and serve God; for they do not improve such a life, nor can they improve it, since it is impossible that so many thousands of people should live chastely as they do.

64. above this, you must also charge the papal and cardinal chastity, which is a special chastity, above the common spiritual chastity, and is called, in the welsh: puserons, namely, the Sodomitic and Gomorric chastity. For thus God had to blind and afflict His enemy and adversary, the pope and cardinals, before others, so that they would not remain worthy to sin with females of natural womanhood, but, according to their wages, defile their own bodies and persons by themselves (Rom. 1, 24. 26. 27.], and in addition got into such a perverse, hardened mind that they did not consider such a thing a sin, but joked about it as if it were a card game, at which they might laugh and be merry without a ride. O to the four is given right, therefore it greeds and foams out (as Jude says) all shame and vice [Ep. Jude, v. 13. Proverbs 15:28]. Now go and stake your life on it, and fight for such unrepentant, insolent puserons, who still laugh at such blasphemous sins and joke with them.

I am not lying to you here. Whoever has been to Rome knows well that unfortunately! is worse than anyone can say or believe. When the next Concilium Lateranense in Rome was to be decided under Pope Leo, one of the articles was that one should believe that the soul is immortal, from which one must conclude that they have a loud prayer and mockery from eternal life. They confess that they have a public belief that there is no eternal life, but now they want to teach it with a bull. But this was even more subtle: in the same bull they had stipulated that no cardinal should henceforth hold so much shame. But Pope Leo had hot to extinguish it; otherwise it would have resounded in all the world how freely and insolently the pope and the cardinals held Sodomam in Rome. I will

1650 Erl. (2.) 2S, 31-34. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 1995-1998. 1651.

But because the evil-doers do not want to atone, but rather condemn the gospel, blaspheme and desecrate God's word, and clean themselves, they should also smell their filth again in the most shameful way. Such vice is so common among them that even recently a pope himself sinned himself to death in such sin and vice, and in fact remained dead on the spot. There, there, you popes, cardinals, papists, spiritual lords, pursue more God's word, now defend your doctrine and church!

No pope, cardinal, bishop, doctor, priest, monk, or nun punishes such a shameful life, which is so obvious, but laughs at it, cleans it, and adorns it; kings, princes, country, and people incite them to defend such evil-doers with body and goods, with country and people, and to faithfully defend that such vices are not atoned for nor corrected, but strengthened, freed, and praised. For this you shall now risk your blood, life and limb, so that all this may come upon your neck and conscience. I would have told more examples of such an abomination," but it is all too shameful and would have to ensure that our German soil would tremble before it. But if an impudent Pabstel comes and screams against it, I will meet him and let him find me at home, so that sess should be called well hit. If punishments and warnings help to repentance, they have been sufficiently admonished before and herewith. But nothing will come of it; it has now become a praiseworthy common custom, almost like a great virtue, that suffers no penance, but the emperor and you should protect and handle it, so that such an example may also arise and take hold in other countries, as, alas, is already too much in evidence.

After that, you must take upon yourself all the avarice, robbery and theft of the entire papacy, the innumerable money that they have falsely and fraudulently obtained with indulgences. Is it not vile robbery and theft by the whole Christendom, the innumerable money, which they have brought to themselves through their falsified, lying Purgatory? Is it not vile robbery and theft by the whole world, the innumerable money, which they got with usury and sacrifice? Is it not vile robbery and theft through the whole world?

World, the innumerable money, which they won with butter letters, pilgrimages, saint service, and the ulcer without number? Is it not vain shameful robbery and theft by the whole world? From whence have the pope, cardinals, bishops principalities, kingdoms, and are worldly lords of all the world? Is it not vain immeasurable shameful robbery and theft? What are they but the greatest robbers and thieves the earth can bear? There is still no atonement or restitution here. Yes, there is not so much good blood in their veins that they would exercise their office a little, so that they might possess such goods with some small semblance of honor; but instead they condemn, blaspheme, persecute God's name, word and work; now come here, you shall defend such thieves and robbers with your blood, so that they not only remain unpunished, but are also strengthened to do all this the longer the more. See what a great and mighty thief and rogue, robber and traitor you become and are, when you strengthen and protect such robbers and thieves with your blood and life; for you must bring it all upon yourself, and be guilty of it yourself.

(68) Then you must take upon yourself all the blood that the pope has shed, all the murder and war that he has wrought, all the sorrow and heartache that he has caused throughout the world. But who will tell all the blood, murder and sorrow that the pope has inflicted on his own? Some have reckoned that for the pope's sake alone (since the papacy has exalted itself above the empire) eleven times a hundred thousand men have been slain; others reckon probably more. Where will you bear so much murder and blood on your neck, if some murder is certain? and Christ also condemns wrath in the heart to hellish fire, Matth. 5, 22. What do you do now, if you risk your life for such murderers? You make yourself guilty of all these things, and help to strengthen and free the priest, so that he may do these things eternally and safely. For there is no repentance, indeed, they reckon it to be pure virtue and honor that it is impossible to hope for improvement here, as they do not desire it, but you shall help protect them, so that they may murder without ceasing and without defense, without shyness, and bring down blood and fill the world with sorrow,

1652 Erl. (2.) 25.34-36. Sect. 11. The other Reichstag resolution. No. 1156 W. XVI ISS8-20M. 1653

as they have done until now, and still do. Behold, these are the most holy fathers, the holy cardinals, bishops, clergymen, who want to be judges of the gospel, and teach and govern the world.

(69) Here I will be silent about the other vices, how they act with poison, treachery, and everything that belongs to hatred and envy. Who can tell it all, the shameful life in the papacy? It can be taken from the above-mentioned pieces and daily examples. For he is said to be the antichrist, and to be against Christ with all things. Therefore it must follow that as beautiful, glorious, chaste, chaste, holy, heavenly, divine a life Christ led and taught, so a shameful, blasphemous, lewd, cursed, hellish, devilish life must his counter-Christ lead and teach: how else could he be Christ's adversary or counter-Christ? And everything would be to suffer, if they did not want to defend it and to be right by force. But this is still all, to be reckoned so, a shame and a joke. We now want to show you the right basic scales and main abominations, which you must all burden yourself with, whoever protects the pope or helps to maintain and strengthen him in his impenitent, obdurate, end-Christian state and nature.

One could let life be evil, but to condemn doctrine and God's word and to exalt oneself above God Himself, that one cannot and should not suffer, much less help to defend. Now they have brought so many abominations of doctrine among Christendom that they are not to be told, which they neither repent nor change, but want to defend all, free and right by force. All this should be on your neck and conscience, and you should be guilty of all such abominations if you help to fight for them. And that we denounce some of them: How will you bear on your conscience the shameful, lying deception of indulgences, so that they have so shamefully deceived and cheated so many thousands of souls, yes, the whole of Christendom and all the world, and have cheated them out of their money and goods; and yet they do not atone for anything, nor do they think to let go of it, although they well know how great a deception they have done with it. The people have taught them to put their consolation in indulgences and to die on them; which alone is so

is terrible and horrible, that if they were otherwise as holy and pure as St. John the Baptist, they should be condemned to the deepest abyss of hell for the sake of this piece, and not worthy that the earth should bear them, nor the sun shine on them, nor that one should fight for them and defend them.

For count thou thyself, what a great folly is indulgences. He who has relied on indulgences and died or lived in this way has let the Savior Jesus Christ go, denied and forgotten him, and can have no comfort in him at all. For he who puts his comfort in something else than in Jesus Christ can have no comfort in Christ. Now we all know, and their books prove it mightily, that they have taught us to rely on indulgences; who else would have respected or bought them? And besides this, as the messengers of the devil and evil-doers, they have shamefully kept silent about faith in Christ, even suppressing and exterminating it. For he who knows that his comfort and confidence is in Christ cannot suffer indulgence nor any other confidence. But when will they atone for and make restitution for such infinite harm? Yes, atonement! They, hardened in such wickedness, still want to force you to defend them with body and blood, and to burden everything on yourself. If they were not possessed and furious, they would be a little ashamed to desire such defense, in such impenitent, insolent, blasphemous wickedness. That may well mean to me: priests are not good.

Item 72: How will you bear on your conscience the blasphemous deceit of the purgatory, so that they have also treacherously deceived and falsely frightened all the world, and have lied and stolen almost all their goods and splendor with it? For in this way they have also purely extinguished the one consolation and confidence in Christ, and have taught the Christians to gape, wait, and rely on their subsequent pens. For whoever gazes and hopes for his subsequent gifts or works in death (as they have all taught and done), must put Christ out of his sight and forget him. So, where God would not have especially

1654 Erl. (2.) 25,36-38. cap13. From the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. W. XVI. 2001-2003. 1655

they would have died, like the Jews and the pagans, falling unawares into the abyss of hell, as when a man falls from a high mountain, thinking he is walking on a good path, and steps aside into the air and falls down into the valley or the sea. O what murderers of souls they are! Until the last day, no human heart will understand how great a murder they have committed against souls with their purgatory. Much less can it be comprehended what damage and horrible blasphemy they have done to faith and trust in Christ; nor is there any repentance or cessation, but demand that you protect and help defend them in it,

73. Item, you must take upon yourself all the abominations and blasphemies that they commit and still commit daily throughout the entire papacy with the dear mass, with buying and selling, with many countless other dishonors of the holy sacrament, since they always offer God his son as if they were better and holier than God's son; since they do not let the Sacrament be a gift of God to be received with faith, but make it a sacrifice and a work to propitiate themselves and other people, and to acquire all kinds of grace and help. Since they have made a mass for every saint, and a mass for every cause or need. In all their books and teachings you will not find one letter of faith. Everything says and sings that the mass is a sacrifice and a work, but in no other way should faith be practiced and exercised so thoroughly and diligently as in the mass or sacrament, because Christ himself instituted it in his memory, that one should preach about him there, and remember and believe in him. But for this they preach their sacrifice and work, and sell them most mercilessly. There is still no atonement, but stubborn, desperate wickedness to defend themselves and 1) to protect themselves with their life and limb.

74 It would be all too gruesome enough the gross external abuse, since the clerics are based on the

1) In the original: "yet"; in most codices and in the Wittenberg and Jena editions: "and". The sense here is the same as at the end of the previous paragraph.

The first is that the people of the church, at the festivals and church consecrations, or patron saints' feasts, treated the sacrament so frivolously, as if it were a jiggery-pokery, for the sake of eating, drinking, and making money, ran up to it crudely and insolently, and then became full, and dined and gambled, and fought; as all the villages were full of the shameful abuse, and still neither atoned for nor repaired, nor recognized for sin by the desperate Popes. But it is nothing compared to the vile 2) abuse, since they have perverted and changed the sacrament, and made of the common sacrament of the common faith an own work and sacrifice of some persons, as the priests. This is so frightening that I do not like to think about it; the thoughts might well kill you.

(75) Nor is this above this abomination, that they have hidden and concealed the words of the Sacrament and the faith, that (as said) not one letter, not one jot of it has remained in all the papacy, in all the masses and books. This vice surpasses all words and thoughts; no one can reproach or punish it enough in eternity. Every other vice has its own devil or group of devils who do it; but the sacrificial mass, I think, is a common work of all devils, since they have joined all hands, all counsel, all thoughts, all malice and all mischievousness, and have created and preserved this abomination. This appears from the fact that the poltergeists throughout the world, in all corners, as departed souls, have asked for the mass; no soul has ever desired or asked for Christ, all for the mass. This is also a strong sign that the devils live nowhere so powerfully as in their servants of the Mass, with all fornication, avarice, blasphemy and all vices in the most profane way, and will certainly be the greatest and last wrath of God on earth before the last day; for there can be no greater wrath. There you have the right virtue of Pabstism, for which you shall get, and shed your blood for the hardened blasphemers, murderers of souls and evil-doers.

If anyone should say here that I am too much of a knave, that I can do no more than knave and scold, let him be answered first.

2) Thus Walch. In the other editions: "beautiful".

Et invocetur nomen meum super pueros istos1656 Erl. (2.) 25, 38-40. para. 11. the other imperial decree. No. 1156. W. XVI. 2003-2006. 1657

that such reproach is nothing against unspeakable wickedness. For what kind of rebuke is it if I call the devil a murderer, a villain, a traitor, a blasphemer, a liar? It is as if a breeze blows on him. But what are the devils, but devils in the flesh, who have no repentance, but vain hardened hearts, and knowingly defend such public blasphemy, and seek protection in it from the emperor and from you? Dear, chide and call a Pabst, as you will or can, it is as if a goose whistles at him. He has such superiority that he has become much, much, much too big for your scolding. Call him a papist, and you have said more than the world can understand; you cannot scold him any worse. The other is like poking a bear with a straw or striking a rock with a feather.

77 Secondly, this is my answer, that the two Cardinals, Campegius and Salzburg, have admonished and ordered me to do this, so that the one says: he wants to be torn apart before he wants to change or cancel the mass. So says the other: Priests are not good, they should be left unreformed. These two, however, are of the noblest, and as they speak and believe, so, of course, does the pope speak and believe with all papists. Since they themselves say that they are desperate evildoers, and want to remain evildoers, and let themselves be torn apart before they want to renounce blasphemies, I would do them injustice before God and before the world if I called them anything else but by their own name, which they give themselves. Should I now call them: Most venerable, holy fathers in Christ, no one would know them, and they themselves would not know of whom I spoke, because they do not know such names, but are and remain hardened evil-doers and blasphemers. Therefore my scolding is not scolding, but just as if I called a turnip a turnip, apples apples, pears pears.

78. where will you bear the abominable idolatries, since they did not care enough to honor the saints and praise God in them, but made vain gods out of them, and put the noble child, the mother Mary, badly in Christ's place, and put Christ in their place?

and made up a tyrant for the wretched consciences, that all confidence and consolation is taken from Christ and turned to Mary, after which each one has turned to his saint from Christ. Can anyone deny this? Is it not true? Have we not all tried and experienced it? Alas! Are there not, especially of the shabby barefooted and preaching monks, books full of such idolatry as the Marialia, Stellaria, Rosaria, Coronaria, and quite vain Diabolaria and Satanaria? There is still no repentance nor correction, but with the head through and obdurate such everything defended, and your life and limb demanded for protection.

79 I have to show here a piece from the Imperial Diet of Augsburg, so that one can see how good reason they have for such idolatry of the saints. As the committee was dealing with this article on the invocation of the saints, D. Eck brought forth the saying, Gen. 48, 16, where Jacob speaks of Ephraim and Manasseh: Et invocetur nomen meum super pueros istos, and after many words Magister Philippi Er Johann Brenz spoke approximately: one finds nothing in the Scriptures about the invocation of the saints. Then D. Cochläus, as a deeply thoughtful man, came forward to help the matter, and said that the fact that the saints were not called in the Old Testament was the reason that the saints at that time were not yet in heaven, but in the outer castle of the hells. Then my gracious lord, Duke Johann Friederich, Duke of Saxony etc., tightened the noose over them both, and said to D. Eck: There you have, D. Eck, answered for your sentence, which you have brought forth from the Old Testament! So sure are they of their things, so finely do they agree with each other, the delicious writers of the Antilogiarum. One says: In the Old Testament the saints were not called; the other says: yes. And they quote sayings from the Old Testament, as if they did not know that God, for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, did all the great miracles that were done in the Old Testament, as he himself often confesses, and for the sake of no saint in the New Testament did half, yes, the tenth part as much. Like fools, what falls into their mouths, they spit out quickly; nor must [it] be right and reason of the articles of faith.

1658 Erl. (2.) 25, 40-42. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2006-2009, 1659.

and all unpunished, and defended for it, and condemned and strangled the people over it, for that thou shalt get and fight etc.

80 And so that we may also give an example in such a long sermon, I will tell you now, from so many thousands of examples, the one that stands in a Marial, how one should honor the Virgin Mary with sacrifices. There was a highwayman who did nothing good all his life without once coming to a church, to Our Lady's light mass, and saw how the people offered pennies and candles on the altar. There he also sacrificed. After that he was seized and hanged. Then the devils wanted to take his soul to hell, but a good angel resisted them and said, "Why do you devils take him away, if you have nothing in him? They answered: He has done much evil and never any good. Then they went with each other before God's court. The devils accused the torturer of doing no good, but the good angel brought forth the penny stamped with the cross, together with the candle offered on the altar. Then the judge gave the verdict that the striker should resist the devils, and the angel advised him to take the penny in his left hand for a shield, and the candle in his right hand for a sword or spear, and to fight against the devils and to strike the cross vainly; this he did, and drove out the devils. Then the soul returned to the body, was taken from the gallows, and lived out his life well. Haec ille.

Who could conceive it if it were not true? The monks and priests have clicked so many books full of such shameful fables of lies that they have overwhelmed Christendom as if with a flood of sin. No pope, bishop, doctor has ever paid attention to all this, nor has he ever been aware of it. But now they preach that Christ is our Savior, they become mad and senseless. But when they preached that a candle and a crucifer offered to Our Lady could save an impenitent prankster and murderer, without Christ, without faith, and drive out all devils, and blasphemed and suppressed Christ's suffering and life, then all the sermons were good and delicious, there were no heretics. But it all belongs to this: clergymen have never been good!

How will your conscience bear the great torment, torture and violence that they have inflicted on the whole world with their fearful confession, so that they have made so many souls desperate and robbed and increased all Christian consolation from their wretched consciences, since they have so treacherously and wickedly concealed and kept silent the power of absolution and faith, insisting only on the unbearable torture and impossible work of telling and repenting of sins. To such repentance and telling, as to our own work, we have promised grace and blessedness, so that Christ points us to ourselves and keeps us. Summa, everything they teach and do is directed to lead us from Christ to their work and ours. And no letter is so small in their teaching, and no work so small, it denies and blasphemes Christ, and defiles the faith in him, and leads the poor hearts to impossible things and to despair. And so should the true anti-Christian do, that he, according to his name, teaches and lives abundantly enough against Christ, and exalts himself above God and His word [2 Thess. 2:4]. We see this fulfilled in the papacy more than one can comprehend. All of this is still unpunished; we still defend this confession today, and we also want you to help us fight against this torture, heartache, despair, and all the plagues of this confession, and to burden yourself with the sorrow of all souls.

Item, you must take upon yourself the grievous lamentation and cursed abuse of the ban and the keys, which abuse alone would have deserved enough to bring the papacy to ruin, not to mention that you should fight to confirm and strengthen it. How the pope has raved and raged against emperors, kings, and all the world, yes, against God himself and his holy word! What only the devil has put into his heart must be right and good. How much war and blood he has caused in all the world! And who can tell all the abominations? What he wanted to have for sin, that must be called sin and be. What he wanted to have holy, that had to be holy. Hereby he has been a terrible lord over the whole world, over body, soul, property, country and people, over purgatory, over hell,

1660 EE. (2.) 25,42-44. sect. 11. the other Reichstag farewell. No. 1156 W. XVI, 2W9-20U. 1661

about devils, about heaven, about angels, about God and everything. To whom he has willed, heaven has been opened and closed, hell has been closed and opened. Whose body, goods, honor, land, kingdom, wife, child, house, farm, money and everything was taken from him or remained for him. And what would the papacy be without the abuse of the key?

Now they have done all this out of sheer willfulness, since they had no right to do so, for the sake of their belly and dominion. And, what is even worse, they misused God's name in the most shameful way. For under God's name they have committed all such unspeakable abominations, rages and ravings, for which they would not have a single thought that they wanted to mend it; but like hard anvils, obdurate, they let themselves be struck, and remain firm on such a resolution, wanting to have everything defended and strengthened by your blood and protection. It would be no wonder that heaven and earth would tear and break over such desperate, defiant wickedness, and that God would suffer such unrelenting wickedness, such defiance and abuse 1) for so long.

I think that if the Turk knew that he was so wrong, as the papists know that they are such desperate evil-doers, he would not be so obdurate, and would not defy God with his wickedness so insolently. For I think that the Turk would not speak, namely: We Turks have never been good, as our papists speak: We priests have never been good. In short, only the devil does this; he also knows that he is evil and wants to defend his wickedness. The priesthood does the same; it recognizes such its atrocious wickedness, and wants to have it unamended, confirmed, and defended by your body and blood. If you now feel like arguing, here you will find an honest cause for the most holy and spiritual people. But only consider the hundred thousand parts of such wickedness that you would make yourself a part of, then the desire for such a dispute will well pass you by, and you will say: I would let such unrepentant arch-villains have the infernal fire in the abyss of hell before I would stir a thread around theirs.

1) "Mißbieten" (Missebieten) - disrespectfulness.

For their sake, keep silent, that I should risk my life and limb for them.

Item: You must take upon yourself to help strengthen the devil's dangerous, lying, shameful fool's game, which they have played with the sanctuary and pilgrimages, and still have no intention of atoning for. Help God, how it has snowed and rained here, how it has fallen like clouds, with lies and cheating! How the devil has used dead bones, clothes and tools for the legs and tools of the saints! How surely one has believed all the liars! How people went on pilgrimages; all of which the pope, bishops, priests, monks confirmed, or at least kept silent, and let the people go astray, and took money and goods. What did the new cheating at Trier do to Christ's skirt? What has the devil held here a great fair in all the world, and sold so innumerable false miraculous signs! Oh, what is it that someone may talk about this? If all leaves and grass were tongues, they alone could not pronounce this knavery. We must still see that they do not confess it nor atone for it, but want to preserve, strengthen and improve it, through your body and blood.

And the worst of all is that they have deceived people with this, and have drawn them away from Christ to trust and build on such lies. For no one has run after the sanctuary or pilgrimage; he has placed his trust and comfort in it, and has had to despise his Christ at home, the gospel and faith, and his status, and consider it nothing. But the papists have not only not feasted on such seduction of souls, such denial and contempt of Christ and his faith, but have taken pleasure and delight in it, and have adorned and strengthened it with indulgences and graces, and have feasted on it, and have scourged and abused all the world; nor is there any improvement or atonement, but a vain defiant resolution to increase and strengthen all this, and to suffer no evil innovation.

Here belongs the golden year, which the arch liars, the popes, have invented, also commanded the angels to lead the pilgrims' souls to heaven. But everything and everything is too high

1662 Erl. (2.) 23, "4-47. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2011-2014. 1663

and too much, above all talk and remembrance. It is said: Abomiuatio in loco sancto, "abomination in the holy place" [Dan. 9, 27.], that is what Christ called Pabstism, with simple but incomprehensible words (Matth. 24, 15.). I mean that the ministry is an abomination, not only with such evil deeds, but also with impenitence, that it does not want to correct such deeds, but to defend them; and therefore not only sins with the deed itself, but confirms such sin with impenitence, that is, with sins in the Holy Spirit, so that it cannot get any higher, nor become any worse. For the devil himself cannot sin higher nor worse.

Behold, these are the fellows who wish to be judges of God's word, who may cause us to revoke and repent of our doctrine. Item, that we should worship all such abominations for God's word and work; they want to be unreformed, and in short, suffer no innovation. Does this not mean to arouse sedition, what does it mean to arouse sedition? Does it not mean pestilence, evil times, Turks, war, murder, and arousing all God's wrath and plague, what is so evil that may arouse? But I must stop here the abominations, as there are still many behind, to stir more than there are the brotherhoods, vows to saints, and the great fair, where the priests and monks of all the world sold their good works and caps, and in death dressed with it, and lead to heaven. Otherwise, all the senses would dwindle and pass away; unfortunately, there is too much in half a part of a piece.

The third reason that you should not obey the emperor in such an order is that you must not only bring such abominations upon yourself and help to strengthen them, but you must also help to overthrow and eradicate all the good that has been restored and brought about by the good gospel. For the evil-doers do not want to have enough of it, so that they can hear such devilry and abominations, and (as they command in the edict) do not tolerate any innovation, but eradicate and completely destroy everything that we have ever taught, lived and done, and still do and live.

This cause also comprehends much in itself. For our gospel, praise God, has much in it.

great good has been accomplished. No one knew before what the gospel, what Christ, what baptism, what confession, what sacrament, what faith, what spirit, what flesh, what good works, what the ten commandments, what Our Father, what praying, what suffering, what comfort, what worldly authority, what marriage, what parents, what children, what masters, what servants, what wives, what maidservants, what devils, what angels, what world, what life, what death, what sin, what justice, what forgiveness of sins, what God, what bishop, what priest, what church, what a Christian, what cross; Summa, we have not known anything that a Christian should know. Everything is obscured and suppressed by the Pabstles. They are asses, and great, coarse, unlearned asses in Christian matters. For I too have been one, and know that I speak the truth in this, and all pious hearts will testify to this, who, caught under the pope as I was, would have liked to know such things, and neither could nor should have known; we knew no other way, for clergymen and monks were all alone, and on their works we rested, and not on Christ.

But now, praise God, man and woman, young and old, have come to know the Catechism and how to believe, live, pray, suffer and die. And it is a beautiful instruction for the conscience, how one should be a Christian and recognize Christ; one preaches now of faith and good works. And all in all, the above-mentioned pieces have come to light again, and preaching stands, altar and baptismal font have been restored. The altar and baptismal font have been restored so that, praise God, a Christian church can once again be recognized. But you must help to eradicate and destroy all these things, if you are fighting for the papists. For they do not want to suffer any of the things we have taught and done, but (as they say) have the possessorium; sit again in the old guarantees, and tolerate no innovation at all; so you must help to burn all German books, New Testament, Psalter, prayer book, hymnal, and everything we have written of many good things, which they themselves confess. You must help so that no one knows the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the faith (because that is how it was before). You must help so that no one knows about baptism,

1664 Erl. (2.) 25, 47-49. sect. 11. the other Reichstag agreement. No. 1156 s. W. XVI, 2V14-2V17. 1665

Sacrament, faith, authority, marital status, nor learn anything from the Gospel. You must help that no one knows Christian freedom. You must help so that no one puts his trust and comfort in Christ. For all these things did not exist before, and are mere innovations.

You must help that our priests' and preachers' children, poor abandoned orphans, are condemned and disgraced as children of whores. You must help them to rely again on the work of monks and priests in Christ's stead, and to buy their merit and caps in death. You must help that instead of marriage they again fill Christendom with fornication, adultery, and other unnatural shameful vices. You must help to set up again the abominable fair of sacrificial fairs. You must help defend all their avarice, robbery, theft, so that they get their goods. And what shall I tell much? You must help to destroy Christ's word and the whole kingdom, and build the devil's kingdom again. For that is where the evil-doers want to go, who press for the possessorium, or the old guarantees. They are of the end-Christ or Antichrist, therefore they can do nothing else, but that is against Christ. Especially in the main article, that our heart should not put its comfort and confidence in our works, but in Christ alone, that is, to be freed from sins and justified by faith alone, as it is written in Romans 10:10: "With the heart one believes, and so is justified.

This article (I say) they do not want to suffer badly, so we can not be advised. For where the article is gone, the church is gone, and no error can be resisted, because apart from this article the Holy Spirit will not nor cannot be with us; for he is to transfigure Christ to us. Over this article the world has so often come to ruin, through flood, weather, waters, war and all plagues. Over this article Habet was strangled and all the saints, and all Christians must die over it. Nevertheless it remained, and must remain, and the world must perish over it forever. So shall it stand now also, and be overthrown above the article; and if it be mad and foolish, it shall leave the article standing, and it shall fall over it in the covert of the earth, amen.

95. Now consider, and come to your senses, if you will fight against God and his word, and all that is God's; if you will bring upon yourself all the abominations of the priesthood, and all the innocent blood that has been shed from heaven; if you will help to destroy all the good that has come to us through the gospel, and finally, if you will destroy Christ's kingdom, and build the devil's kingdom: See what victory thou shalt obtain, and with what conscience thou shalt be obedient to the imperial command!

If you are to be advised, you have enough warning in this that you should not be obedient to Caesar and your ruler in such a case, as the apostles say (Acts 5:29): "You must be more obedient to God than to men. If thou wilt follow, it is well; if thou wilt not, let it be, and go always, and fight confidently. Christ will not be afraid of you, and will (whether God wills) also remain before you. But if he remain, let him give thee enough to fight with; meanwhile let us see which shall prevail against the other, and keep the field.

This I have said to my dear Germans as a warning; and as above, so I also testify here that I do not want to incite or provoke anyone to war, nor to rebellion (nor to counter-rebellion), but only to peace. But where our devils, the papists, do not want to keep peace, but with such obdurate abominations, unpunished, raging against the Holy Spirit, nevertheless get it, and would bring bloody heads from it, or even go down, I hereby publicly testify that I have not done such, nor given cause for it; but they want it so, their blood be on their head, I am excused, and have done my part most faithfully. Henceforth I will let him judge who will, should, and can judge, who will not fail, and will not fail. To him be praise and honor, thanksgiving and glory forever and ever, amen.

1157. D. Martin Luther's gloss on the supposed imperial edict. Jn the first months of the year 1531?)

According to a report by Seidemann in the "Studien und Kritiken", 1880, issue 2, p. 350, Luther's manuscript of this writing is still in the royal library.

1) Because of this time determination see the preceding writing, 8 ^3. note.

1666 Erl. (2.) SS, 49-52. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2M7-20IS. 1667

in Dresden. The first edition appeared under the title: r,Auff das Vermeint Keiserlich Edict, Ausgangen jm 1531 jare, nach dem Reichs tage des 1530 jars. Glosa. D. Mart. Luther. Wittemberg. DMXXXI." At the end: "Printed at Wittemberg by Nickel Schirlentz." 7 quarto sheets. Thereafter by the same publisher twice more; also a reprint in 1531 without indication of place and printer. An edition in Low German was also published without indication of year and place (1531, Magdeburg by Mich. Lotther). In the "Gesammtausgabe": in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. VI, p. 158; in the Jena (1566), vol. V, p. 289; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 545; in the Leipzig, vol. XX, p. 321; in the Erlangen (1st), vol. 25, p. 51 and in the second edition, vol. 25, p. 49. After the latter we give the text.

Martin Luther's condition.

(1) I, Martin Luther, Doctor of the Holy Scriptures and preacher of the Christians at Wittenberg, hereby state with this public writing that everything I write against this supposed imperial edict or commandment in this booklet is not meant to be spoken or understood as being written against imperial majesty or some authority, spiritual or secular, but because the wise King Solomon says [Eccles. 9, 18.] that a few evil-doers at court can create great misfortune, and again, a few pious Naaman [2 Kings. 5, 1.] can do much good at court, I do not mean the pious emperor, nor the pious lords, but the traitors and evil-doers (be they princes or bishops), who under the imperial name, or (as Solomon says) at court, undertake to carry out their desperate, malicious will of courage, and especially the fellow whom St. Paul calls God. Paul calls God's adversary, I should say God's governor, the chief shawl, Pope Clement, and his servant Campegium, and the like. This is my opinion, God grant happiness and grace to it, amen.

(2) First of all, before I gloss over this edict from piece to piece, I must first indicate the Holy Spirit, who has blown such wisdom into these evil-doers, so that the master may first be known; from this it will become clear what teaching such a master can and will give. They boast at the beginning of the edict how the confession of ours, which is delivered at Augsburg, is displaced and rejected by the holy Gospels. That is one thing; mark it well, my dear friend, who

Read or hear this; you hear (I say) that they boast that the confession of ours is displaced and rejected by the holy Gospels. Whether this is true or not, I will deal with later. Now you alone should notice that they claim that the confession of ours is mislaid. With what? With the holy gospels (they say). That is what they said. 1)

Then they themselves say in the edict that the Christian Church, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and good causes, has ordained to use one form of the sacrament. And,' that wisdom has all the greater prestige, they add the reason that under one form there is as much as under both. These may be called excellent and cheap imperial poets and scribes! But where is the master here who may tune these pipes together? Namely, they say that our confession is arranged by the holy Gospels, and yet the One Form is arranged by the intercession of the Holy Spirit. This is as much as saying no and yes at the same time. For if both forms (which our confession presents) are displaced by the holy gospels, then the one form is also confirmed by the same gospels at the same time; where else could one displace both forms, if one should not confirm the one with it?

(4) Again, if the One Form is established by the intercession of the Holy Spirit, herewith they themselves confess that not by the holy Evangelia (as they lie), but by their Holy Spirit's intercession, both forms are established, and the One Form is confirmed; for Evangelia and intercession of the Holy Spirit make them two things, as is evident in the day. If then the intercession has done it, why do they lie so shamefully and insolently, the holy Evangelia have done it? If the holy evangelicals have done it, why do they boast so shamefully and falsely that it was done by the intercession? Isn't that a fine way of getting one's cheeks smashed, and of shitting oneself in wisdom? He who wants to lie should have a good memory (say the Greeks). But to lie against God and His word must be especially well done, as can be seen in the praiseworthy example in this edict.

1) "sounded", that is, that has had a good sound.

1668 Erl. (L.) 25,52-54. sect. 11. the other Reichstag treaty. No. 1157 W. LVI, 2SIS-2021. 1669

5 Well, there we have the chief poet of this edict, the spirit of the pope, the father of all lies, who has to prove his wisdom by God's word, so that it stinks like his old dung. What good is supposed to have been done in the whole edict by such servants of the faithful and liars is good to be reckoned with. For against their own consciences, they have been obstinate and malicious in saying that our confession was based on the Gospels, when they knew full well that it was completely false, and that their defiance and fame were based solely on their own spiritual consensus, and not on the Gospels. Therefore they had to spit out their false heart and conscience in this edict without their thanks, as Christ says [Matth. 12, 34.]: "When the heart is full, the mouth overflows." And again [v. 37 .], "From your own words you are condemned." So these shameful poets also had to betray and disgrace themselves through their own mouths, so that one might learn what it is to rage against God and His Word. We want to show more of such beautiful lies throughout the whole edict, so that the saying may stand [Prov. 21, 30.]: "No wisdom helps against God"; and the 33rd Psalm, v. 10: "God brings the plots of princes to nothing."

(6) First of all, that they boast that our confession is mislaid by the holy Gospels is such a blatant lie that they themselves know that it is a shameful lie, but they want to adorn themselves with such make-up and disparage us, because they well felt that their confession was full of holes, leprous and obscene, and yet they should come to honor under such a cloak. Their heart thought: "We know that our church is evil, but we want to say that the Lutheran church is wrong, so that is enough; who wants to force us to make such a lie true? For if they had not felt that such a boast was a vain lie, they would not only have gladly denied their transfer, as is highly desired, but would also have let it go out through all the printing presses and proclaimed it with all the trumpets and drums, and such defiance would have arisen that the sun could not well have shone before it. But now the same

If they so shamefully refuse to publish the confession, and even more shamefully hide and conceal it, their evil consciences bear witness to the fact that they are lying as evil-doers when they boast that our confession has been published, and that they are not seeking the truth with such lies, but rather our displeasure and their cover of shame.

7 On the other hand, it is also quite a knavery to disparage us and to adorn themselves with cunning, that they tell various articles, which more or less do not incriminate us, only that they want to make a stink about us to strangers and unknown people, whom they lead into the poisonous abode, as if we also taught such articles. Such boys should not be imperial scribes or poets, but the wretched devil's scribes in hell. For since they knew well that we do not teach such articles, but rather condemn them, it would have been expedient for imperial poets to speak differently of old articles, and to interpret to each part its own, especially because one speaks judgment about it, and condemns it. Now they mix everything among themselves, and make us guilty in all; that this some wickedness is greater than I can excuse, and cannot be looked at otherwise than as if they should be so-called: We want to knowingly and wantonly do violence and injustice to the pious people.

8. dos are the fellows, since David says in the Psalter [Ps. 36, 2. ff.]: "I say indeed that the wicked are wicked men. For there is no fear of God with them. That they may further their evil cause, they adorn themselves, and revile others" etc. The Hot painted them right. For in this shameful, lying edict, they have taken the greatest pains to adorn themselves by boasting that it is our confession; in turn, they denigrate us by mixing all kinds of articles together, and it is a pitiful patchwork, no different than a beggar's cloak. For I have heard that this edict has been changed five times, and many things have been done to it; yet it has nowhere wanted to gain a nose that would suit it, but they have not seen that a false tongue betrays a false heart, and that the disgrace, pressed on others with lies, must fall on their own heads.

Let this be said of the spirit and master of this edict. Now let us take it in pieces before us, and bring the devil's lies to light. The first lie is that they boast (as has been said) that our confession is displaced by the holy Gospels; but again they distinguish nothing, but condemn the whole confession, as if there were nothing good in it, but must call everything displaced by the holy Gospels, even the high articles of faith, which they themselves confessed at Augsburg: there is nothing contrary to faith in our confession, and they may not be displaced with Scripture. So they punish their own mouths with lies. So they must also be calling themselves liars, because (as I said) they boast that our confession is displaced by the holy Gospels, and yet by inspiration of the Holy Spirit it is ordained to receive the sacrament in one form; which is contrary to all the Gospels, and they displace both forms by the Gospels. Thus, because they cannot prove with the gospels that one form is to be received, they invent the intercession of the Spirit, which is to do it, and nevertheless boast that our confession is displaced by the holy gospels. Dear fellows, this is shamefully confessed with lies!

(10) Even if their own consciences did not believe that their testimony was nothing, they would not have refused to answer the testimony in writing when the copy was requested, but they would have gone out with great glory and triumph and would have wanted to hear the answer. For they are bold, thirsty heroes, who do not shun the light and heretics, especially when they are to murder and blaspheme; but here, when they are to give their transcripts and have them answered, they are like bats and night owls, who cannot stand the light; so that they testify that their own conscience teaches them how such transcripts are pure filth, and boast and lie with their mouths alone: that everything is mislaid, which their fleeting, despondent conscience knows otherwise, and with such a shunning of the light also confesses otherwise.

II. the other lie is that they have now begun to prove their objection and art, and say: the Christian church has, from objection

The Holy Spirit and good causes are salutary, and it is commanded that only one form be administered outside of the Mass etc. Here you hear clearly that both forms of the sacrament (as our confession teaches from the Gospels) are displaced by the intercession of the Holy Spirit, and that one is commanded; and yet we have said above that our confession is displaced by the holy Gospels. This is one, and a very good and cowardly lie to grasp. But it is even better that they say that the Christian church has such power to do and command by inspiration of the Holy Spirit etc. Where are the seals and letters? Where is the reason and cause to prove this? If it is enough that they invent it willfully, then we Christians are poor people who must believe everything that the devil's mouths are allowed to spew.

This lie blasphemes both the Holy Spirit and the Christian church; this is by no means to be suffered. For Christ says [Joh. 16,14.]: the Holy Spirit should come and transfigure him; does not say, he should change or darken him. Item [Joh. 14, 26.]: "The Holy Spirit shall remind you (saith he) all things whatsoever I have said unto you"; saith not, he shall abolish or change that which I have said. Since it is clear and evident that Christ teaches in both forms in the Gospel, the Holy Spirit must transfigure and remind the same doctrine; if he does not do this, but changes it or cancels it, then it cannot be the Holy Spirit, or Christ would have to lie, since he calls the Holy Spirit his transfigureer or praiser, and his words remembrancer. From this it follows that the speaking, which changes both forms and is obscured (although in the Gospel Christ has ordered it by his word), is not of the Holy Spirit, but of the wretched devil from hell. For the Holy Spirit is to remind us of all the words and doctrines of Christ, and to praise them, and to keep them in light and custom; if he did not do this, he would not remind us of all the doctrines and words of Christ, as he is supposed to do.

(13) Thus the lying blasphemy of our most beloved Mother, the Christian Church, is not to be tolerated, that she should be interpreted as changing and lifting up the words of her dear Bridegroom, and that she should be interpreted as changing and lifting up the words of her dear Bridegroom.

1672 Erl. (2.) SS, 56-59. sec. II. The other Reichstag resolution. No. 1157 W. XVI, 2024-2027. 1673

For she is subject to him (says St. Paul (Eph. 5:24 ff.)), even one body with him; how then should she disobey him here, and rise above her God and Lord, that she should not remain one with him, and change his word, and condemn it? which she well knows that he purchased with his precious blood, and commanded her most heartily, saying, "Do this in remembrance of me." Whoever then says that she changes such a command and does not keep it, denies and blasphemes her as an evil-doer and enemy of both Christ and his church. For whoever may say that the church changes Christ's word and order or does not keep it, does as much as to call the holy church a prostitute of the devil gone astray. Therefore, we Christians should condemn this edict with all our hearts as a blasphemy, and say: Cursed be both the edict and its poets, amen.

14 Against such blasphemies we place these thunderbolts, since Christ says: "Do these things in remembrance of me" [Luc. 22, 19. 1 Cor. 11, 24. 25]. Which words he speaks to his Christian church, and tells them to do, and not to change or cancel. Item, Matthäi at the last: "Go, and teach all the Gentiles to observe what I have commanded you" [Matth. 28, 19. 20.]. Do not say: teach them to change and abolish what I have commanded. Item, Matth. 5, 18. 19.: "Not one jot nor one tittle shall pass from the law; it shall all pass. And he that abolisheth one of the least commandments, and teacheth men so, shall be least in the kingdom of heaven." Item, the Father has said from heaven, Matth. 17, 5.: "This one you shall hear." And long before, Deut. 18:19: "I will raise up a prophet unto them, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall tell them all things that I shall call him. But whosoever will not hear his words, that will I avenge." Truly, these and similar sayings leave the church no power to change or cancel Christ's word, but throw them under Christ's word, and call them to be kept and done, as an earnest of God's commandment, which he will punish where it is not kept. How much more will he punish those who still annul and change it.

15. and, since God is for, where the Christian church would have power to change God's word

and abolish it, we would no longer have any certain word of God. For it is clear that where it can change one word of God, it can also change all other words of God, even that one, so that it itself can establish and maintain a Christian church. For there remains no reason nor difference why it may change one and not the other, because it has power over it. Thus she would change and abolish the ten commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the faith, and herself, so that she would not have to be the devil's whore; as the church of the pope is, which has such power over God's word, and robs her of it with blasphemous sacrilege. Therefore, no Christian should suffer here, or allow that the holy church should be exposed to such an abominable sacrilege in this cursed edict.

(16) But whether they would say that this is speaking too near to Christianity, and that it would be condemned by us, as not keeping Christ's commandment; as they now cry out and say, The Lutherans condemn the whole of Christianity, which yet holds the one form, and dents both; therefore the one form must be right, or the Christian church would be condemned. Answer: If one is to answer such criers, I will say this: If it should come to the necessity (as it cannot) that either the church must err or Christ must lie, I would rather say that the church errs than that Christ is a liar. For although the church errs, it would not be condemned because it has the glorious article: Forgiveness of sins. Yes, if the Church did not err nor sin, why would it need the article "forgiveness of sins"? But if Christ became a liar, all would be lost, and there would be no hope or salvation.

(17) The shameful papists and blasphemers boast that the church is holy and may not err, wanting to preserve all their abominations; but they do not want to respect these other things, that Christ does not have to lie or be absent, and that it is more important that Christ be true and certain than that the church be holy and not err. Neither is it true that the church does not err or sin. For she prays daily, "Forgive us our sins" [Matt. 6:12], and believes in forgiveness.

1674 Erl. (2.) SS, 5"-8i. Cap. 13: From the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530, W. XVI, 2027-2029, 1675.

of sin, nor is ashamed of the prayer in Psalm [Ps. 19:13], "Who notices all sin?" For she still lives in the sinful flesh, and says with St. Paul, Rom. 7:19, "I do evil"; and again, v. 18:25, "I serve with the flesh the law of sins, and dwell in my flesh no good thing." But of Christ alone, and of no one else, is written Isa. 53:9: "He hath done no sin, neither is any falsity found in his mouth."

(18) Therefore these are great blind guides, who want all the words and works of the church to be pure and good, so that everything is an article of faith and valid. For if she does not do and teach according to the certain word of Christ, but does and teaches something apart from the same word, who can make me sure that she does not err and sin therein? Yes, who can doubt that she then certainly errs and sins? Because she still lives in the sinful flesh, and acts without the sanctuary, "God's word," and cannot be without sin. The church is holy, that is true; but to be holy does not mean to be without sin and error here on earth, but it means (as St. Paul says [Eph. 5:27]) to be holy in spirit, through God's word, and yet to be in sins, through the flesh, which are forgiven for the sake of the Spirit of Christ, but nevertheless do not become articles or truth. For forgiven sin and error is still sin and error, and never becomes right or truth, even though it does not condemn. They are very coarse theologians and blind teachers who write in their hearts that the holy church is completely holy and has no sin or error. Such is their head's poetry, on which they build so many articles of faith. But the Scripture says otherwise, as has been heard; nor should anyone believe the church itself, where it does or speaks without and apart from Christ's word. In Christ's word she is holy and certain; apart from Christ's word she is certainly an erroneous, poor sinner, yet undamned for the sake of Christ in whom she believes.

19 This is what I want to say against the stiff-necked boasters who are always chattering: the church, the church, the church! do not know what the church is, nor what the sanctity of the church is; they go on about it, and make the church like this.

holy, that Christ must be their liar above it, and his word count for nothing at all. On the other hand, we must also boast again, church be it, church be it, however holy it may be, so Christ must not be a liar. The church itself confesses, both with teachings, prayers and faith, that it is a sinner before God, and often errs and sins; but Christ is the truth Himself, and can neither lie nor sin. Therefore, as far as the church lives and speaks in the word and faith of Christ, she is holy, and (as St. Paul says) righteous in spirit. But as far as she does and speaks without Christ's word and faith, she errs and sins. But whoever makes articles of faith out of such sinful deeds and words of the church, blasphemes both the church and Christ Himself as liars. But this is what the blind leader Pope does, with his blind sophists, who fall down and chatter that all the words and works of the church must be holy and the truth.

20 And that we come to the point: If then the holy church had taken up and changed both forms, it does not follow that it should be considered right, because Christ's words are clearly against it, but it should be considered an error and sin of the church, which should be corrected and atoned for after it is recognized, and not deny and defend sin with the false Saul, which Samuel calls idolatry [1 Sam. 15:20, 23]. But now the church did not do it, and did not change both forms, but had to suffer it as a free violence of the spiritual tyrants, who, according to their will, stole such things from under the church's name, as murderers; and now, when the church cries out and demands such robbery again, they rage even more, and want to defend their tyrannical robbery against God and Christ's word. But they shall succeed in this, as Cain and Saul succeeded in their raging. The church, which until now has had to suffer such robbery and has been deceived by the false priests, has therefore remained undamned. For it did not do it, but suffered alone, and often acted contrary to it. Even though it had sinned ignorantly and deceived, all was forgiven for the sake of Christ in whom it believed.

(21) It is also evident that there is a great difference between doctrines and life, the same as between the two.

1676 Erl. (s.) 25,61-63. sect. 11. the other Reichstag treaty. No. 1157. w. xvi. 2029-2032. 1677

as there is a great difference between heaven and earth. The life may well be impure, sinful and infirm; but the doctrine must be pure, holy, clean and constant. The life may be lacking, which does not keep all that the doctrine wants; but the doctrine (says Christ [Matth. 5, 18.]) does not have to be lacking in a bag or letter, although the life may be lacking a whole word or a whole squad in the doctrine. The reason is that the teaching is God's word and God's truth itself, but the life is part of our doing. Therefore the doctrine must remain completely pure; and whoever is lacking in life and is infirm, God may well have patience and forgive; but the doctrine itself, according to which one should live, he cannot and will not suffer, nor should he suffer it. For this affects his high divine majesty itself, there is neither forgiveness nor patience, so let it be in peace and mastered.

(22) David had certainly sinned against God's commandment with his life, but since he confessed his sin and thereby confirmed God's commandment, and did not change it, but rather punished himself than God's commandment, such sin had to be forgiven him and did no harm. But Saul sinned in such a way that he justified and defended his sin, so that he blasphemed God's commandment and acted as if he were right and God were a liar and wrong; this could not be forgiven him. So here, if the church had not only been ignorant and deceived (as I said), but had also knowingly omitted both forms when it had not done so, it would not yet have been condemned. For in doing so, she would not have denied or abandoned the teachings of God, but only (like David) done against God's commandment; which must be forgiven her, because she recognized it. But to force her to condemn the doctrine of both forms and to defend herself against such a commandment of God, that is, to call God a liar, and to consider and boast of her own sin as truth and right, this cannot be forgiven, for it is sin against the Holy Spirit. The church has not done this, nor will it ever do so. She confesses, sings and confesses freely in public that she sins against God's word, both of them.

knowingly and unknowingly, and asks for forgiveness of sins; but it does not deny God's word, nor change it, nor cancel it.

For where the word of God has been given, there is no more sin, and no one can make a conscience, as Paul says in Rom. 7:7, 8: "Where there was no law, there was no sin. Where there is no sin, there is no forgiveness, nor care or request for forgiveness; just as the papists say here that both forms are not God's commandment. Because they hold this, they must continue to say that there is no sin, but that it is right to let both forms stand. But because they have no sin, they may not ask nor have forgiveness for such sin, so they go safely in their denied sins and blasphemy into the abyss of hell. This is enough to show that the church cannot make an article of faith out of it. For she is a sinner and sins daily, both unknowingly and knowingly, and our faith must be based on God's word alone in all articles, and without God's word no article of faith is to be tolerated.

(24) Above this, it is also a lie that the whole church is condemned by us if we condemn the doctrine of the One Form. For the papal church alone holds the One Form, yes, it suffers from the end of Christ, but all other churches in the whole world hold both forms, as they have held from the beginning. And here we must also consider that we do not condemn both forms, together with the churches that consider it right, as the papists cry out that their church, caught under the end Christ, should not be condemned. For the other churches hold both forms to be right, and one form to be wrong, and also shun them as wrong. If one form were to be considered right, we would first of all condemn the whole church. Therefore not we (as they cry), but they, the papists, condemn the whole Christianity, because they praise the One Form as right, against all other churches in the world from the beginning, also against knowledge and will of their church, which lies imprisoned under them.

25. but this is the chief of all wickedness, and such shameful, impudent

1678 Erl. (S.) 25, 63-65. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, M32-2N35. 1679

Blasphemy, that is not to be said. They confess that both forms are right, and they also want to let us have the same form at Augsburg, if we also want to teach and confess that one form is also right. Then listen to the wretched devil's mouths; they confess that both forms are right, but if we do not consider the one form to be right, then ours should not be right either. Right you have (they say), but such right shall be wrong, such truth shall be lie, such commandment of God shall be forbidden, such obedience shall be sin, if you do not also give us right in the One Form.

(26) What is this but sawing, for God shall be the devil, heaven shall be hell, life shall be death, where you do not let us also be right? Dear God, where is this going? To confess that the word of God is right and true, and yet to condemn, forbid, heresy, rebuke, and to murder and torment people over it, where one does not want to make oneself partaker of their sin, and say that they are also righteous. Why do they not let us have such a right, which they themselves confess, and do they go with their one figure, without us, wherever they want to go? If it is right, they will find it well; why do they want to weigh us down with their deeds? Yes, why do they pursue the right in us, which they themselves confess? But such horrible, terrible, raging blasphemy will put an end to the game, and provoke Christ to come; for it is too hard and too much, it will surely tear the sack.

(27) I will now leave it alone, since in this edict they condemn those who make vain bread and wine of the sacrament. For now all the world knows well that we do not teach such things, but have opposed them to the highest degree; and it would have been fitting for such Edict's masters to show a little gratitude, and to praise us in such an article, and not to mock us with blind words, as we are not ashamed (praise God!) to praise and extol what we find good in the papal church. For we know, praise God, that if the Lutherans had not received the Sacrament, the papists would have failed. But let such ingratitude also pass; the pious heretics, the Lutherans (who are their protection and umbrella), do not like it; therefore, they should be treated with respect.

other heretics come, who will not deal with them, as the Lutherans do; they shall give them room, without their thanks, the same shall make us Lutherans pious; what is the point?

28 But that they indicate causes why one figure should be needed, namely: there is as much under one figure as under both; although I have otherwise written much against it, I must again indicate it to the blind guides. The question here is not whether there is as much or less under one form? Such evasive speeches indicate that one shuns the light, and the truth is shy; but this is the question, here lies the knot, here one should stand and answer, namely: whether one must keep God's word or not? But God has set His word that both forms are right, and not one form. If all the leaves and the grass, all the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the sea cried out for eternity, saying, "There is as much under one form as under both," no heart will be satisfied, but the conscience overrules all this and says this very thing: Dear, you tell me many things, that there is as much under one form as under both; God's word nevertheless stands there, and orders me nevertheless to use both forms, and he knows without doubt better than all of you whether there is as much under one form as under both; nevertheless he orders to use both forms. What shall a poor conscience say against such God's word, command and order, because it does not help that under one form there is as much as under both?

29 For I reckon that under one form there is a thousand times more than under both; indeed, if under both forms there is nothing, and under one form there is everything, what good is that to me? Nevertheless, God's word remains of both forms, and does not ask how much or little I count under one or both forms? And a poor conscience must say: Dear, there is nowhere as much under one form as under both, namely, under one form is only half of the words of God or his command, but under both forms are the words of God both and completely. Dearly beloved, it is not true that the words of God are out of sight, and that with God

1680 Erl. (2.) 25,65-67. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1157. W. XVI,2035 -2037. 1681

How much is under one or both of them. It is said: "He who is of God hears the Word of God" [John 8:47]. The word, the word (I say) must be regarded more than the whole sacrament with all that it is and can do. For it is in the word that it lies, and where it is to be divorced and eaten, one should let the whole sacrament go before leaving a few letters or tittle of the words. But now they do not ask anything about the word of God, and in the meantime they seal a whole sacrament in a half sacrament, for they are despisers of God and blasphemers of His word!

(30) If the edict here almost says that no innovation should be made here, then even such smart alecks and blasphemers should take themselves by the nose, who reproach God's word for an innovation, even though they know that they are lying here, as the public evil-doers. For they know that God's word of both forms is not an innovation, but was established by Christ Himself, and has been obediently kept by the church for more than fifteen hundred years. They themselves, however, are the ones who have devised an innovation against the old and eternal Word of God and the practice brought to all of Christendom up to this point, with their one form; now go and baptize their new poems for an old thing, and the eternal Word of God together with the whole Christian Church obedience for an innovation, thereby not only disgracing the whole holy Christian Church, as an erroneous, damned whore, who did not keep the right old Word of God, but has adopted a heretical innovation, but also the eternal God Himself as a liar and fool, who has not previously ordered His holy word of both forms through Christ in the Lord's Supper, but has recently done so against their foolish poetry. Well, blaspheme confidently, dear Pabstesel, because you have time, it will soon be different! However, no one can keep such edicts, except the children of the devil. God protect all Christians for this!

The other piece is about the mass. This laudable edict states that both the common mass and the special mass (they want to speak politely of the corner mass, and call them special masses, as if the church had two different masses or sacraments) should be held, together with

the chant, prayer, ceremonies, dress and orders, also the inculcation and posture of the major and minor canons, is kept as before, and in which no change nor innovation is to be made etc. There you have it all at once, what you should do and what you should not do, without the word of the holy Cardinal Campegii, when he answered the emperor and spoke of the angular masses: he wanted to be torn to pieces before he would let the mass go or change. For with this word, as with an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the mass would be confirmed, and at the same time our confession would be established by the holy Gospels, as they boast above. For how can it be that such a holy man's word should not be the holy gospel and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? It should truly be considered so, lest he be torn to pieces.

32. Now then, you hear for the second time that the intercession of the Holy Spirit (which is the head and reason of this edict) is over the holy Gospels, and that our confession (which condemned such a mass through the Gospels) is nevertheless transferred through the Gospels, as they boast above in the beginning; Not that such poets are to be considered drunk, for they have soberly made such edict, but that they are mad and foolish (through God's wrath) and do not see how shamefully they lie against themselves, namely, that they praise the Evangelia, so that they want to have our confession mislaid, and nevertheless continue to act against the Evangelia, according to their pronouncement, and should always be their spirit's pronouncement Evangelia and over all Evangelia. But it must be that a liar must be a forgotten man, who cannot think how beginning and end rhyme together.

33 Since the Holy Spirit and the holy Gospels (so that our confession is transferred and their mass is confirmed) say that the mass should be kept as before and that no change should be made, you may well think that in the holy Gospels both canons, chalice and chalice, plates and caps, hearing and howling, must be found; item, a

1682 Erl. (2.) 25, 67-69. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2037-2010. 1683

Sell the mass for six pennies to the souls in purgatory, to the sailors on the sea, to the merchant on the land, to the sick in the house, and help everyone in all matters with it, to court the angels and saints in heaven with it, and all in all, to make a treasure market and trade out of the mass, to feed and honor the belly with it, and neither speak nor hear anything about the faith nor comfort of the souls, just as has been done so far. Such, I say, must all be in the holy Gospels. For they have laid our confession (which condemns such abominations) with the holy gospels, and confirmed such things. Yes, my brother, how do you think about these masters? It is often said that eagles and lynxes see sharply; but they are blind as a bat to these masters, who can see in the Gospels both canons, garments, and all kinds of masses. These may be called truly sharp doctors, who have sat higher than among the chickens.

34 Here you see that the desperate and evil-doers act with us out of pure evil and spite, and so publicly and shamefully blaspheme the reverend Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord; not only do they not want to atone for or do away with the unspeakable, countless, horrible abuses of the Mass, but they also want to confirm them, defend them, and increase them forever. Oh God from heaven! Is this not too high and too much superiority? Won't you look at it once in a while? Does this not cry out to you from heaven, when has any sin ever cried out to heaven? Shall not those go unpunished who blaspheme thy name, how then do these most heinous blasphemers go so freely? Shall not the Turk and all the plagues have luck against us? Should not those who hear and see such blasphemies like Lot in Sodoma [2 Pet 2:8] almost despair of sins?

35) But it is sufficiently proved, and no pabst will overthrow it, that the mass is the Word and Sacrament of God, which he offers and gives to us; for there are the bright, dry words: "Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you.

will. Likewise also the cup" etc. [Matth. 26,26.27. Marc. 14,22. Luc. 22,19. 1 Cor. 11, 23. ff.] In these words we remain, in these words we stand, in these words we want to live and die (if God wills), in these words the mass is founded. Here you do not find that we should buy and sell the sacrament or the mass. Here you do not find that we offer or give anything to God with it. Here you do not find that we should honor the saints with it. Here you do not find that souls should be bought out of purgatory with it. Here you do not find that one may help the other from sins and all kinds of distress through the mass, as both of their blasphemous canons and their teachers do, and as they recently saw in the Gospels at the Imperial Diet in Augsburg, and learned by speaking. For before, they found it in no gospel; but when they should have mislaid our confession, the gospels fully, fully, fully and completely confirmed it all.

(36) But here we find Christ saying, "Given for you for the remission of sins. Forgiveness of sins is to be sought and found here for eternal life, and to remember the Lord Jesus Christ, preaching his suffering until he comes. Do not say: Sacrifice or give Me something in the mass, but say: Take you (not I) and eat you (not I), drink you (not I). We, we are to receive and take here; but he gives and gives. Now if not only the two canons, but as many canons were against these words as raindrops on earth, and if every pabstle and mule were more than a thousand Gabriels in heaven, and cried for ever sacrificial mass, sacrificial mass! what would all this be against such bright words of Christ? And as said above, if it were possible that the whole of Christianity would keep the mass as such Pabstels want, what would it be then? Christ's word must still stand, and be more valid than the church, for Christ's word is God's word; all creatures must yield to it and honor it, and not suffer it to be a false liar, as the wretched Pabstists blaspheme it here.

37. and how they alone have this sacra-.

1684 Erl. (2.) SS, SS-72. sec. II. The other Reichstag resolution. No. 1157. W. XVI.2040-2043. 1685

ment thus made a sacrifice of purchase? Why did they not also make baptism and all its seven sacraments a sacrifice? If the other sacraments are all gifts of God, which we do not give, but receive and accept, how must this one sacrament, as a child of God, not be equal to the others, and also remain such a gift of God? Must this alone be concluded from the definition or nature of all sacraments? But what shall I argue against the wanton blasphemers and impenitent pabstles? It is as the bishop of Salzburg said: Oh, what do you want to reform us priests! We priests have never been good. So do not be good and do not remain good, in the name of your god, the devil! How dare you reform us, who confess that we are good and right? Is it not enough that you are evil-doers and traitors to God, as you impudently boast yourselves to be, but do you also want to force us righteous ones to be lost with you and never to be good? These are not words of human malice, but if the devil himself wants to speak in the most diabolical way, how could he make it more diabolical, because thus: We are not good, and also do not want to be good, but also do not want others to be good nor remain good.

(38) For the sake of brevity, I will leave aside what else the edict says about confirmations and anointings, for it is nothing else, neither their holy intercession nor the new holy evangels, so that they have mislaid our confession; which evangels they have now found in Augsburg in the smoke hole or secret chamber, that is, they have invented and lied out of their false, lying heart. For our evangelicals, so known in all the world, know nothing of their confirming and anointing, but they have to work and make sacraments where there are none, and where there are, they have to make sacrifices and our work out of it, so that they do not celebrate and go idle.

The third piece is about free will. There they mumble about as if they had hot porridge in their mouths, without having to spit out their poison, and so it reads: "Because of free will, because the same error with its appendages is not human, but animal.

and is blasphemy, it should not be held, taught, or preached" etc. From this no one can know which error they condemn, whether it be those who hold no free will; or those who hold all free will; or those who hold half or a little of free will. For they themselves have never been one among themselves, nor will they ever be one as to what free will should be; they pick and bite at it themselves, like mad swine among themselves, and yet condemn the error of free will, and give no name to the error; therefore we must measure such their judgment by their heart and not by their mouth. But their heart is hostile to us; therefore, of course, their mouth will mean our teaching.

(40) This is another new art, which they have learned from the discourse and from the new gospels, namely, that they themselves do not know what free will is, nor can they ever know it or become one; nevertheless they boast about it and condemn the doctrine of free will out of hand. For if they were to teach me what free will is, they would certainly have to answer me thus: One teacher says this, the other that, and the high schools are still divided about it. If I then asked further, which is the best teacher, they do not know either, but each one follows and dares to follow his doctor. But in this they are nevertheless one, that they condemn our doctrine, just as Pilate and Herod, quite hostile to one another, became one about Christ. So this edict teaches us here that we should avoid our doctrine, and instead let them lead us on a monkey's tail; and the opinion is: You have unrighteous doctrine, but we do not yet have certain right doctrine. These are called, with leave, great, coarse asses' heads, who condemn a thing, since they themselves confess that they neither know nor understand it. For who can know what is error in free will who does not yet know for certain what free will is or is not?

(41) This, of course, is quite an animal error, and not a human error, to condemn and yet confess that they do not know what it is; and this much is said: What we know, we do not know.

1686 Erl. (2.) SS, 72-74. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. xvi, 2043-2045. 1687.

The new holy Gospels have taught us this at Augsburg. It is as if the highly learned and noble, wise cattle, the swine, decided at their imperial diet: We sows command that no one should think that muscats are noble spices; but what they are, we do not know; but we hold, some, that they are marc, some, that they are bran, some, that they are cabbage leaves, some, that they are the delicious farmers' greaves under the fences. Our highly learned and enlightened sows at Augsburg act just as wisely here, and in the meantime scold God's truth as a beastly and blasphemous thing.

42 Since they do not intend to do more at the Diet than to show us their courage and say: What we want shall be right and wrong, regardless of whether God's word teaches otherwise, they would have left the pious emperor at home and unconcerned, since we had known before that they put the end-Christ's virtue against and above God, and everything that is called God and is honored for God [2 Thess. 2, 4]. But it all goes according to the bishop's word in Salzburg: "The priests are not good, and according to Campegii's advice, who wants to be torn to pieces before he wants to be good and accept the recognized truth. Nor do I blame them for doing evil because they do not want to be good, just as little as I blame a thorn bush for pricking; I would blame a fig tree if it bore thorns, and I would blame the pope and his clergy if they once did something really good. Let the boys go.

43 Our doctrine that free will is dead and nothing is powerfully grounded in Scripture; I am speaking of free will against God and in the affairs of the soul. For what should I argue much about the free will that rules over cows and horses, over money and goods? I almost know that Gen. 1, 26.ff. God gave man dominion over cattle and over the earth. This does not belong here. If there were no other saying than the one of St. Paul 2 Tim. 2, 26: "They are captives of the devil according to his will", then we would have Scripture and reason enough.

To be captives of the devil is truly no freedom, and especially because they are so captive that they have to live according to his will; the devil's free will must certainly be his will, because they have to live according to it, as his captives. This is clearly the teaching of St. Paul, and Christ himself agrees with it, Luc. 11, 21. 22. where he says: "If the strong man keeps his court, his own remains in peace; but if a stronger man comes over him" etc. Here Christ himself testifies that the devil possesses his own with peace, unless the stronger comes over him.

(44) We remain with this saying, for otherwise it is sufficiently and abundantly written that we also have the deed and the work itself for us, namely that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had to redeem us from the devil, death and sins through His own blood [Acts 20:28, Heb. 9:12]. Now if there had been a free will in us, against or over the devil, death and sin, he would not have been allowed to die for us; and whoever can escape sin without Christ can also escape death, "For death is the punishment of sins", Rom, '6, 23. But no man has yet been found who has proven his free will over and against death, but death has proven its free will and power over all men, which it would not be able to do if sin (which is the right and power of death) had not first overpowered and captured man. We remain with this deed and article of faith in Christ, and let the papists' plea and the new gospel remain a secret. No one will convince us that Christ has redeemed us from the devil, death and sins. Where this remains, there remains no other free will than that which is captive to the devil, death, and sin. If this is a freedom, then let it be that of those who make their appeals to new evangeliis, against the right, old evangeliis.

The fourth part is about the main article of the Christian faith, namely, that only faith without works makes one righteous. They speak of this in the edict: "And since it is evident from the Scriptures that faith alone, without love and good works, does not make one righteous, and since God requires good works in many places in the Scriptures, the article

1688 Erl. (2.) 25,74-76. sect. 11. the other Reichstag farewell. No. 1157. W. XVI, 2015-2048. 1689

that faith alone makes righteous, and good works are rejected, are not preached nor taught" etc. What they say here about not rejecting good works, they speak maliciously with blind words, to disparage us as if we reject good works, when they know otherwise that we do more good works than the whole papacy has ever done, which has never understood good works, as is otherwise sufficiently proven; nor can they cease their poisonous lies and blasphemies. And in Summa Summarum, there is not a word in this edict, it has the gloss in it: "Priests have never been good. The word transfigures all the letters of this edict.

46. and what should such sowers understand in this high, holy article of good, if they cannot stand the lower articles, but that a man may have a woman, a woman may have a man in marriage; a man may eat and drink what God gives him and creates; a Christian may enjoy both forms of the sacrament, and the like much more. It would be a pity that such mad cattle and foul swine should smell these muscats, let alone eat and enjoy them. Let them teach and believe: Who leaves a forz in the choir shirt, that is a mortal sin, and who soaps over the altar, that is a damned one. Or that I also come to their high articles; whoever rinses his mouth with water and swallows a drop, may not say mass on that day, whoever forgets his mouth open so that a mosquito flies into his throat, may not receive the sacrament on that day, and such innumerable, glorious, excellent, high articles on which their secular church is founded. These are articles worth talking about; what should they esteem great faith and good works, such low, bad, silly things?

But because I see that the devil must always blaspheme this main article through the pillars, and cannot rest nor cease, I, Doctor Martin Luther, an evangelist unworthy of our Lord Jesus Christ, say that this article: "Faith alone, without all works, makes one righteous in the sight of God", should be left standing and remain the Roman emperor, the Turkish emperor, the doddering emperor, the Persian emperor, the pope, all cardinals, bishops, priests, monks,

Nuns, kings, princes, lords, all the world together with all devils, and shall have hellish fire on their heads, and no thanksgiving. Let this be my, Doctor Luther's, intercession of the Holy Spirit, and the right holy gospel.

48 For there is the article that the children pray: "I believe in Jesus Christ crucified and dead" etc. There is no one who died for our sins, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus the Son of God alone, I say again, Jesus the Son of God alone has redeemed us from sins, this is certainly true, and all the Scriptures; and if all the devils and the world should tear themselves apart and burst, it is true. But if it is he alone who takes away sin, we cannot do it by our works; for it is impossible for me to grasp and obtain such a one and only Savior from sins, Jesus, other than by faith; by works he is and remains beyond our grasp. But since faith alone, before and before works follow, grasps such a redeemer, it must be true that faith alone grasps such redemption before and without works; which can be nothing else than being justified. For to be redeemed from sins, or to have sins forgiven, must be no other than to be or become righteous etc. But after such faith or received redemption, or forgiveness of sin, or righteousness, good works then follow, as such fruits of faith. This is our doctrine, and so teaches the Holy Spirit, and all holy Christendom, that we abide in God's name, amen.

49 After this there is an addition in the edict. There they set several articles, of benefices, of priestly marriages, of the same repentance and conversion, of their punishment, of lewd wives of the priests, of examinations of the preachers by the ordinaries. 1) It is offered to them by ours at Augsburg, and I in my exhortation to them have also des-

1) In Luther's autograph, there is the following addition, which he himself, however, deleted: "who look at me as if it were Duke Georgen of Saxony's wisdom, for he always has such finns in his nose, to whom, if God grants me life and health, I will once answer from his preface to the New Testament and other vicious writings, and then also touch these crickets of his head".

1690 Erl. (2.) 25.76-78. cap. 13. of the imperial diet at Augsburg in 1530. W. LVI, 2048-2050. 1691

I have also offered to gladly accept their ecclesiastical authority, or, as they call it, jurisdiction, 1) as long as they let the gospel go free and stop the abuses, which they themselves know to be abominable abuses, and they are obligated not only to let the gospel go free, but also to preach it themselves and to leave life and limb over it; Then the benefices could be well dealt with, and capable pastors appointed, and all things would have been well to help and advise. Yes, that they should yield to this, let alone do it themselves. They want to have their ecclesiastical authority to confirm their abuses, and to dampen the gospel, and to murder, burn, drown, execute and chase away devout Christians over it. This is called spiritual supremacy, relying on the power of men, which cannot fail, for men cannot die; so also God cannot hinder or control men; therefore they certainly have it, as it is written Ps. 33:16: "A king is not helped that he is mighty." Item: "A strong man cannot stand by his strength." Such sayings now give the lie to them, therefore they must surely succeed in everything.

50 Then follows an article that priests who live dishonestly or with dishonest wives should not be tolerated. Truly, here they attack things with seriousness. Fie devils, how will it be that they also attack themselves so severely; this will certainly be one of the right words and the main saying of the new gospels. But they are dark words, and may have three kinds of meaning. The first is that the priests should have no whores of their own with them, for these are dishonest women, but should go to the lords, citizens and peasants to wives and daughters, these are honest women; as that old bullfinch meant and said: We priests have become fools; when I was young, we slept with the townspeople at their wives and daughters, then the wives became dear to us, and the men also had to be dear to us, if they were to have thunder; but now every man wants to have his own whore, the wives are not dear to us.

1) See Col.982, supra, § 77 et seq.

We have become an enemy; therefore, we are no longer counted as anything by men. This is the right and best mind of this article.

The other is that the priests should live badly without wives, that is a papal and cardinal mind, who live without wives, as Daniel proclaimed [Cap. 11, 37], and the example is before the eyes in the highest holy chastity, learned from Sodoma and Gomorrah; the mind can well suffer the article, yes, I respect, their Holy Spirit's intercession means the same especially. The third is that the priests should live chastely in all things, like the angels in heaven. This mind is not their earnestness, but a mirror fencing; for they themselves know well that they cannot have so many sowers as to cut off all the priests. So it is in the day that there are few priests who can live chastely where they are not cut, although they would like to do so. It would also harm the bishops in the kitchen, where the poor priests should not give whore money and milk money. Summa, there are desperate boys in the skin that they put such an article, since they know well that it cannot be raised, and the bishops themselves and canons do not want to nor can they stop their shameful public whoring, and are the greatest whore hunters on earth, which may not be witnessed, they do it impudently before all the world, and want to force other people to chastity. Oh how fine it is when a bishop is an arch-whore hunter, and calls a poor priest to live chastely.

52) But the most serious thing is that they herewith take God in the mouth and forbid marriage, which God created, as St. Paul says in 1 Tim. 4, 3, that such commandments are devilish doctrine, as they well know; nevertheless, they refrain from curbing God's work, creature, will and word; they pretend that the priests must keep their vow, which they made in the consecration. This vow must be the cover of shame, under which one blasphemes and desecrates God in His word and works, and also cancels and denies the first and highest vow, since we have vowed. Let him be our God, and let us honor and praise his word and work above all things. On the other hand, no vow may be valid that disgraces or dishonors his word and work, such as this vow without marriage (which is impossible to keep).

1692 Erl. (2.) L5,78-80. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1157 W. LVI, 2VS0-S0S3. 1693

Marriage blasphemes and defiles, both with blasphemous forbiddance and shameful whoring and bawdiness. But no one listens, they want to know.

They further command that one should not preach that one wants to suppress or destroy the holy gospel and God's word. That would be a piece of wisdom for once, a sober word has escaped from the drunkard. Truly, it is wisely decreed that they should not be called destroyers of the gospel. For they are not, they only act as if they wanted to destroy it. That they are not, however, is not due to a lack of good will, as the deed shows before our eyes, but to the power that God does not want them to have. Let us ask God to judge whether he will judge those who want to destroy and suppress his word with persecution, murder and burning with all their heart. I will not hold them (as they desire) to be destroyers or suppressors of God's word, nor will I reproach them, and the devil also knows to thank them for leaving it undestroyed and unsuppressed; they shall, like Caiphas, have prophesied about themselves herewith that they will not destroy nor suppress God's word, amen.

They say that the Gospel should be taught according to the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and teachers approved by the common holy Christian Church. Here they come and bring him, the good journeyman! Dear, where can we find the Gospel interpreted according to the Scriptures? Are we drunk here, or do we dream such things? And who are the teachers approved by the common Christian church? It may be D. Eck, D. Schmid, and D. Rotzlöffel, otherwise I know of none who are approved by the common Christianity. For St. Ambrose, Augustine, and similar writings are unknown in other churches, except the Latin Church. Nor would I advise the pope himself that the Evangelia should be taught according to St. Augustine, Ambrose, Hierouymi, Gregory, Hilari, etc. The devil should throw him, and he would not be pope for long! So the pope does not want to do it, but wants to be judge and master over all the teachers, and over the Gospels and the Holy Scriptures.

be heard alone. Moreover, this edict above has itself praised the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the new gospels, so that they have transferred the confession of ours. What is the use of such jiggery-pokery and lies with such shameful lies? They smear our mouths as if they wanted to teach the Gospels according to the interpretation of the Scriptures; and yet their opinion is no different than to teach according to their inspiration and according to the Pope's conceit. This must be called holy scripture, as we have just heard about both forms and other things.

(55) Since the pope cannot nor will suffer this article, and also rejects this imperial edict himself and respects nothing, we would certainly be excused if we did not keep it either. But we would gladly keep it, if they would let us, which they do command; that is so much to say: They are grossly disgraceful Pabstists and liars, who themselves do not see what they say, and how their lies always disgrace themselves; and nevertheless command to keep such things for holy scripture and articles of faith. Let us stick to this rule, which St. Paul teaches us Rom. 12:7: "Let all prophecy be like faith." Those teachers who teach according to faith in Christ, we want to teach and keep. But whomsoever teacheth not according to faith, him will we neither hear nor see, whether he be pope, or emperor, or devil, or his mother. For we are baptized into Christ, that we may believe his word, and are not baptized into teachers or popes or churches. We cannot lack St. Paul's rule; but how the teachers meet in many things is sufficient for the day.

56 They then commanded that the preachers teach the observance of the commanded feast days, the avoidance of forbidden food, and the keeping of the religious to their vows, and not to reject them etc. First of all, they said that the Gospel should be taught according to the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. Hereupon they commanded. To keep feasts, fasts, plates and caps. Why? Because they found it in the Gospel, which should be taught according to the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. They see so sharply that they also find feasts, fasts, plates and caps in the Gospel. But they soon have their glosses

1694 Erl. (L.) 25.80-82. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2053-20S6. 1695

They have found their own language, and what they think is right is called the gospel. Therefore they can easily see such things inside, even if they are dreaming or drunk. How shamefully such loose, careless liars listen! God blinds them in such a way that they cannot utter a word, lest they smite themselves in the cheeks and betray. Truly, I could never so shamefully reproach them nor disgrace them as they disgrace themselves with this wretched dictum of lies.

And the sum is: one should not accept any innovation in the way of the church, under penalty of life, limb and property. God protect us, they also want to take your life, if you do not use consecrated salt and water and the like etc. But how finely the devil paints himself in this edict, and seals his art, so that one should notice that he has been there. He is a liar and a murderer, says Christ Joh. 8, 44. This edict, his controfait, image and similar fruit must also confirm this. For in the beginning they, as the true children of the devil, have put forward their lies (that is, the lies of the wicked devil) for new evangelia, and have driven them through the whole edict. Here at the end they want to murder and kill all those who do not want to keep their lies. Thus the beginning and end of this edict fit together so well that one must assume that the liar and murderer, the devil, has fed it out of his own mouth, or rather thrown it out of his butt. Fie on the shame in German lands, that one should kill a man for the sake of a small ceremony, which they themselves do not want to keep nor keep! How much God has been praised and defied. One should rather be a Turk than a disciple of such desperate boys and blasphemers. Well, well, become mature, dear liars and murderers, God will send one who shall shake the tree.

In the end, they command that the monks and monastery properties be restored and reinstated etc. Spare, spare, spare, dear Squires, yourselves. If you were to take this commandment seriously, since the great holy God Mammon is in favor of it, where would the Cardinal of Mainz remain, who robbed two monasteries in Halle, and demolished two parish churches, and

plays with ecclesiastical persons and goods like a juggler? Where will King Ferdinand, [the] Dukes of Bavaria, Duke George, and other papal princes remain, who are treasuring ecclesiastical persons and goods, and are fighting so that their rinds crack; which is all against the holy ecclesiastical law, that they are patrons against the Lutherans? Yes, where will the holy father pope and cardinals remain, who in Rome have purged many monasteries, where about one and a half hundred persons lived inside, so purely that two lost monks, or a loose knave, sit inside for six ducats a year and sell mass? or do they think that one does not know what the monasteries are called, or from where the cardinals get their interest? It is said, Brother Hans, take yourself by the nose, and first tear the beam out of your eye. But the opposition and sdief new Evangelia have here soon guessed that such robbery and scuffling is the gospel taught, according to the holy scripture interpretation; there it lies!

59. They know and feel themselves that the papal princes enjoy four times more of the spiritual goods, some also rob and steal much more of them than the Lutherans; nor are they so insolent that they think all the world has lost all five senses, that they can neither see nor feel; they want to be the guardians of the clergy, so that no one hurts the clergy as much as the very same guardians; they will also do it the longer the better, until the clergy learn what is said: "It is good to trust in the Lord and not in men" [Ps. 118, 8. 9.]. It serves them right, and I have to laugh in my fist when I see how they fall away from God and rely on men.

(60) I have often advised that the ecclesiastical goods should be used to maintain parishes and schools, and to support poor students; item, to provide for the visitation and other needs of parishes and churches; item, to counsel poor virgins and children; what would be left after that should be used for common benefit and for poor or needy people. But the greater part of such goods is so cursed and shamefully gained by all kinds of blasphemy and abuse that it is not worthy to come into good use. And because the pope together with all the foundations and

1696 Erl. (2.) 25, 82-85. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1157, W. XVI, 2056-20S8. 1697

If the monasteries (as the thieves and peelers) so horribly get hold of such goods that are not theirs, so shamefully fornicate, spend and squander them, and do no service for it, I do not respect it much, whether it is torn by others; it belongs to the devil, as St. Michaels Cap. 1, 7. says: "It is acquired with fornication; with fornication [it] must also be consumed."

This also serves this purpose, because the pabst's mouths cannot rest, they search, ponder and write, so that they say something bad about us, and even if they lie in the most impudent way; they look us over backwards and forwards, but always find too much good about us, which they cannot punish with truth. So I let them wash their mouths with this filth; they must wash their mouths with us, so let it be more this piece; it is better this than another. There is so much good in our country that such goods are nothing but dung compared to it; the pabst's mouths may blow it out as high as they can; although I hope that it will still get along well with our people, as much as it is worth that it gets along.

62 But I wonder why they did not put in the edict many other and great articles more than those of the brotherhoods, which are also not numerous, since every saint and every craft has a special brotherhood. Item, of indulgences and golden years, which are noticeably lacking. Item, of pilgrimages to Rome, Maria de Loreto, St. Jacob, Jerusalem, and many countless places more. Item, of purgatory; item, the special highest article of the papacy and supreme power of the church (I should say, of the pope). Item, that no monk shall walk, sit, or lie down without a chasuble. Item, that priests shall have plates and long skirts. Item, that they should read their horas canonicas to the least, where they do not want to pray. Item, of the false key and the key of meeting. That a bishop must buy his episcopal mantle from the pope for 3, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30 thousand florins, and yet it is not a simonei. Item, that the pope is emperor, and over the emperor, also in the secular regiment, as c. Solitae and c. Pastoralis 1) teach us.

1) Decret. Orc^. lib. I, tit. 33. c. 6 and Idiü. lib. I, tit. 29. e. 28. (Erl. Ausg.)

Item, that with holy water and holy salt 2) sins are blotted out and the devil is cast out; I will remain silent about many other articles that are not so excellent and necessary. These, however, should be considered as the article of one form or of free will, for the Lutherans have caused great heresy in all of these.

63 But I think that they, as the wise men, have some articles, and not all of them, they want to tell as an example, in which they also want to include all others, and to understand them under that. That this is their opinion can be seen from the fact that they do everything by their own words and new gospels, and nothing according to God's word and the old true gospels. Since in the edict they call only the articles of the intercession, it is easy to assume that they mean all articles that come from the intercession. Now, they all come from the Word of God, where else could they come from, since no Word of God or Scripture teaches the same? On the other hand, one notices that they say that one should not innovate badly. In these words it is clearly expressed that one should leave everything as it was before and not change anything at all. Therefore, all other unnamed articles are certainly included, even those which they themselves confess to be blasphemous and shameful abuses and errors, the obvious lies and cheating with indulgences, sanctuary, pilgrimages and the like.

(64) Well, there you have the desperate, hardened enemies of God and blasphemers, who may command us not only to err, lie, and deceive, but also to consider such errors, lies, and cheating to be right and good, which is most grievously sinned against in the Holy Spirit. For what is it said, you shall not innovate, for this much: before you should change or innovate anything, how wrong and unjust it is (as we well know), you shall rather hold it to be right and good, and rather blaspheme God day and night into heaven, than that you should innovate? Such a decision should have been justified by such an edict, and there was no better one.

2) In the original: "soft salt" wheat salt.

1698 Erl. (2.) 25.85-87. cap. 13. of the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. w. xvi, 2058-2061. 1699.

so that it would shout its own shame before the world, so that even the stones and wood would feel and realize how God has blinded and defiled them, so that they would always be punished with blindness and sin above the others, as the 69th Psalm, v. 29, says: "Let them fall into one sin above another, and not come to your righteousness"; and Ps. 109, 6: "Set ungodly teachers over them, and let Satan stand at their right hand. That is right, that is how they want it. Corporal punishment is too little; but that they should be punished with sins and blindness, and gain pleasure in blaspheming the Holy Spirit, they are worthy of it; so shall God deal with such wicked men.

65 Whether some would like to pretend piety here, and pretend that the forbidden innovation does not refer to errors and deception, but to the acceptable and proper ceremonies and doctrine: Dear, this gloss does not exist, since the edict lies in the day, in which all Lutheran articles are condemned, and not one papal article. That some would be moved to the sign, since the monks have consoled the Christian souls, so acquired by Christ's blood, in death with their cap and holy order, that they should be saved by such dress and the order's merit. No, no, there is no error to be confessed, atoned for, or corrected, but only our articles, which they know to be not ours, but of the Holy Scriptures, and have nothing against them but their old custom. Therefore, because they do not name any papal article, and forbid all renewal on it, they thereby give room and authority to all preachers to keep all errors and lies, and do not allow one to be changed. Qui tacet, consentire videtur. Who wants to name an error, if the edict does not name one, and so strictly denies all innovation? They are vain arch-rogues, in all their words and works, into which they must fall through God's wrath.

66 Although I know of several fools among bishops and princes who confess that there is much error in the papacy, they argue that it is not Luther's duty to change, just as the Cardinal of Salzburg had said that he might well suffer our teaching, but that he would not be able to change it.

from the corner, that is not to be tolerated. Therefore, if they had condemned Luther before, they would then come and do what Luther does, so that they would have the honor and glory of having done such a great work of reformation. The great, coarse fools do not realize that they hereby clearly indicate how they do not seek God's praise and glory, but their own glory and honor in such actions. Awe yes, the Holy Spirit is gladly with them, and God gladly gives them great happiness! For where they sought God's glory and honor, they would not ask much from which corner or person good came, but would say thus: Is it right, why does one not do it: Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus. As also St. Paul 1 Cor. 14, 30. gives that, where it is revealed to another than the chief teacher, the chief teacher should be silent and follow. Yes, dear one, yes, God's Word will let itself be called God's Word, or not God's Word, according to the person, that where the person is great, it should be God's Word, where not, it should not be God's Word. But fools are fools, and can do nothing but fool [Proverbs 27:22].

(67) If God does not require you to do a work, who are you, fool, to undertake it? In the Book of Maccabees Cap. 5, 56. ff. we read that Joseph and Asariah also wanted to do honor with wars against the Gentiles, but they were not commanded to do so, and were beaten thoroughly. On this the text [v. 62.] says: "They were not the people to help Israel." To a good work belongs a certain divine calling, and not one's own devotion, which is called: oak suggestions. 1) It becomes sour for those who have a certain calling from God to start and accomplish something good, even though God is with them and with them. What should the senseless fools do, who want to go up without a profession, seeking their own honor and glory? Just as it is not possible otherwise, whoever undertakes something without God's calling, must seek his own honor and glory, for he is God himself, teaches

1) See St. Louis edition, vol. VIII, 61, note 3. The Erlangen edition reads here: "eigen".

1700 Erl.(s.) 25, 87f.iv9f. Sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1157s. W. XVI, 2061-2063. 1701

They do not need God and his word to do anything about it. That is why they are so blissful, and why their actions are like those of the crab, as can be seen and experienced daily.

But I, Doctor Martinus, was called and forced to become a doctor without my thanks, out of pure obedience; so I had to accept the office of doctor, and swear and vow to my most beloved holy scripture to preach and teach it faithfully and purely. Over such teaching, the papacy fell in my way and tried to prevent it; it also came upon me as if before my eyes, and it shall still come upon me worse and worse, and shall not be able to defend itself against me. I will walk in God's name and calling on the lion and viper, and trample the young lion and dragon underfoot, and this shall begin with my life and be directed after my death. St. John Hus prophesied about me when he wrote from prison in Bohemia: "They will roast a goose now (because Hus is called a goose); but for a hundred years they will hear a swan singing, and they shall suffer it, and it shall remain so, whether God wills it.

This is what I want to say about this edict as a gloss. If I am alive and someone is nursing me, then I can still itch and scratch very much. But let no one be afraid of this edict, which they so shamefully lie about and omit under the pious emperor's name. Should they not let out their lies under a pious emperor's name, if they have started and maintained their whole blasphemous, shameful nature, status, doctrine, life, and what they are and do, all under the name of God and the holy church, now over six hundred years ago? But the same our dear God wanted to put an end to such blasphemy one day, and to sanctify his name again, so that his kingdom would also come one day, and his will be done, amen, amen. And let the blasphemous papacy and all that is attached to it fall into the abyss of hell, as John proclaims in Apocalypsi [Revelation 14:8, 18:2, 22:20], amen; say whoever wants to be a Christian, amen.

1158. D. Martin Luther's writing "against the assassin at Dresden", written to save the "Warning to his dear Germans".

Towards the end of April 1531. 1)

As an introduction to this paper, one should read what we have added to the 19th volume of our edition in the introduction, p. 22d f. We have spoken about the expression "Meuchler" in No. 25, Note 2, in the appendix of the 19th volume, Col. 1822 ff. The first printing appeared under the title: "Widder den Meuchler zu Dresen gedrückt. Wart. Luther. Wittemberg. 1531." At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg Durch Hans Lufft. M.D.XXX I." 4 quarto sheets. In the same year, there is another edition, in which the printing errors of the first one are corrected. Furthermore, an edition, although under Lufft's name, but still a reprint, with the year 1531, and finally a Low German, without indication of the place (at Magdeburg, Mich. Lotther). In the collective editions: in the Wittenberg (1569), vol. IX, p. 4596; in the Jena (1566), vol. V, p. 303; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 559; in the Leipzig, vol. XX, p. 336; in the Erlangen (1st), vol. 25, p. 89 and in the second edition, vol. 25, p. 108. According to the latter, we give the text.

The papists have now let a book of shame go out against me at this Leipzig 2) market. And although they have hitherto cried out splendidly against the books of shame, so that before great respectability and virtue they have also called the books books of shame, since the names of the poets were printed on them, it is even vain virtue with such people. But this booklet has no name, and is printed in Dresden, where there is no boys' school, as in Wittenberg, and a village priest in Cöllen near Meissen must praise and extol it. What can I say? If the papists did anything else, they would not be papists; they should do all kinds of the highest knavery, and yet be called benevolent; what other people do in the best of ways should be called the worst. But all this serves me that my next two books may be confirmed and proved, that one must grasp how I have told the truth, and have not lied about what I have written about the papists.

1) To this time determination the following is to be noticed: According to the first words of this writing and what is said K 50, the same is written during the Leipzig fair. In 1531 Easter was on April 9, the Easter fair therefore from April 24 to May 13. On May 8, she was already in Dresden, as Luther reports in No. 1163 of this volume to Brück.

2) Original: "Leipzigen".

1702 Erl. (2.) 25,110-112, Cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. xvi. 2063-2065. 1703

2 Well, it is truly artificially concealed, that must not be said; no one should know where it comes from. I don't want to know it either, but want to have the snuff this time, and not smell the bachante; nevertheless, I will try my art, and hit the sack: If I hit the donkey with it, so that he feels it, I will not have hit him, but only the sack; and as I stated before, I will attack no papist alone, but all of them, be it one or many, who attack me; what one does, they shall all have done to me, and I will expose to their noses their papist virtue, committed in this booklet.

The first is (as said) that the poet of this booklet, the dear layman, 1) conceals his name, and yet brings it to the priest at Cöllen, who also does not name him.

4 The other, that he immediately, in the title and in the beginning, disgracefully blames and blasphemes me and my book, as if I had taught that one should not be obedient to the emperor, although the impudent villain knows otherwise, and my book convinces him tremendously differently. So now almost all the world knows that no one has written so gloriously about the emperor and obedience as I have; and what the papists know about it, they got from me, before they knew nothing about it; but (as I said) my books must be proved right with such perfidies; and they, the papists, if I could not scold them enough, they must scold and disgrace themselves with the deed, and call out their own name like the cuckoo.

The third, that he scolds me seditiously, and as the one who wants to make the Germans dislike the emperor and oppose all authority etc. This he denies as an arch-villain, and as a true pope; and if he is worthy of honor, or has a good drop of blood in his body, let him stand up freely, and prove the same. There are my books in the day, marked with my name, which shall happily stand in front of the nose of this scribbler and assassin, and thus say: If emperor or supreme authority wants to get against God and right, then no one shall be obedient to them, especially who knows such.

1) Duke George of Saxony, the author of the "Counterwarning of an Impartial Layman".

The villain wants to make me believe that I have completely disobeyed the emperor and the authorities. So I hear, St. Moritz and the holy ten thousand knights (as they are called) must also be rebellious, rebellious and eternally damned, that they threw away their weapons and did not want to obey the emperor to fight against the Christians; And every subject, if his mad fool (I want to say prince) wanted to fight against God and get justice, would also have to be disobedient, rebellious and rebellious, if he did not want to be obedient, and help to shed innocent blood.

(6) See, my dear reader, whether Luther lied in his two little books, since he scolded the papists as traitors, murderers, evil-doers, and, alas! not enough. This villain wants to teach us the virtue of the papists, namely, that the subjects should not be disobedient where the authorities want to shed innocent blood against God and justice. For Luther wrote of the same tyrants, and not of the authorities, who have right good things, as the books lie there and testify. Nor does he write against it, and wants to defend the obedience of such tyrants. Where authority is right, he himself knows well, the fearful villain, what Luther writes about obedience. No, fellow, you shall not adorn or cover your murderous, treacherous tyranny with the name of rebellion or disobedience. 2) I have well kept my little book in the play and put a stake in front of it for all blasphemers, so that whoever opposes it shall run up honestly, like this assassin.

The fourth is when he shows how the Lutherans are arming themselves with orders, with conspiring and alliances, which does not happen with the emperor and his own, but the emperor, as the most kind and gentle lord, has always acted to settle things amicably and peacefully etc. Of the dear Emperor Carol I consider it certain that this is so; I also know well that his imperial majesty has been kinder and gentler at Augsburg, and still is, than the bloodthirsty tyrants and priests would like, and that they have become almost mad with malice, that his imperial majesty has acted in such a way.

2) Thus the Wittenbergers. Original: "Disobedience".

1704 Erl. (2.) 25, H2-H4. Sect. 11: The other Reichstag resolution. No. 1158. W. XVI, 2065-2068. 1705

Majesty did not want to be a bloodhound with them. But that this evil-doer goes on to say that the others are also like this, he denies as an arch-villain: for, as now said, they have become almost mad with malice, since the pious emperor did not want to rage with them; that is clear in the day, as we will hear later.

8) But that the Lutherans should arm themselves and gather together is none of my business; I have neither told them to do so nor advised them to do so, nor do I know anything about what they do or do not do. But because the papists indicate through this assassin that they believe the Lutherans are in armament and order, I am glad to hear it from the heart, and I am glad that they are under such delusion and worry, and must believe that such Lutheran pretensions are true. And if I could, I would gladly help to strengthen such delusion and worry in them, until they had to fear to death, and would sing such a song from them: "Squire Cain, if you can strangle your brother Habet, you will also have your reward, that you must tremble and fear that whoever meets you will kill you, and you will never be safe, and even a rustling leaf must frighten you. If Annas and Caiphas can persecute Christ, they also have their reward, that they may be afraid of the people, saying, Awe, Awe, lest there be an uproar among the people [Matt. 26:5].

(9) So also our murderers, who have shed so much innocent blood and still want to shed it, shall have the plague that they must worry and fear that there will be a riot; and even if the Lutherans do not arm themselves, they shall still worry that Germany is full of armed Lutherans, and shall not think otherwise than that this year no tree will bear leaves, but instead only Lutheran cuirassers and riflemen; that is what they shall have. So I have asked and still pray, as it is written: Fugit impius nemine persequente, that they may be frightened and despair of their own thoughts. Rather, yes, you should be murdered, and say: Mercy juniors, you are right, you must not fear; whoever does not help you is rebellious. Yes, you should be ordered to do it!

(10) Now, if it were true that the Lutherans were preparing themselves, who told you that

Do they do it against you murderers and papists? Or who gave you the divine power to judge other people's hearts and minds? Aren't there enough dangerous times now, which need an honest, final armor in all places? But you do right, and speak as a pope should speak. Now I also suppose that such armor should apply against you murderers and traitors, so I still say, as I said, where they do it, in the opinion that they defend themselves against the bloodhounds, who want to shed innocent blood against God and right, then I will not let them rebelliously rebuke. This is what is written in my books; you write against this evil-doer, and you want such bloodhounds to be free, and whoever resists, I shall rebuke him rebelliously; you shall not persuade me to do this. Thou knowest that I speak of bloodthirsty tyrants, and not of the authorities, who have right things; thou hast nevertheless sent my words, as a venomous villain.

11) The fifth, that he scolds me, that I am lying, just like sam 1) it would be true that the papists want to make war against the Lutherans, and as he said above, that the emperor and his own do nothing of the kind etc. Here I say, where the assassin does not know how things stand, and stood at Augsburg, so I have never seen a greater, coarser fool, who may write of unknowable things so prolifically, and he should be called, not Moron Morotaton, but septies Morian. 2) But if he knows it, he is next to the pope the greatest villain on earth, and should be called the pope himself. I want to show the causes of my poetry, so that everyone can see whether I have invented it or whether the assassin is right.

First, as I also reported in my booklet, it was decided at Bononia, 3) that the emperor should subdue the Lutherans with the sword. They cannot deny this, and it is not my poem, but publicly spoken and heard at Augsburg.

13 Item, this is evident, and not my

1) "gleich sam" == equal to. Thus the Jena edition separates the words correctly. In the Wittenberg and in the Erlangen: "gleichsam".

2) Siebe St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1823, note 2.

3) Compare St. Louis edition, Vol. I V, 1417, 818.

1706 Erl. (2.) 25,114-116. cap. 13. of the imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2068-2071. 1707

poem that they have killed, burned, drowned and shamefully murdered many individual persons, and still do so. From this everyone must conclude how they intend to suppress the Lutherans by force, wherever they can. And they made no secret of it; they even asked and urged the emperor to do so. But since the Lutheran princes are not single persons, it is to be expected that they would have to be subdued by war. The executioner at Leipzig will not behead the Elector of Saxony. The executioner in Mainz will not behead the landgrave either, and so on.

Item 14: When ours delivered their confession at Augsburg, a pope said, Oh, they deliver a book written in ink; I would that one wrote them another in blood; to which another answered: Yes, if you want to write like that, you must also see to it that the presils are not splashed under your eyes. I did not invent such a thing.

15 Item, D. Eck said: Ah, if the emperor in the entry into Germany would have struck with the sword, as it was decided at Bononia! That is not my poem either.

Item 16: The bishop of Salzburg spoke with Magister Philipps and said: "I have often thought about the matter and have seen four ways or means, more cannot be. The first way, that we follow you Lutherans and give way; we do not want to do that. The other, that you Lutherans give way to us; you cannot do that (as you say). The third, transactio, that one should provide adequate means, and a union on both sides should take place. This is not possible. For since the doctrines on both sides are against each other, no peace nor right unity can remain. Therefore the fourth is that each side should think how it will outdo the other side. If this is not said of the will to war, I do not know what can be said of wars.

17. but I would have known another way, which should have been the fifth, namely, that Christ would remain seated at the right hand of God, and make His enemies His footstool [Ps. 110:11. but so they must lead out, and confess that they will not

They suffer from God's word, and only think of murdering and killing, so that one may know what one has in them and what one should consider them to be. The same bishop also said: What conscientia, what conscientia! the emperor will not suffer such separation.

Item 18: The Elector of Brandenburg and Duke George of Saxony are said to have promised the Emperor that they will help him against the Lutherans with five thousand horses.

Item 19: The priests are said to have promised immense money for this purpose.

20 Item, without my writing there has been such rejoicing, rejoicing, and rejoicing among all the priests for two years that the earth has rung out with it. How they have defied the emperor! How they have sung: Salvator venit, Salvator venit! They bet a lot that the Lutherans would all be defeated around Michaelmas; in the same way, great lords and earls boasted, some of whom were soon slain by the drip.

Item 21: At Augsburg, nothing else was said by the papists during the entire Diet, except: Where do you Lutherans want to stay? Where are you going? Do you not see the great power of the emperor? Do you not see his great happiness? Do you not know that the King of France stands with us? And there has been neither a measure nor an end to the dread and defiance, and I have not invented anything at that time.

Item 22: In his farewell speech, the Elector of Brandenburg said that the Emperor and the Empire wanted to put life, blood and property, land and people on it.

23. item, I have heard from great truthful people, that on the side of the Papists the angry tyrants have walked and sat with their faces downcast, and could not be looked at differently, as if the executioner had had them on the rope for three days, that one had to see in them, what they had in mind for wickedness, murder and misery. Just as the prankster Cain also hung his head and covered his face, because he wanted to kill his brother Habel [Gen. 4:5, 6]. So it has this mort-

1) Drop in the brain that causes disease and death. See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 644, note 2.

1708 Erl. (2.) 28,116-118. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1158. W. XVI, 2071-2073. 1709

When they decided on war and murder, they could no longer look at anyone because of the restlessness and evil thoughts of their hearts.

I will now keep silent what the bishop of Salzburg is supposed to have said. I will also now remain silent as to how it stood when the Landgrave of Hesse rode out of the Diet.

25 Item, D. Schmid, the future bishop of Constantinople (salvo jure Turei), said publicly before the empire: it would be true that a concilium should be made, because there were many infirmities and abuses in the church; but nevertheless, the emperor should restrain the Lutherans beforehand, so that it would not have to be said that they had to reform for the sake of an impotent monk.

(26) And again, behold the noble fruits, how they profess our doctrine to be right, and yet condemn it, and war against it, and murder it. Their own right says that a single person, where he has better reason and scripture than a concilium, should give way to a whole concilium, and they lead to this the example of the Concilii Niceni, which followed the one man Paphnutio. But what do our proud, coarse asses do here? They say that what Luther writes is true, but because we have not taught it this way, but a fainthearted monk, the emperor shall put a sword to it. These are called papists, who respect neither God's word nor their own right. They freely confess that they do not want to respect it, but murder and do as they please.

27 Do you see now, you assassin, who they are who want to start wars and not keep peace? Whether they are your murderous bloodhounds, the Papists, or my Lutherans? Nor may you, impudent villain, adorn yourself and your bloodhounds that they act peacefully and do not want to make war, and publicly present ours as rebels and peacebreakers; If you hear here, and otherwise know well, that the people of Augsburg have asked so warmly, humbly, patiently, most earnestly and unceasingly for peace, have never given any threats or insistence, nor have they ever thought of doing anyone any harm, and still today desire nothing else but such peace, and would gladly be silent, that if the

If the heart of the bloodhound had been vain and closed peace in it, it should have been softened by such a humble, heartfelt, Christian request to let peace out.

28 But nothing helped, everything had to be cut off, and in short, they urged and indicated that they wanted to wage war, murder, and suppress; this is what the Diet decided, and this is the final verdict.

Now come here, dear assassin, and talk to us, your papists want to be peaceful, and the Lutherans want to war. I am surprised that Duke George suffers such a shameful book of lies in Dresden, who wants to be so pious that he does not want to suffer an evil book even in foreign principalities. If such a book had gone out against him in this principality, as this book against our princes, help God, how heaven and earth should shake!

30 Squire Assassins, listen now, we want to talk to you. Since peace has been publicly denied to our people, and war and murder have been publicly prophesied and decreed, tell me, who is the first here to plunge the knife and draw it? Who is sowing the seeds of war? Is it he who kneels down there and humbly says: I ask for God's sake, keep peace, I want to keep peace gladly; or is it he who says: No, you villain, you have to hold out, I want to strangle you, nothing can help that. Hoi, Squire Assassin, whistle up, let us hear your verdict! Whistle at your book, yes, whistle at your forehead and heart, that you may so brazenly present your assassin and shameful lies before all the world, and so wickedly lie to such pious people, and praise and adorn such obdurate bloodhounds. But you are a papist; that is why the abominations of the papacy oppress you, that you must become so mad and spew out such shame.

31 Therefore I say again, as before, because the Lutherans have not threatened anyone, have not intended to harm anyone, but have asked for peace; again, the papists have refused peace, and have threatened with wars, and still insist and threaten that no one can provide for them except wars, and have warned all the hour of the strokes.

must. Now where such a part, which asks for peace and cannot obtain it, stands up to defend itself, which I neither call nor advise, I will not (I say) reproach it rebelliously, nor let it be reproached, but the other part I will call sacrilegious, tyrannical, treacherous and murderous, and so reproach it myself. Thus it is written in my booklet, if you would have opened your mouth and nose as an assassin, since you could not see with your eyes. Now you think you want to interpret my words and turn them into a contradiction; no, assassin, you are not the man who should teach D. Luther to speak German, or take his words from him and interpret them to your liking.

(32) But that thou dost boast with blind words that one does not see that the papists are arming themselves as the Lutherans do etc. This I truly believe, that it is not seen; for I do not see it, neither do many others, as little as I see the armor of the Lutherans. But how, if you were one who could see it and know it, and yet would persuade us, because we do not see it, should there be no truth in it? Who would believe that you are not arming yourselves, because you are preparing for war and have decided, as we have heard? Or perhaps you were armed long ago, and must not arm yourselves, and are now smearing our mouths with such words: We will not arm ourselves now, for you have already done so. For I cannot reckon how the Elector of Brandenburg and Duke George of Saxony could promise the emperor five thousand horses if they were so completely unarmed, for it is well known that they are not capable of so much.

33 I also know well what practices were carried out two years ago and up to now, now in Breslau, now in Dessau, now in Leipzig and more places etc. And what a murderous council was held at Mainz, as is known; and many today are still of the opinion that the princely Rotterianism and alliance of two years ago was certainly true, and now say that since it could not continue the same time, it has nevertheless tried the Emperor, and finally played out to the point that at Augsburg it is now being considered as an alliance.

1) The so-called Pack Alliance; see No. 829ff. in this volume.

now get the emperor's name, and would like to come out under the emperor's mantle. But whoever wants to believe that, I know that now, after the Imperial Diet, the papists have taken great pains to prepare themselves secretly and to order horses, but they have not been able to find what they were looking for.

34 If they are not equipped (which I will never believe), they will certainly be sorry that they cannot equip themselves. For there is no lack of good will, as is proven by the above-mentioned pieces. What else is your high glory, then, you shameful assassin, that you say that your bloodhounds are not seen to be arming themselves, but a great, thick, strong lie, which you know that they have been arming themselves for a long time, and in short want to fight where they can, and have completely cut off peace?

I will tell you something else. If you say true and do not deny that your bloodhounds are not arming themselves, and ours are arming themselves; if it is true (I say), then it must be a great, excellent grace of God on our part that they have been so long silent and kept peace, and have not long since beaten your bloodhounds over the head. Because your bloodhounds threw the knife first, and sent the war to our peaceful part. So that it is well deserved (according to secular law) that one should think who would come first and strike the first blow; But because they have been silent so long and are still silent, and you assassin also deny everything else that you say, I truly believe that you also deny in this as an arch-villain, who also sees and grasps differently in our work than you speak, and must help our part to honor with your lies, that they are so pious and honest, that they are also abundantly peaceful and quiet, against their public, renounced enemies, and have long since not done the first stroke, which perhaps they would and should have done according to worldly law.

Yes, that is what your bloodhounds would like, that our part should not only wait for the threatened and forbidden war of their enemies, but also keep quiet and let themselves be murdered without any defense, like slaughter sheep. Dear assassins, if you are torn apart there, then the devil laps you; I, as a preacher, shall suffer it, I know that well.

1712 Erl. (2.) 25, 120-122. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1158, W. XVI, 2076-2079. 171Z3.

Who has the grace, let him also suffer. But I do not want to assure the bloodhounds that all others will suffer, nor can I assure them of this. For if I publicly advised our people that they should all suffer, the bloodhounds would then be strengthened by it; I do not want to do that, I do not want to burden them with the worry and fear that their murder and wars will not be resisted. If they want to become knights of our blood, then they shall do so with the care and worry that befits honest knights. If they want to murder, they shall wait for what they encounter.

And what shall I say about it now for a long time? I will read the right text to you, Squire Assassin. I suppose that all these above-mentioned things are lies, and that your bloodhounds are living saints; what will you say to this: The edict has gone out, in which our doctrine is condemned, and it is forbidden and dismissed to our people (not for the sake of sedition, as you disgraceful assassin deny), with expressed words that they shall lose life, limb, property and honor, if they do not leave the condemned doctrine. Thou hast read these things, thou wicked one, and art not ashamed in thine heart that thou hast reproached us? Where are you now, you liar? Tell me, who is sowing war, murder and misery here? Are they the ones who are viciously condemned by public edict, and who want to take away their life, limb, property and everything? or are they the ones who instigated and enforced such edicts? You have seals and letters for this, so that all the above-mentioned murderous, treacherous pieces of your bloodhounds will be convicted and convinced.

(38) Tell me, are you bold, where have the Lutherans let out a letter that they want to defend themselves (I will keep silent that they are rebellious or want to start), as here your bloodhounds let out a public edict under the pious emperor's name, in which they condemn our doctrine, and for the sake of it threaten to take from them body, life, goods and everything? Now if you and all your bloodhounds had vile infernal jaws that spewed vile fire and peeled us eternally, we will place this edict before your noses and show you your seal and letters that you are murderous bloodhounds. And the edict is a mighty witness that the lu

The papists cannot be rebellious, even if they would like to do so. For they cannot begin; the papists have begun with this edict. If the Lutherans sin greatly in this, it must be their sin that they resist out of necessity; they have provided the starting, the papists have done that before.

Dear one, let us count what this edict can do. It condemns our doctrine and threatens to take life, limb, property and everything. Who can interpret or understand this in any other way than that the sword of the whole empire is awakened, sharpened, overthrown and already drawn. The whole empire's guns are loaded and aimed. The whole realm's armor, men and horses, are armed and embittered, and admonished that everything should go over the Elector of Saxony and his followers, to murder, to burn, to rob life, limb, wife, child, land, people, property and honor, and to fill everything with blood and sorrow. This is the edict of their murderous intentions, there are seals and letters. Nor shall this be called acting peacefully; and as Junker Meuchel lies, one sees no armor in his bloodhounds, but the Lutherans must be called rebellious, and the emperor would like to attack them with the sword, not for the sake of doctrine (as the edict clearly says), but for the sake of rebellion, which Meuchel lies to us and maliciously fabricates.

40 Now the Lutherans are still sitting quietly, and must be condemned, and await the fury and violence of the whole empire every hour, and yet they are rebellious. Dear, what more shall they do? I think that when the assassin writes again, he will not be satisfied with us sitting still and suffering, and they will condemn us, renounce us, threaten and start war and murder, but will urge us further to take the sword of the kingdom ourselves and impale ourselves on it; otherwise he will not let us be innocent of rebellion. We must not be called peaceful, for we lie stabbed before his eyes and drowned in blood. Yes, he says, but nothing has happened yet with the deed. Of course, that is what I have said now, that we must be stabbed and drowned in blood before we can defend ourselves or rise up.

1714 Erl. (2.) 25, 122-125. cap. 13. of the imperial diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2V7S-208I. 1715

We are then pious, and they are not murderous. But there are seals and letters, will and opinion, words and intentions to carry out the deed, and there is a whole conatus. What the rights say about it, I leave to the jurists; my theologia is called such saints: Cain, Saul and Judas.

(41) Above this, they do not remain with the edict and the decree, but also take hold with the deed, and execute such an edict. Where, you say? Do you not know it? No. Do you know a city called Halle in Saxony? There the bishop of Mainz acts quite kindly and peacefully against his pious subjects, and in addition, it is said, he lets himself be heard publicly that the Elector of Brandenburg, Duke George, Duke Heinrich of Brunswick, are imperial executors of the edict. Devil, how great peace is there! Junker Meuchel shall call it not only a peaceful trade, but also a merry dance or paradise. And so the papists would be completely pure, and the Lutherans completely overcome. Alas for you desperate evil-doers! etc. I would have almost cursed.

(42) Yes, the authorities may deal with the subjects etc. True; but that is also true: which dog eats the lappets, he eats certainly also the leather, where he could come to it. If they do this with their subjects, there is no doubt that they would do it all over the world, if only they could. As the Bishop of Mainz and the Elector of Brandenburg must prove, since they tried the city of Magdeburg and wanted to enforce the edict, because the city of Magdeburg did not like such peaceful people's peaceful trade; therefore, they are to be fairly scolded as seditious, where otherwise Junker Meuchel rightly says, whether they sit quietly, and do no harm to anyone, and let themselves be condemned, and suffer the bloodhound's rage and throbbing. Now it is well known that Magdeburg is not the Elector's nor the Bishop's subject, as Halle is; nevertheless, they also wanted to eat the leather with great devotion, to act peacefully with the Lutherans.

43 I say for my court right, I have read Münzer's seditious books, but methinks this assassin's book is far from the truth.

over it. For he does it so crudely and foolishly, and does not apply any semblance of peace, that [it] does not almost move, but rather deters. But this wicked man is the coiner, so that he praises peace, and yet underneath does things so peevishly, as if he wanted to force the people and urge them to rebellion. For you yourself must reckon that he knows how things were done at Augsburg against our people (as reported above); he knows that an edict has gone out in which peace is denied to the Lutherans and war and murder are forbidden; he knows that their part has already begun the deed; he knows and sees that the Lutherans are sitting quietly, suffering and waiting for all their rages, and yet he praises his bloodhounds as peaceful and scolds the Lutherans as seditious.

44. If it were not for the great mercy of God upon us, it would be impossible for our nature to endure such unpleasant wickedness that we should not only be condemned to hear of war and murder from our enemies, who have renounced us, and to leave our body, life, goods, wife, child, country and people in the lurch every hour, and know that they seriously intend to do all this, and have already begun the deed honestly, and in addition still sit quietly and suffer, but shall also bear the shame that we are rebellious in all this, and they, the perpetrators, have the honor that they are peaceful and act peacefully. It would be (by God!). no wonder that this would become a racket, since not a hair nor a skin would remain of the papists. What is the point of such high, excessive, unpleasant attempts?

Yes, the Lutherans want to be Christians, therefore they should suffer and not defend themselves etc. True; but the papists want to be even better Christians, and condemn the Lutherans; therefore they should murder much less and shed blood against God and justice. But if they can remain holy Christians, and nevertheless, as traitors and evil-doers, innocently shed blood, murder, burn, and torment pious people without cause, then the Lutherans can remain good Christians, and nevertheless defend themselves a little against such bloodhounds and raging evil-doers. Although the Lutherans do not yet do so. For if they wanted to defend themselves, and would not much rather have peace, they would not do so.

1716 Erl. (2.) 25, 125-127. sect. 11. the other Reichstag resolution. No. 1158. W. XVI,2081-2084. 1717

the Elector of Saxony, together with his followers, should now protect and save those in Halle, since the Lutherans are now being severely attacked. For just as the bloodhounds boast that they have united at Augsburg, and have put together land, people, blood and goods, whoever attacks one should have attacked them all, so ours should also say: Those at Halle are Lutheran, and are now being attacked, therefore the Elector of Saxony, together with all his relatives, and all Lutherans are also attacked. If one is to apply, the other must also apply. Now my Lutherans do not do this, they sit quietly, let themselves be tortured and plagued by their bloodhounds, after all their courage, and Junker Meuchel, the noble scribe, scolds them rebelliously.

But if you say that your opinion is that where the Lutherans revolt and want to take away what is theirs from the people, then the emperor should attack them with the sword. Dear Hans Worst, who does not know that? There is great art here; I have written better of it than you and all the papists will ever learn or write, and you learned it from me - before, you would certainly not have been able to advise anyone. But you wicked man know that the Lutherans, where they arm themselves against you murderers, may not be rebellious; nor can they revolt; for you murderers have begun, and have both attacked with edict and sword. What they now do against you I will neither praise nor rebuke; but you shall not interpret it to me as a rebellion, but let it be and be called only a rebellion against murderers and evil-doers, and you shall have no thanks. What is it now said, thou dear lululemon: Where the Lutherans revolt etc. Yes, they have thrown themselves in their prudence! It is just said: Where the Lutherans revolt etc., as if I said: If the donkey had wings, he would fly; if the Lutherans became a crane, they would fly in the air.

You must not teach us to be obedient to the emperor and punish the rebels. But here you should prove your art and convince the Lutherans that they are rebellious. There lies the knot. If you do that, I will take you for a man; but here you remain silent, and

You run about, meanwhile spouting a lot, and click the paper with unnecessary words about how the rebels should be punished, as if you had just come down from heaven with such a new art. If you nevertheless call us rebels, and cannot make it true or prove it, do you know what such fellows are called in German lands? They are called desperate boys, traitors and dishonorable villains, who take away the honor of pious, innocent people with their poisonous mouths and want to deprive them of life and limb; that is your right name, be who you will.

48. and summa, I shall not lack nor lie in the holy scriptures, which testify that the world must be either Cain or Habel, either the devil's or God's children. What is Cain and of the devil, there must be a murderer and bloodhound inside; what is Habel, there must be a pious, peaceful heart inside. Now you can tell from the fruits which are Cain or Habel in this case. The papists did not want to observe peace, but decided on the Diet with anger and wrath, then instigated murder with the edict and began the deed. My assassin himself does not have to deny this. Again, the Lutherans have asked and still ask for peace without ceasing, and have suffered all ridicule, scorn, disgrace, defiance and pride because of it, and still sit quietly and tolerate their raging.

49 Since it is now clear that the papists themselves confess, by words and deeds, that they are our enemies and against us, Doctor Martini's true judgment, founded in Scripture and proven by those fruits, is that the papists must certainly have in mind, day and night, striving, lurking, practicing, how to destroy and exterminate us. Everyone can see this, and no one can do better than them. And there is no doubt that what they do about it, friendly or peaceful, must be a treacherous thing and Judas' kiss; or they must do it out of worry and fear that they are not yet able to do what they would like to do. This is the verdict I have given to our people and to the whole world, and whoever wishes to do so is to be judged by it. I know that I do not lie unless the Scriptures are false. Therefore, this assassin is a two-faced wicked man.

1718 Erl. (2.) 25, 127f. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. LVI, 2084-2087. 1719

He knows all these things well in his heart, and yet he sets his bloodhounds before us as the pious and peaceful ones, with whom there should be more fruits of faith than with us.

50 This I have said this time in defense of my books against this assassin, and I confess that he has me down as a villain. But I had to hurry to the Leipzig market; but soon after I will comb his tender little book further. For there is still much good papist virtue in it, and ask nothing of it, that he complains: there are almost all evil words and devils named in it; that shall be my glory and honor, and I want it to be so, that it shall be said of me henceforth, how I am full of evil words, scolding and cursing about the papists. For more than ten years I have often humbled myself and given the very best words, so that I have made them the longer the angrier, and the peasants have only become the more puffed up by their pleading. But now, because they have decided to do no good, no evil, but only evil, so that there is no hope, I will also curse myself with the evil worshippers and smash myself to pieces in my pit, and they will no longer hear a good word from me. I will ring their bells to the grave with my thunder and lightning.

For I cannot pray, but must curse. If I should say, Hallowed be thy name, I must say, Cursed, damned, profaned be the name of the papists, and of all them that blaspheme thy name. If I should say, Thy kingdom come, I must say, Let the papacy be accursed, accursed, accursed, and accursed, along with all the kingdoms of the earth that are contrary to thy kingdom. If I should say: Thy will be done, then I must say: Cursed, damned, desecrated and destroyed must be all thoughts and plots of the papists and all who strive against thy will and counsel. Truly I pray verbally every day, and with my heart without ceasing, and with me all who believe in Christ, and I also feel that it will be heard. For one must see God's miracles, how he destroys this terrible imperial diet and the immeasurable raging and raging of the papists, and also promotes them thoroughly.

will be nullified. Nevertheless, I keep a good, friendly, peaceful and Christian heart toward everyone; even my greatest enemies know this.

52 Therefore I now close this booklet, that in my warning I have not incited to rebellion, as this assassin lies, no one will prove it from it; but I have wanted to deter the papists and everyone, so that they would not follow the murderous edict; and have also not wanted to advise ours to fight back. With this I wanted to keep and advise peace on both sides. Where the papists were not deterred, and again some did not want to let the resistance against them, in such a case, because I could not keep any part, I tied a shillelagh to the neck of the murderers, and the other, innocent part, the bloodhounds to grief and annoyance, so that the papists should not be able to boast (as they would like to do) that they punished or murdered rebels, and that these should not consider their opposition disobedience or rebellion. Such my opinion my books show clearly, that I know for sure. God help the truth, amen.

1159 Report (by a papist) on what was done for the good of the Christian faith at the Imperial Diet in Augsburg in 1530.

The first Latin edition of this papist report, which was given the imperial privilege, is printed in Cyprian's Beilagen zur Historie der Augsburgischen Confession, p. 87; German in Hortleder, "Von den Ursachen des deutschen Kriegs," vol. I, lib. I, oup. 9, p. 60. Against this "report" is written Document No. 959, which is taken from the work shown in the next number.

With peculiar imperial freedom. Maj. liberty.

Summa and Contents of Imperial Freedom. Majesty Freedom.

Carl von GOttes Gnaden der Fünfte, Roman Emperor, all-time Major of the Empire.

What has been done for the good of the Christian faith in this city of ours and of the Holy Roman Empire shall not be printed, or, if printed elsewhere, sold, to our and the Holy Empire's dear and faithful Levino Paganatho or to anyone else throughout the Roman Empire.

be granted. And if anyone shall act contrary thereto, he shall be hereby declared guilty and shall be fined twenty marks in gold. Given in the above-mentioned city of Augsburg, ours and of the Holy Roman Empire, the 6th of November in the year 1530, of our Empire the eleventh.

Carolus.

A. Valdesius.

In order that the emperor might unite the many disputes over religion in the Empire of the German Nation, keep the steadfast in the right faith, confirm the wavering, and (where possible) raise up the fallen, he scheduled a general imperial diet of all the estates in Augsburg after Welschland had been brought to peace. When he heard that almost all the princes and other estates of the Holy Roman Empire were coming, he ordered them to attend. When he saw that almost all the princes and other estates of the Holy Roman Empire were coming, and that the Lutheran preachers, who were everywhere openly teaching their doctrine, had been brought by their princes, and that many signs and secrets of our religion had been abolished in the city, he celebrated even more to begin on Green Thursday 1) there, so that he might, even against the will of the heretics, solemnly celebrate the services held by our forefathers, which had been omitted in the city long ago. The estates of the Holy Roman Empire, however, when they heard that the emperor was arriving, marched to meet him with the Augsburg council in great splendor; and when they escorted him into the city, and the Elector of Saxony, according to custom, presented a mere sword to the imperial majesty, they were surprised. Majest. The bishop and cathedral chapter of the city received him and led him into the church of the cathedral, where he received the blessing from the Pope's envoy, Cardinal Campegio, who had come with him and had been present at all the religious acts that followed at the same Imperial Diet, Afterwards he went to his palace and told the princes that he wanted to have the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (as it came to him from his ancestors) led through the city the next day. When on the same day the King of Hungary and Bohemia and the other Electors and Princes of the Empire came to the Emperor, with the exception of Elector John of Saxony, Margrave George of Brandenburg, Duke Ernst of Lüneburg, Landgrave Philip of Hesse, Prince Wolf of Anhalt, and other followers of the Lutheran doctrine, the Body of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

1) This is incorrect. It was the Thursday after Trinity, the day of Corpus Christi. The emperor arrived the day before.

with ordinary ceremonies and all reverence.

2 Thereafter, at the Emperor's command, no matter what the Lutherans objected to, a public proclamation was made and it was also enjoined that no one should preach in the city without the indulgence of the Emperor. Majesty should preach in the city. And before he began the imperial action, the Emperor, together with the princes, princes, and other estates of the Holy Roman Empire, ordered himself to the main church to celebrate the mass celebrated by Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz, Cardinal and Elector of the Holy Roman Church. The Holy Spirit, with the usual ceremonies, and the prayer, which Pimpinellus, Archbishop of Rosan, heard in public and gracefully, and after the same by Count Palatine Frederick of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, recited to the imperial estates:

3 He would therefore have gone from his Hispanic considerable hereditary kingdoms, and from his wife and young reign, first to Welschland, and afterwards to Germany, so that he might receive the crown of the empire there, but here would set the German minds, which had been seduced and made restless by new errors, in unity and peace. Since all things had been happily accomplished in the French-speaking part of the country after the bestowal of divine grace, he exhorted the estates that in Germany, too, each in his own place would help to promote his Christian and praiseworthy intention for the benefit of the common fatherland.

The Lutheran princes named above and two cities, Nuremberg and Reutlingen, presented a document in Latin and German to the emperor over a period of four days with the condition that it be read out publicly in the imperial council in the hope that it would be applauded. When the emperor noticed this, he did not want to grant their request. However, in order that men might see how graciously and kindly he dealt with them, he permitted the following day, not that their request should be read out in the council chamber, but in the imperial court; so that, in the presence of the emperor, king of Hungary and the estates of the empire, this was done, and after the reading out, the same document was handed over.

Because they wanted to assert their sectarian doctrine and opinion with many causes, and because some things were in agreement with the Gospel and Holy Scripture, but most of them were flatly contrary to it, the emperor, on the advice of the papal magistrate, decided to take the matter to court.

The Emperor ordered the Catholic, honorable, and highly learned men of the Holy Scriptures of different nations, envoys and princes of the empire, to let pass that which they would consider good in the confession handed over, but to refute the other. Which rebuttal, after it had been approved by the Obbemeldten, papal envoys and princes of the empire, the emperor had read out to the estates of the empire, and among them the Lutheran princes themselves, at the very place where their confession or confession had been read out. And although the Lutheran princes most earnestly requested and desired a copy of the refutation, the Emperor, so that what had once been adopted by Christian synods and held immovable by the dear ancients would not be drawn into doubt or dispute, by no means let them have it.

The Electors and the other Catholic princes of the Empire, however, when they heard how the Emperor expressly admonished the Lutheran princes that they should desist from their false delusions and errors and return to the common Christian church; or if they did not want to do so, he could not avoid doing what his imperial office and conscience would require to control this evil etc. On the other hand, as they, the Lutherans, did not mean to deviate from their opinion, to which they had once surrendered, they, as peace-lovers, petitioned the Emperor that they should cultivate negotiations and try to see if by some means the dissension could be brought to an equal understanding. To this end, the Archbishop of Mainz, Elector, the Bishop of Strasbourg, Duke George of Saxony, Duke Henry of Brunswick, and Duke Albrecht of Mecklenburg, as well as Georg Truchsess, Archduke of Austria, and several other imperial princes' delegates, have been summoned by common consent. When they met together with the Lutheran princes in one place, Margrave Joachim of Brandenburg, a brave protector of the Christian religion, gave a long speech on this opinion in the name of the Catholic estates:

(7) They knew very well how much they wanted the Emperor to grant them the right to negotiate amicably with the Lutheran princes 1) and to settle the matter where possible; therefore he reminded them, the Lutheran princes, that they should consider how clear and open the matter was.

1) With Walch: entertainment.

The Council of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, in the presence of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Catholic Church, has asked that the teachings which they have recently accepted be openly disputed with the Gospel and apostolic writings; likewise, what a loss of many souls, shedding of Christian blood and misery would occur throughout Germany if they did not obey the imperial commandments and in part prevented what should be decided and decreed on this day for the benefit of Christendom and especially the common fatherland of Germany. I further request that they allow themselves to be softened by the pleas of many of their relatives and blood relatives, as well as brothers-in-law and friends, to renounce their false hopes, and not to be found separated from the common church any longer. For if some abuses had crept into common Christianity, the emperor would now have come to Germany to abolish them with the help and advice of the pope and to establish peace and unity in the empire.

8 To this the Lutheran princes, after asking for time for reflection, answered in writing and at length after several days: because they knew that the confession or creed, which they had recently handed over, was in agreement with the Gospel and apostolic writings, that they could therefore neither give way to the Emperor's refutation, nor cede their doctrine and opinion with an unimpaired conscience. And when many things were further argued and acted upon by both parties, and the Lutherans complained that they had not been sufficiently heard, nor had a common Christian council been scheduled after the Diet of Speier, the Catholics replied: It would have been their duty to obey the edict of Worms (as is only fair), and not to draw into doubt and dispute so many articles of faith, which, according to the common counsel of so many holy, God-fearing people, would have been accepted and popular, and sealed with the blood of so many martyrs, in an entirely unpleasant manner, and forbidden under corporal punishment, and to make do with their consciences. As if it were not sufficiently known and obvious what kind of consciences they had, and how wantonly they separated themselves from the Catholic Church, made new laws of their own, which had nothing to do with the apostolic ones, took in and nurtured new sect masters, and were ever too at odds with themselves in doctrine, now for Lutherans, soon for Anabaptists, then for sacrament desecrators and iconoclasts, and what more such abominable sects might be called. Yes, if they would look at their teachers' lives and customs a little better, they would undoubtedly easily

They themselves think how beautiful, praiseworthy and proper it would be for them to trust such people with their honor, property, body and souls, and to give more credence to them than to so many councils of the common Christian church, so many writings and judgments of the orthodox church fathers, and finally to the emperor himself, whose irreproachable customs should move them to a different one, and also to so many princes related by blood and otherwise. Indeed, if they were to see the fruit of this new doctrine, namely tumult, rebellion, strife and contention, and such like harm and inconvenience more, they would be able to recognize more clearly than the bright sun from which spirit such doctrine came. But as far as a Christian concilium was concerned, although everyone knew what their teachers thought of concilia, how rashly they contradicted them, and how they weakened and despised the reputation and power of the conciliorum: the Emperor, as he is most concerned about the welfare and peace of the Empire of the German Nation, would always see to it that a common concilium, which until now has been prevented by war, is scheduled, if they meanwhile abandon their errors, undertake something new, continue in the old state until a synod's decision, and would rather adhere to the Emperor and the common Christian Church than to their "seductive" teachers.

9 By which Christian reminder the Lutherans found themselves moved, they asked for time to answer, and said that they would have been offended not a little by such sharp remarks. To which the Catholics answered: what was presented in their name, the same would not have happened to offend them in some way, or to say something against them, but only to seek agreement with them. But after several days, the Lutheran princes, together with the two cities mentioned above and four others that had come to them in the meantime, made a written statement in response to what had recently been held against them, rejected and repudiated everything, and thus revealed their stubbornness much more clearly than before.

(10) Since this negotiation did not achieve much, the negotiators thought it would be a good idea to attack the work in other ways and to send out some experienced and learned people to talk with the Lutherans and see if they could find a way to unity. To this end, with the consent of the Emperor, who wishes to see quarrels and strife reduced, the following were appointed immediately: the Bishop of Augsburg, Duke Heinrich

of Brunswick, likewise D. Eck, Cochläus and Wimpina, scholars of the Holy Scriptures; and of jurists the Chancellors of Cologne and Baden. But when these seven Catholics had argued with seven Lutherans for a long time, and had reached agreement in many articles, the Lutherans did not want to deviate from the content and opinion of the following articles:

1) That in confession it is not necessary to recount all sins.

2) That the atonement for sin, for the remission of the punishment for sin, is not meritorious.

3) That the vows and teachings about the choice of food and days are useless and contrary to the gospel.

4) That no works of men, as good as they always want to be, can be attributed some merit.

5) That the invocation of the saints is quite dangerous.

6) That the blessed bread should not be carried through the streets.

7) That those who go to the Lord's Table in only one form will hardly sin.

8) That laymen who ask for only one form should not be given it.

9) That one may bless bread and wine other than at Mass.

10) That the priests, monks and nuns are not forbidden to be free.

11) That private masses may not be held according to the old custom and institution of the Roman Church.

12) That the masses for the living and the dead should not help.

13) That the 40-day fast and other fasts set by the church should not be kept.

(11) Of these and other such errors, of which Luther's and the Lutheran books are full, they have not been able to be led away with any harmless discussion, although they have admitted many things, the contradiction of which they have taught before, and have proved so unstable that what they yielded today, they revoked tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow again approved and considered acceptable.

12 For this reason, since the desired unity is so unlikely to be achieved by this means, it was considered advisable to make such a parting, lest we leave each other without having achieved anything:

(13) That they stand firm on the points on which they have agreed this time. The others should all be postponed until a future concilii decision, and the Lutherans should

The monks shall be bound to the sacred Roman and Catholic Church in fidelity and obedience; they shall keep silent about the incompatible articles, nor shall they disclose or teach anything about them. The monks who are still in their monasteries shall freely use their statutes and ceremonies without hindrance. The abandoned monasteries, convents and other ecclesiastical properties, however, which have been confiscated by the Lutheran princes and estates, shall be administered by faithful people, whom the Emperor shall appoint for this purpose, until the decision of a common synod, to which an account of this shall be given. The poor and the monks who have been expelled from their monasteries shall be given their sustenance from the estates, but the Lutheran princes shall have no objection to this. The common and special masses should be held with ordinary ceremonies and festivities. If, however, any of these ceremonies and festivities were to be considered controversial, they were to be postponed to a future synod. In addition, the Lutherans were to keep quiet and calm, not to spread or undertake anything new, and in other common Christian affairs, and especially in the affairs of the Holy Roman Empire, to render obedience and assistance to the Emperor, as befits laudable princes.

14 Which decree, although it did not seem unpleasant to the Lutherans for many reasons, but because the Lutheran princes and many cities had robbed many churches and taken property from many monasteries and convents, which they would have had to return according to this council, which seemed very difficult to them, they could by no means be persuaded to accept it.

15 Thereupon the emperor, so that he would not omit anything that would only serve and be profitable to win over the stubbornness of the people, especially summoned the Lutheran princes to him and admonished them to turn back with so much kind and gracious waiting that iron, let alone fleshly hearts, could have been softened by it. At first, however, they surrendered themselves completely to the emperor for all submissiveness and obedience in all things, as much as could, should, or would always be done with an unharmed conscience; but when it was requested of them in a more actual and clearer way that what they had done new in Christian doctrine should be restored to the previous and old status until the future conciliar decision, they only gave to understand that they wanted to adhere to the Speierian imperial decree in the part that had been set.

It was: each one should live in such a way until a future concilium, so that he could give account to God the Almighty, and to the concilio, of his actions and omissions.

16 As far as the rest is concerned, they had already decided to stay with the appeal, which they had objected to at the Speier Diet. And even though they had been referred in a roundabout way, as if they were so unstable, and now wanted to adhere to the Speierian imperial decree, now to the appeal, against which they objected, that even such appeals and appeals in matters of faith would not take place, still nothing was accomplished with them, because the longer, the more stubbornly they sought out their consciences, evangelia, souls, appeals and appeals, and threw them in the way. Therefore, all hope for unity, which the Lutheran princes themselves, and their most distinguished teachers, had made to the emperor, and then to the envoy, both with words and with writings, publicly and secretly for three months after each other, completely disappeared.

17 When the emperor saw that the Lutherans were becoming more and more stubborn, and that no kindness would work on them because they cared so little for the reputation of the forefathers, the Gospel and the Holy Scriptures, he issued such a decree again on Sept. 22: His Imperial Majesty had set up a Diet in Augsburg so that, with the mature advice of all the estates of the empire, Christianity and the German nation before it, things would be brought to order and the disputes that had arisen over religion would be resolved. Majesty had therefore appointed an Imperial Diet in Augsburg so that, with the mature advice of all the estates of the Empire of Christendom and the German Nation, matters could be brought into order and the disputes that had arisen over religion could be resolved. In order to bring this about more effectively, he would have listened to the Lutheran confession, and what he found contrary to Christian truth therein would have been refuted by the Holy Scriptures. Majesty and the minds of the other princes and rulers, they would put aside the erroneous opinions of their sect. But since they have discarded some, but have retained most of those in which they are at odds with the Roman Church, and His Imperial Majesty has decided not to subordinate anything to the Roman Church, they are not to be subordinated to the Roman Church. He wanted to appoint them a period of reflection until April 15 of the next year, during which they were to declare with seals and letters whether they wished to keep the unconciled articles with the Roman Catholic Church until a future Conciliar decision,

or not? They should first take care and ensure that nothing new of religious trafficking would start or be sold in their territories, and that peace and unanimity would exist among all the Holy Roman Empire's princes, rulers and cities. In this way, they should not attract foreign subjects to themselves, or lure them to their sect and faith. And if any of their own subjects, whether of ecclesiastical or secular status, wished to retain the old faith and ceremonies, or to rejoin them, they should not hinder them in any way, but allow them to use their church customs and ceremonies unhindered, and should not cause them any hardship because of this. In order to abolish and completely eradicate the Anabaptist and sacramental desecration sects, they should assist the Emperor, the Catholic princes, princes and other estates of the Holy Roman Empire with advice and action, as the Catholic princes have already promised the Emperor. However, as far as a common council is concerned, which has been so much and often desired by all the estates of the empire, both Catholic and Lutheran, and which has so far been prevented by the force of war, the emperor wants to make a provision to the pope, as well as to the other kings and princes of Christendom, that within six months after the end of this imperial council, a common Christian meeting be scheduled, and within one year after the scheduling, be held. We are undoubtedly confident that through this, by the grace of the Lord Christ, who will undoubtedly be with those who are gathered in his name, all disputed religious matters will be settled and dear Christianity will be helped to a lasting, eternal peace.

18 When the Lutherans were heard, it was so much lacking that they would have thanked the emperor for such a gracious decree, that they also even more resisted completely to accept it, with the plea that their doctrine was so founded in the holy Scriptures that they could not step aside from it in some ways, nor could they, with their consciences intact, keep others from it, and not rather promote it. And what was therefore taught and acted by them would not have flowed from them as well as from God Himself. They could have easily refuted the imperial refutation of their confession with testimonies of the Gospel and the apostolic writings, as they had already begun, if they had been given a copy of it.

19. whereupon the Elector of Brandenburg in the

In the name of the emperor, he addressed the Lutheran princes and cities on this opinion:

20. The imperial majesty cannot be sufficiently astonished that they may publicly pretend that they are so grounded in their futile delusion that they cannot be mistaken at all, and that what has been done by them so far is rather of God's command than of their own discretion, because everyone can see that their preachers have not brought anything new onto the path, but have, as it were, resurrected from hell and from the dead what was condemned and buried by the holy fathers many years ago. And had the emperor nowhere read in the Gospel, of which they boasted everywhere, that it was permitted to take other people's property, and to keep what had once been taken by force against the will of the rightful lords, and if one were asked at some time or other to return the stolen property, then to say that one could not return it with a good conscience. The emperor was also astonished at the audacity with which they could proclaim the orthodox doctrine, which the emperor and the other imperial estates adhered to, to be false, as if it were not a great sacrilege to believe that so many Christian pious emperors, so many princes and rulers, in so many hundreds of years, had erred, and had not rightly understood the doctrine which they professed. Since this does not at all resemble the truth, the emperor can neither put up with their presumption, nor approve and endorse their doings and actions. If they understand and accept yesterday's decree (which the Emperor again earnestly admonished them to accept), they will undoubtedly recognize that it is meant for their good and to preserve peace and unity in Germany. But if they did not want to accept it, they should consider for themselves how much misfortune they would cause and bring about, and not hope at all that anything would be changed in it, because nothing more could be given to them without violating all respectability and godliness; but otherwise, since they would obediently submit to the agreement, they should have a gracious emperor in all their affairs. And they would have done wisely by not bringing forward the answer to the imperial refutation of their confession, and by sparing themselves with vain toil and labor, since they would not allow that one should dispute articles of faith without their majesty's prior knowledge. However, that Imperial Majesty's refutation had not been communicated to them in copy, they would never want to-

The new version of the book will be published in the German language in the next few days.

21. when this was done in the name of kaiserl. Majesty. Prince Joachim of Brandenburg, he added this in his name and in the name of all the imperial estates: they, the princes and cities, were well aware of how diligently the Catholic princes themselves had acted with them at first, and then their representatives for discussion and dialogue, so that these disputes and disagreements would be resolved and the beloved fatherland would be brought to good trust. But what they had done with it was not known to them. For this reason, he again asked them to accept the imperial decree and to consider for themselves how much damage would result to the common Christianity and to Germany before it, if they would not be moved to do so by any plea. If, however, they would allow such a request to take place, then the other states would be obliged and inclined to be responsible for it with all servitude. If not, they should know that the other princes, rulers and estates of the empire have already decided to support their emperor with all loyalty and subservience, and to shed not only their goods but also their blood beside him: even if the emperor had not only surrendered all his kingdoms and dominions, but also his body, blood and soul for the Christian religion, and its and their teachers and confessors, to God the Lord. Even if he had not wanted to leave the soil of the empire before, he would have seen these things brought into a better state and order.

22 The Lutherans again answered with more truth: they were sure that their opinion was not based on evil grounds but on the holy Scriptures, and they also trusted them to substantiate it before the last judgment. And they wondered not a little how they could be accused of stealing other people's property and still withholding it from them, since they had never taken from anyone what was theirs, and wanted to suffer the future Council and the Emperor's Majesty's recognition, since they had confiscated some monasteries and their goods, whether they had done right or wrong in them, and whether they were obliged to restore them or not. But since they could not in good conscience accept the Emperor's farewell, they requested that the matter be postponed until April 15. Thereafter, they turned to the princes, princes, and other estates of the empire and appealed to them sharply that they alone were waiting for the emperor's

The Lutherans, too, are nothing less than willing to recognize the imperial majesty as their supreme head and lord and to obey him as faithful subjects. Majesty for their supreme head and lord, and to obey him as pious and faithful subjects.

To which the Elector of Brandenburg again replied that the Emperor did not want to enter into any dispute or quarrel with them about their answer, because he was aware enough that their new doctrine had long since been condemned by the Conciliorum's judgment and council, and had been expelled from the Christian Church as contrary to the Protestant and Apostolic Scriptures. But since they wanted to accept the imperial decree, in which nothing could be changed, the imperial majesty and the other states wanted to change it. Majesty and the other estates wanted to do again what they should do according to law and equity. If not, however, not only would the Emperor have to negotiate with the princes, princes and other imperial estates another agreement and decree, so that the Christian religion could be protected and managed, and the rebellious teachings could be purged from the Empire, but also the Pope, kings, princes and authorities of Christendom would have to be informed of these matters and apply the diligence that would be required of a Roman Emperor as protector of the faith and Catholic princes in this case. And it would be well known that the pope and the other kings, princes and authorities of Christendom do not abandon the emperor and the princes, also princes and estates of the empire, but rather resolve to assist them quite willingly with help, counsel and action. And since all ecclesiastical and secular laws forbid taking away another's property, just as all too many ecclesiastics complained and pleaded with the emperor that they had done so in their territories, and provided in law that the deposed person should above all be restored to his own: The Emperor again earnestly admonished them that they should restore to their rightful lords as soon as possible the monasteries, churches and convents or orders, properties, dominions, lands and fiefdoms which they had taken contrary to law and equity, and that they should restore to their monasteries and properties the ecclesiastical men and women who had been expelled, so that the Emperor would not be compelled to do otherwise. That the Catholic estates came to the Emperor would have been for no other reason than that they, with common counsel, might better protect the Christian religion brought to them by their forefathers, and first of all, that God the Almighty, whose cause the Emperor should not be forced to do otherwise.

and thereafter render due honor and service to the emperor, their lord and head. And from this and other movements or councils they would have come to such a composition. But how supposedly innocent the opposite would be, and how they would have given the emperor and the estates of the empire more than too much cause to complain, could easily be judged by those who remembered which part broke the Wormsian imperial edict and led to the shameful uprising of the common rabble, and had seen that in his lands and dominions the honor and dignity of the emperor, then of the Hungarian and Bohemian king, and soon of the princes, princes and all the estates of the empire had been publicly attacked from time to time with disgraceful writings. Also, the honor, welfare and goodness of the Emperor himself would have been compromised, and of those who would now be in place, would have deviated from the Worms Decree once accepted by the Emperor, and with their own approval and consent. Thus they should indicate by what right or equity they thought they were granted to revoke that which they had once affirmed with their seal. If they would now do the same, and consider what is more suggested, they could easily realize how pure and innocent they are. For other many causes more, so that they by their own guilt of the people hatred and disfavor loaded on themselves, he would have to be silent for this time beloved brevity.

24) To which the Lutherans thus said: they had listened with due reverence to what had been brought to them in the name of 1) the Emperor. Majesty and the imperial estates. And although their necessity required that they answer any points in particular, they must nevertheless, for the sake of brevity of time, touch only on this, that they had undoubtedly hoped that they would be given and granted a copy of the adopted agreement and time to confer with each other. But because they saw that the Emperor did not consent to this, nor were they entitled to demand that Her Imperial Majesty give them a measure and order in this matter. They wish that Her Imperial Majesty and all the estates of the empire would certainly consider that they do not want to refuse to accept the parting, if they can always do so with a good conscience. And hereby ask again what they asked before through Georg Truchsessen and the Chancellor of Baden, namely, that they be granted the farewell made.

1) Walch: an; immediately following "in" instead of "an".

They would like to be granted half a period of reflection until April 15, on which day they want to declare with letter and seal what they intend to do, and ask the Imperial Majesty not to be moved to any disgrace against them. Majesty that they will not allow themselves to be moved to any disgrace against them, and that they will thus most humbly command themselves to God and to their Imperial Majesty, as their most gracious lord.

Next, they repeated their previous complaint that the other princes had left them and gone to the emperor, because they had never given them any cause for complaint, nor (when they were blamed) had they aroused the revolt of the common rabble. Yes, it is so far from the fact that the Elector of Saxony was the instigator of the same rebellion that he also resisted it admirably, indeed, he contested it much more valiantly than others, which the Acta of the Diet of Speier would easily prove, if one were to look at them. For this reason, they ask the Emperor and the other estates not to decide anything disgraceful and unpleasant against them, nor to give credence to such a request.

26 To this the Elector of Brandenburg said: the Emperor had heard what they had brought forward, and had completely agreed not to deviate from the agreement once made, nor to allow them the requested time for reflection, because in matters of faith no delay is to be allowed for deliberation and debate. Thus the other estates, too, wanted to persist in the opinion they had presented to them, as befits Catholic people, and do not accept the apology they have offered, because their grievances are only known to men, 2) than that they could be disguised with some pretended appearance.

27 The Lutherans replied that they also wanted to leave it at that, and to entrust the matter to the Almighty, to whom alone it concerned. Majesty's most humbly requesting that they be and remain your most gracious emperor and lord.

But the Elector of Brandenburg replied that it would be sufficient to show how the Emperor, together with the Catholic Electors, Princes and Estates of the Empire, would unanimously insist on the Catholic renunciation. Therefore, several words would be unnecessary.

29 After which the Lutherans all left, and on the same day the Elector of Saxony and the Duke of Lüneburg left Augsburg.

(30) Now that this action has been taken with the Lutherans, the four cities of the empire, Costnitz, Strasbourg, and the

2) With Walch: become.

bürg, Memmingen and Lindau, a strange confession or scripture, not only with Lutheran, but also with many other errors against the most holy mystery of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and other points of the Christian faith so often, that it was also completely unworthy of an answer.

1160 Beginning of the work written by D. Gregorius Brück to correct the very deficient and often untrue papist report (No. 1159), under the title: "Handlung der Religionssache zu Augsburg.

This work is usually cited as "Brück's History of the Augsburg Diet". The manuscript of it is in the Weimar Archives, 8,6^. toi. Müller, "Historie der Protestation" etc., brings from it many of the most important pieces, some of which have been included in this volume. Walch had this "beginning" printed from Cyprian's Supplements to the History of the Augsburg Confession, p. 103, because it shows what to think of the preceding "report".

1. after the most illustrious, highborn princes, noble and wellborn counts, Mr. Johann, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave in Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen; Mr. Georg, Margrave of Brandenburg, of Stettin, Pomerania, the Cassuben and Wenden etc. Duke, Burgrave of Nuremberg and Prince of Rügen, on Oderburg; Messrs. Ernst and Franciscus, brothers, Dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg; Mr. Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, Count of Katzenelnbogen, on Dietz, Ziegenhain and Nidda; Lord Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt, Count of Ascanien and Lord of Berneburg, and Lord Gebhard and Lord Albrecht, brothers, counts and lords of Mansfeld; also the honorable free and imperial cities of Strasbourg, Nuremberg, Costnitz, Ulm, Magdeburg, Bremen, Reitlingen, Heilbrunn, Memmingen, Lindau, Kempten, Jsni, Biberach, Winsheim and Weißenburg am Nordgau etc., shortly crazy days come into believing experience, how a booklet should have gone out in print in Latin, under this title or inscription: "For the Christian religion issued acts, at the Diet of Augsburg, after the birth of the Lord, a thousand five hundred and thirty." Several of these books came to the attention of their electors and princes. They have seen and read their unanimous contents.

2. and however a writing, in the form of a supposed privilege, charging that the

The same shall not be reprinted by others in a named year, avoiding a heavy penalty: "Of the most majestic, grand and invincible prince and lord, Lord Carl the Fifth, Roman Emperor etc., our most gracious lord" etc., so that the poet of the same booklet together with the printer may appear to make people believe that Her Imperial Majesty had foreknowledge of the contents of the same booklet and that it is Her Majesty's gracious favor and will to do so. Majesty had knowledge of the contents of the same booklet, and that it was her Majesty's gracious permission and will to publish the Augsburg action in question, as far as religion is concerned, in the manner in which the poet has written therein. They also do not know how to believe that such a supposed description of the actions that took place of such an opinion, as the aforementioned poet indicated in the booklet with too much mild, too little report and expressed insensitivity, also concealed truth, 1) should have taken place or come to pass with Imperial Majesty as a most virtuous, most powerful emperor [approval], 2).

3) Their sovereigns and princes also know that their majesty as their lord and emperor is too virtuous. Their sovereign and princely graces and the cities, out of subservience to their majesty as their lord and emperor, are too virtuous that their majesty's mind should be, beforehand, out of God's word, on their sovereign and princely graces and the cities as the most subservient electors, princes and estates. and the cities, as her Majesty's most subservient Electors, Princes and Estates, in such a way as has been done with the printed booklet by too few as well as too many mild reports within and outside the Empire of the German Nation, and especially because males who were at the next Imperial Diet in Augsburg know how more than once their Electors, Princes and Estates are to be punished. The Council of the Holy Roman Catholic Church has requested of their Majesties and cities, for special moving reasons, to keep certain religious acts secret and not to allow them to be printed.

4th For, where it is to be considered that this printing was given with her majesty's foreknowledge, with which nothing, but to blame vain displeasure on the aforementioned prince, princes, and cities, was subjected by the poet: so it should also be further heard for that her majesty would not be contrary nor opposed, that all that would again be brought into print and given for a counter-report, which her chur-

1) Here we have deleted the word "stehet". - Shortly before: "mild" - unfit, insufficient.

2) Inserted by us.

and Princes. The Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor, the Holy Roman Emperor.

(5) And whether or not Her Majesty would have had the right science that the acts performed in Augsburg for the sake of religion should be printed, it is certainly not in Her Majesty's mind and good pleasure that the poet should destroy the acts in such a way as has happened. However, her Majesty's mind and good pleasure did not wish that the poet should mutilate the aforementioned acts as they happened, express a bit of unhappiness to the aforementioned Elector, princes and cities, with many untruths, and so on and more, and so on and more, also acted at the same time and besides, [should] be omitted, 1) but the things, as they would have happened and been acted on both sides, it would be to Glimpf or Unglimpf, from the beginning to the end, should be explained and given to day; as well as to the poet, if he, together with his printer, has included His Imperial Highness and Majesty in his work. Majesty in his booklet, but rather considered it as a bad historian 2) outside of the Imperial Majesty. Majesty. If he, like his printer, had not included His Majesty and His Majesty in his booklet, but had let it go out as a bad historian outside of Imperial Majesty's science, he would not have done otherwise than to describe the truth, also all actions on both sides completely, unmutilated, and without such wide stag or hare jumps.

6 And even if he would like to pretend that he was not always present at all actions, and especially what happened outside of a public audience, therefore he also could not have described everything, this may not excuse him of untruthfulness.

1161: Joh. Aurifaber's report on the Diet of Augsburg and what happened to Luther and his teachings in 1530.

This report is found in the Eisleben edition, vol. II, p. 160; in the Altenburg, vol. V, p. 524 and in the Leipzig, vol. XX, p. 196.

1 In 1530, on the 24th day of February, Emperor Carl was crowned in Italy at Bononia by the Pope, and from the same place he sent out notices to all the estates of the Roman Empire to hold an Imperial Diet, and to convene it in Augsburg on the 8th day of April.

2. this Diet of Augsburg is for two reasons

1) "should omit" put by us instead of: "omitted".

2) So put by us instead of: "but himself before a bad historian".

The reasons for the appointment were twofold. First, that the division in religion, which had arisen between the papists and the protesting estates many years ago, was to be settled. Secondly, because the Turk fell in Austria in the past 1529th year, with great war power, on the 21st day of September. On the sixteenth day of October, he set fire to his camp in front of Vienna, set fire to his camp, and marched again toward Hungary and Constantinople. After that, there was great fear that the Turk would return in the thirtieth year and attack Germany. For this reason, the imperial council wanted to propose and act on persistent help against the Turks.

3rd Duke Johann of Saxony, Elector, together with his Electoral son, Duke Johann Friederichen, also Duke Ernsten and Duke Franzen, brothers, Princes of Lüneburg and Brunswick, also Prince Wölfen of Anhalt, together with a stately knighthood, arrived at Augsburg on the 2nd day of May, and was the first among all the princes and princes to appear at the Imperial Diet; the papists were not aware of this. For they did not mean otherwise, S.C.F.G. would not attend the Diet, but would shun the light, so that their C.F.G. and their relatives would not be allowed to answer and give an account of their Christian doctrine and religion.

When the Elector of Saxony rode into Augsburg on a Monday, their C. F. G. had Magister Eisleben preach the following Wednesdays in the preachers' monastery, and in the same monastery heard their C. F. G. God's word for a while. And when Landgrave Philip of Hesse arrived in Augsburg on the Thursday after Jubilate, their Princely Grace had them preach the following Friday in the monastery of St. Moritz by O. Erhard Schnepfen, and afterwards in St. Ulrich. Such preaching by the protesters has greatly annoyed the papists; therefore they have practiced so much with the emperor that their imperial majesty has sent a message to the Elector of Saxony out of pressure, and has seriously requested that their electoral graces cease the preaching; as the preaching has subsequently been stopped for them.

On the evening of the feast of Corporis Christi, Emperor Carl rode into Augsburg, and arrived with Her Imperial Majesty Campegius, the Cardinal, the Pope's legate; and all the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were present.

and princes, ecclesiastical and secular, rode to meet Her Majesty and led her into the city. This evening, the imperial majesty again requested that they, the protesting estates, refrain from their preaching, and in the morning walk with her majesty in procession on the day of Corporis Christi. Both of these requests were denied to Her Imperial Majesty at that time for Christian reasons.

On the day of Corporis Christi, the imperial majesty summoned the protesting princes and chieftains early and earnestly requested the above-mentioned two articles from them again. But they rested on their negative answer, and offered to submit the causes of their excuse in writings. Then the imperial majesty was moved with anger and disgrace against them, and nevertheless granted them to put their reply in writing and to hand it over to her majesty. And Her Majesty, together with the Papist princes and chieftains, has performed the Procession Corporis Christi (as the same Papist festival is called).

On the Friday after Corporis Christi, when the protesting churals and princes submitted such a document to the imperial majesty, her imperial majesty submitted such a document to all other churals and princes for consultation. When the latter now noted that Her Imperial Majesty would be moved with disfavor against the protesting estates, they asked Her Majesty to grant them action between Her Majesty and the protesting estates.

8 And for such a negotiation a committee was made among them, as the Archbishop of Cologne, Margrave Joachim the Younger, the Elector Palatine's Hofmeister, Duke George of Saxony, Duke Ludwig of Bavaria, and Duke Albrecht of Mecklenburg. After negotiations had been held, the Imperial Majesty finally proposed that all the estates be forbidden to preach in Augsburg for a time, and that D. Faber, preacher of the royal dignity in Hungary, should not preach. On the other hand, Her Majesty wanted to decree and appoint preachers who would preach the gospel purely and peacefully. And should Her Imperial Majesty Her Majesty should then take the religious action in hand and hear and settle it amicably. So that the protesting estates were satisfied. And on the Saturday after Corporis Christi, an imperial herald and drummer abolished preaching by publicly blowing the trumpets.

On the Monday after Corporis Christi, which was the twentieth day of June, the beginning of the Imperial Diet was held in Augsburg, and the Imperial Majesty had the proposition made, which was based on the two points: first, to make a statement about the unity of the faith, and that each part should submit its complaint in writing in Latin and German, the secular against the clergy, and the clergy against the secular. And the presentation has been politely arranged, so that the Elector of Saxony, nor other princes, nor D. Martini Lutheri, is thought to murder in it. On the other hand, about the persistent help against the Turks. And the religious action has been taken for the first. The protesting estates did not want to agree to the Turkish tax unless the article concerning God's word and the Christian faith had been dealt with first.

On the Saturday after the feast of St. John the Baptist, the protesting princes and princes, and the two cities of Nuremberg and Reutlingen, made a confession of their faith by 21. Philippum Melanchthonem, publicly read before the Roman Emperor and King Ferdinand, as well as before all princes, princes and estates of the empire, ecclesiastical and secular, and offered to hand over an apologia and a more extensive explanation of it to the imperial majesty, princes and princes of the empire.

When this confession of faith was read out, Doctor Gregorius Brück, Saxon chancellor, wanted to hand over the copy of the confession, in German and Latin, to the imperial secretary, Alexander Schweiß, and through him to the archbishop of Mainz. Then the Imperial Majesty himself took hold of it and took the copy to him, with the gracious request of Duke Friederich, Count Palatine, to consider the matter further.

The Imperial Majesty had this confession translated into French by Alexander Schweiß and, at the request of Cardinal Campegii, had it transferred into French for the pope by another of his secretaries. Such a confession was immediately sent to the pope by mail. It was also sent to the King of France, the King of England, and the King of Portugal. And the imperial majesty of the pope and the other kings has sought and requested theologians censuram and judicium about it. Is therefore the protesting states' confession as-.

soon been spread in the high potentates courts.

On the Sunday after St. John's Day, the imperial majesty sent a confession to the papist churl and princes of the protesting states for consultation, who then submitted it to their theologians, who were Johannes Faber, D. Eck, D. Mensing, Cochläus, and others; these then made a confutation, and on Wednesday after Margaret's Day, they had it returned to the imperial majesty by the above-mentioned churl and princes. At that time, a papist prince said before other princes and lords: "The Lutherans have handed over a confession written in ink; if I were emperor, I would give them a confutation and script with rubrics, that is, written in red ink. Immediately another prince answered: the emperor should nevertheless pay attention if he wanted to write with rubrics, so that the prisilgen 1) would not splash under his eyes.

On the third day of August, the imperial majesty summoned all the princes and chieftains again, and had the confutation of the papists read to them by the secretary, Alexander Schweiß, which at first had been written very quickly, vehemently and hatefully, to overbite the emperor with it, and had been written in two hundred sheets. But the imperial majesty himself had ordered to soften this, and to make the writing a little shorter, about which three weeks of time had passed. The protesting estates requested a copy of this confutation, but it was refused to them by the imperial majesty.

When, after the reading of such a confutation, the Emperor earnestly requested of the Elector of Saxony and his kinsmen that they would rejoin the Roman Church in doctrine and faith, and accept the confutation, they should have a gracious Emperor; if not, their Imperial Majesty would not leave the Roman Church with protection, and would punish those who planted repugnant doctrine. Thereupon, Prince John of Saxony has issued for his person an entirely Christian and constant confession of his church doctrine and faith (whereby his electoral grace also wanted to remain in its pit, by divine grace and bestowal) to the Imperial Majesty in Latin, French and German on the evening of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

1) Otherwise, the form is: "Presilgen" - Brazil, that is, red color.

Magdalenä, which is printed in the fifth German Jenische tomo, fol. 31b, An, printed in 1561. 2)

16 Since the matter of the protesting estates was now approaching Augsburg in a very dangerous and painful manner, Landgrave Philip of Hesse let himself be led out of Augsburg at night through a gateway with a few horses on the 6th day of August and rode off to the Hessian land. The Emperor was annoyed by this, and therefore he seriously ordered the Augsburg City Council not to let anyone out through the gateway at night. He also summoned the Elector of Saxony and his kinsmen, and agreed with them that they would wait in Augsburg until the discussion of the religious matters and the end of the Diet. For Her Majesty wanted to try all means and ways that might be useful for peaceful unity. The protesting estates therefore agreed to this.

As a result, a number of princes and chieftains have presented themselves to the imperial majesty and requested further negotiations between her majesty and the protesting estates. On the sixth day of August, the other committee was appointed, comprising the two Electors of Mainz and Brandenburg, the Chancellors of the three Electors of Cologne, Treves and Palatinate, and Georg Truchsess of Waldburg, Baron, on behalf of the House of Austria. Item, the bishop of Salzburg, Speier and Strasbourg. Also three secular princes, as Duke George of Saxony, Duke Henry of Brunswick, and Duke Albrecht of Mecklenburg. The Abbot of Weingarten, the Chancellor of Baden, and the Chancellor of the Duke of Jülich, who summoned the protesting estates to the chapter house of the Augsburg Abbey, and negotiated with them for a settlement in religion for several days, and discussed the disputed articles with each other, but were unable to unite or settle.

18 A small committee was formed on the 16th day of August to see if a settlement could be reached beforehand, and seven people were appointed on each side. On the papist side, the Bishop of Augsburg, Duke Heinrich of Brunswick, the Archbishop of Cologne, Churfürsten, and the Margrave of Baden Chancellor, and three theologians, Doctor Johann Eck, Doctor Johannes Wimpina, and Doctor Johannes Cochleus. On the protesting side were also two princes, as Margrave Georg

2) This is "the second article" of No. 995 in this volume.

of Brandenburg and Duke Johannes Friedrich of Saxony; two jurists, as D. Gregorius Brück, and D. Heller; then three theologians, as N. Philippus Melanchthon, Johannes Brentius, and Erhardus Schneppius. These came together, took the Augsburg Confession of the protesting states in hand, and talked with each other from article to article, and the first day compared themselves in eleven articles. The next day they continued to act, and united with each other in 21 articles. But on the articles of the mass, of priestly marriage, of the Lord's Supper, of monastic vows, and of the bishops' jurisdiction, and others, they could not unite, but remained at odds.

On the 22nd day of August, the papists from the committee reported to the sovereigns and princes of the empire what they had done and arranged so far, and suggested that unity would be achieved much more if only a few people were involved in the action, than if this matter were to pass through many heads and hands. Therefore, it was considered good that a small committee was appointed, who would also act in unity. And on Tuesday after the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Philippus Melanchthon, together with D. Gregorio Brücken and D. Heller, and on the Papist side D. Eck, and the Bishop of Cologne, and the Chancellor of the Margrave of Baden were used for this. But since these six persons had talked and disputed with each other for a long time, they were not able to compare.

On August 20, the joint committee informed the sovereigns and princes of the empire of the opinion and will of the protesting estates, from which they could not deviate in any way or give in to anything. This was followed by all kinds of advice and suggestions as to how a peaceful agreement could be reached. And on the seventh day of September 1) the Emperor summoned the papist and protesting estates to him, and himself dealt with them, and offered to work with the Pope so that a concilium could be favorably arranged, in which the religious schism and separation could be heard, judged and resolved, and harmless concerns of a peaceful parting between the time and the concilio were made.

21. on Saturday after Nativitatis Mariä are of some private persons, as, Mr. Georg Truch-.

1) In the old edition wrong: "Decembris".

seß, Baron, and Doctor Vehus, Chancellor of Baden, the protesting estates 2) were asked how the religious matters could be settled peacefully, or how they could be given a hearing, or that a peaceful parting and end of the Reichstag could be reached.

22 When neither great promises, nor serious threats, nor clever tricks and practices could drive away and turn away the Elector of Saxony and his kinsmen from the Christian doctrine and religion; as then the above-mentioned pieces were quickly tried against S. C. F. G. and the same kinsmen at Augsburg, and the Elector of Saxony broke away from Augsburg on the 18th day of September and returned to his lands. C. F. G. and his kinsmen were attempted at Augsburg, and the Elector of Saxony wanted to leave Augsburg on the 18th day of September and depart for his own lands again, as if their Electoral Grace had been at the Emperor's request. Grace remained there for four days at the Emperor's request. And on the 22nd day of September, which was Thursday 3) Mauritius, the Imperial Majesty summoned all the estates of the empire together, and gave the Elector of Saxony and his kinsmen their farewell, with gracious permission of a period of reflection between here and the first 4) day of April, Anno 1531, what they wanted to give the Imperial Majesty in reply.

23 And on the same day the Apologia about their confession was delivered to the Imperial Majesty by the protesters through D. Gregory Bridges. Gregory Bridges. The next day, the Elector of Saxony departed from Augsburg, leaving his advisors behind.

During this Imperial Diet in Augsburg, Martin Luther was in Coburg, and from there he gave advice and instruction to the Elector of Saxony and his theologians, and there he wrote many useful good books and had them printed. As, a letter to the Bishop of Mainz, Cardinal, together with an interpretation of the other Psalm. Admonition to the clergy, assembled at the Imperial Diet in Augsburg. Also interpretations of some Psalms, as the 118th, the hundred and eleventh; item, the hundred and seventeenth; also many textbooks, as, exhortation to receive the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, item, of the keys, of matrimonial matters, and how to keep children in school. Item, of Purgatory etc.

25. on the eleventh day of novembris is the final farewell of the imperial Diet to all estates from the quay.

2) "the protesting estates" put by us instead of "the protesting estates. See No. 1099.

3) Here we have deleted "after" because it is wrong.

4) Instead of: "the first" it will be read: "the fifteenth". See No. II2I.

1744 Erl. 54, 223, para. 11: The other Reichstag resolution. No. 1161 f. W. XVI, 2117-2119. 1745

ser has been given, and thus this Imperial Diet has had its finality, at which the doctrine of the Gospel, revealed by God through D. Luther in these last days of the world, was publicly confessed before the emperor, king, and all princes and rulers of the empire; and what is written in the Psalms was fulfilled: "I spoke of your testimony before the kings, and was not ashamed. And the confession of our Christian faith was delivered to the whole empire at that imperial diet, continued to come and spread, and many people became attached to it; it still exists to this day against the world, the devil's and the gates of hell's raging and raging. And what this Augsburg Confession has done and worked, D. Martin Luther once said about tables like this

Tanta est Verbi Dei efficacia et virtus, ut, quo plus persecutionis habeat, eo plus floreat et crescat. Considerate comitia Augustana, quae vere sunt ultima tuba ante extremum diem. Quam aestuabat totus mundus tum contra nostram doctrinam. O how we had to ask that Christ would remain [safe] from the papists in heaven! Tandem nostra doctrina et fides ita prodiit in lucem per confessionem nostram, ut brevissimo tempore, mandato etiam Caesaris, ad omnes reges et principes mitteretur; ibi multa praeclarissimorum virorum ingenia in aulis fuerunt, die fingen diese Lehre gleich wie ein Zunder Ita nostra confessio et apologia3 ) in summa gloria est edita. At illorum confutatio in tenebris sordescit. O quam optarim, ut ipsorum confutatio in lucem prodiret; How would we set to work on the old torn fur, and so shake it that the stains should thrust to and fro? Sed ipsi orunt lucem. They do not want to come here. We have offered them peace and unity enough. Sed ipsi superbissime nolebant consentire. Ideo oportet papistas perire sine ulla misericordia. Sicut in Josua [cap. 9,15.] legitur, quod Josua omnibus civitatibus pacem obtulerit, et nullam praeter Gabaon pacem

1) Compare: Tischreden, Cap. 55, s 3 and ?5. St.Louis edition, vol. XXII, 1375 ff. The redaction given here is according to the records of Mathesius. G. Lösche, VnuteetÄ Initlierann 6t MelanUioiiinna, p. 279, No. 446.

2) Inserted after Lösche.

3) ^poIoAiu is here another name for the Augsburg Confession, which was initially called a protective writing. The "Apology of the Augsburg Confession" was not accepted by the emperor.

suscepisse, caeteras omnes eam excussisse, et ideo sine misericordia periisse. Ideo nostra4 ) illa comitia omni laude digna sunt. What has been consumed there, no one shall regret, quia Verbum Dei divulgatum est passim contra omnium hominum, Caesaris, papae et Epicureorum opinionem. They wanted to dampen our doctrine by force, but then it began to rise.

27. During this Augsburg Diet, O. Martin Luther's father, Hans Luther, a citizen of the Mansfeld Valley, died blessedly in God.

28 During the Imperial Diet of Augsburg, a number of cities in the upper lands, which had adhered to Zwingli's and Oekolampadi's doctrine of the Lord's Supper, submitted to the Imperial Majesty and the Estates of the Empire their own confession on this article. Majesty and the Estates of the Empire their own confession on this article. For this reason, the protesting estates have been at odds with them; as Martinus Bucerus, preacher at Strasbourg, sent from Augsburg to D. Martin Luther against Coburg, to discuss this with him and to see if an agreement could be reached, which then followed in 1536.

In the month of November, the Imperial Majesty departed from Augsburg together with King Ferdinand and other princes. Majesty of Augsburg, together with King Ferdinand and other princes, departed for Cologne, where her Imperial Majesty required all seven princes to elect a Roman king in writing on the 21st of December. Majesty summoned all seven Electors by writing on the 21st day of December to elect a Roman King there. This election was contested by Elector John of Saxony, who publicly protested against it through his son, Duke John Frederick. Hence the beginning of all displeasure, enmity and bitterness of the House of Austria against the Elector of Saxony and his son, Duke John Frederick.

On the 22nd day of December, the protesting estates held a meeting and a day at Schmalkalden. And there a covenant and unification was established among them. They also challenged the election of the Roman king by writing to the emperor.

1162 Luther's letter to Elector John concerning the violent writings he was forbidden to write. April 16, 1531.

The original of this letter is in the archives at Weimar, Ü6A. X, toi. 73; subsequently in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 66, No. Ill; in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 238 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 54, p. 223. We have used the variants given in Burkhardt, p. 190.

4) nostra is missing from Lösche.

1746 Erl. 54,223-225. cap. 13. of the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530. w. XVI, 2119-2121. 1747

Grace and peace in Christ! Most Serene, Highborn Prince, Most Gracious Lord! The respectable, most reverend Lord, D. Gregorius Brück, has notified me of E. C. F. G.'s writing and order to forbid me the violent, sharp writings, of which I have recently let two go out, so that incorrectness 1) may be prevented: besides this, I have also let see two disgraceful letters, which were written to the monastery of Rissau from Wittenberg under such a name: "M. L.", 2) whereupon I am also compelled to inform E. C. F. G. of my humble opinion.

First of all, I can testify with these two sharp writings myself that I do nothing seditious in them, and no man will prove sedition to me from them, and will (whether God wills it) keep the same against everyone.

3) On the other hand, it is also clear that I praised and praised Imperial Majesty to the highest degree. Maj. to the highest degree, and in sum, as the words clearly state, 3) to instruct nothing but the consciences in a Christian manner, and to discover the evil practices of the abusers of the imperial name, so that devout hearts may be unconcerned. name, so that pious hearts may remain unconcerned and unaffected.

Thirdly, how Christianly and honestly E. C. F. G. and her relatives acted in such an edict, I think E. C. F. G. should feel better than all the world, and have also made it well known in Augsburg with objections and protests.

(5) Because that part nevertheless condemned our matters and, continuing with the head, did not want to hear or answer, did not care about that, that one so highly, heartily, earnestly asked for peace, nevertheless let out such a sinister, cruel, bloodthirsty, false edict, and thus (to tell the truth) drew the sword against E. C. F. G. and the same relatives, and put the whole realm in armor, as one cannot interpret such otherwise; and that is even more, E. C. F. G. and the same relatives are in harness. C. F. G. and her relatives, and put the whole realm in armor, as one cannot interpret such things otherwise; and that is even more, E. C. F. G. and her relatives have been kept in such a state for more than half a year.

1) In the old edition: "a correctness".

2) The two letters are printed by Burkhardt, p. 190. Compare St. Louis edition, vol. XX, introduction, p. 22 d.

3) Walch: Christian.

and such dangerous and miserable patience proved all too great an excess, and yet it did nothing for that part, but only made them more defiant, more proud and more wilful, so that I had to worry that they would not stop, that they would cause misery. Therefore, whether E. C. F. G. and her relatives wanted to remain silent and suffer forever in this matter, I have now chosen not to remain silent nor to suffer, as the matter is initially and most nobly my own. For if I should finally remain silent on such a public condemnation of my doctrine, it would be just as much as if I abandoned it and denied it; before I want to do that and suffer, I want to incur the wrath of all the devils, of all the world, before I keep silent because of the mob 4).

6 That perhaps some pretend with E. C. F. G., the two writings are sharp and swift, that is truly true; I did not write it to be blunt and mild, and I alone am sorry that [it] is not sharper and fiercer; for whoever sees or notices the sharpness and swiftness of the trade on that part, will not count my writing for special sharpness and swiftness, unless that would be a mild and gentle trade, that one would deny E. C. F. G. together with her relatives such a gruesome edict and condemnation of unheard-of 5) matters. C. F. G. together with her relatives such a gruesome edict and condemnation of unheard-of 5) matter and denied answer, and thus the whole empire's sword and fury in E. C. C. F. G. life and limb, and to make Germany full of innocent blood, widows, orphans, and to disturb and devastate the whole empire.

Yes, my writing can be considered sharp and vehement; but when will that part also once take itself by the nose and judge your writing sharp? When has the Imperial Majesty ever punished or forbidden the writings? When has His Majesty punished or forbidden the writings that have gone out against us in the whole Empire, also in his hereditary lands and in the French lands, in the most severe and disgraceful manner without intermission? When did King Maj. Maj. of Bohemia too harshly damned D. Faber's and such lying, blasphemous, assholish writings?

4) Walch: "aller kaiserlichen Räthe"; DeWette: "der kaiserlichen Räthe".

5) "unheard" unheard.

1748 Erl. 54,225-227, Sect. 11, The Other Reichstag Resolution. No. 1162 f. W. XVI, 2121-2124. 1749

Scripture? When did the dukes of Bavaria punish D. Ecken and other writings, full of lies and blasphemy in the most bitter way? When did Margrave Joachim punish his Wimpina and Mensingen, the poisonous vipers and liars? When has Duke Georgen ever been annoyed by what Emser, Doctor Cochleus and many others in his lands have written so sharply, bitterly and shamefully against us? In it, even the gentle, pious prince, Duke Frederick's honor, is not a little touched, I will keep silent, how E. C. F. G. is mocked and bruised with it. Duke George himself has written against me, and many times in such a way that a loose Emser or Notzlöffel should be ashamed to write in this way; but it should not be given to him either.

From this E. C. F. G. sees that such people's opinion is that if a hundred thousand wrote on that part, yes, if all the leaves and grass wrote and screamed against us in the most poisonous and bitter, most shameful and most lying way 1) and we kept silent and said yes to it, that would be right and fine. But if I alone, poor man, cry out against so many monstrous wonders and abominations, no one has written sharply except Luther alone. Yes, if that should be right, that they may pretend: Let us write and cry out against you and your doctrine in the most outrageous way, and you keep quiet and say yes to it; let us drive at the Elector of Saxony with edicts, bats and guns of the whole realm, but he keep quiet and say that would be right: who would not like to be judged, most gracious lord? They are certainly not silly people, but attack it very wisely!

9 Accordingly, my most humble request to E. C. F. G. is that they do not allow evil mouths to be moved against me, and from the indicated causes consider the great unavoidable need that has urged me to write sharply, so E. C. F. G. will well judge that I am much, much too blunt and soft with my writing to such evil knots and branches. But if this is not enough, let them write against me or sue me in writing, where I have acted rebelliously or unjustly; if I will not answer for it, then I will suffer my right to do so.

1) In the original: "schreuten".

far that I do not want to have told them nor advised them to do such against me, because I did not write it drunk nor in sleep. The other two letters to the abbess at Rissau see E. C. F. G. himself that they are not mine, so I know neither monastery nor abbots inside, do not know where it lies, whether they eat or drink inside. Although a great deal of shameful writing has gone out against us from Duke George's country, and yet 2) everything has been done well, namely by Hasenberger in Leipzig, which our enemies also spit upon, it is so exceedingly shameful. He still lives in Leipzig and has a gracious lord, praise and honor, along with his followers. But this is the sum of it: what we say and do is wrong, even if we wake up the dead; what they do is right, even if they drown land and people with innocent blood; and such people should be attacked with cotton wool, courted, and said: Mercy-junkies, you are pious and beautiful. The merciful Father in heaven comfort and strengthen E. C. F. G. in his word and command until the blessed end, Amen. Sunday after Easter [April 16] 1531.

E. C. F. G.

subservient

Martinus Luther.

Luther's letter to Gregorius Brück concerning his published booklet "Against the Assassin at Dresden. May 8, 1530.

Lx unto^raplio Oleioüii in Tentzels curiöser Bibliothek, 1764, p. 393; in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 67, No. 112; in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 252 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 54, p. 231.

Clarissimo viro, Gregorio Bruck, Jurium Doctori et Saxoniae Senatori, suo in Domino majori.

Mercy and peace, my dear Lord and Godfather! That my booklet should come to Dresden before to Torgau, I should excuse [against] 3) you, so I hope it is not necessary. For E. A. was outside too long, as I had provided for E. A.'s future. So

2) Walch and De Wette: thereafter.

3) Inserted by us for easier understanding.

I also think that my little books, if they should come to the court first, they would find so much of the master that nothing would ever come of it, and make countless other people suspicious of me. But now they see only Lutheran, and everyone can excuse himself that he did nothing to it.

2 Well, I will spare the bishop yet, cannot do it even now that I write, and must forgive other writing half. But I am surprised that the good man,

1) It would like to be read perhaps: "with the master" or: "with the master". Only with this or a similar reading the following sentence seems to give us a corresponding sense.

D. Johann Rühel, once again lets himself be fooled into believing the loose and false man 2), since he knows that nothing good is behind it.

I have asked E. A. through Er Johann, they wanted to help me complete the book of assassinations, because I want to work on it again; but I know little of the point, since he describes us with the Duke of Wittenberg. Theologically I want to do it well, but to do it historically would be very useful to me.

4 I do what is dear to E. A., where they are not slow in exhorting. Hiemit GOtt befehlt, Amen. Octava Maji 1531.

D. Martinus Luther.

2) the Bishop of Mainz.