June or July 1533.
1 A letter is said to have been written by me, secretly, to some citizens of Leipzig, in which I was to comfort them in their challenge to the sacrament of both forms. The same letter came before Duke George, from which he was inflamed, and out of his anger and wrath quickly wrote to my most gracious lord, the Elector of Saxony, accusing me of being a rebel, as if I wanted to make his subjects disobedient and rebellious to him; and it is said to be an excellent evil letter, so that he hopes that my most gracious lord, the Elector, in view of his writing, would quickly send me a letter from me.
do everything he would like to see, so that he may cool his troubles; and my most gracious lord, the Elector, moved by his letter, writes these words to me, among others 1):
"If it should now be the opinion of such to induce our cousins' people or others to some uproar by your letter, that would be in no way to be tolerated by us from you; you could also easily consider that
1) The letter from Elector John Frederick to Luther, dated May 12, 1533, to which Luther refers here, is found in Burkhardt's "Briefwechsel," p. 213 f.
*This judgment is found (with the exception of the Wittenberg edition) in the places indicated in the previous number and (with the exception of our edition) in the Tischreden, Cap. 27, § 151. 27, § 151. Also, as a duplicate in the Erlangen edition, vol. 65, p. 178. Quite similar in content is a passage in Luther's Trostbriefe an die Leipziger, Walch, St. Louiser Ausgabe, vol. X, 1936 ff, s 10 ff. We give the text according to the Jena edition.
**) This writing appeared in June or July 1533 (cf. De Wette, vol. IV, p. 463, note) with Nickel Schirlentz at Wittenberg under the title: "Verantwortung der auffgelegten Auffrur, von Herzog Georgen, Sampt einem Trostbrieff an die Christen, von jhm aus Leiptzig vnschüldig verjagt." In the collections: Wittenberger (1559), vol. XII, p. 240; Jenaer (1568), vol. VI, p. 6; Eislebenschen, vol. II, 327; Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 4; Leipziger, vol. XXI, p. 4; Erlanger, vol. 31, p. 228. We have reproduced the text according to the Jenaer edition, comparing the Erlanger.
we would not refrain from inflicting due punishment on you. But we want to make sure that this is not your mind. Therefore, you will have to answer to the same requirement and assessment, according to your need, so that your innocence is noted, by your letter, so that if such responsibility did not happen, we would also have to consider it as if you were guilty of the things" etc.
Now I do not want to do Duke George, as my and my gospel's enemy, the honor and service that I would confess that the letter is mine, if already my hand and seal were there, because it is a secret letter, which is not due to him to have, much less to act on it and to insist. So he knows well enough beforehand that he should not swear to my secret letters, as he should have found clearly and tangibly enough in the booklet "von gestohlenen Briefen" (of my eighth), where he would otherwise have his five senses. But because he is angry and insistent about it, and wants to disparage me against my most gracious lord and sovereign, I will accept the same letter, and shall be and be called mine, to try whether I could also defend such a letter against such high sharp art of Duke George, in the cheerful hope that God will grant me grace to do so.
3 And first of all, I ask anyone to whom my letter or matter against Duke George comes, not to believe it in any way, nor to take it for granted, even if Duke George himself says or complains that I have been too close to his person or princely honor with this writing. For I have so far avoided such things, and no one would do so willingly, because it is none of my business how he lives or governs for his person in the secular state, which he himself knows well, if he wanted to know it. But he is so hotly poured out with hatred and wrath against me that he would gladly make sedition, heresy, even vain hellish fire out of any of my words, if he could only find those who believed him, whether he knows well that he is doing me wrong.
4 Therefore, where I speak or write against what he has done or blasphemed in this spiritual matter, I will not speak or write against him.
If I have a matter concerning the Word of God and the salvation of souls (in which matter alone, and in no other, I have had to deal with him, forced to do so by his raving), then he quickly brews and mixes it together, and wants to interpret and make a worldly matter, sedition, and whatever he pleases out of it, as if he had won everything beautifully; but it is said: Not yet, dear fellow! For I have always set my words and considered them beforehand, so that I am justified in defying Duke George and all his papists at once, so that they may make some sedition, or heresy, or invective, or blasphemy out of it. But I cannot be held responsible for lies and false interpretations (especially deviations), which the Holy Spirit must also suffer from his own words and the entire Holy Scripture. By the grace of God, I can speak and write so much that I do not need to learn from Duke George (for he cannot do it either) what the words are called and how they should be interpreted.
5 Come, the same letter of dispute, for which Duke George reproachfully scolds me. I do not have it now, especially my handwriting; but a copy has come back to me, on which it is not so certain, because it has passed through many hands, as happened to me with that letter. But if Duke George is a pious and true Christian, let him stand up and make his writing true, in which he accuses me against my most gracious lord, Duke John Frederick, Elector etc., that I am making his subjects unruly and disobedient to him, then I will not only suffer, but also ask that my right, as the very worst rebellious boy, be done without all mercy. If he does not do this, then he himself may let him be commanded with whom he shall be justly angry, and who shall blaspheme and disgrace him most in such his nnfounded writing. I will say no more.
6 It is clearly written in the copy of the letter that I advise the pious people: they should risk life and property before they deny both forms against Christ, or take one form at Duke George's command. There is the text, which honestly excuses me and my letter, and Duke George's writing
1830 Wl.[L,ssi--3s. Triplicate appendix of some of Luther's controversial writings. W. 2281-2234. 1831
so that I might lament how he blasphemes me with unchristian writing and falsely presents me before my sovereign, and puts me and my doctrine to an unpleasant shame, which I would pay him for if I wanted to take revenge on him.
7 And worry though (because there will be no stopping), he will knock on the tires so long that one day the bottom of the barrel will pop out. He knows almost well what he still has on the rock in the preface to Emser's New Testament, 2) and other writings. If I am to melt the food all together, I will cast a bell for him, so that he should hear that it is not a bad cimbel or bell. I would that he would leave me in peace; I have borne long enough his raging and blustering against me, so that he can press no blame upon me with right and truth.
(8) For a child of seven years knows and understands that this is a true Christian doctrine, where people are taught to suffer, to give way, to risk and to leave life and property, and not to sit down against their authorities and tyranny for the sake of God's word, as my letter does, as the pious people who were driven out also did; therefore I appeal to all pious Christians, yes, to all reason in all the world. I would almost appeal to Balaam's donkey and to all donkeys and cows, if they could speak. Nor can Duke George be so blind and wicked as to say thar against such clear text of the letter, which he himself sets forth, 3) and rebuke me seditiously. If he feels like honoring himself as he does here, God give him enough. A rebel does not teach to suffer, nor to risk life or property; he teaches not to yield to authority, especially to tyrants; but to take from them 4) life, property, honor and power. Yes, it is written in the letter, how I call Duke George the devil's apostle, which is spoken to his honor.
1) Erlanger: mine.
2) To this quite shameful, lying diatribe of Duke George Luther had answered nothing. Compare the introduction to this volume sud No. XIV.
3) thar say - to presume to speak.
4) Erlanger: him.
If it's in there, it's in there, I don't want to scratch it out or deny it. But that his honors were spoken too near, I would like to hear and see the highly learned people who should prove it. We admit to Duke George that he sits in princely honor before the world, 5) and is a praiseworthy, honest prince of the realm; but before God and in spiritual matters we admit to him no honor, except Pilate's, Herod's, Judas' honor, and the like, who condemned and killed Christ and his apostles for the sake of God's word. For before God (we know this and are certain of it) he has no other honor.
Therefore, if I call him the devil's apostle, I do him no injustice, and do not blaspheme his princely honor or worldly majesty, but tell him the right bitter truth. Just as I do not speak to the pope and bishops about their honor when I call them the church of the devil, but I tell the truth as they are counted before God and in spiritual matters. For they defend obvious lies and idolatry against their own conscience, and persecute the known truth, that they know, and shed innocent blood, that is in daylight, and deny heaven and their bliss to the pious souls, and drive them by force into the abyss of hell to eternal damnation; that they cannot deny with any pretense.
(10) But I have pictured Duke George with such a hostile name, and imagined it to the pious people (not for his sake, because the letter is not written for his sake) for more comfort and strengthening, so that they may stand all the more boldly and firmly by Christ's word. For a pious Christian heart is moved (and not unreasonably) at first sight when the commandment of the authorities comes, because God has so harshly commanded to show obedience, honor and service to the authorities with all one's heart.
(11) Therefore, so that the good people should not be frightened nor fall away before Duke George, as their rightful sovereign and God-ordained authority: I have wanted to show the mask that Duke George has put on, and underneath it the devil's commandment, as a
5) Erlanger: fitze.
They should know that such a commandment does not come from their authorities, according to divine order, but from the devil and his disorder, and they should not let themselves be challenged or worried as if they were doing something against their authorities, or were disobedient, but were certain that they resisted the devil in this and nevertheless remained pious, faithful and obedient subjects to their authorities, and did not care whether Duke George would interpret and punish such disobedience. For such an interpretation of his is nothing, because it is not of his proper power and princely authority, but of his larvae and mummery, against God and his word: for it helps well for comfort and strength, where it is certain that one does against the devil and not against the authority, if it disguises itself in a strange way and form.
12 It shall also be written in the letter, as I advise the pious people: they should strike the devil in the face with the cross. Now, I have taken the letter as my own, I must stand here and answer for it; but nevertheless I do not hope that Duke George should be so unreasonable and unintelligent (for that would be a great public nuisance) that he should interpret such things as being spoken or meant for himself, and for sedition. For the text does not say that one should strike Duke George in the face, but the devil. Therefore, he cannot interpret it as being directed at himself or against himself, because he would want to declare himself a devil and scold him. But my letter does not do that.
There is no doubt that the cross in that place cannot be called a cross of iron or wood, much less a carthaun or a serpent, for the devil cannot be beaten with such weapons: he is a spirit; therefore it must be grasped here that such interpreters, be it Duke George or whoever else, blinded by great hatred and envy, interpret such words to me for sedition; and they should be ashamed of it, if they had only one of their five senses. Oh how they should have misinterpreted, if I had been so careless, and had not called the cross, but the sword of the spirit, then the little word "of the spirit" should have been concealed, and this
Go shouting: Behold, the rebellious Luther writes that one should strike with the sword in the face. For they are such excellent artists that they catch letters and words they want, but text and opinion they let go; and then one should believe them quickly, as they cannot err.
14. And if it were art to interpret venomously and to maliciously twist another's words, I would also like to interpret Duke George's oath, which he lays out for his subjects in Leipzig and forces them to swear that they should help condemn and persecute the Lutheran doctrine, and I would say: Duke George hereby draws his sword and goes to war against the Elector, the Landgrave and their relatives; and I know that such an interpretation should follow better from the same oath than his interpretation of the rebellion from my letter, and I have no doubt that if our princes were to take such an oath from their subjects against Duke George, he would not interpret it differently according to his head and his raving, but would have offered and started a war. But, praise God! I do not want to interpret it in such an evil way, nor should anyone interpret it in such a way, for the sake of peace. It is better to keep Duke George from acting foolishly with such an oath than to act wickedly and murderously; it is better to be warned than to be murdered.
15 Nevertheless, because the work shows that Duke George is not powerful in his own right, and the devil is a mischievous man everywhere in the world, I would still like his nobility and countryside to take heed of the game, as well as the surrounding princes. I do not understand the oath, but I know well that the devil has nothing good in mind and can make a terrible fire out of a despised spark. We are sufficiently burned and witty. For when the mint's sparks were flying about, it was despised until the great fire came out of it, which is not yet extinguished, and who knows when it will be extinguished? After that it will be said: I would not have done it; so it is well done. I did not want to take the world's good, that my letter was as revealing as Duke George's oath; I would have to die in an instant. Dear! It would be a fine thing if Duke George could get it there,
that all the world would be captive to him, and everything he said, however evil and poisonous it was, would have to be interpreted in the best way and heard with pleasure; on the other hand, he alone would be so free that everything another person said, however good and wholesome it was, he would want to interpret in the worst and most shameful way. He is no fool to desire such things; it is fools who allow him to do so.
16 These are the three pieces in my letter that may have moved and angered Duke Georgen, so that he scolds me rebelliously and accuses me against my sovereign. And yet there is no blame in it that he can bring against me with good reason, but rather reveals his ugly, bitter, poisonous heart against me. I have to let him have it, because I cannot take it away from him nor improve it. But if wishing and favor would help, I would gladly wish and grant him another heart. For I have, praise be to God and thanks be to God, no bitter or evil heart, neither against him nor against any man on earth. Therefore I also have peace and good rest; but he that is bitter and ill-disposed toward me martyreth himself, and avengeth me upon himself, and is a devil unto himself, and hath neither peace nor rest, so long as I live, and my name remaineth.
But I will live and abide forever in Christ our Lord, with whom I must innocently suffer the ugly, hostile name of sedition. For he himself was also crucified as a rebel and hanged between two murderers, and his rebellious title is called Rex Judaeorum, that is, he who defied his authority, the emperor, made his subjects disobedient and disparaging to him, and wanted to be king himself etc. Thus the world must hang the cloak of shame on the Gospel, forever calling it nothing but rebellious, disobedient and rebellious; this is what our Lord God must believe, 'the foolish man, and let his only Son, together with all his dear saints, be condemned and strangled over it, while the tender world speaks and praises piously, holy and blessed; but it will be found when the snow melts.
18) Now, if there were any thanks to be earned for the cursed, shameful world, and I, D. Martinus, had not taught or done anything else good, except that I would not have been able to defend the worldly government, I would not have been able to defend the worldly government.
If I have so enlightened and adorned the world or the authorities, they should thank me and be favorable to me for the sake of a few pieces, because they all, even my worst enemies, know well that such understanding of secular authorities under the papacy has not only lain under the bench, but also under all stinking lousy priests and monks and beggars' feet has had to be pressed and kicked. For such glory and honor I have (by the grace of God), be it dear or sorry to the devil and all his scales: that since the time of the apostles no doctor nor scribe, no theologian nor jurist has so gloriously and clearly confirmed, instructed and comforted the consciences of the secular classes as I have done, by the special grace of God. I know this for certain! For even St. Augustine nor St. Ambrose (who are the best in this matter) are not equal to me in this. Of this I boast, to God's praise and thanks, to the devil and all my tyrants and enemies, to their sorrow and annoyance, and I know that such fame must be true, and both must be and remain known before God and the world, even if they become mad and foolish about it.
Therefore it is almost ridiculous and shameful to call D. Martinus rebellious, because there are the books, my witnesses, available, there is the deed and work, that in the next rebellion [Anno 1525] I was one of the least of the noblest, who taught and wrote against the rebellion before it started, likewise of the Münzers and other books also still there, which they wrote against me, and blasphemed me so shamefully, because I punished their rebellion. The emperor, king, princes, bishops and the whole empire, who interrogated our doctrine at Augsburg and then read our apology, and had to confess, also confessed that Luther's doctrine was not seditious, but was highly opposed to sedition, and perhaps (I do not want to boast too much) better, than four or five Duke George might have fought with the sword, so that a cow or a sow might have grabbed at the wall with its claws, as Duke George, out of vain old hardened hatred and envy, ascribes such unfounded guilt of sedition to me, against his own conscience, and that he nevertheless so
(as one is also wont to do to enemies, and it is right) and asked beforehand: how and what my letter meant, and what my opinion was? and, according to the example of the divine majesty, said beforehand: Cain! Where is your brother Abel? Gen. 4, 9. Item Cap. 11, 7: I will come down and see the tower that the children of men are building, and Gen. 18, 21: I must see if the Sodomites are doing this or not.
No, Duke George must not do this, but regardless of the fact that he knows my teachings and books well, nevertheless, unheard and unasked, he quickly pronounced a judgment according to his own head, and interpreted the words as he pleases, and made of them what seems good to his raging hatred and envy; and then the Elector should have Luther beheaded immediately, that would be right for Duke George. Reason: He is God, emperor, prince, and everything he wants, he can do as he pleases, and no one should say: Why are you doing this? Dear, how can I celebrate or fear such a wretched man, who runs so publicly? And what does it help him that he shouts a lot: Luther is rebellious, Luther is rebellious! if he has no other honor from it, but that he must hear again: It is not true, it is not true! as all the world knows, and his own conscience too? I do not punish him alone (for he is very angry when I call him a liar, even though he does it himself and unbidden), but, as I said, the public truth before all the world. But it is better to punish Duke George for lying than to conceal the truth for his sake and keep it hidden under the lie; God grant that he may be angry or laugh about it.
(21) But I wanted to point out the real rebels to someone who wanted to hear and see. There are still the books and sermons in which it was taught how the secular classes are dangerous and damned, and are all times deceived by such teachers and preachers that they had to buy the monks and priests mass and prayer, and stands a good part of monasteries, convents, churches, chapels, altar, founded on such doctrine, in which such idle desperate blasphemers and
rebellious boys have fattened themselves from all the world's goods. Then they painted a great ship, which was called the holy Christian church, in which sat no layman, neither kings nor princes, but only the pope with the cardinals and bishops in front, under the Holy Spirit, and the priests, monks on the sides with the oars, 1) and thus sailed toward heaven. But the laymen swam in the water around the ship; some drowned, some pulled themselves to the ship by ropes and cords, which the holy fathers threw out to them out of grace and sharing of their good works, and helped them so that they would not drown, but would also come to heaven clinging and hanging to the ship. And there was no pope, cardinal, bishop, priest or monk in the water, but only laymen. Such a painting was a picture and short concept of their doctrine, what they thought of worldly estates, and is also the right picture, as they had it in their books, they can not deny. For I have also been one of such fellows, who helped to teach such things, and thus believed, and did not know otherwise.
22. have condemned the laity together with their rank, so far that at the deathbed even princes and lords had themselves clothed in monk's caps and buried, so that they freshly and freely denied Christ, and despised their baptism and all sacraments, and condemned their worldly rank, and put all comfort and confidence in the holy cap and the sharing of the good works of the order, and thus went to heaven hanging on their ship and rope. Yes, I mean heaven, where the infernal fire strikes from the windows.
23) I have seen with these eyes, when I went to school in Magdeburg in my fourteenth year, a prince of Anhalt, 2) namely the brother of the provost of the cathedral and later of Bishop Adolph in Merseburg, who walked in a barefoot cap on the broad street for bread, and carried the sack like a donkey, that he had to bend down to the earth; but his brother companion walked beside him unaided, so that the pious prince alone might set the highest example.
1) In the Jena and Erlangen editions: Rudeln.
2) This narrative is also found in the Tischreden, Cap. 30, § 38. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXLI, 969.
1838 M. "1, SS9-S4I. Triplicate appendix of some of Luther's controversial writings. W. rix, Lrsi-2W4. 1839
of the gray, modest holiness of the world. They had also deafened him in such a way that he did all the other works in the monastery, like another brother, and had thus fasted himself, grown apart, chastened himself, that he looked like a dead man's image, vain of bone and skin, and soon died. For he could not endure such an austere life. Summa: Whoever looked at him smacked with devotion and had to be ashamed of his worldly status; and I believe that there are still many people living in Magdeburg who have also seen it.
24. If there had been someone who could have told the pious prince about Christ and his baptism and taught him how he could have been saved in his father's house, and if he had not wanted to marry, he could still have led a happy life, helped to govern the land and the people, and faithfully carried out the duties of a pious secular prince, and therein do a right service to God and lead a better order, than the barefooter is, in which one eats other people's bread and goods, denies Christ with his own works and leads the world to hell by sold and false good works; Do you not think that if he had known such truth, he would have trampled underfoot and spit on the cap in which he had to torture himself to death? But he was caught in the doctrine of the rebellious blasphemers, who condemn and condemn all ranks, which God has established and ordered, and on the other hand praise their self-chosen cursed rank, so that no one can be saved except him. Thereupon they had led the pious prince, like many other great lords more, and did the soul murderers and traitors almost good, and tickled them 1) beyond measure, that they got such game and cute little bits into their nets. The pope, the bishop, the theologian, the jurist and everything else that sat in the spiritual office and was supposed to prevent such things remained silent.
(25) Wherefore, if the world and the worldly classes, according to such doctrine and example, should all desire to be saved, and should be so great that they should all depart from their damnable estate into a blessed estate and holy state, they should all be saved.
1) Erlanger: himself.
If you had entered the Order, the whole world would have become vain plates. Tub, dear children! What a beautiful pavement that would have been for the devil! Therefore it must be grasped that the serious opinion of the pope and his scales is in their doctrine to reproach all worldly estates condemnably and dangerously, and to make the consciences of all the world confused, stupid, despondent, unwilling and unsteady in their works and business. And truly all things were done for them by the power of the devil, as St. Paul says, except that the world was so wicked and obdurate that they did not fully follow the teachings of the holy fathers, and did not leave their damnable positions, and became holy plate bearers. Although in the end they had to crawl into their caps and let themselves fall under their chalice, and thus all the world became monks to some extent.
26 Behold, these are they of whom St. Peter saith, There shall be false teachers among you, which shall bring in pernicious sects, denying the Lord that bought them. And many will follow their destruction, despising the rulers, and not trembling to blaspheme the majesties. What does it mean here to despise the sovereigns and to blaspheme the majesties? Duke George says: "It is when one punishes a prince or does not say what he likes to hear. Dear! That is scarp, but not the scarpest. It is no disgrace to a prince or king, sitting in dominion or majesty, if he is punished, where it is done by God's word and office; for God is their Lord, and they are not angels, and not so pure before God. But this means to despise the rulers and to blaspheme the majesty, where one goes further and does not punish the person alone, but blasphemes the office, and does not want to let the rulership and majesty be a blessed, good, divine state, but teaches that it is dangerous, unsafe, damnable, and deters the persons who are in it, from it, makes them restless, stupid, despondent consciences, so that they become hostile to their state and also despise it as an unfit, unpleasant, rejected state before God, and look around and strive for another, and thus leave their divine profession, or at least with an evil conscience.
1840 srk. si, "41 f. b. Wider Herzog Georg und (cardinal Albrecht. W. Lkx,LMs. 1841
stay inside and unwillingly teach. Such despisers and blasphemers are meant by St. Peter, and this is the teaching, faith and work of the pope and his clergy, as heard and as seen daily.
Duke George does not want to see such rebels, and they do not have to be or be called rebels or blasphemers, but must still protect them and defend them against such rebellion and blasphemy; but we, who by God's word and command punish the persons, but nevertheless honor the sovereigns in the highest way and praise the majesties in the most glorious way, he must shout rebelliously, he wants to eat them. And it serves him right, because he has gone wrong, and does not want to suffer nor have the doctrine that honors and praises his and all sovereigns and majesties, that God again also turns against him, and lets him fall into the obdurate error, that he must protect and defend the right arch rebels and blasphemers of both his and all majesties. Force the people with an oath to help protect such blasphemers and the doctrine,
so against such seditionists and blasphemers, pursue. The beer is right; 1) would be a pity that he should have it better, because he wants it that way.
Our dear pious emperor (as well as many other princes) does not do this, but works toward a concilium, and would gladly let the matters be heard and come to justice, does not consider us to be rebellious and blasphemous teachers against the Majesties, has not yet condemned us nor done anything against us, but rather postponed the Augsburg judgment of sacrilege; more about this at another time. Now let this be my necessary excuse for Duke George's complaint (which my most gracious lord, the Elector of Saxony, has indicated to me) until he comes again. For if he alone had spoken against me or written to others, I would not look at him and his letters, nor consider them worth reading or hearing; but to attack thus is too much.
1) This expression, which is also found in the "Warning to his dear Germans" (Jen. [1566], vol. V, p. 283; Walch, old edition, vol. XVI, 1995, §64), means: it has been done right to him.
A part of the previous text, which Walch has separated from it: