Early 1535.
(1) In eight days after the storm had passed, the shitty prophet at Münster, called John of Leiden, a tailor's servant, held out to the congregation there: He had a command from God that he should be a king over Israel, and of righteousness; and in all measure set up his kingdom and regiment like the kingdom of David etc. No one was allowed to contradict this. And then one stood up, called John of Warendorf, who was a goldsmith there, and said: And that the other prophet should be a king of righteousness, and rule over the whole earth; and that he should go forth with army strength, and slay all authorities, spiritual or secular, without all mercy, and spare the subjects where they would do righteousness; and so the meek shall inherit the earth, and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 5 and 6.
After that, the king accepted his regiment, and appointed his court in all measure with offices, like a secular prince, as with court masters, marshals, gatekeepers, kitchen masters, foremen, chancellors, speakers, table servants and waiters; likewise from his wives a beautiful noble woman from Holland (who had previously had a prophet, who was slain before Münster, of which she is still pregnant) is now queen and also has her own court.
(3) The king also has thirty-one horses covered with gold cloths and several gold sacks.
He had almost exquisite garments made of gold and silver pieces from the temple's ornaments. And his stallions, also of the ornaments very colorful and deliciously dressed; in addition 1) gifted with golden rings; all like the queen with her virgins and wives.
4 When the king rides in the city in his majesty, he wears a silver piece, cut in the fold, with red carmine underneath, and bound together with gold. Likewise also two boys; one of them carries after him on the right side the crown and Bible, the other on the left side a mere sword.
(5) One of the boys is the son of my lord of Munster, who is imprisoned therein, and waits for the king's body in the chamber.
Thus the king in the triple crown, made very precious of ducat gold (since all his jewelry and coinage is made of it), and on it precious jewelry (including a gold chain with precious stone), has 2) the figure of the world with a gold sword and pierced with a silver one. In the middle of the apple a golden cross, on it written: A king of justice over the world. The queen also keeps the same.
007 With such ornaments the king goeth into the market three times a week, upon a high seat made for that purpose; and the governor, Knipper-
1) This again refers to the king, not to the "stallion riders"; compare [28.
2) These brackets are set by us for the sake of understanding.
*) This writing is printed in 1535 in Wittenberg and also in Nuremberg (Von der Hardt, Autographa Luther. ,
Dova. I, r>. 310 and 320); then included in the Wittenberg edition (1551), vol. II, bl. 385 d. Luther provided it with a preface, which Walch has assigned to the 14th volume; in the old edition, Col. 328. From this preface we see that the abominable being at Münster was still in full swing. The events reported in this writing belong to the middle of October 1534. Therefore, we have to place this writing in the beginning of the year 1535. According to the Wittenberg edition, we give the text.
The place called dolling is one step below him, and after that the councilors. Whoever has to do something there must bow down twice and fall to the ground the third time, and then give his opinion.
8th They, the inhabitants of the city of Münster, held supper on a Tuesday in the Thumhof, sat at table by forty-two hundred, and gave three dishes, as: boiled meat, ham and roast; and the king and queen and all their servants served at table. After the meal, the king and queen took wheat cakes, broke them and gave them to the others, saying: Take and eat, and proclaim the death of the Lord. Likewise also a pitcher of wine, with the same words: Take, all of you, and drink from it, proclaiming the death of the Lord.
(9) And the congregation began to break one another's cakes, saying, Brother and sister. Take and eat of it! As Christ gave himself for me, so will I give myself for thee: and as the grains of wheat are baked one in another, and the grapes are pressed together, so are we in one. They did all these things at the table, warning that nothing useless but the law of the Lord should come out of their mouths, and then they gave thanks to the Lord, first with prayers, then with singing, especially singing: Glory to God in the highest! In the same way the king and queen sat at table with the servants and those who came from the guard.
010 After all these things the king said unto all the congregation, Whether they were all willing to do the Father's will, and to suffer? They all answered, "Yes. Then the prophet said, He had a command from God to send some of them to perform the miracles God had done for them. So the prophet John of Warendorf said, "This is the command of God, that some of those whom he would name should go to four cities in the kingdom and preach; and he called them by name from a piece of paper and said, "Let them leave all that they have. And they went out the same evening to Osnabrück, 1) six, six to Cosfeld, five to Warendorf, and eight to Soest, 2) among whom was the prophet himself. And they gave to each one a penny of nine gold florins, and a supply of other money.
1) In the Wittenberg: "Osenbrück", in other places "Ossenbrück".
2) Wittenberger: Sosst.
11) On the evening of Galli 3) they appeared in the aforementioned 4) cities according to orders, shouting with a horrible cry: Convert and repent, for here is a short time that the Father may have mercy on you; for the axe is laid to the root of the tree; so, if the cities would not accept peace, they should perish in a short time. They also came before the council of the four cities, and spread their cloaks on the ground, and threw on them the pieces of gold written before them, with these words: they were therefore sent by the Father to proclaim peace to them. If they would accept it, then they should give their goods in common; but if they would not, then they would protest to God with the piece of gold that they had not accepted his peace, but had despised it. And they said: Now the time has come, of which all the prophets have spoken, that God will have nothing on earth but righteousness; and if the king uses his office in such a way that there is nothing on the face of the whole earth but righteousness, then Christ will hand over the kingdom to his Father.
12 Then they were taken into custody and, both kindly and painfully, interrogated about their faith, life, fortifications of the city, and provisions; whereupon they all gave the same account. Of their faith and life they confessed thus: If one rightly distinguishes the time with hunger and thirst of righteousness, if one rightly looks at the Scriptures, especially the prophets, the right way and doctrine alone is with them; and they are ready to confirm this with their blood with special graces.
(13) They have evidently confessed: From the time of the apostles, God's word was never preached rightly, and there was no righteousness. Item: There are four prophets: two righteous ones, as David and John of Leiden at Münster; two unrighteous ones, as the Pope and Luther; and Luther is even worse than the Pope. All other Anabaptists are also condemned by them, wherever they are.
(14) They were also asked, By what writing do they prove their righteousness, that they have driven the righteous people out of the city of Munster for no fault of their own, against their own promise and obligation, and have taken all their goods, wife, and children?
3) The "Abend Galli" is October 15, 1534. Because the city of Münster siel on June 25, 1535, we see that the events of the year 1584 are reported here. This is confirmed by the letter of Bishop Franciscus of Münster to the E^bishop of Cologne which follows this report. See below § 27.
4) Wittenbergers: the.
(15) To which they answered that Christ said to the Jews, Faciem coeli judicare nostis, signa autem temporum non potestis? Matth. 16, 3. And now the time shall come, of which the Scripture says: Beati mites, quoniam possidebunt terram. Also, God has given your people of Israel the Egppter property.
(16) They said that in the city of Munster there was still silver and gold, all of which was beaten into barrels, three times a hundred thousand florins, except all the goods that were still superfluous.
17) For this purpose they have appointed offices 1) which should buy and sell with the heathen, when that is consumed.
18. next to them they have set other craftsmen, as: Shoemakers, tailors, blacksmiths and the like. When food and clothing are needed for themselves and their household members, they are given enough.
(19) Among them in the city the men commonly have all five, six, seven, or eight wives, each according to his pleasure; except that he must sleep with one until she is with child; then he takes in heaps and takes one after another as he pleases. All virgins over twelve years of age must be free.
20.. In addition, there is such compulsion in the city: If one of the wives is regarded unkindly by another man, or one of her companions, he must immediately be mourned and die; likewise also the wives, where one becomes infamous with another. The old women choose a guardian, who must provide all their necessities.
The churches and places of worship completely disturb them and call them Baal's and Roman department stores and murder pits of the souls. There are also not more than eight thousand people with wife and child in Münster.
22) And the last command of the king was to the preachers when they went out: What they encounter should not be attributed to the congregation in Münster, but only to the prophet in Soest.
23) The people of Münster, Groningen, 3) and Holland would also be threatened; if this were to happen, the king would go out with all his might and seize the whole earth; and therefore they would kill and kill the authorities, so that no one would do them justice, nor would they have done them justice; nor would they appeal to the king.
1) i.e. officials.
2) Wittenbergers: the.
3) Wittenberger: Grünigen.
emperor or some scholars, but to God and His Word alone.
(24) They also confess that it is impossible to understand the Scriptures without prophets. If one also holds a discussion with them about the Scriptures and comes so far with them that they cannot excuse their presumption, then some answer, as butchers and other craftsmen, that it was not given to them by the Father. The others said: The prophet said it from God's command. No one was found who wanted to revoke, if grace was offered to him; but they sing and thank the Father that he has made them worthy to suffer for his name.
Item 25: Knowing that the bishop of Münster and Osnabrück had taken the city of Warendorf, had received the keys to the town hall and the city, because of their disobedience, that they had joined the Müusterian cause, the four prophets sent from Münster had answered him, along with three other citizens, and they had been judged. Eight other prophets from Münster came to Soest, wanted to cause a riot, were captured and then judged.
26 Item, at Osnabrück six of them are seized who were sent there from Münster; they are handed over to the bishop and are sitting at Summerburg; they will also be judged.
[Letter and report from the Bishop of Münster to the Archbishop of Cologne.]
To My Most Gracious Lord, the Archbishop of Cölln and Elector etc.
27 Our friendly service before. Eight days ago today, a preacher belonging to the Anabaptist sect came to Warendorf from Münster with five of the most prominent ones, and made a clamor in the gaff that they were sent by the father to proclaim his command, which the council allowed them to do. And because they refused and rejected our request to stop the same preachers and to deliver them to us, this morning, in order to prevent further unrest and upheaval in other towns, we have presented ourselves before the town, and have also been prepared in earnest to conquer it by force. But when the townspeople and the community noticed this, they surrendered to our mercy and disgrace, and the town also put the prefects under our control. What we now learn from them, such as were delivered into our custody at Osnabrück, in hearing their confession, we will tell E. Love
conducive. 1) There are also eight such persons still imprisoned and kept in our town of Cosfeld, whom we have demanded to answer, but have so far refused to do so. Therefore, we will describe them again in the most serious way: In the event that they do not follow us, we will, with God's help, also strive for necessity in ways to bring those in Cosfeld to obedience. And send herewith to E. L. for news a piece of gold, which the predicant had with him, and reproached to the council to certify that they were sent by the Lord, which we did not want E. L. to keep. Date in our city Warendorf on Wednesday after Galli Abbatis [M. October], Anno etc 34. 2)
Confirmirter at Münster.
28. 3) On Tuesday after Gereonis [October 13, 1534] an assembly took place in Münster in the Thumhofe, at ten o'clock before noon half of the two and forty hundred present in Münster at one assembly, men and women, all of them manly, and sat down, all of them dined at the table, first cooked meat, ham and roast meat; then a cake to begin the evening meal. Then the king came out of the church with his people, with thirty-one horses, with four attendants, dressed in velvet and gold. The king [was] clothed with a black pall skirt, on it a silver piece covered; and his crown; and a valiant ornament with a golden world, through it two swords; and the hands full of rings, and [he isl dismounted in his full armor, and in the clothing served to the table with his servants, harmless with threescore persons. And when the meal was done, he also sat with the servants, and those who came from the guard.
029 And when the round bread was set before and after upon the tables, the king said, Take, eat, and proclaim the death of the Lord. And afterward he gave the wine, saying, Take, drink, and proclaim the death of the Lord. When they had eaten and drunk, they sang Gloria in excelsis DEO in German. And the king took all the people together.
1) This was probably done in the report following this letter.
2) In the Wittenberg "24", a printing error.
3) The following is, as it seems to us, the report promised in the previous letters, which contains essentially the same as the previous one. In the Wittenberg edition, the signature of the letter "Franciscus confirmirter zu Münster" is printed in large letters as the superscription of the following.
And he put it before them, saying, Will they suffer and die a death for Christ's sake? They all said, "Yes. Therefore the prophet, John the goldsmith of Warendorf, got up on the throne, called some of them by name, and said, Go into the cities, and preach the word of God. They were willing, and said: Yes.
The same went out of four gates in the evening. One part from 4) St. Servatii Gate to Soest, known as this, the Prophet of Warendorf, and Schlachtschaf. The others from Our Lady's Gate, six to Cosfeld, of which one is Bernd Vocker, Henricus von Goge, Predicant to Warendorf; Pastor to Nunkirch of Warendorf, called Hermannus; Bartholomäus Nadler; two others are not known. From St. Mauricius Pforten five to Warendorf: Klop-. reis; the others are not known. From the Horst Gate six to Osnabrück, and are imprisoned at Iberg; and if they are not accepted at Osnabrück, they are said to have gone to Hervord 5).
31 After these had been named, King John of Sorrows ascended the throne again, saying to the common brethren, "Behold, brethren, are you also ready to go out against the enemy? They all said, "Yes. Then he said to the ambassadors who had been summoned: 6) Go ye, and prepare the place for us; we will follow you in a short time: so will we take the whole world. Decide that the opinion of the king and all those who still exist in Münster, together with those who come from outside the country, also from East and West Frisia, should completely take over the world; whoever does not want to adhere to their faith and judge them, to strangle them. In addition, the king has also said: All princes and lords, lords of the manor, [Drosten,] 7) officials and all authorities in such a day to exterminate and kill.
The opportunity in Münster.
Item, this one, who confessed this, as reported above, also said, as follows: That the citizens are ambivalent with the incoming people, as Frisians and Dutchmen etc.
33 Item, St. Jacob's Church is still full of ground malt, which is ground sint the Shrovetide.
4) Wittenberger: auff.
5) In the Wittenberg: "Heuerde"; in the old edition of Walch (according to an old print): "Herverde", which probably means "Herford".
6) d. i. Emissaries.
7) We have taken "Drosten" from Walch's old edition.
34 Item, in Burckhart's Lord's house there are still well over a thousand malt of skirt, and in some still much more.
35 There is still plenty of barley there than can be used in two years.
36. item, bacon is still superfluous allda.
37 There is a small amount of salt and cheese, and about 14 or 15 barrels of butter.
Item, the Münsterische lay three strong Orthäuser: one before the Horster gate, the other before St. Mauritius, and the third before [the] Judenfelder gate, below with Meisekasten on the water.
39. item, there are still twenty hundred 1) strong men in it, and against one man six women.
040 And they shall watch every night with five hundred men, and the third night shall pass: and the king shall be free to watch with his people, as the people of the office.
41 Item, there are probably seventy tons of powder still available.
(42) Let each man take three, four, five, six, or more wives according to his pleasure.
43) The king said that if he had the people, Frisians and others, with him, he would start and destroy the blockhouse lying in Cosfeld.
Confession of the Butcher.
44 Item known: that their king should reign over all the earth. Knipperdolling sat in the king's chair and said: he wanted to die and recover; and promised: that the blind should receive their sight.
45 The king commanded them to go to Osnabrück, and there he told them that they should be converted, or else they should perish like Sodoma and Gomorrah; and they should go again to Hervord, and evenly proclaim the word of God.
46. item, the king has publicly said: that God has chosen him to go through the whole world, and to destroy the unrighteousness, also the
1) In Walch's old edition: two and twenty.
2) punish with the sword those who do not want to follow his sect; and those who do not want to follow his sect should die.
47. item, known that still in Münster are at six or seven thousand men and women.
48 Item, known that they had no knowledge of the gathering of the people in the Low Countries; but after that they were told by servants who had run to them that they were present. But Knipperdolling had written to brothers and sisters everywhere before the siege; he did not know what the writings reported.
Item: Before All Hallows' Day, or certainly around Easter, all the blockhouses shall be destroyed by God, and the warehouses shall be taken down without their doing, said the prophet who went to Soest.
(50) The prophet had prophesied against the storm, that they should meet with all things, when the storms should come on; and had commanded them three days to fast and pray before the storm.
51 The king has four wives and has now reached the fifth.
52 Item, [asked], 3) how would you have held yourself against imperial majesty, dukes and other princes and lords in the passage of the world? etc. Answer: those who want to act according to the king's justice should be spared; otherwise their king means to punish them, as indicated above.
53) Item, he knows of no skilled persons, 4) who have been in Münster - from the city of Warendorf.
54 If they were imprisoned in Osnabrück or elsewhere, the prophet would have forbidden them not to write this in Münster, so that the brothers would not be in a state of gloom; but only to write to the prophet in Soest, and if they were happy, the king would leave in the most favorable way.
2) Walch: not so.
3) Walch: said.
4) So put by us instead of: "stories", which does not seem to us to be in the place here.