53 D. Mart. Luther's writing about the war against the Turks. *)
The letter of 9 October 1528. Issued in April 1529.
To the Serene Highborn Prince and Lord, Lord Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, Count of Katzenelnbogen, Ziegenhain and Nidda, my gracious Lord. Grace and peace in Christ JEsu, our Lord and Savior.
1. noble, highborn prince, gracious lord. Five years ago, some people asked me to write about the war against the Turks and to exhort and incite our people to it; and now, because the Turk is approaching us, my friends are forcing me to complete this, especially because there are some clumsy preachers among us Germans (as I unfortunately hear), who imagine to the people that one should not and must not wage war against the Turks, but some are so foolish that they teach that it is not proper for any Christian,
to wield the secular sword or to rule. In addition, as our German people is a wild, savage people, yes, almost half devils, half men are, some of the Turks desire future and regiment.
(2) And such error and wickedness among the people are all blamed on Luther, and must be called the fruit of my gospel. Just as I must also bear the blame for the rebellion, and for all the evil that is now happening in the whole world, if they know otherwise; but contrary to God and His Word, they act as if they knew no other way, and seek cause to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and public, known truth, so that they may well deserve hell, and never ever attain repentance and forgiveness of their sins.
*This writing appeared in many individual editions (the Erlanger lists eight of them); with Hans Weiß in Wittenberg on April 16, 1529 (according to our date; three different editions bear the same date on the title); with Johannes Stüchs in Nuremberg in the same year; in 1542 in Wittenberg by Nickel Schirlentz; in 1543 in Frankfurt am Main by Georg Raben and Wevgand Hanen Erben; finally an edition without indication of printer and place in 1529. In the collections: Wittenberger (1551), vol. II, p. 522b; Jenaer (1566), vol. IV, p. 430b; Altenburger, vol. IV, p. 524; Leipziger, vol. XXII, p. 339 and Erlanger, vol. 31, p. 31. The attribution alone is found in De Wette, vol. Ill, p. 386 and printed from it (as a duplicate) in the Erlanger, vol. 54, p. 46. We give the text according to the Erlanger, which brings an original print, comparing the Wittenberg and the Jena edition.
(3) For this reason it is necessary for me to write about the matter also for my own sake and for the sake of the gospel, to apologize, not to the blasphemers, who should not be good enough for me to apologize against them with one word; for the gospel should stink with them, and "be a stench of death unto death" [2 Cor. 2:16], as they deserve with their wanton blasphemy, but that the innocent consciences may not be further deceived by such blasphemers, and draw suspicion from me or my doctrine, or even be deceived into believing that it is not necessary to fight against the Turks.
However, I considered it good to omit such a booklet under the name of E. F. G., as a famous powerful prince, so that it would gain a better reputation, 1) and would be read more diligently [and so that], if it should ever come about that one would deal with a move against the Turks, the princes and lords would have a common memory. For I am willing to point out several pieces in it that will have to be considered, and that will be in the interest of power. Command hereby our merciful God in His paternal grace and mercy, that He may protect our Lord from all error and cunning of the devil, and enlighten and strengthen him to govern blessedly, amen.
[Den] 9. October 1528.
E. F. G.
Martinus Luther.
1) Pope Leo the Tenth, in his bull, in which he banished me, among other articles, he also condemned this one, that I had said that to fight against the Turk is as much as to resist God, who visits our sin with such a rod. 2) From such an article may have taken those who say of me that I should resist and resist to fight against the Turk. I still freely confess that such an article is mine, and at that time was given by me.
1) Erlanger: win.
2) This article is the thirty-fourth in the bull of Leo X, which he issued against Luther on June 15, 1520. Walch, old edition, vol. XV, 1706. Compare also Luther's writing: "Grund und Ursach aller Artikel" (Reason and Cause of all Articles) etc.
and defended. And if it stood in the world now, as it stood then, then I would and would have to set and defend the same even now. But it is not good that one has so soon forgotten 3) how things were then in the world, and what was my reason and cause, and nevertheless keeps my words and sends them elsewhere, where there is no such reason and cause. Who with such art could not also 4) make vain lies out of the gospel, or pretend that it is contrary to itself?
But this is how it was then: no one had taught or heard, nor did anyone know anything about the worldly authorities, where they came from, what their office or work was, or how they should serve God. The most learned (I do not want to name them) considered the worldly authority as a pagan, human, ungodly thing, as if it were an annual state of blessedness. Therefore, the priests and monks had persuaded kings and princes to do other things to serve God than to hear mass, to pray, and to establish masses.
Summa, princes and lords (as much as they would have liked to be pious) considered their status and office to be nothing, and for no worship, became right priests and monks (without wearing plates or caps); if they wanted to serve God, they had to go to the 5) churches. All gentlemen who lived at that time and experienced such things must testify to this, for my most gracious lord, Duke Frederick of blessed memory, was so pleased when I first wrote of the secular authorities that he had such a booklet copied, especially bound, and was very fond of it, that he might also see what his standing was before God.
At that time, the pope and the clergy were all in all, above all and through all, like a god in the world, and the secular authorities lay hidden in darkness and unknown. Now the pope nevertheless wanted to be a Christian with his troops, and yet he pretended to fight against the Turks. Above the two pieces, it increased, because I worked at that time in the doctrine, so the Christians and consciences.
3) So the Jenaers. Wittenberg and Erlangen: probably.
4) "also" is missing in the Erlanger.
5) "the" is missing in the Wittenberger.
I myself had not yet written anything about the secular authorities, so that the papists call me a hypocrite of the princes, because I dealt only with the spiritual state, as they should be Christians, and nothing about the secular. Just as they now reproach me seditiously, after I (by God's grace) 1) have written so gloriously and usefully about the secular authorities, as no teacher has ever done since the time of the apostles (unless St. Augustine), of which I can boast with a good conscience and with the testimony of the world.
Among the pieces of Christian doctrine I also dealt with that, where Christ speaks Matth. 5, 39. f.: A Christian should "not resist evil", but suffer everything, "go after the skirt, the cloak" and "let it be taken", also hold out the murderous cheeks. 2c, out of which pieces the pope with his high schools and monasteries had made a free counsel, which would not be commanded nor necessary for a Christian to keep, had thus perverted Christ's word and taught falsely in all the world and deceived the Christians.
Because they wanted to be Christians, yes, the best Christians, and yet fight against the Turk, bear no evil, nor suffer violence or injustice, I countered with this saying of Christ, that Christians should "not resist evil", but suffer everything and let it go; on top of that I put the article that Pope Leo vedammed. And I did this all the more gladly, so that I would take the lid off the Roman evil; for the popes were never serious about wanting to wage war against the Turks, but used the Turkish war as a cover, under which they played, and robbed the money with indulgences from German lands as often as they desired; as all the world well knew, but is now also forgotten.
(7) So they condemned my article not because it resisted the Turkish war, but because it tore down such little cloisters 2) and laid the road to Rome for the money. For where they would have wanted to wage war against the Turks in earnest, the Pope and the Cardinals had
1) "by God's grace" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) In the old editions: "Helekeplin".
probably so much of the 3) Palliis, Annalen, and other unspeakable access that they would not have needed such drudgery and robbery in German lands. Had there been a serious war in the simple opinion, I would have been able to make up my article better and 4) differently.
(8) I did not like that either, that they did so, 5) incited and provoked the Christians and the princes to attack and overrun the Turk, before we ourselves improved and lived as true Christians. Both of these things, and each of them in particular, are sufficient cause to oppose all war. For I will not advise a pagan or a Turk, let alone a Christian, to attack or start a war, which is nothing else than to advise bloodshed and destruction, which in the end is not fortunate, as I have also written in the booklet of warriors 6); so it never works out well if a knave wants to punish all that and not first become pious himself.
(9) But above all, I was moved by the fact that they were planning to fight against the Turks under the Christian name, teaching and inciting, just as if our people should be called an army of Christians against the Turks, as against Christ's enemies, which is strictly against Christ's teaching and name. It is against the doctrine when he says that Christians should "not resist evil" [Matt. 5:39], not quarrel or fight, not avenge or justify. It is against His name that in such an army there are perhaps barely five Christians, and perhaps worse people before God than the Turks, and yet they all want to use the name of Christ, which is the greatest sin that no Turk does, because Christ's name is used and honored for sins and disgrace. This would be especially true if the pope and the bishops were in the war, for they would profane and dishonor the name of Christ too much, since they are called to fight against the devil with God's word and prayer.
3) den" is missing in the Wittenberger.
4) Jenaer: more different.
5) In the old editions: "treib", which the Erlanger erroneously resolved with "treibt".
6) This writing is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 488 ff.
They would fight with the sword against flesh and blood, which they are not commanded to do, but which they are forbidden to do.
(10) O how gladly should Christ receive me at the last judgment, if I, when required for the spiritual office (that I should preach and take care of souls), should have left it, and for it forfeited myself to war and the temporal sword. And how should Christ come that he or his own should have to do with the sword, war, and kill the bodies, when he boasts: "He came to save the world," John 12:47, not to kill the people? For His ministry is to act with the gospel, and through His Spirit to save people from sins and death, even to help them from this world to eternal life. For Joh. 6, 15. he fled and did not want to be "made a king". Before Pilato he confessed: "My kingdom is not of this world" ]Joh. 18, 36.], and also commanded Petrum in the garden to "take up his sword", and said: "Whoever takes the sword shall perish by the sword" [Matth. 26, 52.
(11) I do not say this because I wanted to teach that worldly authorities should not like Christians, or that a Christian should not want to wield the sword and serve God in worldly authority. If God wanted them all to be Christians, or that no other ruler would have to be, he would be [a] Christian should stand better than it now stands, and the Turk should not be so. I want to distinguish and separate the office and profession, so that each one should see to what he is appointed by God, and follow and fulfill the same office faithfully and heartily, for God's service, as I have written about it elsewhere, especially in the booklet of warriors and secular authorities 2).
(12) For even in the church, where Christians are to be one and the same, St. Paul does not want to suffer each one to submit to the ministry of the other, Rom. 12:4 and 1 Cor. 12:12 ff, but "each member" to his work.
1) In the old editions: Christians" instead of: a Christian. 2) This scripture is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 374 ff.
1 Cor. 14:40]: How much less is the disorder to be suffered, that a Christian should leave his office, and take another man's temporal office, or that a bishop or priest should leave his office, and take a prince's or judge's office? And again, that a prince should take the office of a bishop and leave his office of prince; as such shameful disorder still rages and prevails in the whole papacy, contrary to its own canons and law.
13) Ask experience how well we have succeeded so far in the Turkish war, when we fought as Christians and under Christ's name, until we finally lost Rhodus 3) and almost all of Hungary, and much of the German land as well. And so that one might feel and grasp that God is not with us to fight against the Turks, he has never given our princes so much courage or spirit in their minds that they might have once dealt seriously with the Turkish war, although almost many or almost all imperial diets have been proclaimed and held for the sake of such things; Nowhere does it seem that God mocks our imperial congresses and lets the devil hinder and master them until the Turk grazes here with a good while and thus destroys Germany without effort and without resistance. Why does this happen? Of course, so that my article, which Pope Leo condemned, remains undamned but strong. And because the papists reject it out of courage without Scripture, the Turk must take it up and confirm it with his fist and deed 4). If we do not want to learn it from the Scriptures, the Turk must teach us from the sheath, until we learn it with harm, that Christians should not get nor resist the evil. Fools must be listened to with pistons.
(14) How many wars do you think there have been against the Turks in which we have not received great damage, if the bishops and clergy have been present? How jam-
3) In the old editions: "Rodis".
4) Thus the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Erlanger: with the That.
The fine King Lasla 1) of Varna was defeated by the Turk with his bishops, so that the Hungarians themselves blamed Cardinal Juliano for such misfortune, and were therefore astonished. And now, recently, King Louis should perhaps have fought more blissfully if he had not led a priestly army or, as they boast, a Christian army against the Turk.
(15) And if I were emperor, king or prince in the campaign against the Turk, I would admonish my bishops and priests to stay at home, to wait in their office, with praying, fasting, reading, preaching, and poor people, (2) as they are taught and required not only by the holy Scriptures, but also by their own spiritual law. But if they, as the disobedient ones against God and their own right, wanted to be in the war, I wanted to teach them by force to wait for their office, and not let me and my army be put in God's wrath and all the way through their disobedience; For it should be more harmless for me to have three devils in the army than a disobedient, renegade bishop who forgets his office and submits to an unauthorized person, for there can be no happiness with such people who oppose God and their own rights.
(16) I have heard of fine men of war who thought that the king of France, when he was defeated and captured by the emperor before Pavia, had all his misfortune because he had the pope's people, or, as they boast, the church's people with him. For after they came into his camp with a great cry, Ecclesia, Ecclesia! here church, here church! there was no more luck. This is what the men of war say, and perhaps they do not know the reasons why the pope (who wants to be a Christian, yes, the highest and best Christian preacher) does not have the right to lead a church army or Christian army, because the church should not fight, nor fight with the sword, it has other enemies than flesh and blood, which are called the evil devils in the air [Eph. 6, 12]. That is why she has also an-
1) "Lasla" is the king of Hungary Vladislav III, who was defeated by the Turks under Murad II at Varna in 1444 together with the Transylvanian prince John Hunyad.
2) Walch and the Erlanger: wait.
3) In the old editions: "eins unbefohlens".
The people of the land must not mix with the emperor's or ruler's wars, for the Scripture says: there shall be no happiness where one disobeys God.
17 Again, if I were a man of war, and saw a priest's or cross-panel in the field, even if it were a crucifix itself, I would run away as if the devil were chasing me; and even if they won a victory by God's decree, I still did not want to partake of the spoils and pleasures. 4) I had to call on Emperor Maximilian in the end, and let the same Emperor take over the game. If the evil iron-eater, Pope Julius, did not succeed, who was almost half a devil, he finally had to call upon Emperor Maximilian, and let the same rule the game, regardless of whether Julius had more money, weapons and people.
18 Thus I think that this next pope Clement almost succeeded in his wars, who was considered to be a god of war, until he lost Rome with all her goods by few and unarmed warriors. It is decided, Christ will teach them my article, that Christians should not wage war, and the damned article must therefore take revenge, for it is said by Christians, and wants to be undamned, but right and true. Although they do not turn to it, nor believe it, until they become more and more hardened and unrepentant, and go to ruins; then I say amen to them, amen.
(19) It is true that because they have temporal dominion and goods, they shall do and give of them 5) to the emperor and kings or princes what is proper to do and give of other temporal goods; indeed, such goods of the church (as they call it) shall especially serve and help above all other goods for the protection of the poor and 6) salvation of common estates; for to this end they are given, and not for a bishop to forget his office, and to war or fight with it. When Emperor Carl's banner or a prince is in the field, let every man run freshly and cheerfully under his banner, since he is sworn under it, as if he were a bishop.
4) In Walch's old edition and in the Erlanger: wolle.
5) Erlanger: daselbst von.
6) Erlanger: and to.
But if there is a bishop's, cardinal's, or pope's paneer, run away from it and say: I do not know the coin; if it were a prayer book, or the holy scripture preached in the church, I would also run to it etc.
020 Before I exhort or provoke you to fight against the Turk, listen to me, for God's sake, and I will first teach you with a right conscience. For though I would, if I would let Adam go, be silent and watch the Turk avenge me against the tyrants (who persecute the gospel and do me all harm) and pay them, yet I will not do so, but serve both friends and enemies, that my sun also may rise both on the evil and the good, and rain on the thankful and the unthankful [Matt. 5:45].
24 First of all, since it is certain that the Turk has no right or command to pick a quarrel and attack lands that are not his, his warfare is, of course, pure sacrilege and robbery, by which God punishes the world, just as he sometimes punishes pious people through bad guys. For he does not fight out of necessity, or to protect his country in peace, as a proper ruler does, but he seeks to rob and damage other countries that do or have done nothing to him, like a sea robber or highwayman. He is God's servant and the devil's servant, there is no doubt about it.
22) Secondly, it must be known who the man is who is to wage war against the Turk, so that he may be sure that he has the command of God and is doing right, and is not in any way plotting to avenge himself, or otherwise having a foolish opinion and cause, so that, whether he strikes or is struck, he may be found in a blessed state and 1) divine office. There are two of these men, and they alone shall be two; one is called Christianus, the other Emperor Carolus. 2)
Christianus shall be the first with his army. For since the Turk is our Lord God's angry rod and the raging devil's servant, one must first of all strike the devil himself, his lord.
1) Wittenberger: or.
2) "Carolus" is missing in the Wittenberg.
and take the rod out of the hand of God, so that the Turk will be found in his power alone, without the help of the devil and God's hand. The same shall now be done by Mr. Christianus, that is, the pious, holy, dear Christians. Crowd. These are the people who are prepared for this war and know how to deal with it. For if the Turk's god (that is, the devil) is not defeated first, it is to be feared that the Turk will not be so easily defeated. Now the devil is a spirit that cannot be beaten with armor, guns, horse and man [Job 41,3) 17. 18. ff.], and God's wrath cannot be reconciled with it, as it is written Ps. 147, 10. 11.: "He does not delight in the strength of a horse, nor in anyone's legs. The Lord delighteth in them that fear him, and in them that hope in his goodness." 4) Christian weapons and strength must do it.
24 Here you ask: Who then are the Christians, and where are they to be found? Answer: There are few of them, but they are everywhere, though they are few and far between, both under pious and wicked princes. For Christianity must remain to the end, as the article says: I believe a holy Christian church. But so it must be found: The pastors and preachers are to exhort their people most diligently to repentance and prayer. They are to do penance by denouncing our great innumerable sins and ingratitude, by which we have earned God's wrath and disfavor, so that He has given us into the hands of the devil and the Turk. And so that such preaching will be all the more effective, the examples and sayings of Scripture must be introduced, such as those of the flood, of Sodom and Gomorrah, of the children of Israel, and of how horribly and sometimes God punished the world, the land and the people, and they must emphasize how it is no wonder that we sin more grievously than they, even if we are punished more severely than they.
3) Here, as usual, the Erlangen edition has reprinted Walch's false Bible quotation: "Job 51, 17. 18," moreover, all Walch's other false quotations are reproduced in this writing, six in total.
4) Erlanger: wait.
5) Jenaer: and.
(25) Truly this strife must be begun in repentance, and we must amend our nature, or we shall strive in vain, as the prophet Jeremiah chap. 18:7-11 says: "I will soon speak 1) against a nation, and against a kingdom, to root it out, to destroy it, and to scatter it. But if such a people repents of its wickedness, against which I speak, then I also repent of the evil that I thought to do to it. Again, soon will I speak of a nation and kingdom, that I may plant and build them; but if they do evil in mine sight, and hearken not unto my voice, I shall repent of the good that I have spoken to them to do. Therefore say to those of Judah and to those of Jerusalem, saying, Behold, I am preparing evil for you, and I am thinking against you. Now therefore let every man turn from his evil way, and let your ways and your doings be righteous" etc. We may truly let this saying be told to us, for God is thinking something evil against us because of our wickedness, and is certainly preparing the Turk against us, as the 7th Psalm, v. 13 f., also says: "If one will not convert, he has sharpened his sword, and strung his bow, and takes aim, and has laid deadly projectile upon it" etc.
(26) In this connection, one must also refer to the sayings and examples of Scripture, where God allows Himself to be heard, as pleases Him, right repentance or correction, if 2) it is done in faith and trust in His word, as in the Old Testament of the Ninevehites, the kings David, Ahab, Manasseh, and the like; in the New of St. Peter, of the Prosecutor, of the Publican in the Gospel, and so on. And although I know that this teaching of mine will be ridiculous to the scholars and saints who have no need of repentance, as they consider it a bad and mean thing, which they have long since torn by the bootstraps, I have not left it alone for the sake of my poor sinners and mine, who are in great need of repentance and exhortation to repentance every day. Nevertheless, we remain all too lazy and lukewarm, and are not yet with those
1) The Wittenbergers asked here and in other places of this scripture to quote the words as they are found in the later Bible editions.
2) Erlanger: so the.
3) Wittenberger: I's.
Ninety-nine righteous [Luc. 15:7] will come over the mountain as far as they think they can.
27 After this, when they have been taught and admonished to confess their sin and amend their ways, they should then be exhorted to prayer with great diligence, showing how God is pleased with such prayer, as He has commanded and promised to answer it, and that no one despises his prayer or doubts it, but is certain of its answer with firm faith; as all this is set forth in many books of ours. For whoever doubts or prays for adventure, it would be better to leave it alone, because such prayer is a vain attempt of God and only makes the matter worse. That is why I would have opposed the procession as a pagan useless way, because it is more a show and appearance than a prayer. In the same way, I speak of saying mass a lot and calling on saints.
28 But it might do some good if, during mass, vespers, or after the sermon, the litany were sung or read in church, especially by the young people, and each one nevertheless sighed at home in his heart to Christ for mercy for a better life and for help against the Turk. I do not say of much long prayer, but of frequent and short sighing, with such one or two words: Oh help us, dear God the Father; have mercy on us, dear Lord Jesus Christ, or the like.
(29) Behold, such preaching shall meet and find Christians, and there shall be Christians who receive it and do it: it is not the matter whether thou knowest it not. The tyrants and bishops may also be admonished to desist from their raging and persecuting against the word of God, and not to hinder our prayer. But if they do not cease, we must not slacken our prayers, and we must hope and dare that they may enjoy our prayers and be preserved together with us, or that we may be rewarded for their raving and be destroyed together with them. For they are so wicked and blinded, if God were to give happiness against the Turk, that they should ascribe it to their holiness and merit and boast against us. Again, if it turned out badly, they should certainly never-
They are not only wicked, manifest, sinful and evil, but they also defend themselves and cannot teach a single thing rightly about how to pray, and they are worse than the Turks. Well, you must let God's judgment come home to you.
30 In such exhortation to prayer, one must also introduce scriptural sayings and examples, in which one finds how strong and powerful the prayer of a man has been at times, as the prayer of Elijah [1 Kings 17:1], of which St. Jacob boasts [Jac 5:17], item, Elisha and other prophets, kings David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Josiah, 1) Ezekias etc. Item, how God promised Abraham to spare the land of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of five righteous people etc. [Gen. 18, 28.) For "a righteous prayer is able to do much (says St. Jacob in his epistle [Cap. 5, 16.]) if it endures." And here it is to be indicated that they take care, and do not anger God, where they do not want to pray, and do not fall into judgment, Ezech. 13:5, where God says, "You have not set yourselves against Me, nor made yourselves a wall for the house of Israel, to stand against the battle in the day of the Lord. And Cap. 22:30, 31: "I sought a man among them to be a middle wall, to stand against me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none. Therefore I poured out my wrath upon them, and consumed them in the fire of my fury, and paid them according to their deserts, saith the Lord."
31 From this you can see that God wants to have and is fiercely angry with those who do not resist His wrath and defend themselves against it. This means, as I said above, to take the rod from the hand of God. Here one should fast, who wanted to fast there. Here one should kneel, bend down and fall to the ground, since it is serious. For what has been bending down and kneeling in monasteries and convents up to now has had no seriousness, and has been quite a monkey game, as it still is. I admonish
1) "Josias " by us after 2 Kings 22:19, 20, instead of "Jesis" in the Erlangen and "Jesaias" in the Wittenberg and the Jena; because obviously the name of a king must stand here.
not in vain the pastors and preachers that they do and practice such things well among the people, for I see well that it is truly up to the preachers if the people are to improve or pray. Preaching, if Luther is scolded and blasphemed, and repentance along with prayer is not done. But where God's word rings out and is presented to the people purely and faithfully, 2) it is not without fruit. But they must preach as those who preach to the saints, since repentance and faith have been completely unlearned, and talk something higher.
The great need should move us to such a prayer against the Turk. For the Turk (as we have said) is a servant of the devil, who not only destroys the land and the people with his sword, which we will hear hereafter, but also devastates the Christian faith and our dear Lord Jesus Christ. For although some praise his rule in that he lets everyone believe what they want, only that he wants to be a worldly lord, such praise is not true. For he truly does not allow Christians to meet publicly, and 3) no one must confess Christ publicly, nor preach or teach against Mahomet. But what kind of freedom of faith is this, since one does not have to preach or confess Christ? Since our salvation stands in the same confession, as Paul says Rom. 10, 9: "To confess with the mouth makes one blessed", and Christ has very harshly commanded to confess and teach his gospel [Matth. 10, 32].
Because the faith must be silent and secret among such a wild and desolate people and in such a harsh and great regime, how can it last or remain, if it takes effort and work, even if one preaches most faithfully and diligently? That is why it goes and must go; what is caught from the Christians in Turkey or otherwise comes in, all falls there and becomes Turkish, so that seldom anyone remains; for they lack the living bread of souls, and see it freely.
2) The words: "und rein und treulich dem Volke vorgetragen wird" are missing in the Jena and Erlangen editions, also in Walch.
3) Wittenberger: it must.
The Turks are carnal creatures and must therefore join them.
(34) How can Christ be more powerfully disturbed than by these two things, namely, by force and by cunning? By force: to resist the preaching and the word; by cunning: to set before the eyes and provoke to oneself evil and dangerous examples daily. So that we do not lose our Lord Christ, His word and faith, we must pray against the Turk no differently than against other enemies of our salvation and all good, as against the devil himself.
35 And here the people should be informed of all the desolate life and conduct that the Turk leads, so that they may feel the need for prayer all the more keenly. I have often been annoyed and disturbed 1) by the fact that neither our great lords nor our scholars have taken the trouble to find out about the Turks in both spiritual and secular spheres, and that they are so close to us, for it is said that they also have monasteries and convents. Some have invented outright lies about the Turks to provoke us Germans against them; but there is nothing to be gained from lies, there is all too much truth. I will tell my dear Christians, as much as I know of the certain truth, some pieces, so that they may be moved and provoked all the more to pray diligently and with earnestness against the enemy of Christ, their Lord.
I have several pieces of Mahomet's Alkoran, which might be called a sermon or textbook in German, as the Pope's Decretal is called; if I have time, I must translate it. 2) so that everyone can see what a rotten, shameful book it is. First of all, he praises 3) Christ and Mary almost very much, as if they alone were without sin; but he thinks nothing more of him than of a holy prophet, like Jeremiah or Jonah, but denies that he is the Son of God and true God. He also does not believe that Chri-
1) Wittenberger: me still.
2) Marginal gloss of the Jena edition: "As he did afterwards. This refers to the text No. 56 in this volume: "Bruder Richards Verlegung des Alkorans" u. s. w.
3) "wohl" is missing in the Wittenberger.
stus was the Savior of the world, died for our sins, but preached in his time and directed his ministry before his end, like another prophet.
37 But he praises and exalts himself, and boasts how he has spoken with God and the angels, and how he is commanded to bring the world to his faith, now that Christ's ministry is over as a prophet, and to conquer or punish them with the sword where they are unwilling, and the boasting of the sword is much in it. Therefore the Turks think much higher and greater of their Mahomet than of Christ, because Christ's ministry has come to an end, and Mahomet's ministry is now in its final stage.
38 From this everyone can see that Mahomet is a destroyer of our Lord Christ and his kingdom. For whoever denies the pieces of Christ, that he is the Son of God, and died for us, and still lives and reigns at the right hand of God, what more does he have in Christ? Father, Son, Holy Spirit, baptism, sacrament, gospel, faith, and all Christian doctrine and nature are gone, and in place of Christ there is nothing more than Mahomet with his doctrine of his own works, and especially of the sword. This is the main part of the Turkish faith, in which all abominations, all errors, all devils lie in one heap.
(39) The world is still falling down, as if it were cutting with disciples of the Turkish faith. For it pleases reason out of measure that Christ is not God, as the Jews also believe, and especially the work that one should rule and wield the sword, and hover above in the world; there 4) then the devil shuts up. So it is a faith patched together from the faith of the Jews, Christians and Gentiles. For from the Christians he has that he praises Christ and Mary highly, also the apostles and other saints more. From the Jews they have that they do not drink wine, fast some time of the year, bathe themselves and, like the Nazarene, eat on 5) the earth. And so they continue in such holy works, as our monks do in part, and hope for eternal life on the last day. For they
4) i. e. pushes.
5) Thus the Jenaers. Wittenberg and Erlangen: "und auf".
nevertheless believe the resurrection of the dead, the holy people, which yet few papists believe.
40 What devout Christian heart would not be afraid of such an enemy of Christ? because we see that the Turk leaves no article of our faith without the one of the resurrection of the dead. There Christ is no Redeemer, Savior, King, no forgiveness of sins, no grace nor Holy Spirit. And what shall I say much: in the article it is all disturbed that Christ should be inferior and inferior to Mahomet. Who would not rather be dead than live under such a regime, when he must be silent about his Christ, and see and hear such blasphemy and abominations against him, and yet so mightily he tears down where he gains a land that one also willingly gives himself into it. Therefore pray, whoever can pray, that such an abomination will not become our Lord, and that we will not be punished with such a terrible rod of divine wrath.
41 Secondly, the Turk's Alkoran or faith not only disturbs the Christian faith, but also the entire secular regime. For his Mahomet (as has been said) commands to rule with the sword, and the most and noblest work in his Alkoran is the sword. And so, in truth, the Turk is nothing but a real murderer or highwayman, as the deed proves before one's eyes. St. Augustine also calls other kingdoms great robberies, and the 76th Psalm, v. 5, calls them "mountains of robbery" because an empire rarely arises without robbery, violence and injustice, or is at least taken and possessed by evil people, often with vain injustice, so that the Scriptures, Gen. 10, 9, also call the first prince on earth, Nimrod, a mighty hunter.
(42) But none ever arose with such murder and robbery, and became so powerful, as the Turks, who still murder and rob daily. For it is commanded them in their law, as a good divine work, that they should rob, murder, and devour and destroy, as they do, thinking that they are doing God a service. Therefore, it is not a divine order.
It is not the duty of the authorities, like others, to keep the peace, to protect the pious and to punish the wicked, but, as I have said, a pure wrath of God and punishment on the unbelieving world. And this same work of murdering and robbing is pleasing to the flesh without, so that it floats above and throws everyone's body and goods under itself; how much more must it be pleasing when a commandment is added to it, as if God wanted it that way and was pleased with it. For this reason, the Turks consider those to be the best who work diligently to increase the Turkish empire and continue to rob and murder.
And such a piece must also follow from the first piece. For Christ speaks Joh. 8,44. that the devil is a liar and a murderer. With the lie he kills the souls, with the murder the body. Where he wins with the lie, he does not celebrate and does not fail, he follows with murder. So, since Mahomet was possessed by the lying spirit, and the devil had murdered the souls through his Alkoran, and had disturbed the Christian faith, he had to leave, and also take the sword, and attack the bodies to murder. And so the Turkish faith did not come so far with preaching and miracles, but with the sword and murder, and it truly succeeded through God's wrath, so that, because all the world has a desire for the sword, robbery and murder, one day one would come who would give it enough murder and robbery.
(44) Yes, commonly all the spirits of the rotten ones, when the spirit of lies has possessed them and seduced them from the right faith, they have not been able to refrain from it; after the lie they have also come to murder, and have subjected themselves to the sword, as a sign that they were children of the father of all lies and murder. So we read how the Arians became murderers, that also one of the greatest bishops of Alexandria, called Lucius, drove the orthodox out of the city, and entered the ship, personally holding a mere sword in his hand, until the orthodox had all entered and had to leave. And many other murders they committed, the tender holy orders, already ready at the time, which is now at twelve hundred years.
45 Item, what murderers have been to
St. Augustine's times the Donatists, the same holy father shows superfluous in his writings, which is also at eleven hundred years; so even temporally the clergy rose; that makes, they were well with name and larvae bishops among the Christians, but because they fell from the truth, were subject to the lying spirit, they had to go away completely in his service, and become 1) wolves and murderers. And what did Muenzer seek now in our times, but to become a new Turkish emperor? He was possessed by the lying spirit, so there was no stopping him; he had to take up the other work of the devil as well, the sword, murder and rob, as the spirit of murder drove him, and caused such turmoil and misery.
46 And what should I say about the most holy. Father Pope? Is it not because he and his bishops have become world rulers, and have fallen from the Gospel through the lying spirit to their own human doctrine, that they have committed vain murder until this very hour? Read the histories from that time on, and you will find how the popes and bishops have made it their business to set emperors, kings, princes, countries and people on each other, and to wage war themselves, and to help murder and shed blood. Why? Because the lying spirit does nothing else, because after he has made his disciples lie teachers and seducers, he has not rest, he also makes them murderers, robbers and bloodhounds. For who has commanded them to wield the sword, to wage war, to incite and provoke to murder and war, which should wait for preaching and praying?
(47) They reproach me and mine for sedition, but when have I ever sought or provoked the sword, and not rather taught and kept peace and obedience? except that I have instructed and exhorted worldly authorities in their office to administer peace and justice. By the fruits one should know the tree [Matth. 7, 16]. I and mine keep and teach peace; the pope with his own wars, murders, robs, not only his repugnants, but burns,
1) "and" is missing in the Jena.
condemns and persecutes even the innocent, the pious, the orthodox, as a true end-Christian. For he does this sitting in the temple of God [2 Thess. 2, 4] as a head of the church, which the Turk does not do. But as the pope is the end-Christ, so the Turk is the devil incarnate. Our and Christianity's prayer goes against both of them. They shall also go down to hell, and should the last day do it, which (I hope) will not be long.
48 Summa, as it is said, where the spirit of lies rules, there the spirit of murder is also with him, he comes to the work, or is prevented. If he is prevented from the work, he laughs, praises and rejoices when the murder takes place, and approves of the worst, because he thinks it is right. But pious Christians do not rejoice in murder, not even in the accidents of their enemies. Since Mahomet's Alkoran is such a great and manifold liar that he leaves nothing to Christian truth, how could it be otherwise than that he would also become a great and powerful murderer, both under the appearance of truth and justice? As null the lie disturbs the spiritual state of faith and truth, so murder disturbs all worldly order, so established by God. For it is not possible, where murder and robbery are in practice, that there is a fine, praiseworthy worldly order, because before war and murder they cannot respect peace nor wait for it, as one can well see with the warriors, therefore also the Turks do not respect building and planting very much.
49 The third part is that Mahomet's Alkoran does not respect the marriage state, but allows everyone to take wives as much as he wants. Hence it is the custom among the Turks for a man to have ten or twenty wives, and to leave and sell them again as he pleases, and when he pleases; for the wives are of no great value and are despised in Turkey, being bought and sold like cattle. Whether now perhaps some few do not need such free law, nevertheless such law applies and goes freely, who wants to do it. But such a being is not a marriage, and cannot be a marriage, because no one takes or has a wife of the opinion to remain with her forever as one.
Body, as God's word says in Gen. 2, 24: "The man shall cleave to his wife, and two shall be one body"; that the marriage of the Turks is almost like the chaste life that warrior servants lead with their free women; for Turks are warriors, they must keep themselves warlike. Mars and Venus, say the poets, want to be with each other.
50 These three pieces I now want to tell, which I am certain from the Alkoran of the Turks. For what else I have heard, I will not bring forth, because I cannot be sure. Let there be some Christians among the Turks; let there be some 1) monks among them; let there be some respectable laymen: but what good can there be in the regiment and in the whole Turkish way and being, because according to their Alkoran these three things reign freely among them, namely, lies, murder, adultery, and everyone must keep silent about Christian truth, that they may neither punish nor correct such three things, but must look on and, as I see to it, at least approve of them with silence. How can a gruesome, dangerous, terrible prison be, but live under such regiment? Lying disturbs (as I said) spiritual status; murder disturbs worldly status; illegitimacy disturbs marital status. Now take away from the world veram religionem, verampolitiam, verum oeconomiam, that is, right spiritual being, right worldly authority, right housekeeping: what remains in the world but vain flesh, world and devil? There is a life, 2) as the life of good fellows, so with harlots' households.
(51) But that it is said how the Turks are faithful and kind to one another, and take care to speak the truth, I will gladly believe, and think that they have more good and fine virtue in them. No man is so bad, he has something good about him. Sometimes a free woman has such a good nature in herself as hardly ten honest matrons have. So the devil also wants to have a cover and be a beautiful angel, as an angel of light [2 Cor. 11:14], therefore he is a good man.
1) Taken by us from the old edition of Walch. In the editions: "jr eigen", which is hardly correct.
2) Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer and Erlanger: Da ein Leben ist.
He also applies before some works, as works of light.
Murderers and robbers are much more faithful and friendly among themselves than their neighbors, yes, even more than many Christians. For where the devil receives the three pieces, lies, murder, and adultery, as the right stones and workpieces for the foundation of hell, he may well suffer, yes, help, that carnal love and faithfulness, as precious gems, which are nothing but straw and hay, are built upon them, he knows well that [it] will not remain before the fire in the end. In the same way, where there is right faith, right authority, right marriage, he is opposed to little love and faithfulness appearing there, and also to little being shown, so that he may also disgrace and despise the foundation.
And, what is more, when the Turks go to battle, their slogan and their cry is no other word than Alla, Alla, and they cry out so that heaven and earth resound. But Alla is called God in their Arabic language, from the broken Hebrew Eloha. For they have learned in their Alkoran that they should always praise these words: There is no God but God; which are all the right devil's words. For what is it said: there is no God but God? And yet he singles out no god before others. The devil is also a god, and they honor him with such a voice, there is no doubt about it. Just as the Pabst's warriors shout: Ecclesia, Ecclesia! yes, of course, the devil's Ecclesia. That is why I believe that the Turks do more in war than they do themselves; he gives them courage and cunning, leads their sword and fist, horse and man. How do you think about the holy people, who can call God in battle, when they have destroyed Christ and all God's words and works, as you have heard?
54 To holiness belongs also that he suffers no images, and is even holier than our iconoclasts; for our iconoclasts suffer and like to have images on the florins, pennies, rings and jewels, but the Turk none at all, coins vain letters on his coin. He is also a coiner, because he eradicates all authority and suffers no order in the secular state, as, princes, counts, lords, nobility, and others.
He is not a feudal lord, but is the sole lord of everything in his country, giving only wages and no goods or authority. He is also papist, for he believes to be holy and blessed by works, and considers it no sin to disturb Christ, to destroy authorities, to destroy marriage. Which three things the pope also does, but in a different way, namely with hypocrisy, as the Turk does with violence and sword. Summa, as I said, there is the basic soup of all abominations and errors.
(55) I will tell this to the first man, that is, to the Christian crowd, so that he may know and see what great need there is to pray, and that one must first strike the Turk's alla, that is, his god, the devil, and thus push his power and divinity away from him; otherwise, I am concerned, the sword will do little. For this man should not physically fight with the Turk, as the Pope and his followers teach, nor resist him with his fist, but recognize the Turk for God's ruthlessness and wrath, which the Christians must either suffer, if God visits their sin, or fight against him and chase him away with repentance, weeping and prayer alone. If anyone despises this counsel, let him despise it; I will see what he will do to the Turk.
The other man.
The other man who is due to fight against the Turks is Emperor Carol, 1) or whoever is the emperor; for the Turk attacks his subjects and his emperorship, who is obliged to defend his own, as a proper authority set by God. However, I hereby state that I do not want to provoke or instruct anyone to fight against the Turk, unless the first way is first kept, of which it is said above that one first atones and reconciles with God etc. If anyone wants to get at this, let him dare his adventure. It behooves me to speak no further than to tell each man his office and to instruct his conscience.
57 I can see that kings and princes are so lax and careless in their attitude against the
1) Wittenberger: "is the Roman Keiser, who nu Keiser is."
Turks, that I immediately have a great worry, they despise God and the Turk too highly, or perhaps do not know how powerful a lord the Turk is, that no king of a desolate country, be it which it wants, is alone enough to resist him, unless God wants to do miraculous signs. Now I cannot provide myself with any miraculous signs, nor with special graces of God over Germany, where one does not mend one's ways and honors the word of God differently than has been done so far.
58 Well, enough has been said about that, whoever wants to let him say it. Let us now talk about the emperor.
59) And 2) first, if one wants to wage war against the Turk, that one does so under the emperor's command, banner and name. For then every man can assure his conscience that he will certainly walk in obedience to the divine order, because we know that the emperor is our rightful ruler and head; and whoever is obedient to him in such a case is also obedient to God; but whoever is disobedient to him is also disobedient to God; but if he dies in obedience, he dies in good standing, and where he has otherwise atoned, and believes in Christ, he is saved. I think that everyone will want to know this better than I can teach it, and God would have them know it as well as they think they do. But let us talk about it further.
(60) Secondly, the emperor's banner and obedience should be just and simple, so that the emperor seeks nothing else but the work and duty of his office, to protect his subjects; and those who are under his banner also seek the work and duty of obedience. You should understand this simplicity to mean that one should not fight against the Turk for the reasons for which emperors and princes have been tempted to fight until now, such as to gain great honor, fame and property, to increase land, or out of anger and revenge, and all such things. For therein vain selfishness is sought, and not righteousness or obedience. That is why we have had no luck so far, neither in fighting nor in advising against the Turks.
2) "And" is missing in the Wittenberger.
3) Wittenberger: also God.
61, Therefore, let this incitement and agitation stand, since the emperor and princes have been incited to fight against the Turks, as the head of Christendom, as the protector of the church and protector of the faith, so that he should eradicate the Turkish faith, and have thus based the incitement and exhortation on the Turks' wickedness and evil. Not so, for the emperor is not the head of Christendom, nor the protector of the gospel or the faith. The church and the faith must have another protector than the emperor and kings are; they are commonly the worst enemies of Christianity and the faith, as the 2nd Psalm, v. 2, says, and the church everywhere complains. And with such irritation and exhortation one only makes it worse and angers God the more, because one reaches into his honor and work, and wants to appropriate it to men; which is idolatry and blasphemy.
Even if the emperor should exterminate the infidels and unbelievers, he would have to attack the pope, bishops and clergy, perhaps not sparing ours and his own; for there is enough abominable idolatry in his empire that it is not necessary to deny the Turks because of it. There are too many Turks, Jews, pagans, and unbelievers among us, both with publicly false doctrine and with an annoyingly shameful life. Let the Turk believe and live as he pleases, just as the papacy and other false Christians are allowed to live.
The Emperor's sword has nothing to do with faith, it belongs to physical, worldly matters, so that God will not become angry with us, if we pervert and confuse His order, and He in turn will also pervert and confuse us in all misfortune, as it is written: "You pervert with the perverted" [Ps. 18:27]. As we may well feel and grasp the happiness we have had against the Turks, since they have caused heartache and sorrow with the Cruciata, 2) with indulgences and the giving of the cross, and have thus incited the Christians to the sword and to war against the Turks, who, after all, have been associated with the
1) Wittenberger: den.
2) Cruciata will probably mean the cruise.
Word and prayer should contend against the devil and unbelief.
64 Rather, this is what should be done: to admonish the emperor and princes of their office and duty, that they think diligently and earnestly to handle their subjects in peace and protection against the Turks, God grant that they are Christians for themselves or not, although it would almost be good that they were Christians. But since it is and remains uncertain whether they are Christians, but it is certain that they are emperors and princes, that is, that they are commanded by God to protect their subjects, and that they owe it to Him to do so, one should let go of the uncertainty and play the game of conscience, drive them with diligent preaching and exhortation, and weigh down their consciences to the utmost, as they owe it to God, not to let their subjects be so miserably ruined, and as they do great and excellent sin, not to consider their office in this, and not to appear with help and counsel to the best of their ability to those who are to live under their protection with body and goods and are bound by oaths and debts.
For it seems to me, as much as I have sensed in our imperial assemblies, that neither emperors nor princes themselves believe that they are emperors or princes. For they are acting as if it were at their discretion and pleasure whether they should save and protect their subjects from Turkish violence or not; and the princes do not care about anything, nor do they think that they are highly indebted and obligated before God to be helpful and supportive to the emperor in this with their bodies and goods. Each of them lets it go and pass as if it were none of his business, or had neither commandment nor necessity that compels him to do so, 3) but as if it were in his free will to do or not to do.
66) Just as now, the common man does not think that he owes God and the world, if he has a skilled son, to put him in school and let him study, but everyone thinks that he has free power to raise his son according to his will, that it remains God's word and order where they are.
3) Walch and Erlanger: zwinge. In the old editions: zwünge.
want. Yes, the city councils and almost all authorities do the same, letting the schools dissolve as if they were free of them and had indulgences for it. No one thinks 1) that God earnestly commands and wills to draw the skilled children to His praise and work, which cannot be done without the schools; but for worldly nourishment everyone is now in a hurry and haste 2) with his children, as if God and Christendom had no more pastors, preachers, ministers, and the worldly authorities no more chancellors, councilors, or scribes. But of that another time; the pen must remain empress, or God will let us see another.
This is also what emperors, kings and princes do. They do not consider that God's commandment requires them to protect their subjects; it should be up to them to do so when they feel like it or have a good time to do so. Rather, let us all do so; let no one look at what he is commanded to do and what God commands and requires him to do; but let all our actions and duties be of our own free will, and God will give us happiness and grace, so that both of us, here by the Turk and there by the devil, will be plagued forever.
68 So then a useless launderer (a legate, I would say) should come from Rome, and admonish and incite the estates of the empire against the Turk with reports of how the enemy of the Christian faith has done so much harm to Christianity, and the emperor, as the sovereign of the church and protector of the faith, should do etc. to this, just as if they themselves were great friends of the Christian faith. But I say to him: They have led your mother to beer for you, you impotent chatterer, for you do nothing with that, as if the emperor should once do a good Christian unbidden work, which is at his discretion, and his conscience is not touched by it, or he is reminded of his necessary office, commanded by God, but put at home to his good will.
69. but so should a legacy on the
1) Wittenberger: commemorates.
2) "Eile" here is noun and "jedermann" the dative. Dietz, Wörterbuch, s. v. "eile".
3) "that" is missing in the Erlanger.
If you want to be emperors and princes, act as emperors and princes, or the Turk will teach you through God's wrath and disfavor. Germany, or the Empire, has been given to you by God and commanded that you should protect, govern, advise and help it, and not only should, but also must, at the loss of your souls' blessedness and divine favors and graces.
70 But now it is clear that you are not in earnest, nor do you believe it, but you consider your office a joke and a disgrace, just as if it were a mummery for carnival. For you let your subjects, who are commanded to you by God, be miserably tormented by the Turk, led away, violated, plundered, strangled and sold. Do you not think that, because God has commanded you such an office and given you money and people for it, you can do it well and carry it out, that he will demand from your hands all your subjects, whom you have so shamefully abandoned, and meanwhile you have danced, bragged, flaunted and played?
For if you seriously believed that you were appointed and ordered by God to be emperors and princes, you would leave off for a while the building and struggling for high seats and other useless splendor and faithfully counsel how you would fulfill your office and God's commandment, and save your conscience from all the blood and sorrow of your subjects, which the Turk commits against them. For how can God or a godly heart think otherwise of you than that you are enemies of your subjects, or that you have a secret alliance with the Turk, or at least that you consider yourselves neither emperors nor princes, but mere docks and puppets, where children play along? Otherwise it would be impossible for your conscience to leave you alone, since you seriously considered yourselves to be sovereigns set by God, that you should not even speak and counsel about such things in a different way than has been done so far, because you see that you yourselves are Turks.
4) Banketen - Banketiren, holding banquets.
Become without ceasing to your own subjects.
72. Yes, meanwhile take before you Luther's things, and act in the devil's name, whether one may eat meat during fasting, and nuns may take men and the like, of which you are not commanded to act, nor has God given you a single commandment to do so; And meanwhile hang in the smoke this serious, strict commandment of God, so that he has set you as patrons over poor Germany, and meanwhile become murderers, traitors and bloodhounds to your own pious, faithful, obedient subjects, and let, yes, throw them meanwhile 1) into the jaws of the Turk, as a reward, so that they put body and money, goods and honor with you and advance them to you. A good orator can see here what I would like to say if I were skilled in the art of oratory, and what a legate should do and say at the Diet if he wanted to perform his duties faithfully and honestly.
That is why I said above that Carolus, or 2) the emperor, should be the man to fight against the Turk, and under his banner it should go. O! such is so easy that [it] has long since torn at everyone's shoes, and Luther herewith teaches nothing new, but a vain, rotten old thing. Yes, my dear, the emperor should truly look at himself with different eyes than he has done so far, and you should also look at his banner with different eyes. I speak well of the same emperor and panier, since you speak of, but you do not speak of the eyes, since I speak of. God's commandment is to be seen in the banner, which says: Protect the righteous, punish the wicked. Tell me, how many are those who can read such things in Caesar's banner, or believe them in earnest? Don't you think that their conscience would frighten them if they looked at the banner, as they would have to acknowledge themselves highly guilty before God of neglecting to protect and help their faithful subjects? Dear, it is not a bad silk cloth, a banner, there are letters on it, who will read them, the tickling and the panketiren shall well pass away.
74 However, the fact that it has been considered bad up to now
1) "dieweil" is missing in the Wittenberg.
2) "Carolus or" is missing in the Wittenberg.
The fact that the princes considered it a silk cloth proves itself, because the emperor would have thrown it up long ago; then the princes would have followed, and the Turk would not have become so powerful. But since the princes called it the emperor's panier with their mouths, and yet were disobedient with their fists, and in fact considered it to be a mere silk cloth, it went as it is now before our eyes. And may God grant that we may not henceforth be too slow, I with my admonition, and the lords with their banner, and may it be done to us as it was done to the children of Israel, who at first would not fight against the Amorites, when God commanded, but afterwards, when they would, they were smitten, for God would not be with them. But 3) Let no one despair; repentance and righteousness always find grace.
After that, when emperors and princes realize that they owe such protection to their subjects out of God's commandment, mail should also admonish them that they should not be presumptuous and do so out of defiance, or rely on their own power or ideas, as one finds many foolish princes who say: I have the right and justification, therefore I will do it. They go there with pride and insistence on their power, but in the end they also win the fight in their necks. For if they did not feel their power, justice would move them little enough, as is proven in other matters, where they do not respect the law.
Therefore, it is not enough for you to know that God has commanded you to do this or that; you must also do it with fear and humility. For God does not command nor command anyone to do anything by his own counsel or power, but he also wants to be in the game and to be feared. Yes, he wants to do it through us and be asked for it, so that we do not presume and forget his help, as the Psalter says, Ps. 147, 11: "The Lord is pleased with those who fear him and wait for his goodness. Otherwise, we should think that we can do it, and that we do not need God's help, and that we do not take advantage of His goodness.
3) Erlanger: Still.
4) "wohl" is missing in the Wittenberger.
5) "not" is missing in the Wittenberger.
of victory and the honor that is his alone.
Therefore an emperor or a prince should learn the verse in the Psalter, Ps. 44, 7, 8: "I will not rely on my bow, and my sword will not help me. But thou wilt save us from our enemies, and put to shame them that hate us," and what more the same whole Psalm says. And Ps. 60:12, 13, 14: "O Lord God, you do not go out to our army. Help us in our distress, for the help of men is of no avail. With God we will do deeds, he will trample our enemies" etc. Many kings and great princes, from the beginning to this day, have had to make such and such sayings come true with their own examples, which nevertheless had for themselves God's commandment, justification and right; therefore, let emperors and princes not be a joke.
78. Here read the excellent example, Judges 20:18, 21, 23. 20, 18. 21. 23. that the children of Israel were twice defeated by the Benjamites, despite the fact that God had called them to fight and had the best of rights. But their defiance and presumption overthrew them, as the text there says: fidentes fortitudine et numero. It is true, horse, man, weapons and everything that is necessary for fighting, one should have, if it can be obtained, so that one does not tempt God. But if one has it, 1) one should not defy it, so that one does not forget or despise God, for it is written: "all victory comes from heaven" [1 Macc. 3, 19].
If these two things are there, God's commandment and our humility, then there is no danger or need, as far as the other man, the emperor, is concerned, then we are strong enough for all the world and there must be happiness and salvation. But if there is no good fortune, then there is certainly a lack of both of these, so that either one does not get it out of obedience to divine command, or out of presumption, or the first man of war, the Christian, 2) is not there with his prayer.
(80) And is it not necessary here to admonish that one seek neither honor nor spoil in the dispute; for he who disputes with humility and in obedience to divine command, and alone, be-
1) Erlanger: so shall.
2) In the old editions: the Christians.
If a man, in accordance with his office, simply means to protect and shield his subjects, he will probably forget the honor and the spoils. Yes, it will come to him unsought more abundantly and more gloriously than he may wish.
(81) Here shall someone say, Where shall such pious men of war be found, who will keep such things? Answer: The gospel is preached to all the world, and yet very few believe; nor does Christianity believe and remain the same. So I also write these lessons, not hoping that they will be accepted by all; indeed, the more part shall laugh and mock at me for it. It is enough for me, where I could teach some princes and subjects with this book; even if they are the fewest number, there is no power in my hands, there should still be victory and happiness enough. And if God wanted me to get only the emperor or the one who should get in his name and command, I would be very hopeful. It has happened several times, yes, it happens commonly, that God gives happiness and salvation to a whole country and kingdom through a single man, just as he also brings a whole country into all trouble and misery through a knave at court, as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes: "A single knave does great harm" [Eccl. 9:18].
82. So we read of Naaman, the captain of the king of Syria, that God gave happiness and salvation to the whole country through the same man, 2 Kings 5:1. So He gave great happiness to the kingdom 3) in Egypt through Saint Joseph [Gen. 39:5]. And 2 Kings 3:14, Elisha said to Jehoram king of Israel, "I would not look upon thee, if Jehoshaphat king of Judah were not there." And so, for the same time, the wicked kings of Israel and Edom had to be helped for the sake of a few pious men, who otherwise would have been ruined in all distress. And in the book of Judges one can see what good God did through Ehud, Gideon, Deborah, Samson and such individuals, although the people were not worthy of it [Judges 3, 21. 4, 4. 7, 24. ff. 16, 30.]. Again, what great harm did the Doeg, so to the
3) Wittenberger: Kings.
What did Absalom do against his father David with the help and advice of Ahithophel, 2 Sam. 16, 22. 23!
This is why I speak, so that we should not be frightened nor moved by the fact that the greater number of unbelievers or unbelievers are fighting under the emperor's banner. Again, it must be remembered that a single Abraham is able to do much, Gen. 14:15 ff. and Cap. 18:24 ff. So it is also certain that among the Turks, as the devil's army, there is no one who is a Christian or has a humble and right heart. 1 Sam. 14, 6. The pious Jonathan said: "It is not difficult for God to give the victory by many or by few", and he himself did a great battle against the Philistines, which Saul was not able to do with the whole army 1). Therefore, it does not matter if the group is not good, if only the head and some of the nobles are righteous; although it would be good if they were all righteous, but this is not possible.
Furthermore, I hear that in German lands one finds those who desire the future of the Turk and his regiment, who would rather be under the Turk than under the emperor or prince. With such people it should be a nasty fight against the Turk. I know no better counsel against them than to exhort the pastors and preachers to diligently stand in the pulpit and faithfully instruct such people, to strike out their driving iniquity, how perfectly they are guilty of innumerable sins, and to incriminate themselves before God, where they are found in opinion. For it is a pity enough who must suffer the Turk to be his overlord, and bear his regiment; but willingly submit to it, or desire it, if he neither needs it nor is forced to it, he shall be shown what sin he commits, and how horribly he runs.
First, that such people become unfaithful and perjure themselves against their authorities, to whom they have sworn and obeyed, which is a great sin before God that does not go unpunished. For because of such perjury, the
1) "not" is missing in the Wittenberger.
Even the good king Zedekiah perished miserably because he did not keep the oath he had taken to the pagan emperor in Babylon [2 Kings 24:20, 25:7]. Perhaps such people think, or allow themselves to think, that it is in their power and arbitrariness to move from one lord to another; thus they proceed as if they were free to do and let what they want in this, forgetting and not considering God's commandment and their oath, so that they are tricked and guilty to remain obedient until they are forced out of it by force, or are killed over it. Just as the peasants in the next uprising also assumed, and were beaten over it. 2) For as one shall not strangle himself, but suffer if he be strangled by force by others: so shall no man turn himself out of obedience and oaths, unless he be brought out by others either by force, or by favor and leave.
86) The preachers must do this 3) with such people diligently and well, as they are compelled to do by their preaching ministry, in which they are obligated to warn and protect their parishioners from sin and harm to their souls. For he who willingly turns away from his master and goes to the Turk can never remain under the Turk with a good conscience, but his heart will always say to him and punish him thus: "Behold, you have become unfaithful to your overlord, and have robbed him of the obedience he owes, and have deprived him of his right and authority over you. Now no sin can be forgiven, the stolen goods must be restored; but how wilt thou restore to thy lord, when thou art under the Turk, and canst not restore?
(87) So both of them must go, that you must eternally strive and work, as you come again from the Turk to your overlord, or must eternally have remorse, sorrow and unrest in your conscience (God grant that despair and eternal death do not follow), that you have willingly given yourself under the Turks without need against your oath and duty, and must therefore be there with your body, but with your heart and soul.
2) Marginal gloss of the Wittenberg and Jena editions: Anno 1525."
3) Wittenberger: This.
know you yearn over. What have you won? Why didn't you 1) stay over earlier?
88 Secondly, that such faithless, apostate, perjured people commit a much more heinous sin than all this, namely, that they make themselves partakers of all the abominations and wickedness of the Turks. For whoever willingly gives himself up to the Turks makes himself their companion and accomplice in all their deeds. Now we have heard what kind of a man the Turk is, namely, a destroyer, enemy and blasphemer of our Lord Jesus Christ, and instead of the gospel and faith he sets up his shameful mahomet and all lies; in addition, he devastates all worldly authority and domestic or marital status, and his wars are nothing else but murder and bloodshed, as a true devil's testimony.
Behold, he who joins himself to the Turk must be subject to such terrible abominations, and all the murder, and all the blood that the Turk has ever shed, also all the lies and corruption, so that he disturbs Christ's kingdom and deceives souls, will come upon his head. It is a pity enough if someone has to be under such a bloodhound and devil with violence and unwillingness, see and hear his abominations, as the pious Lot had to do and suffer in Sodom, as St. Peter writes [1 Petr. 2, 7]; it is not necessary to seek or desire such willingly.
(90) How much rather should one die twice as an obedient man under his overlord in war, than that he, like a poor Lot, should be brought by force under such Sodom and Gomorrah; let it not be said that a pious man should desire to give himself willingly to it, in addition with disobedience and against God's commandment and his own duty. That would mean not only making oneself a party to all the wickedness of the Turk and the devil, but also strengthening and promoting it. Just as Judas not only took part in the wickedness of the Jews against Christ, but also strengthened and helped them. Pilate did not act as evil as Judas, as Christ testifies Joh. 19, 11.
1) So the Jenaer. Wittenberg and Erlangen: "bleibst", which by the way is also the imperfectum.
91 Thirdly, this also is to be imagined of such people by the preachers: If they already give themselves up among the Turks, then they have not improved anything for themselves, and their hopes and aspirations will be far lacking. For it is the Turk's way that he does not let all who are or have anything stay where they live, but sends them far away to another country, where they will be sold and have to serve. And go ye after them according to the saying, Run out of the rain, and fall into the water; and: Take up a plate, and break a dish; that evil may become evil. And it hardly serves them right; for the Turk is a true man of war, who knows how to deal with land and people, and how to win and keep both, better than our emperor, kings and princes. He trusts and does not believe such renegade people, and has the insistence that he can do it, and must not do so to the people, as our princes do.
This, I say, is what preachers and pastors must do with such apostate people, with diligent exhortation and deterrence, for it is also the truth and necessity. If there are those who despise such exhortation and do not let all this move them, let them always go to the devil, as St. Paul had to let the Greeks, and St. Peter the Jews, so that nothing shall frighten the others. Yes, I would, if it came to a quarrel, that none of them would be or remain under the emperor's banner, but that all of them would already be with the Turks; they would be beaten the sooner and would be more harmful than useful to the Turks in the quarrel, as they are both in God's, the devil's and the world's disfavor, and as they are certainly condemned to hell. For it is good to fight against such evil people, who are so publicly and certainly condemned by God and the world.
(93) One finds many a desolate, desperate wicked man; but what has some sense will undoubtedly turn to such admonition, and be moved to remain under obedience, and not so brazenly cast their soul into hell to the devil, but will much rather live under their overlord with
2) "them" is missing in the Erlanger.
all wealth and let the Turks strangle them over it.
You say again, "If the pope is as evil as the Turk, whom you yourself call the end-Christ, with his clergy and followers; the Turk, on the other hand, is as pious as the pope, for he confesses the four Gospels and Moses along with the prophets; if one were to argue against the Turk, one would have to argue just as well, or much more, against the pope. etc. Answer: I cannot deny it, the Turk considers the four Gospels divine and right, as well as the prophets, also praises Christ and his mother almost, but he nevertheless believes that his Mahomet is above Christ, and that Christ is no God; as is said above. Just 1) as we Christians also recognize the Old Testament for divine Scripture; but still, now that it is fulfilled and, as St. Peter says, Apost. 15, 10, is too heavy without God's grace, it is annulled by the gospel, so that it no longer binds us.
95 Mahomet does the same with the gospel, claiming that it is right, but that it has long since become obsolete and is too difficult to keep, namely, in those things where Christ teaches that one should leave everything for His sake, and love God with all one's heart, and the like [Matth. 19, 29, 22, 37]. Therefore God had to give another new law, which was not so hard and the world could keep, and that same law was the Alkoran. But if someone asks why he does not perform a miraculous sign to confirm such a new law, he says, "It is not necessary and in vain, for people had many miraculous signs before, when the Law of Moses and the Gospel went out, and yet they did not believe. Therefore his alkoran must not be confirmed by vain miraculous signs, but with the sword, which is more powerful than the miraculous signs. And so it has happened, and still happens, that with the Turks, instead of miraculous signs, the sword performs all things.
96 Again, the pope is not much more pious and looks like Mahomet out of proportion.
1) Here we have deleted "but" because it is too much.
similar, for he also praises with his mouth the Gospels and the whole of the Holy Scriptures, but he thinks that there are many things in them [too difficult and impossible], 2) and the very same things that the Turks and Mahomet consider too difficult and impossible, as Matth. 5, 27. ff. Therefore, he interprets them and makes consilia out of them, that is, counsels that no one is obliged to keep, except those who desire it; as Paris, along with other high schools, monasteries and convents, has taught this unashamedly up to now.
97 Therefore he does not rule with the gospel or the word of God, but has also made a new law and an alchemy, namely his decree, and drives it with the ban, just as the Turk drives his alchemy with the sword; he also calls the ban his spiritual sword, which is and should be called the word of God alone, Eph. 6, 17. 6, 17. Nevertheless, where he can, he also uses the secular sword, or at least invokes it and incites and provokes others to do so. And I am confident that if the pope could wield the secular sword as mightily as the Turk, there would perhaps be less lack of good will than with the Turk, as they have often tried.
98. and God also presses upon them both with the same plague, and strikes them with blindness, so that they are like St. Paul Rom. 1, 28. says about the shameful vice of dumb sins, that God gives them a wrong mind, because they pervert God's word. For both pabstry and turkey are so blind and nonsensical that they both impudently commit dumb sins as an honest and praiseworthy thing. And because they do not respect the marriage state, it serves them right that it is a dog's wedding (and God wants it to be a dog's wedding), yes, that it is a French wedding and Florentine brides with them, and they make believe that it is well done.
For I hear horribly about horribly what a public glorious Sodoma Turkey is. Everyone who has looked around a little in Rome and in the French lands knows with what kind of wrath and plague God avenges the forbidden marriage there.
2) The sense requires an addition of the kind we have added fie in the brackets.
and punishes that Sodom and Gomorrah, which were sunk with fire and brimstone before [Genesis 19:24], must be a joke and a prelude against these abominations, so that I am also very sorry for this piece of the Turkish regiment, yes, it should be very unpleasant in German lands.
What shall we do now? Shall we also war against the papacy, as well as against the 1) Turk, because one is as pious as the other? Answer: One as well as the other, so no one is wronged; for the same sin shall have the same punishment. This is what I mean, if the pope and his followers wanted to attack the empire with the sword, as the Turk does, then he should be as good as the Turk; as happened to him the other day before Pavia by Emperor Carl's army. For there is God's judgment: "He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword." [For I do not advise you to fight against the Turk or the Pope because of his false faith and life, but because of his murder and destruction.
But the best thing about the papacy is that he [the pope] does not yet have the sword, as the Turk does, otherwise he would certainly also subordinate himself to bring all the world under him, and yet he would bring them nowhere, except to his Alkoran, that is, to his decree faith. For he respects and knows the gospel or Christian faith as little as the Turk, even though he pretends to great Turkish holiness by fasting (which he himself does not keep), and [the papists] are thus worthy of glory, that they are nevertheless like the Turk, even though they are contrary to Christ etc.
But against the papacy, because of its error and evil nature, the first man, Mr. Christianus, has awakened, and attacks him with prayer and God's word, has also met that they feel it, and rage. But no raging helps them, the axe is laid to the tree, the tree must be uprooted, where they do not bring other fruit. When I see that they have no intention of mending their ways, but become more and more stiff-necked the longer they go on, and want to stick their heads through it and boast: Three
1) "den" is missing in the Erlanger.
or above, bishop or physician. And keep them so pious, before they improve themselves or abandon their shameful behavior (which they themselves and all the world confess is neither good nor bad), that they go to their companion and brother, the holy Turk. Well then, may our heavenly Father also hear their own prayer soon, so that, as they say, they may become bishops or bathers, amen! they want it that way, amen! that be done, and come true, as it pleases God. 2)
You say further: How can the Emperor Carl fight against the Turk at this time, because he has such great obstacles and treachery against him from kings, princes, Venetians, and almost everyone? Answer: What cannot be lifted, let it lie. If we cannot go any further, we must let our Lord Jesus Christ advise and help us through his future, which cannot be far away. For the world has come to an end, the Roman Empire is almost gone and torn apart, and stands just as the kingdom of the Jews stood; when Christ's birth was near, the Jews had almost nothing left of their kingdom, Herod was the last. 4) So it seems to me now, because the Roman Empire is almost gone, that Christ's future is at the door, and the Turk is the last of this empire, as a handover 5) after the Roman Empire. And just as Herod and the Jews were enemies of each other, and yet held together against Christ, so the Turk and the papacy are also enemies of each other, and yet hold together against Christ and his kingdom.
However, whatever the emperor can do for his own against the Turk, he should do, so that, even if he cannot completely control such an abomination, he may, as much as possible, defend and endure to protect and save his subjects. To which protection the emperor should not only be moved by his duty, office and God's commandment, not only by the unchristian and desolate regiment,
2) Wittenberger: Amen.
3) So in all editions; "which" i.e. the day of his future.
4) "Letze" - Farewell. Walch and the Erlanger: "die Letzte.
5) d. i. Addition.
that the Turk brings into the country, of which is said above, but also the misery and misery that happens to the subjects; which no doubt they know better than I, how the Turk acts cruelly with those whom he leads away captive, as with cattle, drags, drags, 1) drives away what can go, but what cannot go, quickly stabbed, whether young or old etc.
(105) All this and the like should move all princes and the whole empire to mercy, so that they forget or leave their own affairs and quarrels for a while, and with all seriousness unitedly help the wretched, so that it does not go completely, as it did with Constantinople and Greece, which also quarreled so lukewarmly with each other and waited for their affairs until the Turk overpowered them all with each other; as he has already almost come close to us in the same matter. But if it is not to be, and our unrepentant life makes us worthless of all grace, counsel and comfort, then we must let it go and suffer under the devil; but with that, those who should help here are inexcusable and do not.
I want to say and testify clearly that I did not call Emperor Carol 2) the man who should fight against the Turk for nothing. Other kings, princes or authorities who despise Emperor Carol, or are not subjects, or do not want to be obedient, I will leave them to their adventures. They shall do nothing on my advice or admonition; I have written this to Emperor Carol and his followers, the others are none of my business; for I know the pride of some kings and princes who would like Emperor Carol to be nothing, and they themselves to be the heroes and champions who have brought honor against the Turk; I almost grant them honor, but if they are beaten over it, they will have it. Why don't they keep to the right head and proper authority with humility? 3) The rebellion in the peasants is punished; should
1) Wittenberger: puts d. i. beats.
2) "Carol" is missing in the Wittenberg, here and in the following passages where "the emperor" is mentioned.
3) From here to the end of the paragraph is missing in the Wittenberg. This omission seems to us to be intentional.
But if the rebellion in the princes and lords is also to be punished, I fear that very few princes and lords should remain. Well, God grant that the Turk may not become a master of such punishment, amen.
In the end, I will advise you kindly and faithfully, if it comes to the point that you want to fight against the Turk, then you should arm yourself and send in such a way that we do not hold the Turk in low esteem, and place ourselves, as we Germans are wont to do, and come armed with twenty or thirty thousand men. And even if we were fortunate enough to win, we would not press on, and would sit down again and have a drink until the need arose again.
108. And although I am unskilled in teaching such things, and they themselves certainly know better, or should ever know better; But because I see that they are so childish about it, I must think that either the princes and our Germans do not know or believe in the power and authority of the Turk, or that they are not serious about fighting against the Turk, but perhaps, just as the pope has robbed money from German lands in the name of the Turkish war and indulgences, so they now want to fool us about money, too, according to the papal example.
For this reason, my advice is that one should not make so little of the armaments and not sacrifice our poor Germans to the flesh bank. 4) It would be much better not to start the conflict at all, and to give the Turks their land and people in time, without bloodshed in vain, than to let them win with such an easy battle and shameful bloodshed, as happened in Hungary with King Ludwigen.
For warring against the Turk is not like warring against the King of France, Venetian, or Pope; he is a different man of war. He has people and money in abundance; he has beaten the soldier twice in a row, and the people have listened to him. Rather, his people sit in the armor every day, that he with three or four hundred thousand men soon
4) Wittenberger: would be sheerly so good.
If you cut off a hundred thousand men from him, he will soon be back with that many men, and yet he will still have the emphasis.
111 Therefore it is nothing to meet him with fifty or sixty thousand men, if there are not so many or more in ambush. For, my dear, count his land; he has all Greece, Asia, Syria, Egypt, Arabia, etc., which is so much land that even if Hispania, France, England, Germany, Welsh, Bohemia, Hungary, Poland, and Denmark are all counted together, they are still not equal to his land. And he is in addition all powerful in excellent ready obedience. And he is also (as I said) in daily armament and exercises of battle, so that he can press on and deliver two, three, four great battles one after the other, as he has proved with the Soldan. There is another majesty with this Gog and Magog than with our kings and princes [Ezek. 38, 2].
I say this because I am afraid that my Germans know it or do not believe it, perhaps they think they are powerful enough on their own and consider the Turk to be a lord like the king of France, whom they easily want to resist. But I will truly be excused, and not have my tongue and pen weighed down with blood, if a king or prince alone opposes the Turk. For it is said that God is tempted when someone of little power sets himself against a more powerful king, as Christ also indicates in the Gospel Luke 14:31. Especially because our kings are not so skillful that divine miracles can be performed on them.
The king of Bohemia is now a powerful prince, but God forbid that he should lie alone against the Turks, but have Emperor Carol as his captain, and press with all his might. Well, if you do not believe it, I will let you learn it from experience. I know well what kind of power the Turk has. The historians and geographers lie to me, 1) in addition to the daily news.
1) Walch and the Erlanger: mir denn.
Experience; which they do not do to me, that I know.
I do not say this to discourage the kings and princes from fighting against the Turks, but to admonish them to prepare themselves wisely and seriously, and not to attack things so childishly and sleepily; for I would like to see bloodshed and lost wars occur in vain, wherever they may be. But this seriousness would be, if our kings and princes would meanwhile wall up their affairs on one clan and here both, head and heart, both, hands and feet, would be united, so that a single body of a mighty group would be, from which, if a battle would be lost, one would have to follow up, and not, as has happened so far, let individual kings and princes go up: Yesterday the king of Hungary, today the king of Poland, tomorrow the king of Bohemia, until the Turk devours them one after the other, and nothing is done with it, except that our people are betrayed and sacrificed to the flesh bank, and useless blood is wasted.
For where our kings and princes unitedly stood by and helped each other, and the Christian man prayed for them, I would be undaunted and of great hope that the Turk would cease his raging and find a man like Emperor Carol who would be a match for him. But if not, but should go and stand as it goes and stands now, that no one wants to be one with the other, nor faithful to each other, each for himself a man, or with a beggar rider service to the field, I must let it happen, will also 2) gladly help pray; But it will be a weak prayer, because I can have little faith that it will be heard, because such a great thing is done so childishly, presumptuously and carelessly, since I know that God is tempted and may have no pleasure in it.
But what do our dear lords do? They think it is a joke; and, although it is true that the Turk is on our neck, even though he did not want to go out against us this year, he is still coming every hour.
2) In the old editions: zwarten.
is equipped and skillfully available to attack us unarmed and unprepared when he wants. This is how our princes act now, as they plague Luther and the gospel; this is the Turk, this is where the power lies, this must go. Just as they are doing now at Speyer, where the greatest thing is to eat meat and fish, and such foolish things.
May God honor you, you unfaithful heads of your poor people. What devil makes you deal so violently with spiritual, unpleasant matters that concern God and the conscience, and so lazily and lazily do the things that God has commanded you to do and that concern you and your poor people, now in the greatest and nearest need, and thereby only hinders all those who sincerely mean well and would gladly do so? Yes, meanwhile sing and listen to the mass of the Holy Spirit, he has great pleasure in it, and will almost be merciful to you disobedient, unruly people, because you leave what he has commanded you,
and do that which he has forbidden you. Yes, the evil spirit wants to hear you.
But herewith I want to keep my conscience safe. For whatever measures and ways I advise for the Turkish war, this booklet shall be my witness. If anyone else goes, I will let him go; God grant that he may win or lose. I will not enjoy his victory, and I will not repay his defeat, but I will be excused from all the blood that has been shed in vain. For although I know that with this book I will not find a merciful master in the Turk, if it comes before him, I have nevertheless indicated the truth to my Germans, as much as I am aware of it, and both, the grateful and the ungrateful, want to advise and serve faithfully. If it helps, it helps; if it does not help, let our dear Lord Jesus Christ help, and come down from heaven with the last judgment, and strike both Turks and Pope to the ground, together with all tyrants and ungodly men, and deliver us from all sins and from all evil, amen.