28 October 1529.
A Sermon to the Army against the Turk. Anno 1529.
Although I have given almost sufficient instruction in my booklet on the Turkish War as to the conscience and manner in which the war against the Turks should be conducted, I have the grace with my dear Germans that they neither believe nor listen to me until they wait too long, and faith comes into their hands, and then there is neither help nor counsel.
(2) Just as it happened to the people of Israel when they heard the prophets (as 2 Kings 17:13 ff).
We have been in the same situation now; no one wanted to believe what I wrote about the Turks. The same thing has happened to us 1) now; no one wanted to believe what I wrote about the Turk, until we now experienced it with such 2) great sorrow, and saw so many thousands of people strangled and led away in so few days. That is what we wanted. And if God had not helped us so miraculously and so unawares, we would only have experienced real misery in German lands.
1) "us" is missing in the Wittenberger.
2) "so" is missing in the Wittenberger.
*On October 20, 1529, Luther informed Nie. Hausmann that he was working on this writing, on October 28 he wrote to Wenc. Link that the same would be printed (thereafter our time determination), and on January 3, 1530 Luther sent him and the Cordatus copies of the second edition. It was first published by Nickel Schirlentz in Wittenberg in 1529 and was reissued by him in 1530 and 1542. Furthermore, individual editions were published by Joh. Stüchs in Nuremberg in 1530 and by Georg Rau (Rhaw) in Wittenberg, 1541. In the collections: in the Wittenberg (1551), vol. II, 538b; in the Jena (1566), vol. IV, p. 472; in the Altenburg, vol. IV, p. 565; in the Leipziger, vol. XXII, p. 356; and in the Erlanger, vol. 3l, p. 80. We reproduce the text according to the Erlanger, which printed the first original edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Jena editions.
3 And if I know my dear Germans well, the full swine, then they should, according to their ways, sit down again and drink and live in safety with good courage, and not need such a great mercy, shown, but forget it with all ingratitude and think: Ha! the Turk is now gone and fled, what do we want to worry much and spend useless costs on it? he may never come back; so that we may honestly receive our well-deserved punishment from God. Well, I can do no more. When I said that one should not despise the power of the Turk, that was a mocking and vain speech; there were many princes more powerful than he; I should not frighten the German princes so much nor make them despondent. Let now the same jealousy come forth, and comfort the princes, and despise the Turk's power. I mean, the Turk has made them liars and my words true.
(4) But for the sake of the wicked and blasphemers of Christ they have not begun, neither have they left anything for their sake. Kings and princes, bishops and priests have so far driven out and persecuted the gospel, shed much blood and inflicted all plagues and misfortunes on the servants of Christ, and the blasphemy and disgrace against the publicly recognized truth has been so disgracefully great, and the people so exceedingly wicked and wanton, that I have had to prophesy that Germany would soon have to pay God for a foolishness; the same now goes forth and begins. God help us and be merciful to us, amen. For since they are so perfectly angry and wicked against Christ, that they have wronged His word and His servants, 1) and He must suffer and be weak against them, He truly does right, according to the saying: "No one was ever 2) so wicked, but a more wicked man came upon him" and departs, lets himself be wicked, but sends to such wicked angry nobles another wicked man, the Turk, who wants to watch, because they want to be wicked, which one will be wicked over the other. Now be evil who can be evil, now it is a matter of 3) evil and super-evil.
1) "exceedingly wicked" -- to be exceedingly wicked against, etc., in the following: to surpass in wickedness.
2) Erlanger: ward.
3) Walch and the Erlangeners: applies.
5 These things I have said against the unrepentant, stubborn enemies and persecutors of the word of Christ. But because there are nevertheless many in the German lands who love the word, and Christ doubtless has not a small number of members in them, for their sake this sermon is to go out to comfort and admonish them in these dreadful and dangerous times. For the devil seeks through his witness, the Turk, not only to destroy the worldly rule, but also the kingdom of Christ and its holy members from the faith, as Daniel says in chapter 7, v. 8. Therefore I will divide this sermon into two parts. First, to instruct the consciences, then to admonish the fists.
(6) To instruct the conscience is a good thing, that we may know what the Turk is, and what he is to be held for, according to the Scriptures. For the Scriptures tell us of two cruel tyrants, who shall devastate and destroy Christendom before the latter day. One of them is a spiritual tyrant, who uses cunning or false worship and doctrine against the true Christian faith and gospel. Daniel writes in the 11th Cap., V. 36. ff, 4) that he should rise above all gods, and above all worship 2c., whom St. Paul also calls the end-Christ, 2 Thess. 2, 4. This is the Pabst with his Pabstthum, of which we have written enough.
The other one with the sword, bodily and outwardly, in the most horrible way, of which Daniel prophesies mightily in chapter 7, v. 7 f., and Christ Matth. 24, 15. about a tribulation that has not been seen on earth, that is the Turk. Therefore, because the end of the world is at hand, the devil must first attack Christianity with both his power in the most terrible way and give us the right last moments before we go to heaven. Whoever then wants to be a Christian at this time, let him take heart in Christ, and only do not think of peace and good days from now on: the time of such tribulation and prophecy is here; likewise our defiance and consolation for the future of Christ and our redemption is also not far away, but will quickly follow, as we will hear.
4) Here the Erlangen edition again reprinted Walch's false Bible quote "Dan. 12, 39.", furthermore all Walch's other false quotes in this writing, in total eleven.
(8) Therefore hold fast, and be sure, that the Turk is certainly the last and fiercest wrath of the devil against Christ, that he may drive out the bottom of the barrel, and pour out his fury altogether against Christ's kingdom; and also the greatest punishment of God on earth against the ungrateful and ungodly despisers and persecutors of Christ and his word, and without doubt the forerunner of hell and eternal punishment. For Daniel says that after the Turk judgment and hell shall quickly follow [Dan. 7:10]. And it is clear from the deed how horribly he strangles, impales and chops up people, children, women, young and old, who have done nothing to him, and acts as if he were the angry devil himself in the flesh, for no kingdom has ever raged with murder and rage as he does. Let us hear this from the prophet Daniel.
9 Daniel described four empires that would come on earth before the end of the world, as we read in Dan. 7, [v. 3-12],1) that he "saw four great beasts coming up out of the sea. The first was like a lioness, and had eagle's wings. The other was like a bear, and had three rows of teeth in its mouth. The third was like a parde, and had four wings and four heads. The fourth was a cruel and strange beast, and very strong, and had great iron teeth, so that it ate and tore about it, and what remained it trampled with its feet, and had ten horns.
(10) I looked at the horns, and behold, between them grew another little horn, before which three of the first horns were cut off; and that horn had eyes like men's eyes, and its mouth spake abominably. I watched until chairs were set and the old man sat down. The court was held, and the books were opened. I watched because of the horrible words the horn spoke, and I saw,
1) In the editions of Nickel Schirlentz from 1530 and 1542, a woodcut is inserted here, on which the three parts of the world and the four animals, which Daniel describes, are depicted; likewise in the Wittenberg and Jena editions. The citation that follows is reproduced in the Wittenberg edition with the words of our Bible, Dan. 7, 2-12, with some omissions. Our redaction is found in the Jena and Erlangen.
that the animal was killed, and its corpse perished, and was thrown into the fire to burn, and the other animals' power was also suspended."
II This is the text of Daniel, told in the shortest possible way, as much as is necessary for us now. Now the interpretation follows in the same chapter [v. 16 to 27], where he speaks:
(12) I came to one who was standing by, and asked him the truth about all this. And he laid it out for me, and taught me thus. These four great beasts are four emperors who shall come on earth; but the saints of the Most High shall possess the kingdom forever.
(13) Then I would have liked to know what the fourth beast was, which was almost cruel, which had iron teeth and paws, and ate and tore, and trampled the rest with its feet, and what the ten horns on its head were. And what the other horn was, before which three horns had fallen, and of the same horn that had eyes, and a mouth, the abominable thing spake, and was greater than the rest. I looked, and behold, the horn fought against the saints, and prevailed against them, until the old man came and held judgment with the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
14] "And he said thus: The fourth beast will be the fourth empire on earth, which will be greater than all kingdoms, and will devour, trample and crush all lands. The ten horns are ten kings who belong to such an empire. And after him shall arise another, mightier than the first, and shall humble three kings. And he shall speak against the Most High, and shall tread down the saints of the Most High, and shall presume to change the order and the law; and they shall be delivered into his hand for a time, and for some time, and for a little time. So the judgment will be held, that the power will be abolished and broken, and finally perish. 2) But the kingdom, Ge-
2) Walch and the Erlangeners: "umkonnnt". Jenaer: Umkomme". Wittenberger: umbbracht werde". The Wittenberg edition closely follows the text of our Bible in the rendering of this entire passage of Daniel. Our redaction is found in the Jena and Erlanger.
Let the power and authority that is under the whole heaven be given to the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is eternal, and let all kings serve and obey him.
15 This prophecy of Daniel is interpreted unanimously by all teachers of the four following empires. The first, the empire of Assyria and Babylonia. The other, the empire of Persia and Medes. The third, the Empire of the great Alexander and the Greeks. The fourth, the Roman Empire, which is the greatest, most powerful and cruel, and also the last on earth, as here Daniel clearly shows that after the fourth beast or empire follows judgment, and no other empire, but the kingdom of the saints, which is eternal. 2c.
Since 1) it is certain, and there is no doubt, that on earth the Roman Empire will be the last, as Daniel shows in chapter 2, v. 32, in the great image or pillar, which had a golden head, silver breast, bronze hips and iron thighs, it must follow that the Turk will be in the Roman Empire and must be included in the fourth beast. For this is decided: since the Roman Empire is the last, the Turk will and can never become as powerful as the Roman Empire was, otherwise not four but five empires would come on earth. Therefore, the Turk does not have to become emperor, nor does he have to establish a new or separate empire, as he may well have in mind. But he will and must certainly lack it, or Daniel would become a liar, which is not possible.
(17) Moreover, since the Turk is so great and powerful and is said to be in the Roman Empire, we must look for him in the Roman Empire and find him among the horns of the fourth beast, for it must be such a mighty thing as proclaimed in the Scriptures. Well, "horn" means a kingdom in the Scriptures, as here Daniel himself says that the ten horns are ten kings who belong to the fourth empire. So the Turk cannot be one of the ten, for the same horns are the kingdoms belonging to the Roman Empire.
1) Erlanger: Because.
have belonged, since it stood in its full power, as namely Hispania, France, Jtalia, Africa, Aegyptus, Syria, Asia, Gräcia, Germany 2c. Such countries 2) the Romans have had all in full power, before then the 3) Mahomet or Turk has come.
(18) Daniel says that after the ten horns comes the little horn between the ten horns. Here the Turk comes and is found. For just as the little horn grows up among the ten and pushes away three of them, so a kingdom must come that grows in the aforementioned countries and kingdoms of the fourth beast or empire and gains three of them. All this shows and testifies also the work, and agrees with the text that Mahomet must be the same little horn, because he arose from little beginning. But he has grown in such a way that he has repelled and taken three horns in the Roman Empire, namely Egyptum, Greece and Asiam. For the Soldan 4) and Saracen have long had two of these horns or kingdoms inside, Egypt and Asiam, and have thus remained seated inside, as the Turk also sits inside to this day, and has gained the third horn, Greece, in addition. No one else has done this, and we see it before our eyes that it has happened: this is Mahomet's kingdom, there we have the little horn for sure.
(19) Even though the Turk chased away the soldier and took over such lands and held his court or seat elsewhere than the soldier did, it is not a different or new kingdom, but the same kingdom of Mahomet. For both, soldier and Turk, are of the same and equal faith, namely of5) Mahomet. But that one drives out the other has also happened in almost all empires, that one brother has driven out the other, a magistrate has driven out his lord. How did it happen in Persia, since they moved the imperial seat and court from Media to Persia, nevertheless the same empire remained;
2) Wittenberger: "Such land", that is, such land. Jenaer, Walch and the Erlanger: Such land.
3) "the" is missing in the Wittenberger.
4) In the old editions, the spelling varies, sometimes the word is written "Soldan", sometimes "Soltan".
5) Wittenberger: den.
and the Assyrian Empire was transferred from Nineveh to Babylon, and the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople. So also now Mahomet's empire has been moved from Alcayr to Constantinople with the court camp, but nevertheless the same empire of Mahomet has remained. For the person and the court may well change in a kingdom, but the kingdom remains for itself in its manner, rule, faith and all its essence.
(20) Now that we have this same little horn, Mahomet and his kingdom, we can easily and clearly learn from Daniel what the Turk and the Mahometan kingdom are to be considered, and also what he is worth in the sight of God. First of all, he is supposed to be a mighty lord, as he is supposed to win three horns from the Roman Empire, that is, three almost the best kingdoms, as Egypt, Greciam, Asiam, and to keep them, and thus to be mightier than any of the ten horns. This is the clear text, and is thus found in the work; for no king, so gewest under the Romans, as France, Hispania, Welschland, Germany 2c., is so powerful as the Turkish or Mahometan empire, which the Turk now has. And thus sits almost in the middle of the Roman Empire, yes, in the Roman emperor's house, at Constantinople, as the small horn among the ten horns in the fourth animal means.
(21) Secondly, the horn has the eyes of man, which is Mahomet's alchemy or law, so that he rules; in which law there is no divine eye, but only human reason, without God's Word and Spirit. For his law teaches nothing but what human wit and reason can well suffer. And what he found in the Gospel, which was too difficult and high to believe, that he has delivered, especially that Christ is God and has redeemed us with his death 2c. This is what Daniel means when he points to the eye of the horn and says: "He will be subject to change the law and order, hear God's order, as the gospel and Christian doctrine.
22) Thirdly, it has a mouth that speaks abominable things, which are the cruel blasphemies, so that Mahomet not only denies Christ, but also completely abolishes Him, pretending that he is above Christ, much higher.
and more worthy in the sight of God than all angels, all saints, all creatures, and above Christ himself; as is clearly stated in his Alkoran, and the Turks boast daily, and the longer the more abominably they practice such blasphemies. Therefore Daniel speaks here of the same horn, and points to its great mouth: He will speak against the Most High, that is, teach against Christ, blaspheme him and defile him, so that 1) he does not consider him to be the Most High, but a bad and much lesser prophet than himself, and says that Christ's teaching has come to an end, since Mahomet has come.
23 Fourth, that he wages war against the saints of the Most High. This is not to be glossed over; I think we have seen and felt it so far. For the Turk is not so hostile to any people on earth as he is to the Christians, nor does he fight against anyone with such a thirst for blood as he does against the Christians, so that he may fulfill this prophecy of Daniel. Daniel calls the Christians saints of the Most High. For though there be many false Christians among the multitude, yet because the gospel and the sacrament, commanded by Christ, abide in one country, there are certainly many Christians in that same country; and though there be few of them, yet that same country, for their faith, preaching, and gospel, yea, for Christ's sake, which is the name, word, spirit, and sacrament there, is called Christian country, and the true saints of God. Therefore there are still many Christians in Turkey, and perhaps more than in any other country, as they are captives and must serve the Turk who has won them; as Daniel says here, that he should conquer against the saints and rule over them.
(24) As it happened in the days of Elijah the prophet among the people of Israel, when there were so many wicked and so few pious people that Elijah himself thought he was alone, and therefore desired to be dead [1 Kings 2:19, 4, 18], but yet there were found about seven thousand whom God had not forgiven.
1) "that" is missing in the Wittenberg.
2) Here is a striking example of how thoughtlessly the Erlangen edition was published. In Walch's edition, the number of the book was missing and the Erlangen edition printed: "Kings 19:4, 18" without adding the omission.
He had kept them pious and holy, for whose sake the people of Israel were called God's people and God's saints, as his name, word and spirit dwelt with them. As has happened now and up to now under the papacy, since everything has been so corrupted with human teachings and works that almost no Christians have been seen any more; but nevertheless some have had to be there, because Christ's name, baptism, gospel, sacrament, 2c. For the sake of which the whole country is called the land of the Christians, and they are called Christendom or Christ's people and God's saints, because St. Paul says in 2 Thess. 2, 4: The end-Christ, the Pope, should sit in the temple of God; now the temple of God is Christendom or the saints of God, as Daniel speaks.
(25) In this saying of Daniel, we must pay more attention and judge according to the Turk's opinion and will than according to the number of Christians. For the Turk does not take into account here how many or few holy Christians there are among us; he considers us all Christians, just as the name Christ is common to us all. For he is hostile to the Christian name, which the devil would gladly suppress with the sword of Mahomet; just as he also suppresses it with false doctrine among us, and thus wants to take revenge on our Lord Christ. Thus Daniel wants to say that according to the Turk's conscience and opinion all Christians (that is, saints of God) are whom he wars against, and considers that there is no worse nation on earth than the Christians. That is why the Turks call us no other than Paganos, that is, pagans; but they consider themselves the holiest people on earth.
The fifth, that he is fortunate in the wars against the Christians, and generally prevails and retains the victory. The same thing makes the Turks so proud, hardened and secure in their faith that they have no doubt that their faith is right and the Christians' is wrong, since God gives them so much victory and thus abandons the Christians, but they do not know that it is proclaimed here in Daniel that the Christians will be punished here on earth for their sin and that the innocent will be made martyrs. For
Christ must have martyrs, that is why 1) he has always let his own succumb bodily and be weak; again, his enemies succumb and be mighty, so that he may sweep and purify his own, after which his enemies, when they have well begun and have come to the highest, will be brought home with hellish fire forever. The blind, senseless people do not know such a judgment and way, and think, because Christ presents himself so weakly, that there is no people on earth more pleasant than they. But they will run away and the game will suddenly turn before they think, as follows.
27) Sixthly, the last day and the kingdom of the saints shall quickly come upon the Turkish kingdom and rages, as Daniel says here, that the horn's wars and victories shall last until the old man comes and sits in judgment. The Turks do not believe that God will redeem us and cast them into hell. But how long this will last, that he is so victorious, no one can know; for Christ says that no one should know about that day, except the Father alone [Matth. 24, 36Z. As Daniel also says here with dark words: "They will be given into his hands for a time, and for some time, and for a little while, and then the judgment will be held [Dan. 7:25].
(28) From which it appears that the kingdom of the Turk shall be overthrown from heaven, and that no king shall come to subdue him and become mightier after him; as Daniel also says here that the body of the fourth beast, after the great 2) blasphemy of the little horn, shall be cast into the fire to be burned. Revelation 20:9 also says that Gog and Magog will be consumed by fire from heaven. The same is written in Ezekiel Cap. 39, 6, that God would rain fire and brimstone on Gog and Magog and on their army. Now there is no doubt that Gog was the Turk who came from the land of Gog, or the Tartars, in Asia, as the Histories prove.
29) Nevertheless Christ has given signs, so that it may be known when the last day is near, and therefore when the last day will come.
1) So the Erlangen. Wittenberg and Jena: had.
2) "large" is missing in the Wittenberger.
Turk will have an end, then we could certainly prophesy that the last day must be at the door. For since Daniel says here that in the fourth beast the little horn shall be the mightiest and last, and we see publicly that in the lands of the Roman Empire there is none mightier than the Turk, and after him shall come no more; so the half of the Turk's scripture is already fulfilled, for he has the three horns gone (as said), and Daniel gives him no more horn. Accordingly, it is to be hoped that the Turk will henceforth gain no more land of the Roman Empire, and what he does in Hungary and the German lands will be the last gossip and scramble that he will have with ours and ours with him, and thus an end; so that he may well pluck Hungary and Germany, but will not possess them quietly, as he possesses Asiam and Egypt. For Daniel gives him three horns, and no more; if he plucks and tears a little from the borders and neighbors, that is his nightcap for a good night.
(30) Therefore the war and victory of Mahomet, of which Daniel says, has happened and been fulfilled most in Asia, Grecia, Egypt, and will come to an end when he is most powerful and best equipped, so that he floats and drives safely, as no one can resist him or resist him, and still intends to gain much land. Just when the same hour will come, when he will still want to do so much, and will be defiant and greedy, then Christ will come upon him with brimstone and fire and ask why he has so horribly persecuted and plagued his saints, who have done him no harm, without any cause. Amen. For the scriptures are all fulfilled, so many signs have happened this time, and so great light of the gospel is present, and such great blasphemy, wantonness, iniquity in the world, as never was, nor could be more grievous, must break down and come to an end. 1)
(31) So far we have seen what the Turk and his Mahometan kingdom are to be considered according to the Scriptures, namely, that he is an enemy of God, and a blasphemer and persecutor of Christ and His saints through
1) In the Jena one is added: Amen.
Sword and war, so that he is immediately directed and instituted to rage with sword and wars against Christ and his own. For although other kings of old have also persecuted Christians with the sword, yet their kingdom and reign were not instituted and directed to blaspheme Christ and wage war against him, but happened by chance, out of an abuse. If one king has persecuted, another king 2) has subsequently been good, and has let it go, so that it is not the kingdoms or regiments themselves that have striven against Christ, but the persons who have had the regiment have sometimes been evil. But Mahomet's sword and kingdom are directed against Christ, as if he had nothing else to do and could not use his sword better than to blaspheme and fight against Christ.
32. From this every man can judge his conscience and assure himself, if he is called upon to fight against the Turk, how he should think and conduct himself, namely, that he should have no doubt who fights against the Turk (if he starts war), that he fights against God's enemy and Christ's blasphemers, yes, against the devil himself, so that he may not worry whether he is slaying a Turk, shedding innocent blood, or slaying a Christian, but is certainly slaying an enemy of God and blasphemer of Christ, whom God Himself has condemned to hellfire by the Scriptures of Daniel for an enemy of Christ and His saints. Therefore, no Christian can be a friend of God in the Turkish army, denying Christ and becoming an enemy of God and His saints, but are all of the devil's own and possessed with the devil, like their master Mahomet and the Turkish emperor himself. For you must well grasp and notice the words of Daniel, when he ascribes to the little horn the blasphemy against God and the strife against the saints of God; which words bear no good, but all evil and wickedness, from the Turk or Mahomet.
33. that is why in the previous booklet
2) "King" is missing in the Wittenberg.
so faithfully that one should not wage war against the Turk as under the name of the Christians, nor should one attack him with war as an enemy of the Christians. For here you hear that the victory against the Christians and the saints has been proclaimed to Mahomet or the Turk, as has happened so far in the three horns that he has pushed off, that is, in Grecia, Asia and Egypt. Christ wants to be weak and suffer on earth with his own, so that he may make fools of the mighty and put them to shame, and he needs their rage to make heaven full of martyrs and saints for him (even though they are ignorant of it), so that his kingdom will be full the sooner, and he 1) will come to judgment and give the tyrants their reward before they have a chance.
34. But I have advised and still advise thus: that every one should be diligent to be a Christian, willing and ready to suffer from the Turk and everyone, but should not fight as a Christian or under a Christian's name, but let your worldly overlord get you, under the same banner and name you should travel, as a worldly subject, according to the body that is sworn to his overlord to be obedient with body and goods; this is what God will have of you, Romans 13:1 ff. 13, 1. ff. Tit. 3, 1. and especially where such a conflict is not done for the sake of gain or honor, but to protect and shield country and people, wife and child, 2c. as this war is against the Turks. Thus we read of the dear holy St. Moritz and his companions and many other saints, that they went into battle, not as Christians, nor against the Christians, but as submissive obedient citizens or knights, demanded and summoned by their emperor, or other of their authorities, whom they were obliged to serve with body and goods, and were not called a Christian army or people, nor a Christian battle, but the emperor's people or army,
35 Behold, then, your conscience is right and fine, and you can be a courageous, joyful man, so that such heart and courage will undoubtedly make your body and horse the stronger. For thou art sure that in thy overlord's obedience, and in
1) "he" is missing in the Wittenberger.
You must not fear that you will meet innocent blood in the Turks' army, because you have heard that they have been sent by God as his enemies to death and hell. You must not worry or fear that you will meet innocent blood in the Turks' army, because you have heard that they are condemned to death and hell by God as his enemies. And it is granted to you by your overlord that you shall execute such judgment on the Turk, and now your fist and spear is and is called God's fist and spear, and thus you are God's, the greatest of all lords, executioner or executioner, against his great damned enemy; how could you argue more honestly and more praiseworthily?
(36) But if he should stab thee, or slay thee, how canst thou die a more righteous death, if thou be otherwise a Christian? For, first of all, Daniel stands there, and makes thee a saint, saying, The Turk fighteth against the saints of God; that on the Turk's and the devil's side there standeth the road, that he, as a murderer, may strike vain innocent and holy blood, and make as many holy martyrs as he slayeth on our side. Just as it is certain that he will strike vain innocent blood, because he attacks those he has no right nor cause to, and carries out such murders without command and necessity. It is also certain that he makes many martyrs (for there must be Christians among them where the Turk fights against the saints, as Daniel says), and so the Turk does to you what Daniel says of him, namely, that he is a murderer of saints and a maker of martyrs.
Secondly, your conscience is well assured that you will be found out and stabbed by God's commandment in your overlord's simple obedience. And if it is to be changed, you should a hundred thousand times rather be a Christian, an obedient citizen or knight, stabbed by the Turk, than have the victory of the Turkish emperor himself with all his goods and honor. For, as I said, you are certainly a saint if you act like a Christian and fight in obedience; heaven is yours, there is no doubt about it. But what is the Turk's victory and honor, even of all the world, against heaven and eternal life?
38) Remember, how would you have done if you had lived in the time of the martyrs, when you had been
2) "of" is missing rn the Wittenberg.
would also have strangled the evil emperors and tyrants for the sake of Christ? Or, how would you do now, if the pope, bishops, our emperor or tyrants strangled you for the sake of the gospel, as happens to many? You would still have to 1) believe that they would make you a saint and a martyr, and be sure that you would be found in a right state and obedience. Now what is the Turk but such an evil tyrant who kills God's saints and makes them martyrs? Without the Turk doing this with all his might, without ceasing, and making many more saints before all others; as is fitting at the end of the world, that the devil should give our Lord Christ a good, rich death. Dear, it is an excellent word that Daniel says that the Turk should not torture a few individual saints, as other emperors do, but should attack them with all his might and overcome them. In the battle, however, many more saints must be defeated than there are individual martyrs who are martyred from time to time in addition to the battle.
Thou knowest well that thou must die some day, and that thou shalt not be sure of any day or hour of death. How, then, if such a battle against the Turk should be your hour, and thus ordained by God? Should you not rather, even with joy, surrender yourself to God in such an honest holy death (since you have so many divine causes, commands and orders, and are sure that you will not die in your sins, but in God's command and obedience, perhaps in a moment you will come out of all misery, and go to heaven to seek Christ), than that you should lie on your bed, and long struggle with your sins, with death and the devil, and bite, and fight, and wrestle, in all your travels and troubles, and yet not have such glorious commandments of God? Here you die alone for yourself, and a faint gland or pestilence eats you away; there, says Daniel, many saints die with you, and have divine, holy, lovely companies that ride with you.
40. summa, who can drive all kinds of the
1) Wittenberg and Jena: müssest.
Death, in which we daily float in water, in fire, in the field, at home, in the air, on earth? So many beasts, so many pestilences are around us; one falls from the roof, one from the horse, one falls into his knife; some hang, stab, drown themselves; one otherwise perishes, one so perishes; one is slain for the sake of money, one for the sake of a woman, one for the sake of a word, yes, some for the sake of charity: We have to wait for many such deaths every day, and some of us dare to do so with joy, since there is no just cause nor divine command, and the journey to get there is yearly and difficult, and we should be so lazy or despondent here, since we have certain commands and pleasures from God to obey our authorities with body and soul; and if we are found to be Christians, we will certainly have eternal life with the saints. Would that such death were to be sought at the end of the world, when the hour is at hand. And whoever will not be moved to this, no cheaper curse could be wished for him than that he should fall to the Turk and become a Turk, the servant of the devil, as his master, the Turk, is, condemned by God to death and hell.
41 I speak all this for those who are Christians or would like to be Christians, so that they may know how to judge and comfort themselves at this time, so that they may not be too afraid of the Turk or of the devil, his God. For if the Turk were to devour the Christians all at once (if it were possible), he would gain nothing by it, except that his damnation would be all the greater and would come all the more quickly, and would lead the Christians to heaven all the sooner. Let him be as angry and furious as he always wants to be, with all the devils as well, so he must be servant and servant of the Christians, and just with this help for their good, so that he means to destroy them, because Daniel stands there and says that they are saints whom he strikes and chokes. Thus says St. Peter, "And who is he that can hurt you, if ye pursue good?" [1 Pet. 3, 13.] David also in the 116th Psalm, v. 15. "O how delicious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." And in the 72nd Psalm, v. 14: "And their blood is precious in his sight." Such and such comforting ones,
2) Wittenberger: in.
Glorious sayings make such a judgment that the Turk is a murderer of saints and thus does himself the greatest harm eternally; again, that his anger and murder must serve here temporally and help the Christians to great eternal glory, without his thanks, will and knowledge.
Who is the best at deceiving and murdering the other? The Turk murders the Christians temporally, to eternal life, but in the same he murders himself, to eternal hellish fire with all the devils. For the Christians have too glorious, powerful sayings, as we have heard. And Daniel calls them saints, and the Turk a murderer of saints; he will not gain much, and the Christians will not lose much. But so Mahomet shall be paid with his own, and the Christians shall be avenged on themselves, and receive his reward from themselves. Therefore I do not consider it a masterpiece that the Turk, in order to frighten the Christians, cuts up their children, stabs them and impales them on the fence posts, and what else cannot be done, strangles everything and acts cruelly. It is a great fool's play, even in the sight of the world; for no pious man would be frightened by seeing his child and wife hacked to pieces and impaled, but would rather become angry and bitter, and would dare to put on the stocking and the stalk, and whatever else was left; and even if he were dead, the rest would or should become all the more bitter and angry, and dare to put everything on the devil's limb.
But in the eyes of the Christians, such rage is much less terrible, for they know that such impaled and chopped up wretched little children and pious people are vain saints, and that the Turk could not do them so much good for the hundredth part, if he also made each one a Turkish emperor himself, as he does by acting so cruelly out of the devil's wrath, for he thereby sacrifices them to God in heaven. Nor could the whole world avenge itself on him so richly and gloriously as he avenges such people on himself, for he thrusts himself into the abyss of hell.
1) Stocking - hull.
(44) Yes, you say, he laughs at it and asks nothing of it with all his people. 2) Well, let him laugh at it, too, and not be worthy to believe or know it. Christ will soon 3) drive away his laughter and teach him all this. For I write this (as I said) to the Christians for comfort, and not to the Turks or Turks to laugh at. Daniel has written enough to him before 4) all of us, proclaiming him an enemy and blasphemer of God, condemned to hellish fire. If Daniel's writing is despised, it does not matter if our writing is also despised; we have the text, which does not teach us, nor does it prove to us, that God's saints are those against whom the Turk contends. If they are saints of God, a Christian does not ask much about how cruelly the Turk or the devil deals with the children and Christians on the outside of their bodies; there must be angels waiting for their souls and carrying them on their hands and bringing them to heaven.
45 For it is written in Ps 91:11, 12: "He hath commanded his angels concerning thee, that they should bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. So also saith Christ Matt. 18:10: "Verily I say unto you, that their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." We read in the books of Kings about the prophet Elisha, how he showed whole mountains full of fiery chariots and horsemen around him to his servant, against the Syrians. 2 Kings 6:17 If there were so many angels around the city for physical protection, how much more do you think that here in such a conflict the angels are there to receive and protect the souls of the Christians, or, as Daniel says, the saints of God? But that the Christians are not always protected bodily by the angels, as in the Old Testament, I have indicated above, that Christ will and must suffer here on earth, be weak and allow himself to be killed, so that his kingdom may be hastily increased and filled. For his
2) After "His", Walch's old edition has a question mark. The Erlanger has reprinted this as well.
3) Wittenberger: probably.
4) In the old editions: "for all of us", i.e. before we all lived. Cf. Dietz, Wörterbuch, p. 739, Col. 2, 2).
5) Wittenberger: such a whole.
Kingdom is not bodily on earth, therefore his controversy is strongest when there is much suffering and many become martyrs; as he answers St. Paul 2 Cor. 12, 9. "Be content with my grace, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
46 In this case, Christians do the same, allowing them to enjoy the grace that they are Christians and saints of God through our Lord Christ, as Daniel says. And if it will not be otherwise, they will let the Turks win, boast and brag, but they will remain weak and let themselves be martyred. For they see that just as when they die there are vain angels waiting for their souls, so again in the Turkish army there are vain devils waiting for the Turks' souls and thrust them into the abyss of hell. Not that they should 1) throw away their arms and weapons, and thus let themselves be murdered by the Turks without defense, as the martyrs did and still do and should do, apart from their warlike deeds; But because Christians are subject to temporal authority, body and soul, and they are all called upon and summoned, each by his own authority, to fight against the Turks, let them do so as faithful, obedient subjects (as they certainly do, if they are true Christians) and gladly clench their fists and confidently strike, murder, rob and do harm as much as they can, because they have a vein to stir. For this is what their temporal authorities give them, to whom they owe obedience and such service, and God wants from them even unto death, Rom. 13, 1. Tit. 3, 1.
(47) Just as the holy martyrs of old did (as said above). When they were challenged by the emperor against a tyrant or other enemies, they did not throw down their arms and weapons and let themselves be murdered as the tyrant wished, for in doing so they would not have served their emperor well, indeed, they would have done much harm, but they faithfully clenched their fists and, according to their lord's command, happily stabbed and smashed, when they knew and thought that they would not be able to be considered as a "martyr" at that time.
1) Wittenbergers: they the.
Christians, but as servants and subjects of the emperor, were required with body and goods to fight, to strangle and to harm the enemies; and those who were slain in this way became vain saints, who were found to be not only true Christians, but also pious, obedient, faithful subjects. Christians should do the same, for the Turk is an enemy and a tyrant, not only against Christ but also against the emperor and our authorities; if the authorities demand it, they should go and throw themselves in like obedient subjects. If they are slain, well then, they have not only been Christians, but also obedient, faithful subjects, who have given body and goods to their overlords in obedience to God; blessed and holy are they forever, like the pious Uriah [2 Sam. 11, 17].
48 But because the Turk is nevertheless God's rod and a plague on sin, both of Christians and unbelievers or false Christians, let no one take such comfort and defiance, as has been said so far, and drive foolhardily and say: I am a Christian, I want it; but first convert and amend his life, and so come to such comfort and defiance with fear and earnest prayer. For I have said above that because Germany is so full of wickedness and blasphemy that it is too great a power and cries out to heaven, it cannot be otherwise if we do not amend ourselves and desist from persecution and blasphemy of the gospel, we must stand our ground and suffer a distemper; if the Turk does not do it, then something else must do it. Unless the last day itself comes. But if distemper or the last day comes, he who is a Christian and has corrected himself can suffer it and will be saved; the others must be punished and lost. I have written enough about this, that one should reform and pray, in a 3) booklet about the Turkish war, that it is not necessary to recover here.
2) "it" is missing in the Erlanger.
3) Thus the Wittenbergers and the Jenaers. Erlanger: that. Meant is the previous writing in this volume. Perhaps: "my" ?
The other part of the sermon against the Turk. 1)
That is enough of the first part of this sermon, namely, to instruct and comfort the consciences. Now let us take the other thing before us, also to admonish the fist, that is, that one should dare and willingly stretch body and goods to it; and where the authorities demand an estimate for this dispute, that one should give the same as one owes, Rom. 13:7. In the same way, where it demands the person or body, one should also run to it, because God has commanded obedience. For our noble squires have so far splurged, feasted, raced, prided themselves, flaunted themselves with all too superfluous food and clothing, thereby pouring all money out of German lands and corrupting themselves in body and goods (apart from what is sinful against God). It is time that they also prove their status and office and let it be seen with seriousness that they are of nobility. Similarly, the burghers and merchants have atoned long enough for their lust with excessive jewelry and innumerable usury and avarice; if they have so long disguised, committed or gathered so many hundreds of thousands of florins, they should also once repent of it for the sake of their hope, for which they have so far had such good quiet peace, and abused it.
50 So also the craftsmen and peasants have for so long deserved a good repentance by transgressing, toiling, stealing and robbing, in addition to other great willfulness and disobedience, especially since the gospel has come to light, through which they have become free and rich, redeemed from all toilers and beggars, so that they think they may no longer give to God nor to all his servants, but only to themselves, and snatch, on the market by transgressing as if they were stealing from the bag. For this they have had great peace, drunk, danced and sung in all security. Well, what they have saved, stolen and collected, what they have deprived their preachers and pastors of, they shall have brought together brother Veiten, the lansquenets, and have no thanks for it. The princes shall have it without
1) This caption is missing in the Erlanger.
take all mercy from them and keep war people with it. Quod non tollit Christus, tollit fiscus. So it shall be, if thou wilt not give one florin for peace, to God for love and service, give now ten or twenty for strife, to God for punishment and repentance. If we have received good from the LORD (says Job), why will we not suffer evil also? [Job 2:10.]
51: To every activity there is a season, says Solomon, Ecclesiastes 3:1. Hitherto it has been the time of peace, now it is the time of strife; hitherto it has been the time of splendor and splendor, now it is the time of sorrow and labor; hitherto it has been the time of usury, the time of stealing, the time of scratching, now it is the time of spending, the time of paying and the time of exertion; hitherto eating, drinking, dancing, rejoicing, 2) laughing time, but now grieving, frightening, fearing, weeping time; hitherto resting, 3) sleeping, idling, safe living time; but now waking, restlessness, creating, weeping time. If we can gladly have that good time, and yet thank God nothing for it, nor recognize it, let us now also tolerate this evil time and learn to thank God for that good time.
Yes, if God would always give us good times, and let us fill the earth up to heaven with all wickedness and courage, and let us be dear noblemen, we would like to suffer that, and so we are accustomed to good days and peace in all evil. Now we are lazy about the coming of evil times and strife, and we want to look askance and sour, to give treasure or to travel ourselves. Yes, we should be ordered. Why did you disobey before, when God's word was told to you? Now hear the devil in the Turk, who would not hear God in Christ.
(53) But if thou barest thyself, and wilt not give nor travel, well, the Turk shall teach thee, when he cometh into the land, and do unto thee as he hath now done before Vienna, namely, that he shall require of thee neither treasure nor journey, but shall set on thee house and farm, and take thee cattle and fodder, money and goods,
2) Walch and the Erlanger: Freuens.
3) "Ruhens" put by us instead of "ringens" in the old editions, which we consider a printing error, instead of: "rugens", i.e. resting. This word is immediately followed by: "unruge", i.e. restlessness.
stabs you to death (even if you feel well), violates or strangles your wife and daughter before your eyes, chops up your children and impales them on your fence posts. And in addition, which is the worst, you must suffer all this and see it with an evil, despondent conscience, as a damned unchristian who has disobeyed God and his authorities; or take you away with them to Turkey, sell you there like a dog, so that you must serve all your life for a piece of bread and a drink of water, in constant labor day and night, driven with rods and knuckles, and yet earn neither wages nor thanks. And where there is a storm, you must be the home of the lost 1) and do all the work in the army. Above all, hear no gospel, learn nothing of Christ and your soul's salvation.
Then you would gladly give one of two cows to be appraised, you would gladly offer half of your goods yourself, you would gladly travel under your prince yourself, you would gladly feed a preacher yourself who preached to you four times a year, and yet 2) everything will be for nothing. Behold, this is what you want, this is what you are struggling for now. For the Turk is the man who will teach you what good time you have now, and how miserably, ungratefully, wickedly you have spent, missed and misused it against God, His servants and your neighbor. The Turk knows how to discipline and humiliate the nobility, to chastise and make the burghers obedient, to tame the peasants and to atone for their courageousness. Therefore, think and be pious, and pray to God that the Turk does not become your schoolmaster; I advise you to do so, for he has shown all too horribly before Vienna how a fierce, impure disciplinarian he is.
I would wish (since our sins before God have left us so much wit and courage) that all Germans would be so minded that not a speck nor a village could be plundered nor led away by the Turk, but, if it came to such seriousness and yet, that what could defend itself would defend itself. Young and old, man
1) "Der Verlorne Haufe" - the troop. Compare Tischreden, Cap. 62, § 1. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1438. Also "die erste Angriffscolonne," Seidemann, Münzer, p. 84.
2) "doch" is missing in the Erlanger.
and wife, manservant and maidservant, until they were all strangled, and even burned down house and yard and ruined everything, so that the Turks would find nothing 3) but young children, whom they would spear and hack to pieces without that, if they took us away alive, and we could not help them. And that this should be done with prior prayer to God, in which they commanded everything to His grace, and as in obedience to the authorities, as said above. It would be better to leave the Turk an empty country than a full one. And who knows what such a Thurst would create among the Turks? If we are led away, it is much worse for us than if we are strangled, as we heard above. And it is a great risk that we would fall from the Christian faith to the Turkish faith in Turkey, to the devil in hell.
56 The Romans themselves wrote of the German women that they had fought and fought in battle in the past, just as the men had. And which maid or virgin has not strangled an enemy, must remain a virgin as punishment. Thus the new histories write of the Turks, when they invaded Lemno in Greece and stabbed the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper's daughter, seeing her father dead, took up his defense, 4) and fought the Turks in the gate until the citizens came and drove the Turks away. The Turks themselves also do this, that they prefer to be strangled rather than captured, and do not accept any prisoners again, even though they would like to return home.
For I do not respect such a small house, where one would want to defend oneself from it, the enemies would have to leave hair over it. But the men of war know all this better than I, who know nothing about such opportunities and runs, but I speak of this because in such a case it must be risky, and no mercy can be hoped for from the Turk when he leads us away, but must suffer all misfortune, mockery and ridicule in body, and in addition in spiritual peril of the souls, be deprived of the word and their annoying Mahometan life.
3) In the old editions: "fünden." Walch and the Erlangeners: find.
4) Wittenberger: accepted.
I thought it would be best to command God and, out of duty and obedience to the authorities, to resist as long as and in whatever way one could, and not to let oneself be captured, but to choke, shoot and stab the Turks until we were lying there. For the fact that you 1) thought to keep your life for the sake of the young children is nothing, because you have heard that the Turks stab, chop and spear all such children and what they may not carry with them, so that you can neither help nor save them 2) but would only have to see greater misery and wretchedness in them. 3)
(58) Though they carry away the children with thee, hope not that they will leave them with thee: nothing shall be done. In Turkey the Christians who are taken captive are sold like cattle and like sows; they pay no attention to who is father, mother, child or wife here; the woman is sold there, the man here. So it is with parents and children, that neither is left with the other, as the buyers and sellers wish. That it would be better everywhere to defend oneself at home and let oneself be strangled, in obedience to God's will and the authorities, than to give oneself up to such a dangerous, shameful prison. This is my good wish, but I think it will remain a wish. For I say this for the benefit of my dear Christian Germans, who would like to be informed; the others do not need it, they themselves are full of conceit, sackcloth and barrel. But if we want to fight and defend ourselves against the Turk, we will have to think differently and in a new way, and we will have to get used to it in a different way, both with heart and hand, than we have been used to so far.
(59) Here I must also admonish and comfort the Germans who are already captives in Turkey, or who may yet be captives. Like the example of the holy prophet Jeremiah [Cap. 29, 5. ff.], who also wrote a letter to Babylon, admonishing his captive Jews to be patient in prison and to remain steadfast in their faith until the end.
1) "du" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) Wittenberger: rathen.
3) Erlanger: must.
the time of their redemption, that they should not be offended at the faith and worship of the Babylonians, which was great and had a good appearance, so that many Jews fell away. As I then hear and read, that also the Christians fall away very much and accept the Turk's or Mahomet's faith willingly and unceremoniously for the sake of the great appearance they have in their faith. Therefore, my dear brother, be warned and admonished that you remain in the right Christian faith and do not deny or forget your dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who died for your sin.
60. Now therefore, since you still have room and place, learn the Ten Commandments, your Lord's Prayer, the faith, and learn them well, especially this article, where we say: "And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered 4) under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, descended into hell, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. "2c. For it is by this article that we are called Christians, and by this article that we are called, baptized, counted, and accepted into Christianity by the gospel, and by this article that we receive the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection from the dead, and eternal life. For this article makes us God's children and Christ's brethren, that we may become like Him forever and joint heirs.
(61) And by this article our faith is set apart from all other faiths on earth. For the Jews do not have it, nor the Turks, nor the Saracens, nor any pope, nor any false Christian, nor any other unbeliever, but only the true Christians. Therefore, where you come to Turkey, where you cannot have preachers or books, recite to yourself, whether in bed or at work, whether in word or thought, your Lord's Prayer, the faith, and the Ten Commandments. Ulld if you look at this article
4) "hat" is missing in the Wittenberger.
Press your thumb on one of your fingers, or otherwise give yourself a sign with your hand or foot, so that you may well imagine this article and make it clear to yourself, and especially where you may see a Turkish anger or have a challenge, and pray with the Lord's Prayer that God will keep you from anger, and keep you pure and firm in this article, for your life and blessedness lie in this article. In the same way, St. Jeremiah admonishes his Jews in Babylon that when they see the idols of gold and silver, they should remember their God in Jerusalem and say to themselves: O LORD, thee only shall 2) be worshipped 2c. [So do thou also here, when thou shalt see among the Turks a great appearance of holiness, be not moved, but say, Though thou be an angel, yet art thou not Jesus Christ; O Lord JEsu, in thee only do I believe, help me 2c.
Among the other annoyances of the Turks, the most distinguished is that their priests or clergy lead such a serious, brave, strict life that one might consider them angels and not men, that it is a joke against them with all our clergy and monks in the papacy. They are often enraptured, even over the table with the people, so that they sit as if they were dead; they also sometimes perform great miraculous signs. Who should not be annoyed and moved by such things? But you, if such things happen to you, know and remember that they neither know nor think anything of your article, or of your Lord Jesus Christ, therefore it must be false. For the devil also can be serious, see sourly, fast much, do false wonders, 3) and delight his own; but JEsum Christum he may not suffer nor hear. Therefore, know that such Turkish saints are the devil's saints, who by their own great works want to become godly and blessed, and help others, without and apart from the one Savior JESUS CHRIST; and thus deceive both themselves and all others who do not receive this article from JESUS CHRIST.
1) Wittenberger: den.
2) So the Bible. In the editions: solle.
3) Wittenberger: Miraculous Signs.
4) Our monks want to help us to heaven with their own holiness.
63 Secondly, you will also find that they often come together in their churches for prayer, and pray with such discipline, silence and beautiful outward gestures, that with us in our churches such discipline and silence is nowhere to be found. For there the women are in a special place, and so veiled that one cannot see any of them, that even our imprisoned brothers in Turkey complain about our people, that [they] do not also in our churches so quietly, orderly and spiritually adorn themselves and present themselves. Behold, this may hasten such a thought into thy heart, and say, Verily, Christians do not keep and stand so well in their churches 2c.
64 Then press with the thumb on one finger, and think on Jesus Christ, whom they neither have nor regard. For let them be ashamed, ashamed, ashamed, ashamed, ashamed, and ashamed, if they believe not in Jesus Christ, then thou art sure that God would rather eat and drink in faith than fast without faith; rather a few good things in faith than many good things without faith; rather a few prayers in faith than many prayers without faith. Christ judges in the Gospel, Luc. 7, 44, that the poor sinner would be more pious with few offerings than Simon the leper with all his splendor. And the poor sinner, the tax collector, had to be better without fasting and celebrations than the arrogant Pharisee with his fasting and all his holiness [Cap. 18, 14], and said against the beautiful, 5) unbelieving Pharisees, all of them, who were to be regarded as holy: 6) "Whores and tax collectors will go to heaven before you" [Matth. 21, 31].
65 Thirdly, you will also find pilgrimages to the Turkish saints there, who did not die in the Christian faith but in Mahomet's faith, as they confess and boast; there the Turks pledge themselves, run and call upon them, as well as
4) "us" is missing in the Wittenberger.
5) Instead of "hübschen" in the Wittenberg: "schön gleißenden".
6) "which after all were holy to look upon" is missing in the Erlanger.
We went to our pilgrimages and called on our saints. Many are also helped, and many great signs happen, just as they have happened with us. We have written often and much about such false miraculous signs, which happen with us from the saints (as we are meant) and during the pilgrimages, that also some dead people have been raised, blind people have received their sight, lame people have walked, and the like; as Christ proclaimed Matth. 24, 24, that "the false Christs and false prophets should do such miracles, that even the elect might be deceived", the same as St. Paul proclaims in 2 Thess. 2, 9. For it is a small thing for the devil to afflict a man, so that he and everyone do not think otherwise 1) than that he is blind, lame, dead. After that, when he has made his idolatry, and has driven people away from Christ, for example, to call on the Holy One (that is, himself), then he ceases to afflict, so that man believes that his Holy One has helped him. He can also do so much art that he can sometimes drive away real sickness and heal real damage. For he is a doctor above all doctors in medicine, and a prince of the world. See what wonders he does with and through his magicians, how strangely he helps them to do incomprehensible things.
66. what he did to the holy man Job, what thunder and tempest he made in the air, and burned him all his goods, and slew him his children. In addition, he smote his own body with terrible and wicked sores [Job 1:14, 15, Cap. 2:7]. Behold, how he led our Lord Christ himself in the air to the temple, and from the temple to the high mountain, as if he were his God, and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth in a moment [Matt. 4:5, 8]. Can he now make weather, create pox, lead in the air, and thus play with the saints, as well as with Christ himself: what should he not be able to do with his ungodly and unbelievers? Therefore be warned, if thou shalt see or hear signs in Turkey, that thou remember thyself, saying, And if thou shalt raise up all the dead, and all the signs, that thou shalt not be able to do them.
1) Erlanger: wähnet.
If you deny and blaspheme Christ, or do not want to know Him, the devil will believe you instead of me; I would much rather stay with my weak Christ without signs and wonders than fall to your strong and mighty miracle-worker.
67) And in Turkey the advantage is that one can easily know such false miracles and beware of them, because they are not done in Christ's name, but against Christ's name, in the name of Mahomet. For, as I said, they think nothing of Christ, but rather mock and blaspheme the Christians with the name of Christ, as with an unfit holy name, which forsakes its own and does not help them against Mahomet. But with us under the papacy, such false signs are much more dangerous and difficult to recognize, because they happen with us, as with the Christians, and under the name of Christ, as from his Christian saints. Then he has his devilish game, to lead people away from Christ under the name of Christ in the fastest and most nimble way, as Christ says, that such false Christs would also deceive the elect [Matth. 24, 24].
68 Fourthly, you will see that the Turks, according to their outward appearance, are brave, strict and respectable. They do not drink wine, do not drink and eat as we Germans do, do not dress so frivolously and deliciously, do not build so splendidly, do not flaunt so, do not swear and curse so, have great, excellent obedience, discipline and honor to their emperor and lord, and have their regiment outwardly composed and pregnant, as we would like to have it in German lands. And although their law permits that a man may have twelve wives, and maids or concubines, as much as he likes, and yet all children are equal heirs, yet they keep all such wives in great constraint and obedience, so that even the man seldom speaks to his wives before the people, or sits lightly with her or jokes. For although the man entrusts such wives to him through the priests, he still keeps them.
2) Wittenberger: one.
3) "Germans" is missing in the Erlanger.
But they have the right and the power to let her go whichever way she wants, according to whether she deserves it or whether he 1) is fond of her or resents her. Hereby they force their wives violently. And even though such a marriage is not a marriage before God, but more of a sham than a marriage, they still keep their wives in such restraint and beautiful deeds that there is no such arrogance, lasciviousness, frivolity, and other superfluous adornment, food, and splendor among their wives as there is among us.
69 Now such an appearance is as great an annoyance to an unrepentant and weak Christian as there was no image of gold to the Jews in Babylon, and no Carthusian monastery is with us, because with us there is no order so holy that does not drink wine, and no woman or virgin must live in such restraint. Therefore, look ahead and press your finger with your thumb, for you will not find your Christ in this piece either. What good is such a beautiful thing if it is apart from and against Christ? Then you may well say the saying: It is beautiful evil, 2) but with us Alber is solid. For it is better to drink wine in moderation in Christ and to be merry, than to pretend to such an excellent sour thing apart from Christ, which neither prophets nor apostles nor Christ himself pretended. For Christ ate and drank both with men 3) and women, both with Pharisees and publicans. But the Turks must do it higher and better than God and His own Son, whom they blaspheme and persecute, as our clergy and gospel teachers do with us. Know therefore that Christ's kingdom does not stand in food or drink, nor in outward deeds, but in the faith of the heart, Luc. 17:20. And do not let such glitter challenge you [Rom. 14:23].
70. over this annoyance now beats the
1) "he" is missing in the Jena.
2) In the church postilla, Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XI, 20, § 48 at the end, there is another version of this saying: "It is already evil", but there should also be read as here: "It is beautifully evil", which all editions offer here. Also there is like here the sense: Everything what has a beautiful appearance is evil. The opinion of the opposite word: "It is Alber solid", is this: What is foolish in the sight of the world has firmness. Cf. 1 Cor. 1, 21. 27.
3) Wittenberger: Mannen. Jenaer: Man.
It is a great fortune that the Turks have become so powerful, have so much victory, have so often defeated the Christians (as they think), and have so far increased so magnificently that no reason can interpret it otherwise than that their holiness deserves it, and that their faith and nature are so pleasing to God. They become so stubborn, hard and obdurate that one thinks it is impossible to convert a Turk.
71 Again, they hold that there is no nation more wicked than the Christians, and no faith more shameful than the Christian faith. And therefore they fall into such exuberant pride, to blaspheme and disgrace Christ and his Christians, that they praise and mock one another, saying: the Christians are women, but the Turks are their men; as if they alone were vain heroes and giants, and we Christians vain women and sissies, but do not know how sour it will end with them. The proud Babylonians were also men, and the Jews had to be women, but the same women remained both man and master in the end, since the Babylonians kept neither skin nor hair.
72. Behold, under this holy appearance of the Turks lie hidden, yes, unconcealed, so many monstrous, terrible abominations; Not only do they deny Christ, but they also blaspheme and defile him with his blood, death, resurrection, and with all the good he has done the world, and set their mahomet over him, so that they also blaspheme God the Father, and honor the devil in God's stead, after which they are also such bloodhounds, shedding so much blood and committing murder in so many countries as has never been heard of on earth. In addition, they practice such wicked and sodomitic unchastity that it is not to be said in front of chaste people, without what that is, that they respect marriage so little. They are also the greatest robbers and corrupters of all countries and people.
73 And who will tell all such abominations, of which they consider none to be sin, but all vain virtue? This means blindness over all blindness, and all such things are adorned with outward appearances (as said), so that many Christians fall away and return to their faith, and to such abominable, ugly things.
beautiful devils willingly give themselves. 1) Indeed, where there is such false holiness, there must be all vices in one heap; as we well see in our clergy that their blasphemy, arrogance, murder, avarice, fornication and all vices are without measure.
74 But they comfort themselves with this saying: "Do you think that God should let so many people err and be condemned for so long? just as our end-Christ comforts himself; which saying or thought can also push a dilapidated Christian and strengthen a stiff-necked boy. Just as the Jews of old sat down against the holy prophets and said: God is not so angry, he will not do so evil, as Micah writes [Cap. 3, 5] and the others. But one must put this saying and thought out of sight, and not judge of God's work or judgment according to man's work or judgment. For it does not depend on whether many or few people believe or do not believe, are condemned or saved, but on what God has commanded or forbidden, on what is his word or not his word: then one should look and think, and not pay attention to the whole world, even if they all lead to the devil. For God and His word remain, though heaven and earth pass away [Matt. 24:35]. Therefore hold fast, hold fast, I say, to your Christ, that you may be safe from such arrows and storms of the devil and remain a Christian, and you will be saved. Let the Turks and all the wicked, if they will not do otherwise, go to the devil. This is the exhortation to the prisoners, that they may stand firm in the faith against all troubles and temptations.
Now let us also comfort them, that they may be patient in their prison, and willingly suffer and bear all their miseries for God's sake. Now then, if God decrees that you be captured by the Turk, led away and sold, and that you must live at their will and be a servant, think that you will patiently and willingly accept such misery and service, sent by God, and suffer for God's sake, and most faithfully and diligently serve your Lord, to whom you are bound.
1) Wittenberger: to give.
serve, regardless of the fact that you are a Christian and your master is a pagan or a Turk, therefore he 2) should not be worthy that you should be his servant. And by all means do not run away, as some do 3) and think they are doing right and well. Some also drown themselves, or otherwise strangle. Not so, dear brother, you must think that you have lost your freedom and have become your own, from which you cannot work yourself without sin and disobedience, without the will and knowledge of your Lord. For you are robbing and stealing from your master your body, which he has bought or otherwise brought to himself, so that henceforth it is not your property but his, like cattle or other property.
For now is the time to obey and keep the sayings of St. Peter and Paul, which teach that servants or bondsmen should be obedient, faithful, humble, honorable, and diligent to their physical masters, not otherwise than as serving Christ the Lord Himself, even though the masters are unbelievers or wicked; as you may read 1 Cor. 7, 21. f. Eph. 6, 5. 6. and Col. 3, 22.: "Ye servants, be obedient in all things unto your fleshly masters, not with service before your eyes, as to please men, but with singleness of heart and godliness. "2c. Also 1 Petr. 2, 18. For where you are otherwise a right Christian, such service and misery do you no harm. Yes, where you can be Christian and patient, it is good for you and useful for your salvation, as your cross, in which your faith is practiced and proven.
Remember the examples of all the saints. See how the archfather Jacob served the mischievous and wicked Laban, his brother-in-law, for Rachel, and faithfully endured his service, Gen. 29:20, 21. And after that his son Joseph, how he, stolen from his father and sold by his own brothers, served his pagan master so faithfully in Egypt, and was imprisoned for it, but finally came out gloriously and became a lord of the land, Gen. 39:4.
2) "he" is missing in the Wittenberger.
3) We have deleted the brackets around the words: "as some do".
Egypt, 2 Mos. 1, 13. f., and yet none ran from his service, however unsleeping or pagan and wicked their masters were.
78] After this: Was not this a hard service, when the kingdom of Israel was led into Assyria, and afterward the kingdom of Judah into Babylon? King, queen, princes, priests, prophets, and many holier people than thou, had to serve and be servants, like Daniel and his companions (Daniel 1:4) under the cruel king, since they had to wait daily for much danger to body and soul, and also had to endure, with all shame and mockery, as the 137th Psalm well indicates: Super flumina BabyIonis etc.. Admittedly, there were also impatient Jews who cried, lamented, cursed and murmured, and some fell from Judaism and became Gentiles. But it still had to be; the pious had patience, did not run away, but served with all faithfulness and diligence, like Daniel and his companions, and remained in the right faith; therefore they were also exalted, 1) and graciously and miraculously redeemed by God.
And coming to the New Testament, did not Christ have to let the Jews and the Gentiles 2) Pilatum and Herodem do with them what they wanted? Did not St. Paul have to be imprisoned, and almost all the apostles, some cast out into misery and banished, as St. John in Patmos, and afterwards many holy martyrs from Rome and other cities, driven from house and home, wife and child, to distant, desolate islands, and there work in quarries, and other hard labor, like the donkeys? Why would you have it better than your Lord Christ Himself, with all His saints in the Old and New Testaments? The disciple should not have it better than his master (says Christ), then he is righteous when he is like his master, Luc. 6, 40.
80 Thou doest no more with displeasure and impatience, than to vex thy lord, whose servant thou hast become, and to make him the more wicked, and to profane the doctrine and the name.
1) Wittenberger: heard.
2) In Walch and in the Erlanger there is a comma after "Heiden".
Christ, as if Christians were such wicked, unfaithful, false people, who would not serve, but would run away and steal for themselves, as the peelers and thieves, and thereby become harder and more hardened in their faith. Again, if you served faithfully and diligently, you would adorn and praise the gospel and the name of Christ, so that your master and perhaps many others, however wicked they were, would have to say: Well, now the Christians are a faithful, obedient, pious, humble, diligent people; and in addition you would put the Turks' faith to shame and perhaps convert many, if they saw that the Christians so far surpass the Turks in humility, patience, diligence, faithfulness and such virtues. 3) This is what St. Paul means when he says in Titus 3:8 that servants should adorn the doctrine of our Lord in all things.
For how wicked can it be to serve a Turk or a heathen, if you are and remain a believer and a Christian? Many a man here must serve a knave, a tyrant, or a wicked lord. Yes, how we must do under the papacy, since our tyrants catch us, force us, chase us away, drive us out, burn us, behead us, drown us, and do worse to us than the Turks do to you! We still have to yield, endure, suffer, serve, help, counsel, pray, lift and carry; all of which you would have to dare and wait for with us, if you wanted to be a Christian with us and confess Christ; for the pope is much worse than the Turk in this respect.
The Turk does not force anyone to deny Christ and adhere to his faith; and even if he rages to the utmost with the physical murder of Christians, he does nothing with it (as much as there is in him), except that he makes heaven full of saints. For his blasphemy against Christ and his outward appearance of holiness do not compel, but tempt and entice. But the pope, precisely because he does not want to be an enemy or a Turk, but the dear father, yes, the most holy father and the most faithful shepherd, he fills hell with vain Christians (as much as there is in him). For he tears the noble souls from Christ through his blasphemous
3) Walch and the Erlangeners: surpassed.
This is true spiritual murder, and almost as good as Mahomet's or the Turk's doctrine and blasphemy. But where he is not allowed such infernal devilish seductions, he also takes on the Turk's way and also murders in the flesh; if he could do it, without a doubt, he would probably commit greater murder and bloodshed than the Turk, as they have so far proven with so many wars, agitations and irritations under emperors and kings.
Summa, wherever we go, there is the right host, the devil, at home. If we come to the Turk, we go to the devil; if we stay under the pope, we fall into hell. Vain devils on both sides and everywhere. Unfortunately, this is the way things are in the world now, and the sayings of Christ and Saint Paul are in full swing, that in the last days there will be a dangerous and cruel time [2 Tim. 3:1], when the devil, having been loosed, will deceive all the world and cause such misery and distress, 1) that no man will be saved unless God shortens those days for the sake of His elect [Matth. 24:22]. It must therefore come to pass that the devil will attack Christianity with all his might on all sides, both physically and spiritually, and try his best and highest on it; thus an end.
Therefore let us watch and be courageous in firm faith in Christ, and let every man keep himself obedient under his authority, and wait what God will do, and let go what goes, let it go as it goes, for there is no hope of any more good; the pots are broken and the soup is spilled, we may dare to pick up the pieces and, as much as possible, be of good cheer, as Christ teaches us and says of this evil time Luc. 21, 28: "When ye see these things coming to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption cometh, and is at hand."
85 But lest I forget, when thou art under the Turk, and must serve as it is said, thou shalt not do such service.
1) Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer, Walch and the Erlanger: anrichten.
You must neither understand nor interpret it further, for as far as it is useful to your master for his goods. But if he wanted to force you to fight against the Christians, you should not be obedient, but rather suffer everything he can do to you, yes, much rather die. For you hear here that Daniel writes of the Turk that his quarrel is against the saints of God, who have done him no harm, and spills innocent blood. You must beware lest you make yourself a party to this, just as you must not fall prey to his blasphemous idol and Mahomet, even though you must serve under him.
86) The pious Naaman, 2 Kings 5:17 ff, remained in the service of his lord the king and also worshipped with him in his temple, but still he did not worship his idol. And the dear holy martyrs, St. Moritz and his companions, when the emperor called them to fight against the Christians, they did not want to do it, threw away their weapons and said: if he wanted to fight against the Christians, he should not look for others, they themselves, as Christian men, would be ready to suffer what he wanted. In the same way, you should also serve the Turks, so that you do not strive against the Christians or against God, but only help his house and goods for the best.
(87) I have also said and advised 2) all those who live under our emperor, pope and princes that they should not be used to fight against the gospel or against Christians or to persecute them. For in so doing they will bring innocent blood upon themselves, and be no better 3) than the Turks. "One must be more obedient to God than to men" [Acts 5:29]. God has not given any lord authority or subjected people to such an extent that he should strive or fight against God and His word. And in such a case, no subject owes or is related to his authorities a hair's breadth. Indeed, there is then no longer any authority where this happens, but the subjects are obliged to serve the authority physically for the best,
2) "I" is missing in Walch and in the Erlanger.
3) Thus the Wittenbergers. Jenaer, Walch and the Erlanger: bessers.
that peace may be preserved on earth, and that this bodily life may be the more secure 1) and prosperous.
88. But may God, the Father of all grace and wisdom, graciously forgive us this time.
1) "his" is missing in the Wittenberger.
and prepare us with wisdom and strength, so that we may walk wisely and manfully, and await the future of our dear Lord Jesus Christ with joy, and blessedly depart from this valley of tears. To him be praise and thanksgiving, honor and glory forever and ever, amen.