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diff --git a/ON WAR AGAINST THE TURK.maff b/ON WAR AGAINST THE TURK.maff Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3740263 --- /dev/null +++ b/ON WAR AGAINST THE TURK.maff diff --git a/on_war_against_the_turk.rst b/on_war_against_the_turk.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..86abe15 --- /dev/null +++ b/on_war_against_the_turk.rst @@ -0,0 +1,1600 @@ +On war against the Turk +======================= + +:author: Martin Luther +:origTitle: Vom Kriege wider die Türken +:date: 1528 +:citation: WA 30 II, 107-148 + + +Luther’s preface +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Count of Katzenellenbogen, Ziegenhain and Nidda, My gracious lord. + +Grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Serene, highborn +Prince, gracious Lord. + +Certain persons have been begging me for the past five years to +write about war against the Turks, and encourage our people and stir +them up to it, and now that the Turk is actually approaching, my friends +are compelling me to do this duty, especially since there are some +stupid preachers among us Germans (as I am sorry to hear) who are making +the people believe that we ought not and must not fight against the +Turks. Some are even so crazy as to say that it is not proper for +Christians to bear the temporal sword or to be rulers; also because our +German people are such a wild and uncivilized folk that there are some +who want the Turk to come and rule. All the blame for this wicked error +among the people is laid on Luther and must be called “the fruit of my +Gospel,” just as I must bear the blame for the rebellion, and for +everything bad that happens anywhere in the world. + +My accusers know better, but God and His Word to the contrary, +they pretend not to know better, and seek occasion to speak evil of the +Holy Ghost and of the truth that is openly confessed, so that they may +earn the reward of hell and never receive repentance or the forgiveness +of their sins. + +Therefore it is necessary for me to write of these things for my +own sake and the Gospel’s sake and to enter our defense; not because of +the blasphemers, however. They are not good enough to make it worthwhile +to say a single word of defense to them, for to them the Gospel must +always be a stench and a savor of death unto death, as they have +deserved by their willful blasphemy. But I must write in order that +innocent consciences may not any longer be deceived by these +slandermongers, and made suspicious of me or my doctrine, and may not be +deceived into believing that we must not fight against the Turks. I have +thought best to publish this little book under the name of your Grace, +who are a famous and mighty prince, so that it may be the better +received and the more diligently read. Thus, if it came to a discussion +of a campaign against the Turks, the princes and lords would readily +recall it. I commend your Grace to our merciful God’s grace and favor, +that He may keep your Grace against all error and against the craft of +the devil, and illumine and strengthen your Grace for a blessed reign. + + + +Your Grace’s devoted Martin Luther Wittenberg, October 9, 1528 + + + + + + + +The two kingdoms +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Pope Leo the Tenth, in the bull in which he put me under the ban, +condemned, among other statements, the following one. I had said that +“to fight against the Turk is the same thing as resisting God, who +visits our sin upon us with this rod.” From this article they may get +it, who say that I prevent and dissuade from war against the Turk. I +still confess freely that this article is mine and that I put it forth +and defended it at the time; and if things in the world were in the same +state now that they were in then, I would still have to put it forth and +defend it. But it is not fair to forget how things then stood in the +world, and what my grounds and reasons were, and still keep my words and +apply them to another situation where those grounds and reasons do not +exist. With this kind of art, who could not make the Gospel a pack of +lies or pretend that it contradicted itself? + +This was the state of things at that time – no one had taught, no +one had heard, and no one knew anything about temporal government, +whence it came, what its office and work was, or how it ought to serve +God. The most learned men (I shall not name them) held temporal +government for a heathen, human, ungodly thing, as though it were +perilous to salvation to be in the ranks of the rulers. Therefore, the +priests and monks had so driven kings and princes into the corner, as to +persuade them that, to serve God, they must undertake other works, such +as hearing mass, saying prayers, endowing masses, etc. In a word, +princes and lords who wanted to be pious men held their rank and office +as of no value and did not consider it a service of God. They became +really priests and monks, except that they did not wear tonsures and +cowls. If they would serve God, they must go to church. All the lords +then living would have to testify to this, for they knew it by +experience. My gracious lord, Duke Frederick, of blessed memory, was so +glad when I first wrote On Temporal Government, that he had the little +book copied out and put in a special binding, and was happy that he +could see what his position was before God. + +Thus the pope and the clergy were, at that time, all in all, over +all, and through all, like God in the world, and the temporal rulers +were in darkness, oppressed and unknown. But the pope and his crowd +wanted to be Christians, too, and therefore pretended to make war on the +Turk. Over those two points the discussion arose, for I was then working +on doctrine that concerned Christians and the conscience, and had as yet +written nothing about the temporal rulers. The papists, therefore, +called me a flatterer of the princes, because I was dealing only with +the spiritual class, and not with the temporal; just as they call me +seditious, now that I have written in such glorification of temporal +government as no teacher has done since the days of the apostles, +except, perhaps, St. Augustine. Of this I can boast with a good +conscience and the testimony of the world will support me. + + + +Counsels or binding commands +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Among the points of Christian doctrine, I discussed what Christ says, in +Matthew, viz., that a Christian shall not resist evil, but endure all +things, let the coat go and the cloak, let them be taken from him, offer +the other cheek, etc. Of this the pope, with his universities and +cloister-schools, had made “an advice,” not a commandment, and not a +rule that a Christian must keep; thus they had perverted Christ’s word, +spread false doctrine throughout the world, and deceived Christians. +Since, therefore, they wanted to be Christians, nay, the best Christians +in the world, and yet fight against the Turk, endure no evil, and suffer +neither compulsion nor wrong, I opposed them with this saying of Christ +that Christians shall not resist evil, but suffer all things and let all +things go. Upon this I based the article that Pope Leo condemned. He did +it the more gladly because I took the rogue’s-cloak off the Roman +knavery. + +For the popes had never seriously intended to make war on the +Turk, but used the Turkish war as a conjurer’s hat, playing around in +it, and robbing Germany of money by means of indulgences, whenever they +took the notion. All the world knew it, but now it is forgotten. Thus +they condemned my article not because it prevented the Turkish war, but +because it tore off this conjurer’s hat and blocked the path along which +the money went to Rome. If they had seriously wished to fight against +the Turk, the pope and the cardinals would have had enough from the +pallia, annates, and other unmentionable sources of income, so that they +would not have needed to practice such extortion and robbery in Germany. +If there had been a general opinion that a serious war was at hand, I +could have dressed my article up better and made some distinctions. + +It did not please me, either, that the Christians and the princes +were driven, urged, and irritated into attacking the Turk and making war +on him, before they amended their own ways and lived like true +Christians. These two points, or either separately, were enough reason +to dissuade from war. For I shall never advise a heathen or a Turk, let +alone a Christian, to attack another or begin war. That is nothing else +than advising bloodshed and destruction, and it brings no good fortune +in the end, as I have written in the book On Soldiers; and it never does +any good when one knave punishes another without first becoming good +himself. + + + +Misuse of the Christian name +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +But what moved me most of all was this. They undertook to fight against +the Turk under the name of Christ, and taught men and stirred them up to +do this, as though our people were an army of Christians against the +Turks, who were enemies of Christ; and this is straight against Christ’s +doctrine and name. It is against His doctrine, because He says that +Christians shall not resist evil, shall not fight or quarrel, not take +revenge or insist on rights. It is against His name, because in such an +army there are scarcely five Christians, and perhaps worse people in the +eyes of God than are the Turks; and yet they would all bear the name of +Christ. This is the greatest of all sins and one that no Turk commits, +for Christ’s name is used for sin and shame and thus dishonored. This +would be especially so if the pope and the bishops were in the war, for +they would put the greatest shame and dishonor on Christ’s name, since +they are called to fight against the devil with the Word of God and with +prayer, and would be deserting their calling and office and fighting +with the sword against flesh and blood. This they are not commanded, but +forbidden to do. + +O how gladly would Christ receive me at the Last Judgment, if +when summoned to the spiritual office, to preach and care for souls, I +had left it and busied myself with fighting and with the temporal sword! +And how should Christ come to it that He or His have anything to do with +the sword and go to war, and kill men’s bodies, when He glories in it +that He has come to save the world, not to kill people? For His work is +to deal with the Gospel and by His Spirit to redeem men from sin and +death, nay, to help them from this world to everlasting life. According +to John 6:15, He fled and would not let Himself be made king; before +Pilate He confessed, “My kingdom is not of this world”; and He bade +Peter, in the garden, put up his sword, and said, “He that taketh the +sword shall perish by the sword.” + +I say this not because I would teach that worldly rulers ought +not be Christians, or that a Christian cannot bear the sword and serve +God in temporal government. Would God they were all Christians, or that +no one could be a prince unless he were a Christian! Things would be +better than they now are and the Turk would not be so powerful. But what +I would do is keep the callings and offices distinct and apart, so that +everyone can see to what he is called, and fulfill the duties of his +office faithfully and with the heart, in the service of God. Of this I +have written more than enough elsewhere, especially in the books On +Soldiers and On Temporal Government. For Paul will not suffer it that in +the Church, where all should be Christians, one assume another’s office +( Romans 12:4 and Corinthians 12:15), but exhorts every member to his +own work, so that no disorder arise, but everything be done in an +orderly way. How much less, then, is the disorder to be tolerated that +arises when a Christian leaves his office and takes upon him a temporal +office, or when a bishop or pastor leaves his office and takes upon him +the office of a prince or judge; or, on the other hand, when a prince +takes up the office of a bishop and lets his princely office go? Even +today this shameful disorder rages and rules in the whole papacy, +contrary to their own canons and laws. + +Inquire of experience how well we have succeeded hitherto with +the Turkish war, though we have fought as Christians until we have lost +Rhodes and almost all of Hungary and much German land besides. And that +we may perceive clearly that God is not with us in our war against the +Turks, He has never put so much courage or spirit into the minds of our +princes that they have been able even once to deal seriously with the +Turkish war. Though many of the diets, almost all of them in fact, have +been called and held on this account, the matter will neither be settled +nor arranged, and it seems as though God were mocking our diets and +letting the devil hinder them and get the better of them until the Turk +comes ravaging on at his leisure and ruins Germany without trouble and +without resistance. Why does this happen? Because my article, which Pope +Leo condemned, remains uncondemned and in full force. Because the +papists reject it, arbitrarily and without Scripture, the Turk must take +its part and prove it with the fist and with deeds. If we will not learn +out of the Scriptures, we must learn out of the Turk’s scabbard, until +we find in our hurt that Christians are not to make war or resist evil. +Fools must be chased with clubs. + + + +Confusion of Christianity and politics +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +How many wars, think you, have there been against the Turk in which we +would not have received heavy losses, if the bishops and clergy were +there? How pitifully the fine king Lassla, with his bishops was beaten +by the Turk at Varna. The Hungarians themselves blamed Cardinal Julian +and killed him for it. Recently King Ludwig would perhaps have fought +with more success, if he had not led a priests’ army or, as they call +it, a Christian army against the Turks. If I were emperor, king, or +prince in a campaign against the Turk, I would exhort my bishops and +priests to stay at home and mind the duties of their office, praying, +fasting, saying mass, preaching, and caring for the poor, as not only +Holy Scripture, but their own canon law teaches and requires. If, +however, they were to be disobedient to God and their own law and desire +to go along to war, I would teach them by force to attend to their +office and not, by their disobedience, put me and my army under God’s +wrath and into danger. It would be less harmful to have three devils in +the army than one disobedient, apostate bishop, who had forgotten his +office and assumed that of another. For there can be no good fortune +with such people around, who go against God and their own law. + +I have heard of fine soldiers who have thought that the king of +France, when he was defeated and captured by the emperor before Pavia, +had all of his bad fortune because he had the pope’s, or as they +boastfully call them, the Church’s, people with him. For after they came +to his camp with a great cry of Ecclesia, ecclesia! “Church, Church!” +there was no more good fortune there. This is what the soldiers say, +though perhaps they do not know the reason for it, viz., that is not +right for the pope, who wants to be a Christian, and the highest and +best Christian preacher at that, to lead a church army, or army of +Christians. For the Church ought not strive or fight with the sword; it +has other enemies than flesh and blood, their name is the wicked devils +in the air; therefore it has other weapons and swords and other wars, so +that it has enough to do, and cannot mix in the wars of the emperor or +princes, for the Scriptures say that there shall be no good fortune +where men are disobedient to God. + +Again, if I were a soldier and saw in the field a priests’ +banner, or banner of the cross, even though it were a crucifix I should +run as though the devil were chasing me; and even if they won a victory, +by God’s decree, I should not take any part in the booty or the +rejoicing. Even the wicked iron-eater, Pope Julius, who was half devil, +did not succeed, but had to call at last on the Emperor Maximilian and +let him take charge of the game, despite the fact that Julius had more +money, arms, and people. I think, too, that this latest pope, Clement, +whom people held almost a god of war, succeeded well with his fighting +until he lost Rome and all its wealth to a few ill-armed soldiers. The +conclusion is this: Christ will teach them to understand my article, +that Christians shall not make war, and the condemned article must take +its revenge, for it is said of Christians and will be uncondemned and +right and true; although they do not care and do not believe it, but +rush on more and more, hardened and unrepentant, and go to destruction. +To this I say Amen, Amen. + +It is true, indeed, that since they have temporal lordship and +wealth, they ought to make out of it the same contributions to the +emperor, kings, or princes that other holdings properly make, and render +the same services that others are expected to render. Nay, these “goods +of the Church,” as they call them, ought above all others to serve and +help in the protection of the needy and the welfare of all classes, for +they are given for that purpose, not in order that a bishop may forget +his office and use them for war or battle. If the banner of Emperor +Charles or of a prince is in the field, then let everyone run boldly and +gladly to the banner to which his allegiance is sworn; but if the banner +of a bishop, cardinal, or pope is there, then run the other way, and say +“I do not know this coin; if it were a prayer book, or the Holy +Scriptures preached in the Church, I would rally to it.” + + + +Facing two fronts +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Now before I exhort or urge to war against the Turk, hear me, for God’s +sake, while I first teach you how to fight with a good conscience. For +although, if I wanted to give way to the old Adam, I could keep quiet +and look on while the Turk revenged me upon the tyrants who persecute +the Gospel and subject me to all kinds of pain, and paid them back for +it, nevertheless, I shall not do this, but rather serve both friends and +enemies, so that my sun may rise on both bad and good, and my rain fall +on the thankful and unthankful. + +In the first place, it is certain that the Turk has no right or +command to begin war and to attack lands that are not his. Therefore, +his war is nothing else than outrage and robbery, with which God is +punishing the world, as He often does through wicked knaves, and +sometimes through godly people. For he does not fight from necessity or +to protect his land in peace, as the right kind of a ruler does, but +like a pirate or highwayman, he seeks to rob and damage other lands, who +are doing and have done nothing to him. He is God’s rod and the devil’s +servant; there is no doubt about that. + +In the second place, it must be known that the man, whoever he +is, who is going to make war against the Turk, must be sure that he has +a commission from God and is doing right. He must not plunge in for the +sake of revenge or have some other mad notion or reason. He must be sure +of this, so that, win or lose, he may be in a state of salvation and in +a godly occupation. + +There are two of these men, and there ought to be only two: the +one is named Christian, the other Emperor Charles. + + + +The first front – penance and prayer +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Christian should be first, with his army. For since the Turk is the rod +of the wrath of the Lord our God and the servant of the raging devil, +the first thing to be done is to smite the devil, his lord, and take the +rod out of God’s hand, so that the Turk may be found in his own strength +only, all by himself, without the devil’s help and without God’s hand. +This should be done by Sir Christian, that is, the pious, holy, dear +body of Christians. They are the people who have the arms for this war +and know what to do with them. If the Turk’s god, the devil, is not +first beaten, there is reason to fear that the Turk will not be so easy +to beat. Now the devil is a spirit, who cannot be beaten with armor, +guns, horses, and men, and God’s wrath cannot be allayed by them, as it +is written in Psalm 33:17 - 18, “The Lord hath no pleasure in the +strength of the horse, neither delighteth he in any man’s legs; the Lord +delighteth in them that fear him and wait for his goodness.” Christian +weapons and power must do it. + +Here you ask, “Who are the Christians and where does one find +them?” Answer: They are not many, but they are everywhere, though they +are spread out thin and live far apart, under good and bad princes. +Christendom must continue to the end, as the article of the Creed says, +“I believe one holy Christian Church.” But if that is true, it must be +possible to find them. Every pastor and preacher ought to exhort his +people most diligently to repentance and to prayer. They ought to drive +men to repentance by showing our great and numberless sins and our +ingratitude, by which we have earned God’s wrath and disfavor, so that +He justly gives us into the hands of the devil and the Turk. That this +preaching may work the more strongly, they ought to cite examples and +sayings out of the Scriptures, such as the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, +and the children of Israel, and show how cruelly and how often God +punished the world, and its lands and peoples; and they ought to make it +plain that it is no wonder, since we sin more heavily than they did, if +we are punished worse than they. + + + +Instructions for penance and prayer +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Verily, this fight must be begun with repentance, and we must reform our +lives, or we shall fight in vain; as the prophet Jeremiah says in the +chapter, “I will speak at one time against a kingdom to pluck it up, +destroy it, and scatter it; but if that people against which I speak +repent, I will repent me of the evil that I thought to do it; again I +speak of a kingdom and people to plant and build it, but if it do evil +in my sight, and hear not my voice, I will repent me of the good that I +had said I would do it. + +Therefore, speak to them of Judah and them of Jerusalem, and say, +Behold I prepare a calamity for you and think evil against you; let each +of you, then, turn from his evil way and make your deeds good.” This +saying we may apply to ourselves as though it had been spoken to us, for +God devises an evil against us because of our wickedness and certainly +prepares the Turk against us, as He says also in Psalm 7:12, “If a man +turn not, he hath whetted his sword and stretched his bow, and aimed it, +and laid a deadly bolt in it.” + +Along with these must be cited the words and illustrations of +Scripture in which God makes it known how well He is pleased with true +repentance or amendment, made in faith and reliance on His Word – such +as, in the Old Testament the examples of Kings David, Ahab, Mannasseh, +and the like; in the New Testament of St. Peter, the malefactor, the +publican in the Gospel, and so forth. Although I know that to the +scholars and saints, who need no repentance, this advice of mine will be +laughable and that they hold it for a simple and common thing which they +have long since got beyond; nevertheless, I have not been willing to +omit for the sake of myself and sinners like myself, who need both +repentance and exhortation to repentance every day. In spite of it, we +remain all too lazy and lax, and have not, with those “ninety and nine +just persons,” got so far over the hill as they permit themselves to +think they have. + +After people have been thus taught and exhorted to confess their +sin and amend their ways, they should then be exhorted with the utmost +diligence to prayer, and shown how such prayer pleases God, how He has +commanded it and promised to hear it, and that no one ought to think +lightly of his own praying, or have doubts about it, but be sure, with +firm faith, that it will be heard; all of which has been published by us +in many tracts. For the man who doubts, or prays at a venture, would do +better to let it alone, because such prayer is merely a tempting of God +and only makes things worse. Therefore, I would advise against +processions, f112 which are a heathenish and useless practice, for they +are pomp and show rather than prayer. It might, indeed, be of some use +to have the people, especially the young people, sing the Litany at mass +or vespers or in the church after the sermon, provided that everyone, at +home, by himself, conconstantly raised to Christ at least a sigh of the +heart for grace to lead a better life and for help against the Turk. I +am not speaking of much long praying, but of frequent brief sighs, in +one or two words, such as “O help us, dear God the Father; have mercy on +us, dear Lord Jesus Christ!” or the like. + +Lo, this kind of preaching will strike the Christians and find +them out, and there will be Christians who will accept it and act +according to it; it matters not if you do not know who they are. The +tyrants and bishops may also be exhorted to desist from their raging and +persecution against the Word of God and not to hinder our prayer; but if +they do not desist, we must not cease to pray, but keep on, and take the +chance that they will have the benefit of our prayer and be preserved +along with us, or that we shall pay for their raging and be ruined along +with them. They are so perverse and blind that if God gave good fortune +against the Turk, they would ascribe it to their holiness and merit and +boast of it against us. On the other hand, if things turned out badly, +they would ascribe it to no one but us, and lay the blame on us, +disregarding the shameful, openly sinful, and wicked life, which they +not only lead, but defend; for they cannot teach rightly a single point +about the way to pray, and they are worse than the Turks. Ah, well. We +must leave that to God’s judgment! + +In this exhortation to prayer, also, we must introduce sayings +and examples from the Scriptures, in which it is shown how strong and +mighty a man’s prayer has sometimes been; for example, Elijah’s prayer, +which St. James praises; the prayers of Elisha and other prophets; of +Kings David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jesis, Hezekiah, etc.; the story +of how God promised Abraham that He would spare the land of Sodom and +Gomorrah for the sake of five righteous men; for the prayer of righteous +men can do much if it be persistent, says St. James in his Epistle. They +are to be informed, besides, that they shall be careful not to anger God +by not praying, and not to fall under His judgment, in Ezekiel 13:5, +where God says, “Ye have not set yourselves against me, and opposed +yourselves as a wall before the house of Israel, to stand against the +battle in the day of the Lord”; and in Ezekiel 22, “I sought a man among +them who would be a wall, and stand against me for the land, that I +should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I poured my wrath +upon them and consumed them with the fire of my anger and paid them as +they deserved, saith the Lord.” + + + +Penance and prayer against Gods wrath +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +From this it is easy to see that God would have men set themselves in +the way of his wrath and keep it off, and that He is greatly angered if +this is not done. That is what I meant when I spoke above about taking +the rod out of God’s hands. Let him fast who will. Let him go down on +his knees and bow and fall to the ground, if he is in earnest; for the +bowing and kneeling that has been practiced hitherto in the chapters and +monasteries was not in earnest; it was, and still is, mere apery. It is +not for nothing that I exhort pastors and preachers to impress this upon +the people, for I see plainly that it rests entirely with the preachers +whether the people shall amend their ways and pray, or not. Little will +be accomplished by preaching in which men call Luther names and +blaspheme, and let repentance and prayer alone; but where God’s Word is +spoken, it is not without fruit. They, however, must preach as though +they were preaching to saints who had learned all that there was to know +about repentance and faith, and therefore had to talk about something +higher. + +We should have been moved to this prayer against the Turk by the +great need of our time, for the Turk, as has been said, is the servant +of the devil, who not only ruins land and people with the sword, as we +shall hear later, but also lays waste the Christian Faith and our dear +Lord Jesus Christ. For although some praise his government because he +allows everyone to believe what he will so long as he remains the +temporal lord, yet this praise is not true, for he does not allow +Christians to come together in public, and no one can openly confess +Christ or preach or teach against Mohammed. + +What kind of freedom of belief is it when no one is allowed to +preach or confess Christ, and yet our salvation depends on that +confession as Paul says, “To confess with the lips saves,” and Christ +has strictly commanded to confess and teach His Gospel. + +Since, therefore, faith must be kept quiet and held secret among +this barbarous and wild people and under this severe rule, how can it at +last exist or remain, when there is need for so much trouble and labor, +in places where it is preached most faithfully and diligently? +Therefore, it happens, and must happen, that those Christians who are +captured or otherwise get into Turkey fall away and become altogether +Turkish, and it is very seldom that one remains true to his faith, for +they lack the living bread of souls and see the free and fleshly life of +the Turks and are obliged to adapt themselves to it. + +How can one injure Christ more than with these two things; +namely, force and wiles? With force, they prevent preaching and suppress +the Word. + +With wiles, they daily put wicked and dangerous examples before +men’s eyes and draw men to them. If we then would not lose our Lord +Jesus Christ, His Word and faith, we must pray against the Turks as +against other enemies of our salvation and of all good. Nay, as we pray +against the devil himself. + + + +Islam – the faith of the Muslims +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +In this connection, the people should be told of all the dissolute life +and ways that the Turk practices, so that they may the better feel the +need of prayer. To be sure, it has often disgusted me and still does, +that neither our great lords nor our scholars have been at any pains to +give us any certain knowledge about the life of the Turks in the two +classes, spiritual and temporal; and yet he has come so near to us. For +it is said that they too have chapters and monasteries. Some indeed have +invented outrageous lies about the Turks in order to stir up us Germans +against them, but there is no need for lies; the truth is all too great. +I will tell my dear Christians a few things, so far as I know the real +truth, so that they may the better be moved and stirred up to pray +earnestly against the enemy of Christ our Lord. + +I have some pieces of Mohammed’s Koran which might be called in +German a book of sermons or doctrines of the kind that we call pope’s +decretals. When I have time, I must put it into German so that every man +may see what a foul and shameful book it is. f116 In the first place, he +praises Christ and Mary very much as those who alone were without sin, +and yet he believes nothing more of Christ than that he is a holy +prophet, like Jeremiah or Jonah, and denies that he is God’s Son and +true God. Besides, he does not believe that Christ is the Savior of the +world, Who died for our sins, but that He preached to His own time, and +completed His work before His death, just like any other prophet. + + + +Islam denies Christ +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +On the other hand, he praises and exalts himself highly and boasts that +he has talked with God and the angels, and that since Christ’s office of +prophet is now complete, it has been commanded to him to bring the world +to his faith and if the world is not willing, to compel it or punish it +with the sword; and there is much glorification of the sword in it. +Therefore, the Turks think their Mohammed much higher and greater than +Christ, for the office of Christ has ended and Mohammed’s office is +still in force. + +From this anyone can easily observe that Mohammed is a destroyer +of our Lord Christ and His kingdom, and if anyone denies concerning +Christ, that He is God’s Son and has died for us, and still lives and +reigns at the right hand of God, what has he left of Christ? Father, +Son, Holy Ghost, Baptism, the Sacrament, Gospel, Faith and all Christian +doctrine and life are gone, and there is left, instead of Christ, +nothing more than Mohammed with his doctrine of works and especially of +the sword. That is the chief doctrine of the Turkish faith in which all +abominations, all errors, all devils are piled up in one heap. + +And yet, the world acts as though it were snowing pupils of the +Turkish faith, for it pleases the reason extraordinarily well that +Christ should not be God, as the Jews also believe, and especially is +Reason pleased with the thought that men are to rule and bear the sword +and get up in the world; then the devil pushes it along. Thus a faith is +patched together out of the faith of Jews, Christians and heathen. He +gets it from the Christians when he praises Christ and Mary and the +apostles and other saints. He gets it from the Jews that people are not +to drink wine, are to fast the certain times of the year, wash like the +Nazarites, and eat off the ground, and go on with such holy works as +part of our monks do and hope for everlasting life at the Judgment Day, +for, holy people that they are, they believe in the resurrection of the +dead, though few of the papists believe in it. + +What pious Christian heart would not be horrified at this enemy +of Christ, since we see that the Turk allows no article of our faith to +stand, except the single one about the resurrection of the dead? Then +Christ is no redeemer, savior, or king; there is no forgiveness of sins, +no grace, no Holy Ghost. + +Why should I say much? In the article that Christ is to be +beneath Mohammed, and less than he, everything is destroyed. Who would +not rather be dead than live under such a government, where he must say +nothing about his Christ, and hear and see such blasphemy and +abomination against Him? Yet it takes such a powerful hold, when it wins +a land, that people even submit to it willingly. Therefore, let everyone +pray who can pray that this abomination may not become lord over us and +that we may not be punished with this terrible rod of God’s anger. + + + +Islam rules with arms +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +In the second place, the Turk’s Koran, or creed, teaches him to destroy +not only the Christian faith, but also the whole temporal government. +His Mohammed, as has been said, commands that ruling is to be done by +the sword, and in his Koran the sword is the commonest and noblest work. + +Thus the Turk is, in truth, nothing but a murderer or highwayman, +as his deeds show before men’s eyes. St. Augustine calls other kingdoms, +too, great robbery; Psalm 76:4 also calls them “fastnesses of robbers,” +f118 because it is but seldom that an empire has come up except by +robbery, force, and wrong; or at the very least, it is often seized and +possessed by wicked people without any justice, so that the Scriptures, +in Genesis 10:9, call the first prince upon earth, Nimrod, a mighty +hunter. But never has any kingdom come up and become so mighty by murder +and robbery as that of the Turk; and he murders and robs every day, for +it is commanded in their law, as a good and divine work, that they shall +rob and murder, devour and destroy more and more those that are round +about them; and they do this, and think that they are doing God service. +Their government, therefore, is not a regular rulership, like others, +for the maintenance of peace, the protection of the good, and the +punishment of the wicked, but a rod of anger and a punishment of God +upon the unbelieving world, as has been said. The work of murdering and +robbing pleases the flesh in any case, because it enables men to gain +high place and subject everyone’s life and goods to themselves; how much +more must the flesh be pleased when this is a commandment, as though God +would have it so and it pleased Him well! Therefore among the Turks, +too, they are held the best who are diligent to increase the Turkish +kingdom and who are constantly murdering and robbing round about them. + +This second thing must follow out of the first; for Christ says, +in John 8:44, that the devil is a liar and murderer. With lies he kills +souls, with murder bodies. If he wins with a lie, he does not take a +holiday and make delay, but follows it up with murder. Thus when the +spirit of lies had taken possession of Mohammed and the devil had +murdered men’s souls with his Koran and had destroyed the faith of +Christians, he had to go on and take the sword and attempt the murder of +their bodies. The Turkish faith, then, has not made its progress by +preaching and the working of miracles, but by the sword and by murder, +and its success has been due to God’s wrath, which ordered that, since +all the world has a desire for the sword and robbery and murder, one +should come who would give it enough of murder and robbery. + +All fanatics, as a rule, when the spirit of lies has taken +possession of them and led them away from the true faith, have been +unable to stop there, but have followed the lie with murder and taken up +the sword, as a sign that they were children of the father of all lies +and murder. Thus we read how the Arians became murderers and one of the +greatest bishops of Alexandria, Lucius by name, drove the orthodox out +of the city, and went into the ship and held a naked sword in his own +hand until the orthodox were all on board and had to go away; and these +tender, holy bishops committed many other murders even at that time, +which is almost twelve hundred years ago. Again, in the time of St. +Augustine, which is almost eleven hundred years ago, the holy father +shows, in his books, how many murders were committed by the Donatists. +In such an utterly worldly way did the clergy conduct themselves! They +had only the name and guise of bishops among the Christians; but because +they had fallen away from the truth and become subject to the spirit of +lies, they had to go forward in his service and become wolves and +murderers. Even in our own times, what was Muenzer seeking, except to +become a new Turkish emperor? He was possessed of the spirit of lies and +therefore there was no holding him back; he had to go at the other work +of the devil, take the sword and murder and rob, as the spirit of murder +drove him, and he created such a rebellion and such misery. + + + +Muhammad and the pope are tied together +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +And what shall I say of the most Holy Father, the pope? Is it not true +that he and his bishops have become worldly lords, have fallen away from +the Gospel, led by the spirit of lies, and embraced their own human +doctrine, and thus have practiced murder, down to the present hour? Read +the histories of the time and you find that the principal business of +popes and bishops has been to set emperors, kings, princes, lands, and +people against one another, even themselves to fight and help in the +work of murder and bloodshed. Why so? Because the spirit of lies never +acts any other way. + +After he has made his disciples teachers of lies and deceivers, +he has no rest until he makes them murderers, robbers, and blood-dogs. +For who has ordered them to bear the sword, to make war, and to urge men +on and stir them up to murder and war, when their duty was to attend to +preaching and prayer? + +They call me and mine seditious, but when have I ever coveted the +sword or urged men to take it, and not rather taught and kept peace and +obedience, except that I have instructed and exhorted the regular +temporal rulers to do their duty and maintain peace and justice? By its +fruits one shall know the tree. I and mine keep and teach peace; the +pope, with his followers, makes war, murders, robs, and that not only +his enemies; but he burns, condemns, and persecutes the innocent, the +pious, the orthodox, as a true Antichrist. For he does this, “sitting in +the temple of God,” as head of the Church; and that the Turk does not +do. But as the pope is Antichrist, so the Turk is the very devil. The +prayer of Christendom is against both. + +Both shall go down to hell, even though it may take the Last Day +to send them there; and I hope it will not be long. + +Summing up what has been said: Where the spirit of lies is, there +is also the spirit of murder, though he may not get to work or may be +hindered. If he is hindered, he still laughs and is jubilant when murder +is done, and at least consents to it, for he holds it right. But good +Christians do not rejoice over any murder, not even over the misfortunes +of their enemies. Since, then, Mohammed’s Koran is such a great spirit +of lies that it leaves almost nothing of Christian truth remaining, how +could it have any other result than that it should become a great and +mighty murderer, with both lies and murders under the show of truth and +righteousness. As, therefore, lies destroy the spiritual order of faith +and truth, so murder destroys all temporal order instituted by God; for +where murder and robbery are practiced, it is impossible that there +should be a fine, praiseworthy temporal government, since they cannot +think more highly of peace than of war and murder, or attend to the +pursuits of peace, as one can see in soldiers. Therefore, the Turks do +not regard the work of agriculture highly. + + + +Islam despises women and marriage +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The third point is that Mohammed’s Koran thinks nothing of marriage, but +permits everyone to take wives as he will. Therefore, it is customary +among the Turks for one man to have ten or twenty wives and to desert or +sell any of them that he will, when he will, so that in Turkey women are +held immeasurably cheap and are despised; they are bought and sold like +cattle. Although there may be some few who do not take advantage of this +law, nevertheless this is the law and anyone can follow if he will. Such +a way of living is not marriage and cannot be marriage, because none of +them takes a wife or has a wife with the intention of staying with her +forever, as though the two were one body, as God’s Word says, in Genesis +2:24, “The man shall cleave to his wife and they two be one body.” + +Thus the marriage of the Turks closely resembles the chaste life +that the soldiers live with their harlots; for the Turks are soldiers +and must act like soldiers; Mars and Venus, say the poets, must be +together. + + + +Some Muslims are all right +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +These three points I have wanted to mention. I am sure of them from the +Koran of the Turks. What I have heard beside I will not bring forward, +because I cannot be sure about it. Suppose, then, that there are some +Christians among the Turks; suppose that some of them are monks; suppose +that some are honorable laymen; even then, what good can there be in the +government and the whole Turkish way of life, when according to their +Koran these three things rule among them; namely, lying, murder, and +disregard of marriage, and besides, everyone must keep Christian truth +quiet and dare not rebuke or try to reform these three points, but must +look on and consent to them, as I fear, at least so far as to be silent? +How can there be a more horrible, dangerous, terrible imprisonment than +a life under such a government? Lies destroy the spiritual estate, +murder the temporal, disregard of marriage the estate of matrimony. Now +take out of the world veram religionem, veram politiam, veram +oeconomiam, i.e., true spiritual life, true temporal government, and +true conduct of the home; what is left in the world, but flesh, world +and devil? A life there is like the life of the “good fellows” who keep +house with harlots. + +It is said, indeed, that the Turks are, among themselves, +faithful and friendly and careful to tell the truth. I believe that, and +I think that they probably have more fine virtues in them than that. No +man is so bad that there is not something good in him. Now and then a +woman of the streets has good qualities that scarcely ten honorable +matrons have. So the devil would have a cloak and be a fair angel, an +angel of light; therefore he hides behind certain works, that are works +of the light. Murderers and robbers are more faithful and friendly to +each other than neighbors are, nay, more so than many Christians. For if +the devil keeps the three things – lies, murder, and disregard of +marriage – as the real foundation of hell, he can easily tolerate, nay, +help, that fleshly love and faithfulness shall be built upon it, as +precious stones (though they are nothing but hay and straw), though he +knows well that nothing of them will remain through the fire. f123 On +the other hand, where true faith, true government, true marriage are, he +tries earnestly that little love and fidelity may appear and little be +shown, so that he can put the foundation to shame and have it despised. + +What is more, when the Turks go into battle their war-cry is no +other word than “Allah! Allah!” and they shout it till heaven and earth +resound. But in the Arabic language Allah means God, and is a corruption +of the Hebrew Eloha. For they have taught in the Koran that they shall +boast constantly with these words, “There is no God but God.” All that +is really a device of the devil. For what is it to say, “There is no God +but God” without distinguishing one God from another? The devil, too, is +a god and they honor him with this word; of that there is no doubt. In +just the same way the pope’s soldiers cry “Ecclesia! Ecclesia!” To be +sure: the devil’s ecclesia! Therefore I believe that the Turks’ Allah +does more in war than they themselves. He gives them courage and wiles, +guides sword and fist, horse and man. What do you think, then, of the +holy people who can call upon God in battle, and yet destroy Christ and +all God’s words and works, as you have heard? + + + +**Prohibition agains pictures** + +It is part of the Turks’ holiness, also, that they tolerate no images or +pictures and are even holier than our destroyers of images. For our +destroyers tolerate, and are glad to have, images on gulden, groschen, +rings, and ornaments; but the Turk tolerates none of them and stamps +nothing but letters on his coins. He is entirely Muenzerian, too, for he +overthrows all rulers and tolerates no gradations of government, such as +princes, counts, lords, nobles and other feudatories; but he alone is +lord over all in his own land, and what he gives out is only pay, never +property or rights of rulership. He is also a papist; for he believes +that he will become holy and be saved by works, and thinks it no sin to +overthrow Christ, lay government waste, and destroy marriage. All these +things the pope also works at, though in other ways, with hypocrisy, +while the Turk uses force and the sword. In a word, as has been said, it +is the very dregs of all abominations and errors. + +All this I have wanted to tell to the first man, namely, the +community of Christians, so that he may know and see how much need there +is for prayer, and how we must first smite the Turk’s Allah, that is, +his god, the devil, and strike down his power and godhead; otherwise, I +fear, the sword will accomplish little. For this man is not to fight in +a bodily way with the Turk, as the pope and his followers teach, nor +resist him with the fist, but recognize the Turk as God’s rod and anger, +which Christians must either suffer, if God visits their sins upon them, +or fight against and drive away with repentance, tears, and prayer. He +who despises this counsel, let him despise it; I want to see what damage +he will do the Turk. + + + +The secular government +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +The second man whose place it is to fight against the Turk is Emperor +Charles, or whoever is emperor; for the Turk attacks his subjects and +his empire, and it is his duty, as a regular ruler appointed by God, to +defend his own. I repeat it here, that I would not urge anyone or tell +anyone to fight against the Turk unless the first method, mentioned +above, had been followed, and men had first repented and been reconciled +to God, etc. If anyone will go to war besides, let him take his risk. It +is not proper for me to say anything more about it beyond telling +everyone his duty and instructing his conscience. + +I see clearly that kings and princes are taking such a silly and +careless attitude toward the Turk that I fear they are despising God and +the Turk too greatly, or do not know, perhaps, that the Turk is such a +mighty lord that no kingdom or land, whatever it is, is strong enough to +resist him alone, unless God will do a miracle. Now I cannot expect any +miracle or special grace of God for Germany, unless men amend their ways +and honor the Word of God differently than has hitherto been done. + +But enough has been said about that for those who will listen. We +would now speak of the emperor. + +In the first place, if there is to be war against the Turk, it +should be fought at the emperor’s command, under his banner, and in his +name. Then everyone can assure his own conscience that he is obeying the +ordinance of God, since we know that the emperor is our true overlord +and head, and he who obeys him, in such a case, obeys God also, while he +who disobeys him disobeys God also. If he dies in this obedience, he +dies in a good state, and if he has previously repented and believes on +Christ, he is saved. These things, I suppose, everyone knows better than +I can teach him, and would to God they knew them as well as they think +they do. Yet we will say something more about them. + +In the second place, this banner and obedience of the emperor +ought to be true and simple. The emperor should seek nothing else than +simply to perform the work and duty of his office, which is to protect +his subjects; and those under his banner should seek simply the work and +duty of obedience. By this simplicity you should understand that there +is to be no fighting of the Turk for the reasons for which the emperors +and princes have heretofore been urged to war, such as the winning of +great honor, glory, and wealth, the increasing of lands, or wrath and +revengefulness and other things of the kind; for by these things men +seek only their own self- interest, and therefore we have had no good +fortune heretofore, either in fighting or planning to fight against the +Turk. + +Therefore the urging and inciting, with which the emperor and the +princes have heretofore been stirred up to fight against the Turk, ought +to cease. + +He has been urged, as head of Christendom, as protector of the +Church and defender of the faith, to wipe out the faith of the Turk, and +the urging and exhorting have been based on the wickedness and vice of +the Turks. Not so! The emperor is not head of Christendom or protector +of the Gospel or of the faith. The Church and the faith must have +another protector than emperor and kings. They are usually the worst +enemies of Christendom and of the faith, as Psalm 2:2 says and the +Church constantly laments. With that kind of urging and exhorting things +are only made worse and God is the more deeply angered, because that +interferes with His honor and His work, and would ascribe it to men, +which is idolatry and blasphemy. + + + +The authorities should not interfere in peoples faith +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +And if the emperor were to destroy the unbelievers and non-Christians, +he would have to begin with the pope, bishops, and clergy and perhaps +not spare us, or himself; for there is enough horrible idolatry in his +own empire to make it unnecessary for him to fight the Turks for this +cause. Among us there are Turks, Jews, heathen, non-Christians, all too +many of them, proving it with public false doctrine and with offensive, +shameful lives. Let the Turk believe and live as he will, just as one +lets the papacy and other false Christians live. The emperor’s sword has +nothing to do with the faith; it belongs to physical, worldly things, if +God is not to become angry with us. If we pervert His order and throw it +into confusion, He, too, becomes perverse and throws us into confusion +and all misfortune, as it is written, “With the perverse thou art +perverse.” We can perceive and grasp this by means of the fortune we +have heretofore had against the Turk. Think of all the heartbreak and +misery that have been caused by the cruciata, by the indulgences and +crusading-taxes, with which Christians have been stirred up to take the +sword and fight the Turk, when they ought to have been fighting the +devil and unbelief with the Word and with prayer. + +This is what should be done. The emperor and the princes should +be exhorted concerning their office and their bounden duty to give +serious and constant thought to governing their subjects in peace and to +protecting them against the Turk. This would be their duty whether they +themselves were Christians or not, though it would be very good if they +were Christians. But since it is uncertain, and remains so, that they +are Christians, and it is certain that they are emperors and princes, +that is, that they have God’s command to protect their subjects and are +in duty bound to do so, therefore we must let the uncertain go and hold +to the certain, urge them with continual preaching and exhortation, and +lay it heavily upon their consciences, that it is their duty to God not +to let their subjects be so pitiably ruined, and that they are doing a +great and notable sin when they do not think of their office and use all +their power to bring counsel and help to those who should live, with +body and goods, under their protection and who are bound to them with +oaths of homage. + +For I think (so far as I have yet observed the matter in our +diets) that neither emperor nor princes believe themselves that they are +emperor and princes. For they act as though it lay with their own +judgment and pleasure whether they would rescue and protect their +subjects from the power of the Turk or not; and the princes neither care +nor think that they are bound and obligated before God to counsel and +help the emperor in this matter with body and goods. Everyone of them +lets it go as though it were no affair of his and as though he were +forced neither by command or necessity, but it were left to his own free +choice to do it or leave it. + + + +Responsible for the authorities continuation +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +They are just like the common people who do not think it their duty to +God and the world, when they have bright sons, to put them to school and +have them study; but everyone thinks he has free power to raise his son +as he pleases, no matter what God’s word and ordinance are. Nay, the +councilmen in the cities and almost all the rulers act in the same way, +and let the schools go to nothing, as though they had no responsibility +for them, and had an indulgence besides. No one remembers that God +earnestly commands, and will have it so, that bright children shall be +raised to His praise and for His work, which cannot be done without the +schools. On the contrary everyone is in a hurry to have his children +making a living, as though God and Christendom needed no pastors, +preachers, carers for souls, and the worldly rulers no chancellors, +counselors, or secretaries. But of this another time. The pen must +remain empress, or God will show us something else. + +Emperor, kings, and princes act the same way. They do not +consider that God’s commandment makes it necessary to protect their +subjects; it is to lie in their own free choice to do it, if the notion +sometime takes them, or they have leisure for it. Dear fellow, let us +all do that! Let none of us look to that which is commanded him and +which God orders him to do, but let all our actions and duties be +matters of our own free will, and God will give us good fortune and His +grace, and we shall be plagued by the Turk here in time, and by the +devil yonder in eternity. + +Perhaps, then, a worthless prattler – I should say a legate – +will come from Rome and exhort the estates of the empire and stir them +up against the Turk, telling them how the enemy of the Christian faith +has done such great harm to Christendom and that the emperor, as +guardian of the Church and defender of the faith, should do so and so; +as though they themselves were great friends of the Christian faith! But +I say to him: You are a base-born knave, you impotent chatterer! For +this way you accomplish nothing except to make the emperor feel that he +should do a good Christian work that he is not commanded to do; and that +rests with his free choice; his conscience is not touched at all by +that, and he is not reminded of the necessary duty, laid upon him by +God, but the whole thing is referred to his free will. + +This is the way that a legate ought to deal with the estates of +the empire at the diet. He should hold God’s commandment before them and +make of it an unavoidable necessity, and say: “Dear lords, emperor, and +princes, if you would be emperor and princes, act as emperor and +princes, or the Turk will teach you with God’s wrath and disfavor. +Germany, or the empire, is given you and committed to you by God, that +you may protect, rule, counsel, and help it, and you not only should, +but must do this on pain of losing your soul’s salvation and God’s favor +and grace. But now it is evident that none of you takes this seriously, +or believes it, but you take your office as a jest, as though it were a +mummery of the carnival, for you leave the subjects, whom God has +committed to you, to be so wretchedly harassed, taken captive, put to +shame, plundered, slain, and sold by the Turk. Do you not think, since +Go has committed this office to you, and has given you money and people +besides for you to do good to them, that He will demand at your hands +all the subjects whom you so shamefully deserted, while you danced, +reveled, showed off, and gambled? If you seriously believed that you +were appointed and ordained of God to be emperor and princes, you would +leave your banqueting and rivalry for high places and other unprofitable +display for awhile, and consult faithfully how you might discharge your +office and fulfill God’s commandment and rescue your consciences from +all the blood and the misery which the Turk inflicts upon them. For how +can God, or any godly heart think otherwise of you than that you hate +your subjects or have a secret covenant with the Turk or, at least, hold +yourselves for neither emperor nor princes, but for dolls and puppets +for children to play with? Otherwise, it would be impossible that your +consciences should let you rest, if you seriously held yourselves for +overlords appointed by God, and were not to speak and advise together +about these matters differently than you have done heretofore. In this +you see that you are constantly becoming Turks to your own subjects. +“Nay, you even take up the case of Luther and discuss, in the devil’s +name, whether one can eat meat in the fast-times and nuns can take +husbands, and things of that kind, which are not committed to you for +discussion and about which God has given you no commandment; and +meanwhile the serious and strict commandment of God hangs in the smoke, +the commandment by which He has appointed you protectors of poor +Germany; and you become murderers, betrayers, and blood-dogs to your own +good, faithful, obedient subjects, and leave them to the Turk, nay, cast +them into his jaws, as a reward for the bodies and money wealth and +honor that they stake on you and reach out to you.” + +A good orator can here see well what I would like to say, if I +were learned in the art of oratory, and what a legate should aim at and +expound at the diet, if he would discharge his office honestly and +faithfully. + + + +The authorities should protect our body and earthly life +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +For this reason I said above that Charles, or the emperor should be the +man to fight against the Turk, and that the fighting should be done +under his banner. “O, that is easy! Everybody knew it long ago. Luther +is not telling us anything new, but only worn-out old stuff.” Nay, dear +fellow, the emperor must truly see himself with other eyes than +heretofore, and you must see his banner with other eyes. You and I are +talking about the same emperor and the same banner, but you are not +talking about the eyes that I am talking about. You must see on the +banner the commandment of God that says, “Protect the good; punish the +bad.” Tell me how many there are who can read this on the emperor’s +banner, or who seriously believe it. Do you not think that their +consciences would terrify them, if they saw this banner and had to own +that they were greatly guilty before God on account of their failure to +give help and protection to their faithful subjects? Dear fellow, a +banner is not simply a piece of silk; there are letters on it, and on +him who reads the letters luxury and banqueting should pall. + +That it has been regarded heretofore as a mere piece of silk, is +easy to prove, for otherwise the emperor would long ago have set it up, +the princes would have followed it, and the Turk would not have become +so mighty. But because the princes called it with their mouths the +emperor’s banner, and were disobedient to it with their fists, and held +it by their deeds a mere piece of silk, those things have come to the +pass that we now see with our own eyes. God grant that we are not, all +of us, too late, I with my exhortation and the lords with their banner; +and that it may not happen to us as it did to the children of Israel who +would not fight against the Amorites when God first commanded them; +afterwards, when they would have fought, they were beaten, because God +would not be with them. Nevertheless, no one should despair; repentance +and right conduct always find grace. + +After emperor and princes remember that, by God’s commandment, +they owe their subjects this protection, they should be exhorted not to +be presumptuous and undertake this work defiantly, or in reliance on +their own might or planning; for there are many princes who say, “I have +right and authority, therefore I will do it!” Then they pitch in, with +pride and boasting of their might, and meet defeat at last; for if they +did not feel their power, the matter of right would have small enough +effect on them, as is proved in other cases, in which they pay no heed +to right. It is not enough, then, for you to know that God has committed +this or that to you; you should also do it with fear and humility, for +God commands no one to do anything by his own wisdom or strength, but +He, too, will have a part in it and be feared. Nay, He will do it +through us, and will therefore have us pray to Him, and not become +presumptuous or forget His help, as the Psalter says, “The Lord hath +pleasure in those that fear Him and wait for His kindness.” Otherwise we +should persuade ourselves that we could do things and did not need God’s +help, and take to ourselves the victory and the honor that belong to +Him. + +Therefore an emperor or prince ought to learn well that verse of +the Psalter, in Psalm 44:6-7, “I rely not upon my bow, and my sword +helps me not, but thou helpest us from our enemies and puttest to shame +them that hate us,” and also the rest of what that Psalm says; and Psalm +60:10-12, “Lord God, thou goest not out with our host; give us aid in +our need, for man’s help is vain; with God we will do deeds; he shall +tread down our enemies.” + +These and like sayings have had to be fulfilled by many kings and +great princes, from the beginning to the present day. They have become +examples, though they had God’s commandment and authority and right. + +Emperor and princes, therefore, should not let these sayings +become a jest. Read here the apt illustration given in Judges 20:18, how +the children of Israel were twice beaten by the Benjamites, despite the +fact that God bade them fight and that they had the best of right. Their +boldness and presumption were their downfall, as the text says, Fidentes +fortitudine et numero. It is true that one should have horses and men +and weapons and everything that is needed for battle, if they are to be +had, so that one is not tempting God; but when one has them, one must +not be bold because of it, for God is not to be forgotten or despised, +since it is written, “All victory comes from heaven.” + +If these two things are present, God’s commandment and our +humility, then there is no danger or need, so far as this second man, +the emperor, is concerned; we are strong enough for the whole world and +must have good fortune and success. But if we have not good fortune, it +is certainly because one of the two things is lacking; we are going to +war either without God’s commandment, or in our own presumption, or the +first soldier, the Christian, is not there with his prayers. It is not +necessary here to warn against seeking honor or booty in war; for he who +fights in humility and obedience to God’s command, with his mind fixed +solely upon the simple duty of protecting and defending his subjects, +will forget honor and booty; nay, they will come to him, without his +seeking, more richly and gloriously than he can wish. + +Here someone will say, “Where shall we find pious fighting-men, +who will act this way?” Answer: The Gospel is preached to all the world, +and yet very few believe; nevertheless Christendom believes and abides. + +Therefore I am writing this instruction with no hope that it will +be accepted by all; indeed, most people will laugh and scoff at me. For +me it is enough if, with this book, I shall be able to instruct some +princes and their subjects; even though they may be very few in number, +that does not matter to me; there will be victory and good fortune +enough. And would to God that I had instructed only the emperor, or him +who is to conduct the war in his name and at his command; I would then +be of good hope. It has often happened, indeed, it usually happens, God +gives a whole land and kingdom good fortune and success through one +single man; just as, on the other hand, through one knave at court He +brings a whole land into all sorts of distress and misery; as Solomon +says, in Ecclesiastes, “A single knave does great harm.” + +Thus we read of Naaman, the captain of the king of Syria, that +through this one man God gave the whole land good fortune and success. +So through the holy Joseph He gave great good fortune to the whole +kingdom of Egypt, and in 2 Kings 3:14, Elisha says to Jehoram, “I would +not look to thee, if Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, were not there,” and +thus the godless kings of Israel and Edom had to be helped for the sake +of one godly man, when otherwise they would have been ruined in all +kinds of distress; and in the book of Judges one can see the good that +God did through Ehud, Gideon, Deborah, Samson, and other individuals, +though the people were not worthy of it. See, on the other hand, what +great harm Doeg did at the court of King Saul ( 1 Kings 22:1) and what +Absalom accomplished against his father David, with the aid and counsel +of Ahithophel ( 2 Kings 15:1). + +I say this in order that it may not frighten us, or move us in +any way, if the great majority are unbelieving and fight under the +emperor’s banner with an unchristian mind. We must remember, too, that +Abraham, all by himself, was able to do much ( Genesis 14:1 and 17:1). +It is certain, also, that among the Turks, who are the army of the +devil, there is not one who is a Christian or has an humble and a right +heart. In 1 Kings 14:1, the godly Jonathan said, “It is not hard for God +to give victory by many or by few,” and himself inflicted on the +Philistines a great slaughter such as Saul could not, with his whole +army. It does not matter, therefore, if the crowd is not good, provided +only that the head and some of the chief men are upright; it would be +good, of course, if all were upright, but that is scarcely possible. + + + +The limit of the duty of obedience +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Moreover, I hear it said that there are those in Germany who desire the +coming of the Turk and his government, because they would rather be +under the Turk than under the emperor or princes. It would be hard to +fight against the Turk with such people. Against them I have no better +advice to give than that pastors and preachers be exhorted to be +diligent in their preaching and faithful in instructing such people, +pointing out to them the danger they are in and the wrong that they are +doing, how they are making themselves partakers of great and numberless +sins and loading themselves down with them in the sight of God, if they +are found in this opinion. For it is misery enough to be compelled to +suffer the Turk as overlord and to endure his government; but willingly +to put oneself under it, or to desire it, when one need not and is not +compelled – the man who does that ought to be shown the sin he is +committing and how terribly he is going on. + +In the first place, these people are faithless and guilty of +perjury to their rulers, to whom they have taken oaths and done homage; +and this is in God’s sight a great sin that does not go unpunished. On +account of such perjury the good king Zedekiah had to perish miserably, +because he did not keep the oath that he gave to the heathen emperor at +Babylon. Such people may think, or persuade themselves, that it is +within their own power and choice to betake themselves from one lord to +another, acting as though they were free to do or not to do what they +pleased, forgetting and not remembering God’s commandment and their +oath, by which they are in duty bound to be obedient, until they are +forcibly compelled to abandon it or are put to death for it; as the +peasants thought, in the recent rebellion, and were beaten because of +it. For just as a man may not slay himself, but endure until he is +forcibly slain by others, so no one should evade his obedience or his +oath, unless he is released from it by others, either by force or by +favor and permission. f130 The preachers must diligently impress this on +such people; indeed their office of preaching compels them to do so, for +it is their duty to warn their parishioners, and guard them against sin +and harm to their souls. For one who willingly turns from his lord and +takes the side of the Turk can never stay under the Turk with a good +conscience, but his own heart will always speak to him and rebuke him +thus – “See, you were faithless to your overlord and deprived him of the +obedience that you owed him, and robbed him of his right to rule over +you; now, no sin can be forgiven unless stolen goods are restored; but +how shall you make restitution to your lord, when you are under the Turk +and cannot make restitution. One of two things, then, must happen; – +either you must toil and labor forever, trying to get away from the Turk +and back to your overlord; or your conscience must forever suffer +compunction, pain and unrest (if, indeed, it does not result in despair +and everlasting death), because you submitted to the Turk willingly and +without necessity, against your sworn duty. In the latter case you must +be among the Turks with your body, but over on this side with your heart +and conscience. What have you gained then? Why did you not stay on this +side from the first?” + +In the second place, beside all that, such faithless, disloyal, +perjured folk commit a still more horrible sin. They make themselves +partakers of all the abominations and wickedness of the Turks; for he +who willingly goes over to the Turks makes himself their comrade and an +accomplice in all their doings. Now we have heard above what kind of man +the Turk is, viz., a destroyer, enemy, and blasphemer of our Lord Jesus +Christ, who instead of the Gospel and faith, sets up his shameful +Mohammed and all kinds of lies, ruins all temporal government and +home-life, or marriage, and, since his warfare is nothing but murder and +bloodshed, is a tool of the devil himself. + +See, then! He who consorts with the Turk must be partaker of this +terrible abomination and brings down on his own head all the murder, all +the blood that the Turk has shed, and all the lies and vices with which +he has damaged Christ’s Kingdom and led souls astray. It is miserable +enough if one is forced to be under this blood-dog and devil against his +own will, and see and hear these abominations, and put up with them as +the godly Lot had to do in Sodom, as St. Peter writes; it is not +necessary to seek them of one’s own accord, or desire them. + +Nay, a man ought far rather die twice over in war, obedient to +his overlord, than have, like a poor Lot, to be brought by force into +such Sodoms and Gomorrahs. Still less ought a godly man long to go there +of his own accord, in disobedience, and against God’s commandment and +his own duty. That would mean not only to become partaker in all the +wickedness of the Turk and the devil, but to strengthen and further +them; just as Judas not only made himself partaker of the wickedness of +the Jews against Christ, but strengthened it and helped it along, while +Pilate did not act as evilly as Judas, as Christ testifies in John 17:1. + +In the third place, it is to be impressed by the preachers on the +people that, if they do go over to the Turks, they will not have +bettered themselves and their hopes and intentions will not be realized. +For it is the Turk’s way not to let any who are anything or have +anything stay in the place where they live, but to put them far back in +another land, where they are sold and must be servants. Thus they +fulfill the proverb “Running out of the rain and falling in the water”; +and “Lifting the plate and breaking the dish.” Bad becomes worse; it +scarcely serves them wrong. For the Turk is a true man of war, who has +other ways of treating land and people, both in getting them and keeping +them, than our emperor, kings, and princes have. He does not trust and +believe these disloyal people and has the force to do as he will; thus +he has not the same need of people that our princes have. + +The preachers and pastors, I say, must impress this upon such +disloyal people, with constant admonition and warning, for it is the +truth, and it is needed. But if there are some who despise this +exhortation and will not be moved by it, let them go on to the devil, as +St. Paul had to let the Greeks, and St. Peter the Jews go; the others +should not mind. Indeed, if it were to come to war, I would rather that +none of these were under the emperor’s banner, or stayed under it, but +were all on the Turk’s side; they would be beaten all the sooner and in +battle they would do the Turk more harm than good, for they are out of +favor with God, the devil, and the world, and are surely, all of them, +condemned to hell. It is good to fight against such people, who are +plainly and surely damned both by God and the world. + +There are many depraved and abandoned and wicked men; but anyone +with any sense will without doubt, heed such exhortation and be moved to +stay in his obedience, and not throw his soul so carelessly into hell to +the devil, but rather fight with all his might under his overlord, even +though, in so doing, he is slain by the Turks. + +But you say again, “If the pope is as bad as the Turk – and you +yourself call him Antichrist, together with his clergy and his followers +– then the Turk is as godly as the pope, for he acknowledges the four +Gospels and Moses, together with the prophets; must we not, then, fight +the pope as well as the Turk, or, perhaps, rather than the Turk?” +Answer: I cannot deny that the Turk holds the four Gospels to be divine +and true, as well as the prophets, and also speaks very highly of Christ +and His mother, but at the same time, he believes that his Mohammed is +above Christ and that Christ is not God, as has been said above. We +Christians acknowledge the Old Testament as divine Scripture, but now +that it is fulfilled and is, as St. Peter says, in Acts 15:10, too hard +without God’s grace, it is abolished and no longer binds us. + + + +The relation between the Koran and the Bible +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Just so Mohammed treats the Gospel; he declares that it is indeed true, +but has long since served its purpose; also that it is too hard to keep, +especially on the points where Christ says that one is to leave all for +His sake, love God with the whole heart, and the like. + +Therefore God has had to give another new law, one that is not so +hard and that the world can keep, and this law is the Koran. But if +anyone asks why he does no miracles to confirm this new law, he says +that that is unnecessary and of no use, for people had many miracles +before, when Moses’ law and the Gospel arose, and did not believe. +Therefore his Koran did not need to be confirmed by wasted miracles, but +by the sword, which is more effective than miracles. Thus it has been, +and still is the case among the Turks, that everything is done with the +sword, instead of with miracles. + +On the other hand, the pope is not much more godly than Mohammed +and resembles him extraordinarily; for he, too, praises the Gospel with +his lips, but holds that many things in it are too hard, and these +things are the very ones that Mohammed and the Turks also consider too +hard, such as those contained in Matthew 5:20. Therefore he interprets +them, and makes of them consilia, i.e., “counsels,” which no one is +bound to keep unless he desires to do so, as has been shamelessly taught +at Paris, and in other universities, foundations, and monasteries. +Therefore, too, he does not rule with the Gospel, or Word of God, but +has made a new law and a Koran, viz., his decretals, and enforces them +with the ban, as the Turk enforces his Koran with the sword; he even +calls the ban his spiritual sword, though only the Word of God is that +and should be called that ( Ephesians 6:17). Nevertheless, he uses the +temporal sword also, when he can, or, at least, calls upon it, and urges +and stirs up others to use it. And I am confident that if the pope could +use the temporal sword as mightily as the Turk, he would perhaps lack +the will to do so even less than the Turk and, indeed, they have often +tried it. + + + +Italian weddings – homosexual relationships +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +God visits them with the same plague, too, and smites them with +blindness, so that it happens to them as St. Paul says, in Romans 1:28, +about the shameful vice of the dumb sins, that God gives them up to a +perverse mind because they pervert the Word of God. So blind and +senseless are both pope and Turk that both of them commit the dumb sins +shamelessly, as an honorable and praiseworthy thing. Since they think +lightly of marriage, it serves them right that there are dog-marriages +(and would to God they were dog-marriages), nay, “Italian marriages” and +“Florentine brides” f131 among them; and they think these things good; + +For I hear one horrible thing after another about what an open +and glorious Sodom Turkey is, and everybody who has looked around a +little in Rome and Italy knows very well how God there revenges and +punishes the prohibition of marriage, so that Sodom and Gomorrah, which +God overwhelmed in days of old with fire and brimstone, must seem a mere +jest compared with these abominations. On this one account, therefore, I +would regret the rule of the Turk; nay, it would be intolerable in +Germany. + + + +Not crusade, but armed defence +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +“What are we to do, then? Are we to fight against the pope, as well as +the Turk, since the one is as godly as the other?” Answer: Treat the one +like the other and no one is wronged; like sin should receive like +punishment. I mean that this way. If the pope and his followers were to +attack the empire with the sword, as the Turk does, he should receive +the same treatment as the Turk; and this is what was done to him by the +army of Emperor Charles before Pavia. For there stands God’s verdict, +“He that takes the sword shall perish by the sword.” I do not advise +that men go to war with the Turk or the pope because of his false belief +or evil life, but because of the murder and destruction which he does. +But the best thing about the papacy is that it has not yet the sword, as +the Turk has; otherwise it would surely undertake to bring the whole +world into subjection, though it would accomplish no more than to bring +it to faith in the pope’s Koran, the decretals. For he pays as little +heed as the Turk to the Gospel, or Christian faith, and knows it as +little, though with fasts, which he himself does not keep, he makes a +great pretense of Turkish sanctity; thus they deserve the reputation of +being like the Turk, though they are against Christ. + +Against the papacy, however, because of its errors and wicked +ways, the first man, Sir Christian, has been aroused, and he attacks it +boldly with prayer and the Word of God; and he has wounded it, too, so +that they feel it and rage. But no raging helps; the axe is laid to the +tree and the tree must be uprooted, unless it bears different fruit. I +see clearly that they have no notion of reforming, but the farther +things go, the more stubborn they become and want to butt their way +through, and boast, “All or nothing, bishop or drudge!” I consider them +so godly that, unless they reform or turn from their shameful ways, both +they themselves and the whole world admit that it is not to be endured, +and that they should betake themselves to their comrade and brother, the +holy Turk. Ah well! May our heavenly Father quickly hear their own +prayer and grant that, as they say, they may be “all or nothing, bishop +or drudge.” Amen! They will have it so. Amen! So let it be, let it come +true, as God pleases! + +But you say further: “How can the Emperor Charles fight against +the Turk in these days, when he has against him such hindrances and such +treachery from kings, princes, the Venetians, indeed from almost +everybody?” Answer: What a man cannot lift, he must let lie. If we can +do no more, we must let our Lord Jesus Christ counsel and aid us, by His +coming, which cannot be far off. For the world has come to its end; the +Roman Empire is almost gone and torn to bits; it stands as the kingdom +of the Jews stood when Christ’s birth was near; the Jews had scarcely +anything of their kingdom, Herod was the token of farewell. And so, I +think, now that the Roman Empire is almost gone, Christ’s coming is at +the door, and the Turk is the Empire’s token of farewell, a parting gift +to the Roman Empire; and just as Herod and the Jews hated each other, +though both made common cause against Christ, so Turk and papacy hate +each other, but make common cause against Christ and His kingdom. + +Nevertheless, what the emperor can do for his subjects against +the Turk, that he should do, so that even though he cannot entirely +prevent the abomination, he may yet try to protect and rescue his +subjects by checking the Turk and holding him off. To this protection +the emperor should be moved not only by his bounden duty, his office, +and the command of God, nor only by the unchristian and vile government +that the Turk brings in, as has been said above, but also by the misery +and wretchedness that comes to his subjects. They know better than I, +beyond all doubt, how cruelly the Turk treats those whom he carries away +captive. He treats them like cattle, dragging, towing, driving those +that can go along, and killing out of hand those that cannot go, whether +they are young or old. + +All this and the like more ought to move all the princes, and the +whole empire, to forget their own cases and contentions, or let them +rest for awhile, and unite, in all earnest, to help the wretched; so +that things may not go as they went with Constantinople and Greece. They +quarreled with one another and looked after their own affairs, until the +Turk overwhelmed both of them together, as he has already come very near +doing to us in a similar case. But if this is not to be, and our +unrepentant life makes us unworthy of any grace or counsel or support, +we must put up with it and suffer under the devil; but that does not +excuse those who could help and do not. + +I wish it to be clearly understood, however, by what I have said, +that it was not for nothing that I called Emperor Charles the man who +ought to go to war against the Turk. As for other kings, princes, and +rulers who despise Emperor Charles, or are not his subjects, or are not +obedient, I leave them to take their own chances. They shall do nothing +by my advice or admonition; what I have written here has been for +Emperor Charles and his subjects; the others do not concern me. For I +well know the pride of some kings and princes who would be glad if not +Emperor Charles, but they, were to be the heroes and masters to win +honor against the Turk. I grant them the honor, but if they are beaten +in trying to get it, it will be their own fault. Why do they not conduct +themselves humbly toward the true head and the regularly appointed +ruler. The rebellion among the peasants has been punished, but if the +rebellion among the princes and lords were also to be punished, I +believe that there would be very few princes and lords left. God grant +that it may not be the Turk who inflicts the punishment! Amen. + + + +Efficient attack as prevention +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +Finally, I would have it understood as my kind and faithful advice that, +if it comes to the point of war against the Turk, we shall arm and +prepare, and not hold the Turk too cheap, acting as we Germans usually +do, and coming on the field with twenty or thirty thousand men. And even +though a success is granted us and we win a victory, we have no +staying-power, but sit down again and carouse until another necessity +arises. To be sure, I am not qualified to give instruction on this +point, and they themselves know, or ought to know, more about it than I, +nevertheless, when I see people acting so childishly, I must think +either that the princes and our Germans do not know or believe the +strength and power of the Turk, or have no serious purpose to fight +against the Turk, but just as the pope has robbed Germany of money under +the pretense of the Turkish war and by indulgences, so they, too, +following the pope’s example, would swindle us out of money. + +My advice, therefore, is not to set the armed preparation so low +and not to offer our poor Germans to slaughter. If we are not going to +make an adequate, honest resistance that will have some staying-power, +it were far better not to begin a war, but to give up lands and people +to the Turk in time, without useless bloodshed, rather than have him win +anyhow in an easy battle and with shameful bloodshed, as happened in +Hungary with King Lewis. Fighting against the Turk is not like fighting +against the King of France, or the Venetians, or the pope; he is a +different kind of warrior; he has people and money in abundance; he beat +the Sultan twice in succession, and that took people. Why, dear sir, his +people are under arms all the time, so that he can quickly bring +together three or four hundred thousand men; if we were to cut off a +hundred thousand, he would soon be back again with as many men as +before. He has staying-power. + +There is, therefore, nothing at all in trying to meet him with +fifty or sixty thousand men unless we have an equal or a greater number +in reserve. Only count up his lands, dear sir. He has Greece, Asia, +Syria, Egypt, Arabia, etc., that is, he has so many lands that if Spain, +France, England, Germany, Italy, Bohemia, Hungary, Poland, and Denmark +were all counted together, they would not equal the land he has. +Besides, he is master of all of them and commands effective and ready +obedience. And, as has been said, they are constantly under arms and are +exercised in warfare, so that he has staying-power, and can deliver two, +three, four battles, one after another, as he showed against the Sultan. +This Gog and Magog is a different kind of majesty than our kings and +princes. + +I say this because I fear that my Germans do not know it or +believe it, and think, perhaps, that they are strong enough by +themselves, and take the Turk for such a lord as the king of France, +whom they would easily withstand. But I shall be without blame, and +shall not have laden my tongue and pen with blood, if a king measures +himself with the Turk all alone, for it is tempting God when anyone sets +out with a smaller force against a stronger king, as Christ also shows +in the Gospel of Luke, especially since our princes are not the kind of +people for whom a divine miracle is to be expected. The king of Bohemia +is now a mighty prince, but God forbid that he match himself all alone +against the Turk! Let him have Emperor Charles as his captain and all +the emperor’s power behind him. But then, if everyone will not believe +this, let him learn by his own experience! I know what kind of might the +Turk’s might is, unless the historians and geographers lie, and daily +experience, too; they do not, that I know. + +I do not say this in order to scare off the kings from war +against the Turk, but as an admonition to make wise and serious +preparation, and not to go at this matter in so childish and sleepy a +way, for I would like, if possible, to prevent useless bloodshed and +lost wars. It would be serious preparation, if our princes were to wind +their own affairs in a ball and put their heads and hearts, hands and +feet, together, and make one body out of the great crowd from which one +could make another army, if one battle were lost, and not, as +heretofore, let single kings and princes set upon him – yesterday the +king of Hungary, tomorrow the king of Bohemia, day after tomorrow the +king of Poland – until the Turk devours them one after another and +nothing is accomplished by it, except that our people are betrayed and +slaughtered and blood is shed needlessly. + +For if our kings and princes were to agree, and stand by one +another and help one another, and the Christian man were to pray for +them, I should be undismayed and of good hope; the Turk would leave his +raging and find in Emperor Charles a man who was his equal. Failing +that, if things are to go as they now go, and no one is in agreement +with another or loyal to another, and everyone wants to be his own man +and takes the field with a beggarly array, I must let it go at that. Of +course I will gladly help pray, but it will be a weak prayer, for I can +have little faith that it will be heard, bemuse of the childish, +presumptuous, and shortsighted way in which such great enterprises are +undertaken, knowing that it is tempting God and that He can have no +pleasure in it. + + +Serious warning +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +What do our dear lords do? They take it for a mere jest. It is a fact +that the Turk is at our throat, and even if he does not will to march +against us this year, yet he is there, armed and ready any hour to +attack us, when he will, and yet our princes discuss, meanwhile, how +they can harass Luther and the Gospel. It is the Turk! Against it force +must be used! It must be put out! That is what they are doing right now +at Speyer, making the greatest ado about the eating of meat and fish, +and foolishness like that. + +God give you honor, you faithless heads of your poor people! What +devil bids you occupy yourselves so violently with spiritual things, +which are not committed to you, and be so lax and slothful in dealing +with things that God has committed to you and that concern you and your +poor people, now in the greatest and most pressing need, and thus be +only hindering all those whose intentions are good and who would gladly +do their part? Yes, go on singing and hearing the Mass of the Holy +Spirit! He has great pleasure in it and will be very gracious to you +disobedient, refractory fellows, because you let those things alone that +he has committed to you, and work at what he has forbidden you! Yes, the +Evil Spirit may hear you! + +With this I have cleared my conscience. This book shall be my +witness concerning the measure and the manner in which I advise war +against the Turk. If any will proceed otherwise, let him proceed, win or +lose. I shall not enjoy his victory and not pay for his defeat, but +shall be innocent of all the blood that will be shed in vain. I know +that this book will not make the Turk a gracious lord to me, if it comes +before him; nevertheless, I have wished to tell my Germans the truth, so +far as I know it, and give faithful counsel and service to the grateful +and the ungrateful alike. If it helps, it helps; if it helps not, then +may our dear Lord Jesus Christ help, and come down from heaven with the +Last Judgment, and smite both Turk and pope to the earth, together with +all tyrants and all the godless, and deliver us from all sins and from +all evil. Amen. |