you hear, will be with you. For if this counsel were of the world, the world would not only allow, but also would love, what is its own [John 15:19]. But now since it is not of this world, but God put it in your heart through his Word, therefore the world not only will not allow it, but will even hate and persecute it. "But be of good cheer, he has overcome the world" [John 16:33]. And, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" [I John 4:4], even if things be so overturned by tumult and dissension that, to the unbelieving, heaven itself threatens to fall. But our rock is undisturbed by thundering and lightning,16 and fears no darkening skies or stormy clouds.17 It does not tremble before contending winds and roaring tempests, but is sure of itself and confidently awaits clear skies.
Wherefore, "Fear not, Judah and Jerusalem, but stand still, and see the victory of the Lord on your behalf … go out against them, and the Lord will be with you" [II Chron. 20:17]. For it is not something new or strange if the prince of this world rages when he sees his kingdom threatened. What else can he do? He would prefer to possess his palace in peace [Luke 11:21], but when he sees that he cannot do this, he tries that which is his final weapon, namely rage and force. "Like a roaring lion he prowls around, seeking someone to devour" [I Pet. 5:8]. Since God has forewarned us to recognize what kind of character he has, can we ever expect him to be different, and should we not the more bravely resist him, in faith?
Stand fast then, good sirs, and go forth with the Word of God, armed with the invincible and all-powerful sword of the Spirit. For either you must attempt this way in brave faith, or else desist altogether. "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" [Eph. 6:12].
I have spoken thus (since it was necessary) about the method of establishing a ministry of the church, in my simplicity, satisfied if I have furnished occasion to others more able and learned and apt in speech to think and express themselves. For not all are competent in everything. "There are varieties of service but the same Lord" [I Cor. 12:5, 6], who works not in one alone, but in all, not as we want, but as he wills.
As to the reform of the mass and the arranging of the worship of God as well as to other functions of the ecclesiastical ministry either others may speak or I myself may say something some other time. A person who is commissioned as a minister of the gospel ought, however, to be able to conduct himself successfully in these matters, if he follows the teaching of Him by whom he was anointed. Now it is enough if by prayer and devotion we obtain from God such a ministry and if we are worthy, when we obtain it, to keep it and to rejoice in it.
LETTER TO THE PRINCES OF SAXONY CONCERNING THE REBELLIOUS SPIRIT Translated by Conrad Bergendoff Thomas Münzer was a pastor in Zwickau when the teaching of Luther influenced a group in this town to go far beyond the intentions of the Reformer. The Middle Ages had known of many tendencies toward a radicalism which opposed all authority, whether in church or state. Some of these based themselves on direct revelation from God, and were opposed to a special ministry and to the sacraments. Neither the organized church nor the Bible were superior in authority to the commands the advocates of this kind of mystical religion felt within themselves.
Such were the ideas of a fanatical group in Zwickau who came to be known as the Zwickau prophets.
It included Nicholas Storch, a weaver; Marcus Stübner, a Wittenberg student; and Martin Cellarius, a theologian. Münzer became their leader. When the authorities suppressed the movement in Zwickau in 1521 some took refuge in Wittenberg. Münzer went eastward, was for a while among the Taborites in Bohemia, and around Easter time in 1523 settled at Allstedt where he was given the position of pastor, though without the knowledge or consent of the Elector.
With Allstedt as a center, Münzer soon affected the whole area by his revolutionary doctrines. The ungodly were to be eliminated and the elect would establish a kingdom of Christ on earth. The political rulers came under severe criticism, and the people understood the implications of their preachers that the civil rulers must yield to the heavenly directives. They understood too the fiery denunciation of the papal shrines and the images in the churches. In March, 1524, a shrine dedicated to the Virgin was burned near
- 23 Allstedt. Münzer grew bolder in his denunciation of the authorities, and called for an elimination of the enemies of God, in the spirit of the Old Testament account of the Jewish massacre of their enemies.
As early as the summer of 1523 Luther warned against Münzer.1 He followed the developments in Allstedt with apprehension. Finally he could restrain himself no longer, and probably in July, 1524, wrote the letter to the princes. He did not ask for the suppression of Münzer's preaching because it conflicted with his own. He appealed to the rulers to act before the incendiary suggestions of this preacher led to civil rebellion and open revolt. He felt free to counsel the princes that it was their duty to maintain peace and order, which were threatened by the fanatical mob gathering around Münzer.
In the summer of 1524 the princes became convinced that the disturbance might lead to rebellion, and they summoned the leaders before them. The Allstedt council and Münzer were examined in Weimar at the beginning of August. To escape the impending verdict, Münzer fled to Mühlhausen, where later in the year he gained leadership over the city. He became a central figure in the Peasants' Revolt and suffered death in May, 1525, when that revolt was crushed.
The letter of Luther to his princes was directed primarily against Münzer. But he was suspicious of Karlstadt and detected a relationship between the two. Karlstadt and his followers, however, rejected this implication, and argued with the rulers that they had nothing to do with the Allstedt party. The reader nonetheless will find much in common between this letter against Münzer and Luther's answer to Karlstadt in Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter of Images and Sacraments.
The translation follows the German text in WA 15, 210–221, which is the text of the letter as it was printed in the first Wittenberg edition, 1524.
LETTER TO THE PRINCES OF SAXONY CONCERNING THE REBELLIOUS SPIRIT To the Illustrious and Noble Princes and Lords Frederick, Elector of the Roman Empire, and John, Duke of Saxony, Count of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, my most gracious Lords.
Grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Savior. Fortune would have it that whenever the holy Word of God blossoms forth Satan opposes it with all his might by employing, first of all, the fist and outrageous force. When this method proves unsuccessful, he attacks it with evil tongues and false spirits and teachings. What he cannot quench with force he suppresses with deceit and falsehood. So he did in the beginning, when the gospel first came into the world, attacking it violently through the Jews and Gentiles, shedding much blood and creating many martyrs in Christendom. When this method of attack failed, he thrust forth false prophets and erring spirits, filling the world with heretics and sects right down to the time of the pope, who (as befits the last and greatest Antichrist) has overthrown Christendom with nought but sects and heresy.
So we may recognize the Word of God for what it is, things must go on as they always have. The pope, the Emperor, kings and princes lay hold on the Word with violence, and in madness would suppress, damn, blaspheme, and persecute it, without recognizing it or giving it a hearing. But the verdict stands and our arrogance was crushed long ago as Ps. 2 [:1, 2, 4] points out, "Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed.… He who sits in the heavens laughs: the Lord has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury." This, too, will assuredly be the fate of our raging rulers who want it that way. For they will neither see nor listen. God has so blinded and hardened them that they rush on to their ruin. They have had warning enough.
Satan sees this and knows right well that such raving finally accomplishes nothing. In fact, he beholds and finds that (as is the nature of the Word of God) the more it is suppressed, the farther it spreads and grows. Since he now comes at us with false spirits and sects, we must take stock of our situation so as not to be led astray. For it must be as Paul says to the Corinthians, "There must be factions among you in order that those who have stood the test among you may be recognized" [I Cor. 11:19]. Accordingly, after Satan has been driven out and for several years has wandered around in waterless places, seeking rest but finding none [Matt. 12:43], he has settled down in your Grace's principality and made himself a nest at Allstedt, thinking he can fight against us while enjoying our peace, protection, and security. For the principality of Duke George, lying next to us, is too kind and gentle in the treatment of this kind of an undaunted and invincible spirit (as they boast), thus making it impossible for them to put their overbearing behavior and arrogance to a test. Though so far no one has touched them either with fist or mouth or pen
- 24 he cries out horribly, complaining he must suffer much. They dream that they must bear a heavy cross.
With such frivolity and without cause this devil has to lie, though he cannot conceal himself.
I am especially glad that none of ours start a disturbance of this kind. They themselves boast that they do not belong to us, and have learned and received nothing from us. They come from heaven, and hear
God himself speaking to them as to angels. What is taught at Wittenberg concerning faith and love and the cross of Christ is an unimportant thing. "You yourself must hear the voice of God," they say, "and experience the work of God in you and feel how much your talents weigh. The Bible means nothing. It is
Bible—Booble—Babel," etc. Were we to say such things of them their cross and sufferings would seem more precious than the sufferings of Christ, and be more highly esteemed and praised, too. In this manner the poor spirit is eager to suffer and boast of his cross. But he will not suffer anyone to east a bit of doubt or counsel caution as to his heavenly voice and work of God. Without considering that I have never read or heard of a more arrogant, imperious holy spirit (if such there be) he wants to enforce faith in an immediate and dictatorial manner.
But there is neither time nor space to judge their doctrines now. Twice before I have fully considered and criticized them.1 If it becomes necessary God willing I can and will deal with them again. I have written this letter to Your Princely Graces because I heard and also gathered from their writings that this same spirit will not let the matter rest with words. Intending to resort to violence and the use of force against the authorities he will instigate revolt without delay. Here Satan lets us catch a glimpse of the knave that's giving too much away. What would this spirit attempt if he gained the following of a mob?
I have already heard earlier from the spirit himself here in Wittenberg,2 that he thinks it necessary to use the sword to carry out his undertaking. At that time I had a hunch that they would go so far as to overthrow civil authority and make themselves lords of the world. Yet before Pilate Christ rejected such an aim, saying that His kingdom is not of this world [John 18:36]. He also taught his disciples not to be as the rulers of the world [Matt. 20:25].
Though I realize full well that Your Princely Graces will know how to deal in this matter better than I can advise, yet I am in duty bound to do my part and respectfully to pray and exhort you to look into this matter carefully. Your obligation and duty to maintain order requires you to guard against such mischief and to prevent rebellion. Your Graces know very well that your power and earthly authority are given you by God in that you have been bidden to preserve the peace and to punish the wrongdoer, as Paul teaches,
Rom. 13[:4]. Therefore your Graces should not sleep nor be idle. For God will want and require an answer if the power of the sword is carelessly used or regarded. Nor would your Graces be able to give account to the people or the world if you tolerated and endured violence and rebellion.
If, however, they attempt to justify themselves (as they usually do with big words) by saying that the Spirit impels them to achieve their goal by resorting to force, I would reply: First, it must be an evil spirit which has no other fruits than the destruction of churches and cloisters and the burning of images. The worst rascals on earth can do this, especially if they feel secure and are unopposed. It would be more impressive if the spirit at Allstedt would go to Dresden, or Berlin, or Ingolstadt to riot against cloisters and burn images. Secondly, their boasting about the Spirit means nothing, for we have the word of St. John that we should "test the spirits to see whether they are of God" [I John 4:1]. This spirit surely has not been tested, but rages about and creates a furor with his wantonness. Were he good he would first allow himself to be tested and judged, in humility, as the Spirit of Christ does.
It would be a fine fruit of the spirit, allowing us to judge him, if he didn't so seek to crawl into corners and shun the light, but came into the open before his enemies and opponents, make a clean breast of things, and give an account of his actions. But the spirit of Allstedt avoids this as the devil avoids the cross. In his hiding place he uses the most fearless language as though he were full of three holy spirits.
Such unseemly boasting reveals clearly what kind of a spirit he is. In his book3 he offers to appear before a harmless assembly, and stake his life and soul upon it, but he will not appear and give answer for himself in a closed session before two or three.
Tell me, who is this bold and defiant holy spirit who confines himself so closely that he will not appear except before a harmless assembly or give answer in closed session or before two or three persons?
What kind of a spirit is this that is afraid of two or three and will not appear in an assembly that might imperil him? I can tell you. He smells the roast. He has been once or twice in my cloister at Wittenberg and had his nose punched. So he doesn't like the soup, and doesn't want to appear except in company with - 25 his own who will applaud his bombast. If I (who have no spirit and hear no heavenly voice) had spoken such words against the papists, how they would have shouted "Victory," and stopped my mouth!
I cannot boast or brag myself with such lofty words. I, poor miserable man, did not initiate my undertaking with such self-confidence, but with much trembling and fear, (as St. Paul confessed even of himself in I Cor. [2:3], though he too could have boasted somewhat of a heavenly voice). How humbly I at first attacked the pope, how I besought him, how I implored him, as my first writings prove! Nevertheless in the poverty of my spirit, I accomplished such things as this world-consuming spirit has never attempted.
Rather he has hitherto avoided and fled from foes, as a knight and gentleman, and even seriously boasted of this aversion as befitting his character of knight and gentleman.
At Leipzig4 I had to take my stand in debate before a very threatening assembly. I had to appear at Augsburg5 without safe-conduct before my worst enemy. At Worms6 I had to appear before the Emperor and the whole realm, though I already knew well that my safe-conduct was worthless, and all kinds of strange wiles and deceit were directed at me. Weak and poor though I was there, yet this was the disposition of my heart: If I had known that as many devils as there were tiles on the roofs at Worms took aim at me, I would still have entered the city on horseback, and this, even though I had never heard of a heavenly voice, or of God's talents and works, or of the Allstedt spirit. I had to take my stand in closed groups of one, two, or three, and meet them wherever and whenever they decided. My poor and troubled spirit has had to stand unshielded as a flower in the field, without being able to choose time, person, place, manner, or degree. I had to be ready and willing to give every man an answer, as St. Peter admonishes [I But this spirit, who is as high above us as the sun is above the earth, and hardly regards us as worms, chooses for himself only harmless and friendly judges and examiners, of whom he can be sure. He refuses to meet two or three in a selected place, and give an account of himself. He feels suspicious, and wants to frighten us with big words. Very well, we can do only what Christ enables us to do. If he forsakes us, we will be frightened by so much as a rustling leaf. If he upholds us, this spirit will become well aware of his high boasting. If it is necessary, I hereby offer your Graces to make public what took place between this spirit and myself in my quarters. From it your Graces and all the world can discern and realize how deceitful a devil this spirit is, and yet a poor devil at that. I have been, and still am, opposed by one who is more cunning. Not the spirits who boast and bluster with proud words accomplish something, but those who sneak around secretly and do damage, before one knows of it.
I have had to say these things so that your Graces might not shrink from this spirit or delay in giving his people strict orders to cease from their violence, the destruction of monasteries and churches and the burning of saints' images. If they want to prove their spirit, let them do it in a becoming manner, and first submit to an examination, either by us or by the papists. For (God be praised) they consider us worse than the papists. Yet they enjoy and use the fruits of our victory, such as marrying, and discarding the papal laws, though they have done no battle for it and risked no bloodshed to attain it. But I have had to attain it for them and, until now, at the risk of my body and my life. I have to boast a little, even as St. Paul [II Cor.
11:16ff.], though it is foolish for me to do so. I would rather refrain from it, if it were not for these deceiving spirits.
If, as is their custom, they claim that their spirit is too high and ours too meager for their cause to be judged by us, then I answer: St. Peter was well aware that his spirit and the spirit of all Christians was superior to that of the Jews and the heathen, yet he commanded that we should be ready and willing to give everyone an answer in a gentle and reverent spirit [I Pet. 3:15f.]. Christ too was aware that his spirit was higher than that of the Jews, yet he submitted himself and offered to be judged by them, saying,
"Which of you convicts me of sin?" [John 8:46]. And to Annas he said, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong" [John 18:23], etc. I know and am assured, by the grace of God, that I am more learned in the Scriptures than all the sophists and papists. But so far God has saved me from pride, and will preserve me, so that I shall never refuse to give answer, or listen to the most insignificant Jew or heathen, or whoever it may be.
How is it that they permit their case to be stated in writing, when they are unwilling to submit to two or three examiners or to a hostile assembly? Do they really think that their literature will be read only by friendly gatherings and not come into the hands of two or three individuals? Indeed, I am amazed how they have forgotten their spirit. Now they want to teach the people orally and in writing, though they still
- 26 boast that each one must hear the voice of God for himself; yet they ridicule us who teach the Word of God orally and in written form, which they claim is of no value. They have a much higher and more precious office than the Apostles and Prophets and Christ himself. These all taught the Word of God orally or in writing, and said nothing about the heavenly voice of God which we are supposed to hear.
This giddy spirit juggles so that he is unaware of his own contradictions.
But I am sure that we who have and acknowledge the gospel, even though we be poor sinners, have the right spirit, or as Paul says, "the first fruits of the Spirit" [Rom. 8:23], even if now we do not have the fulness of the Spirit. There is none other than this one Spirit who apportions his gifts in a wonderful way.
For we know what faith is, and love, and the cross; and we can learn no greater thing on earth than faith and love. Hence we can know and judge what doctrine is true or not true, and whether it is in accordance with the faith or not. Hence we recognize and judge this spirit as having as his purpose the invalidating of the Scriptures and the oral Word of God, and doing away with the sacrament of the altar and of baptism.
He would force us into a spirit wherein we should tempt God with our own works and free will, and take over his work, while we set time, place, and measure for God when he wants to deal with us. Their writings exhibit such grievous arrogance that they explicitly write in opposition to the Gospel of St. Mark, claiming that St. Mark has mistakenly written of baptism in his last chapter [Mark 16:15]. They don't dare so to speak of St. John, and in the words, "Unless one is born of the water and of the spirit" (John 3[:5]), they interpret water, I know not how, but reject completely the bodily baptism in water.
The Spirit is not without fruits. Since their spirit is so much higher than ours I should like to know if their fruits, too, are higher than ours. Indeed their spirit must bear other and better fruits than ours, since it is better and higher. We teach and confess that our Spirit, whom we preach and proclaim, produces the kinds of fruit described by St. Paul in Gal. 5[:22], such as, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." And as he says in Rom. 8[:13], he "puts to death the deeds of the body," and in Gal. 5[:24], "with Christ he crucifies the old Adam with his passions." In brief, the fruit of our spirit is the fulfillment of God's Ten Commandments. Surely the spirit of Allstedt, which doesn't want to be inferior to ours, must produce something higher than love and faith, peace, patience, etc. (though St.
Paul in I Cor. 13[:13] tells us that love is the greatest fruit of all). He must accomplish much more than God has commanded. But I should like to know what this is, especially since we know that the Spirit won for us by Christ is given for this purpose alone, that we should fulfil the commandments of God, as Paul says in Rom. 8[:4].
They claim that we do not live as we teach, and do not have the Spirit that produces such fruits. I would allow them to make this claim, for then we could plainly discern that it is not a good spirit that speaks through them. We ourselves confess (and need no heavenly voice and lofty spirit to tell us) that we regrettably do not do everything we ought to do. In fact, St. Paul tells us in Gal. 5[:17] that it will never be different, as long as flesh and spirit are on earth together, and opposed to each other. I do not perceive any particular fruit of the Allstedtian spirit, except that he wants to do violence and destroy wood and stone.
Love, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, have been very little in evidence so far. It doesn't want its fruits to be that common. By the grace of God I can, however, point to much fruit of the Spirit on our part.
If it is a question of boasting, I, the least and most sinful person, am willing to set myself alone over against all the fruits of all the spirits of Allstedt, no matter how greatly he criticizes my life.
It is not a fruit of the Spirit to criticize a doctrine by the imperfect life of the teacher. For the Holy Spirit criticizes false doctrine while bearing with those who are weak in faith and life, as Paul teaches in Rom. 14[:1ff.] and 15[:1] and everywhere else. I am not so much offended by the unfruitfulness of the spirit of Allstedt as I am by his lying and his attempt to establish other doctrines. I would have paid little attention to the papists, if only they would teach correctly. Their evil life would not cause much harm.
When this spirit goes so far as to be offended at our sickly life and makes this a ground for boldly judging our doctrine, he has shown sufficiently his true character. For the Spirit of Christ condemns no one who teaches rightly, but bears with and supports and helps those who live rightly. He does not despise weak sinners, as this Pharisaical spirit does.
As far as doctrine is concerned, time will tell. For the present, your Graces ought not to stand in the way of the ministry of the Word. Let them preach as confidently and boldly as they are able and against whomever they wish. For, as I have said, there must be sects, and the Word of God must be under arms and fight. Therefore the followers of the Word are called an "army" (Ps. 68[:12]), and Christ is designated
- 27 as a "commander" [Josh. 5:14], in the Prophets [Mic. 5:1; cf. Matt. 2:6; Heb. 2:10]. If their spirit is genuine, he will not be afraid of us and will stand his ground. If our spirit is genuine, he, again, will not fear either it or anyone else. Let the spirits collide and fight it out. If meanwhile some are led astray, all right, such is war. Where there is battle and bloodshed, some must fall and some are wounded. Whoever fights honorably will be crowned.
But when they want to do more than fight with the Word, and begin to destroy and use force, then your Graces must intervene, whether it be ourselves or they who are guilty, and banish them from the country. You can say, "We are willing to endure and permit you to fight with the Word, in order that the true doctrine may prevail. But don't use your fist, for that is our business, else get yourselves out of the country." For we who are engaged in the ministry of the Word are not allowed to use force. Ours is a spiritual conflict in which we wrest hearts and souls from the devil. It is written in Dan. [8:25] that the Antichrist shall be vanquished without human hand. And in Isa. 2 [11:4] we read that in his realm Christ will "smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips." Our calling is to preach and to suffer, not to strike and defend ourselves with the fist. Christ and his apostles destroyed no churches and broke no images. They won hearts with the Word of God, then churches and images fell of themselves.
We should do likewise. First liberate hearts from cloisters and monastic orders. If this is done, shrines and cloisters will be empty, and temporal rulers can dispose of them as they see fit. Why should we worry about wood and stone, when hearts are no longer attached to them? Look at what I have done. I have never disturbed a stone, broken a thing, or set fire to a cloister. Yet, because of my word, the monasteries are now empty in many places, some of which are even in the hands of princes who are opposed to the gospel. Had I done as these prophets and carried on with violence, hearts in all the world would still be in captivity, while I in some place would have crumpled stone or wood. Of what use would this have been?
You may gain fame and honor in that way, but certainly you do not thus win any sours salvation. Some would say that without force I have clone more damage to the pope than a mighty king could do. But these prophets want badly to do something bigger and better. They are not able to do it, so they fail to free souls and attack wood and stone. This is the wonderfully new work of the lofty spirit.
Probably they will object on the ground that the law of Moses commanded the Jews to destroy idols and tear down their altars. I answer: They themselves know well that from the beginning God has performed many kinds of work through one kind of Word and faith and by various saints. The Epistle to the Hebrews makes this clear and tells us that we should follow the faith of these saints [Heb. 13:7]. We cannot imitate all the deeds of the saints. At that time the Jews had a particular command of God enjoining them to destroy altars and images. We in our time do not have such a command. Abraham had a particular command of God to offer his son [Gen. 22:2]. But people who were to follow his example and sacrifice their children would do wrong. We are not commanded to imitate all the various deeds, else we should have to be circumcised and follow all Jewish customs.
Indeed, if we Christians justified our damaging of churches and our violence by Jewish examples, then it would follow that we are bound to put all non-Christians to death. For the Jews were as strictly bidden to put to death Canaanites and Amorites [Exod. 23:23] as they were to destroy images. But all the Allstedtian spirit would gain by this would be the shedding of blood. All who did not hear his heavenly voice would be put to the sword by him, so that the people of God might be free of offenses which are far greater among living non-Christians than images of wood and stone. Furthermore, this command was given to the Jews as a people who had been miraculously saved by God and in a special sense were his people, and who acted through the authority of civil government. It was not a self-appointed mob. But this spirit has still to prove that he is of God's people by a single miracle. Following the behavior of a mob, he sets himself up as if he alone were God's people, and carries on without the command of God or the civil authority ordained by God. Yet he wants us to believe in his spirit.
The doing away with offense must take place through the Word of God. For even if all outward offense were destroyed and done away with, it would be to no avail as long as hearts are not brought from unbelief to the right faith. For an unbelieving heart always finds cause for new offense. When the Jews destroyed one idol they set up ten others instead. Therefore in the New Testament we must adopt the right way to drive out the devil and all offense, namely, by the Word of God. When we redeem the heart, the devil and all his pomp and power will assuredly fall of themselves.