Page:History of Freedom.djvu/200

 15 6

ESSAYS ON LIBERTY

destruction through the preachers of treason and blood." 1 He instantly turned from the people to the princes; 2 impressed on his party that character of political depend- ence, and that habit of passive obedience to the State, which it has ever since retained, and gave it a stability it could never otherwise have acquired. In thus taking refuge in the arms of the civil power, purchasing the safety of his doctrine by the sacrifice of its freedom, and conferring on the State, together with the right of control, the duty of imposing it at the point of the sword, Luther in reality reverted to his original teaching. 8 The notion of liberty, whether civil or religious, was hateful to his despotic nature, and contrary to his interpretation of Scripture. As early as 15 19 he had said that even the Turk was to be reverenced as an authority.4 The demoralising servitude and lawless oppression which the peasants endured, gave them, in his eyes, no right to relief; and \vhen they rushed to arms, invoking his name as their deliverer, he exhorted the nobles to take a merci- less revenge. 5 Their crime was, that they were animated by the sectarian spirit, \\Thich it \vas the most important interest of Luther to suppress.

1 c c Ich sehe das wohl, dass der Teufel. so er mich bisher nieht hat mögen umbringen durch den Pabst, sucht er mich durch die blutdürstigen 1\10rdpro- pheten und Rottengeisten, so unter euch sind, zu vertilgen und auffressen" ( Werke, xvi, 77)' 2 Schenkel, IVesen des Profestantismus, iii. 348, 3SI; Hagen, Geist der Re- formation, ii, 146, ISI; Menzel, l\!euere Geschichte der Deutschen, i. I IS, 8 See the best of his biographies, ]ürgens, Lutlzer's Leben, iii. 601. 4 c, Quid hoc ad me? qui sciam etiam Turcam honorandum et ferendum potestatis gratia, Quia certus sum non nisi volente Deo ullam potestatem con- sistere" (De Wette, i. 236). 5 c. I beg first of all that you will not help to mollify Count Albert in these matters, but let him go on as he has begun. . . . Encourage him to go on briskly, to leave things in the hands of God, and obey His divine command to wield the sword as long as he can," cc Do not allow yourselves to be much dis- turbed, for it will redound to the advantage of many souls that will be terrified by it, and preserved," · · If there are innocent persons amongst them, God will surely save and preserve them, as He did with Lot and Jeremiah, If He does not, then they are certainly not innocent,. . . We must pray for them that they obey, otherwise tbis is no time for compassion; just let the guns deal with tbem, " c. Sentio melius esse omnes rusticos caedi quam principes et magistratus, eo quod rustici sine autoritate Dei gladium accipiunt, Quam nequitiam Satanae sequi non potest nisi mera Satanica vastitas regni Dei, et mundi principes etsi excedunt, tamen gladium autoritate Dei gerunt, Ibi utrumque regnum con- sistere potest, quare nulla misericordia, nulla patientia rusticis debetur, sed ira et indignatio Dei et hominum" (De \Vette, ii, 6S3, 6SS, 666, 669, 67 1 ),