Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/324

 As for showing mercy to th e peasants, there are innocent men among them, whom God will save and protect, as He did Lot and Jeremiah. If He does not save them, then they cer- tainly are not innocent, but have at least kept silence and ap- proved of the rebellion. Even though they may have done it from timidity or fear, nevertheless it is wrong and in God's eyes a sin that must be punished, like the sin of a man who denies Qirist because he is afraid, and my writings against the peasants are all the harder because without ceasing they compel these fearful souls to do their will and incur God's punishment.

The wise man says, *'Cibus, onus et virga asino;** * "straw for the peasant." They have gone mad and will not hear the Word, and so they must bear the rod, that is, the guns; it serves them right. We. ought to pray for them that they may be obedient ; if not, then let the shot whistle, or they will make things a thousandfold worse.

I shall write to the Bishop * and send you a copy. Munzer has not had the right sort of an examination; I should have asked him very different questions. His confession is noth- ing else than a devilish, hardened persistence in his opinion. He says in his confession that he has done no wron^. That is terrible. I should not have thought a hiunan heart could be so hardened.

Well, anyone who has seen Munzer can say that he has seen the very devil, and at his worst. O God ! If this is the spirit that is in the peasants it is high time that they were killed like mad dogs. It may be that the devil feels the near- ness of the last day, and so decides to stir up all the dr^ and show all his hellish power at once. Haec sunt tempora, but God still lives and reigns and will not forsake us. His goodness is nearer, mightier and wiser than the ragings and the ravings of Satan.

A report has reached here that the collector of Allstedt " has been put to death, but we hope it is a lie. The same report

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��^''Fodder, a load, and a stick for an ass.' •Albert of Mayence. C/. no. 685.

'The home of Munzer. The collector was Hans Zeis, and the report of his execution was false.

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