Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/144

 io6 Readings in European History soldiers : Lorenz Diem, the sexton, Joseph Schad, a tanner, Fritz Dalck, a butcher, and others, but were nevertheless executed. July i. Fifteen more are beheaded in the market place, including the blind monk. All the bodies are left on the market place all day, then buried. All of these died with- out confession or the last sacrament, and did not even ask for it. 253. Luther, Luther, distracted by the fearful work of the peasants Mu^derine & an< ^ ^ e boundless discredit which they were bringing and Robbing upon the name of the gospel, could find no words too Bands of the ....... .. ..... Peasants." terrible in which to urge the princes to annihilate the rebels. In my preceding pamphlet [on the " Twelve Articles "] 1 I had no occasion to condemn the peasants, because they promised to yield to law and better instruction, as Christ also demands (Matt. vii. i). But before I can turn around, they go out and appeal to force, in spite of their promises, and rob and pillage and act like mad dogs. From this it is quite apparent what they had in their false minds, and that what they put forth under the name of the gospel in the " Twelve Articles " was all vain pretense. In short, they practice mere devil's work, and it is the arch-devil himself who reigns at Miihlhausen, 2 indulging in nothing but rob- bery, murder, and bloodshed ; as Christ says of the devil in John viii. 44, "he was a murderer from the beginning." Since, therefore, those peasants and miserable wretches allow themselves to be led astray and act differently from what they declared, I likewise must write differently con- cerning them ; and first bring their sins before their eyes, as God commands (Isa. lviii. 1 ; Ezek. ii. 7), whether per- chance some of them may come to their senses ; and, fur- ther, I would instruct those in authority how to conduct themselves in this matter. 1 See above, p. 99. 2 Miinzer, the most fanatical, perhaps, of the leaders.