Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/146

 108 Readings in European History Thereby they become the greatest blasphemers and violators of God's holy name, and serve and honor the devil under the semblance of the gospel, so that they have ten times deserved death of body and soul, for never have I heard of uglier sins. And I believe also that the devil foresees the judgment day, that he undertakes such an unheard-of measure ; as if he said, " It is the last and therefore it shall be the worst ; I '11 stir up the dregs and knock the very bottom out." May the Lord restrain him ! Lo, how mighty a prince is the devil, how he holds the world in his hands and can put it to confusion : who else could so soon capture so many thousands of peasants, lead them astray, blind and deceive them, stir them to revolt, and make them the willing executioners of his malice. . . . And should the peasants prevail (which God forbid!), — for all things are possible to God, and we know not but that he is preparing for the judgment day, which cannot be far distant, and may purpose to destroy, by means of the devil, all order and authority and throw the world into wild chaos, — yet surely they who are found, sword in hand, shall perish in the wreck with clear consciences, leaving to the devil the kingdom of this world and receiving instead the eternal kingdom. For we are come upon such strange times that a prince may more easily win heaven by the shedding of blood than others by prayers. II. The Augsburg Confession (1530) 254. The The Augsburg Confession would fill some thirty pages Augsburg Q £ ^ volume. 1 The extracts here given relate to some Confession. & of the most important contentions of the Protestants. They illustrate, too, the moderate and conciliatory tone of the document — which was drawn up by Melanchthon — as compared with Luther's fervid denunciations of the old Church. 1 A complete English translation is published by the Lutheran Pub- lication Society (Philadelphia) and sold for 10 cents.