Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chronology 1521–1528
- Bibliographical note
- 1 Thomas Müntzer, The Prague Protest
- 2 Thomas Müntzer, Sermon to the Princes (or An Exposition of the Second Chapter of Daniel)
- 3 Andreas Karlstadt, Letter from the Community of Orlamunde to the People of Allstedt
- 4 Conrad Grebel, Letter to Thomas Müntzer
- 5 Andreas Karlstadt, Whether One Should Proceed Slowly
- 6 Thomas Müntzer, A Highly Provoked Defense
- 7 Felix Manz, Protest and Defense
- 8 Anonymous, To the Assembly of the Common Peasantry
- 9 Hans Denck, On the Law of God
- 10 Hans Hut, On the Mystery of Baptism
- 11 Michael Sattler, The Schleitheim Articles
- 12 Balthasar Hubmaier, On the Sword
- 13 Hans Hergot, On the New Transformation of the Christian Life
- Appendices: Programs of the Peasants' War
- Biographical notes
- Index of subjects
- Index of proper names
- Index of biblical references
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
9 - Hans Denck, On the Law of God
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chronology 1521–1528
- Bibliographical note
- 1 Thomas Müntzer, The Prague Protest
- 2 Thomas Müntzer, Sermon to the Princes (or An Exposition of the Second Chapter of Daniel)
- 3 Andreas Karlstadt, Letter from the Community of Orlamunde to the People of Allstedt
- 4 Conrad Grebel, Letter to Thomas Müntzer
- 5 Andreas Karlstadt, Whether One Should Proceed Slowly
- 6 Thomas Müntzer, A Highly Provoked Defense
- 7 Felix Manz, Protest and Defense
- 8 Anonymous, To the Assembly of the Common Peasantry
- 9 Hans Denck, On the Law of God
- 10 Hans Hut, On the Mystery of Baptism
- 11 Michael Sattler, The Schleitheim Articles
- 12 Balthasar Hubmaier, On the Sword
- 13 Hans Hergot, On the New Transformation of the Christian Life
- Appendices: Programs of the Peasants' War
- Biographical notes
- Index of subjects
- Index of proper names
- Index of biblical references
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Summary
On the law of God. How the law must be removed, and yet must be fulfilled.
Preface
No time has ever been so evil that God has not done something for mankind for which he cannot be thanked enough. Again, there has never been such prosperity in this world that some evil has not had to be feared. Not that God himself is so inconstant or takes pleasure in such unrest. Rather, everything carnal is so perverted that it always misuses what is at its disposal, even the very best things that God shares with it. Therefore the Lord always mixes his sweetness with salt for all his friends, as long as they stay in this world, so that the sweetness stays fresh, and his friends do not get lazy and dull.
Some people, even the majority, complain that die world is now filled with evil. This is indeed true. For although the world has always been an evil tree, it has never borne so much evil fruit as in our time. All history books and chronicles show the truth of this. But still, however much there is to complain about, there is much more that God should be thanked for if one does not look at things with a jaundiced eye. For, to say nothing of the secret work of God, if God has awakened the whole world only to ask what is the truth and to worry about error, all the treasures and values of the whole world cannot be compared to this.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Radical Reformation , pp. 130 - 151Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1991