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
12 - Balthasar Hubmaier, On the Sword
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 sword. A Christian explanation of the Scriptures which are cited very earnestly by some brothers against government – that is, that Christians should not occupy positions of power or wield the sword.
Dr. Balthasar Hubmaier of Friedberg. 1527
To the noble and Christian lord, Sir Arkleb of Bozkowic and Tzernehor at Trebitz, Chancellor of the Margravate of Moravia, my merciful lord. I wish you grace and peace in God.
Noble, merciful lord, your grace probably knows well that all those who accept, love and preach the holy gospel in these last and dangerous times must not only be deprived of goods and tortured in body (Matthew 5[:11f.]); even their honor, which people regard as the most precious jewel on earth, must also be wounded and violated by the godless. Precisely these things are the weapons of hellish Satan, through which he unceasingly tries to suppress, root out and hinder evangelical teaching and truth. But he will not succeed. His head must be crushed because of that. Especially now, the servants of the devil must call all Christian preachers rebels, demagogues, and heretics on the grounds that they repudiate authority and teach disobedience. But this is not a cause for wonder. The same thing also happened to Christ (Luke 23,[:2], Jeremiah 38[:4], 1 Kings 18), although he publicly taught that one should “render to Caesar that which is Caesar's” (Matthew 22[:21]), just as he paid the tax for himself and for Peter (Matthew 17[:24]).
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- Information
- The Radical Reformation , pp. 181 - 209Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1991