The Peasant War in Germany

and  become  part  of  us.  For  if  His  grace  work  not  within  us  we  remain  flesh  and  blood,
which availeth nothing; since the Scripture clearly teaches that only through true faith can
we come to God. Only through His mercy can we become holy. Hence such a guide and
pastor is necessary and in this fashion grounded upon the Scriptures.
The Second Article. – According as the just tithe is established by the Old Testament and
fulfilled  in  the  New,  we  are  ready  and  willing  to  pay  the  fair  tithe  of  grain.  The  word  of
God plainly provided that in giving according to right to God and distributing to His people
the  services  of  a  pastor  are  required.  We  will  that,  for  the  future,  our  church  provost,
whomsoever the community may appoint, shall gather and receive this tithe. From this he
shall  give  to  the  pastor,  elected  by  the  whole  community,  a  decent  and  sufficient
maintenance  for  him  and  his,  as  shall  seem  right  to  the  whole  community  (or,  with  the
knowledge of the community). What remains over shall be given to the poor of the place,
as the circumstances and the general opinion demand. Should anything farther remain, let it
be kept, lest any one should have to leave the country from poverty. Provision should also
be  made  from  this  surplus  to  avoid  laying  any  land  tax  on  the  poor.  In  case  one  or  more
villages  themselves  have  sold  their  tithes  on  account  of  want,  and  each  village  has  taken
action as a whole, the buyer should not suffer loss, but we will that some proper agreement
be  reached  with  him  for  the  repayment  of  the  sum  by  the  village  with  due  interest.  But
those  who  have  tithes  which  they  have  not  purchased  from  a  village,  but  which  were
appropriated by their ancestors, should not, and ought not, to be paid anything farther by
the  village  which  shall  apply  its  tithes  to  the  support  of  the  pastors  elected  as  above
indicated,  or  to  solace  the  poor  as  is  taught  by  the  Scriptures.  The  small  tithes,  whether
ecclesiastical or lay, we will not pay at all, for the Lord God created cattle for the free use
of man. We will not, therefore, pay farther an unseemly tithe which is of man’s invention.
The  Third  Article.  –  It  has  been  the  custom  hitherto  for  men  to  hold  us  as  their  own
property, which is pitiable enough, considering that Christ has delivered and redeemed us
all,  without  exception,  by  the  shedding  of  His  precious  blood,  the  lowly  as  well  as  the
great. Accordingly, it is consistent with Scripture that we should be free and wish to be so.
Not that we would wish to be absolutely free and under no authority. God does not teach us
that  we  should  lead  a  disorderly  life  in  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  but  that  we  should  love  the
Lord our God and our neighbour. We would gladly observe all this as God has commanded
us  in  the  celebration  of  the  communion.  He  has  not  commanded  us  not  to  obey  the
authorities,  but  rather  that  we  should  be  humble,  not  only  towards  those  in  authority,  but
towards  every  one.  We  are  thus  ready  to  yield  obedience  according  to  God’s  law  to  our
elected and regular authorities in all proper things becoming to a Christian. We, therefore,
take it for granted that you will release us from serfdom as true Christians, unless it should
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be shown us from the Gospel that we are serfs.
The Fourth Article.  –  In  the  fourth  place  it  has  been  the  custom  heretofore,  that  no  poor
man should be allowed to catch venison or wild fowl or fish in flowing water, which seems
to  us  quite  unseemly  and  unbrotherly  as  well  as  selfish  and  not  agreeable  to  the  word  of
God.  In  some  places  the  authorities  preserve  the  game  to  our  great  annoyance  and  loss,
recklessly  permitting  the  unreasoning  animals  to  destroy  to  no  purpose  our  crops  which
God suffers to grow for the use of man, and yet we must remain quiet. This is neither godly
or  neighbourly.  For  when  God  created  man  he  gave  him  dominion  over  all  the  animals,
over the birds of the air and over the fish in the water. Accordingly it is our desire if a man
holds possession of waters that he should prove from satisfactory documents that his right
has been unwittingly acquired by purchase. We do not wish to take it from him by force,
but  his  rights  should  be  exercised  in  a  Christian  and  brotherly  fashion.  But  whosoever
cannot produce such evidence should surrender his claim with good grace.
The Fifth Article. – In the fifth place we are aggrieved in the matter of wood-cutting, for
the noble folk have appropriated all the woods to themselves alone. If a poor man requires
wood  he  must  pay  double  for  it  (or,  perhaps,  two  pieces  of  money).  It  is  our  opinion  in
regard to wood which has fallen into the hands of a lord whether spiritual or temporal, that
unless it was duly purchased it should revert again to the community. It should, moreover,
be free to every member of the community to help himself to such fire-wood as he needs in
his home. Also, if a man requires wood for carpenter’s purposes he should have it free, but
with  the  knowledge  of  a  person  appointed  by  the  community  for  that  purpose.  Should,
however, no such forest be at the disposal of the community let that which has been duly
bought be administered in a brotherly and Christian manner. If the forest, although unfairly
appropriated in the first instance, was later duly sold let the matter be adjusted in a friendly
spirit and according to the Scriptures.
The Sixth Article. – Our sixth complaint is in regard the excessive services demanded of us
which are increased from day to day. We ask that this matter be properly looked into so that
we shall not continue to be oppressed in this way, but that some gracious consideration be
given us, since our forefathers were required only to serve according to the word of God.
The  Seventh  Article.  –  Seventh,  we  will  not  hereafter  allow  ourselves  to  be  farther
oppressed by our lords, but will let them demand only what is just and proper according to
the word of the agreement between the lord and the peasant. The lord should no longer try
to  force  more  services  or  other  dues  from  the  peasant  without  payment,  but  permit  the
peasant to enjoy his holding in peace and quiet. The peasant should, however, help the lord
when it is necessary, and at proper times when it will not be disadvantageous to the peasant
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