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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