The History of Freedom Part 14

[Footnote 230: "Nu ist alle Abgotterey gegen die Messe ein geringes" (De Wette, v. 191; sec. iv. 307)]

[Footnote 231: Bucholtz, iii. 570.]

[Footnote 232: "Sie aber verachten die Schrift muthwilliglich, darum waren sie billig aus der einigen Ursach zu stillen, oder nicht zu leiden" (De Wette, iii. 90).]

[Footnote 233: "Wollen sie aber wie die Juden seyn, nicht Christen heissen, noch Kaisers Glieder, sondern sich la.s.sen Christus und Kaisers Feinde nennen, wie die Juden; wohlan, so wollen wir's auch leiden, da.s.s sie in ihren Synagogen, wie die Juden, verschlossen lastern, so lang sie wollen" (De Wette, iv. 94).]

[Footnote 234: Riffel, _Kirchengeschichte_, ii. 9; _Table-Talk_, iii.

175.]

[Footnote 235: "Ego ab initio, c.u.m primum caepi nosse Ciconiam et Ciconiae factionem, unde hoc totum genus Anabaptistarum exortum est, fui stulte clemens. Sentiebant enim et alii haereticos non esse ferro opprimendos. Et tunc dux Fridericus vehementer iratus erat Ciconiae: ac nisi a n.o.bis tectus esset, fuisset de homine furioso et perdite malo sumtum supplicium. Nunc me ejus clementiae non parum poenitet....

Brentius nimis clemens est" (Bretschneider, ii. 17, Feb. 1530).]

[Footnote 236: "Sed objiciunt exemplum n.o.bis periculosum: si haec pertinent ad magistratus, quoties igitur magistratus judicabit aliquos errare, saeviet in eos. Caesar igitur debet nos opprimere, quoniam ita judicat nos errare. Respondeo: certe debet errores et prohibere et punire.... Non est enim solius Caesaris cognitio, sicut in urbibus haec cognitio non est tantum magistratus prophani, sed est doctorum. Viderit igitur magistratus ut recte judicet" (Bretschneider, ii. 712).

"Deliberent igitur principes, non c.u.m tyrannis, non c.u.m pontificibus, non c.u.m hypocritis, monachis aut aliis, sed c.u.m ipsa Evangelii voce, c.u.m probatis scriptoribus" (Bretschneider, iii. 254).]

[Footnote 237: "Quare ita sentias, magistratum debere uti summa severitate in coercendis hujusmodi spiritibus.... Sines igitur novis exemplis timorem incuti mult.i.tudini ... ad haec notae tibi sint causae seditionum, quas gladio prohiberi oportet.... Propterea sentio de his qui etiamsi non defendunt seditiosos articulos, habent manifeste blasphemos, quod interfici a magistratu debeant" (ii. 17, 18). "De Anabaptistis tulimus hic in genere sententiam: quia constat sectam diabolicam esse, non esse tolerandam: dissipari enim ecclesias per eos, c.u.m ipsi nullam habeant certam doctrinam.... Ideo in capita factionum in singulis locis ultima supplicia const.i.tuenda esse judicavimus" (ii.

549). "It is clear that it is the duty of secular government to punish blasphemy, false doctrine, and heresy, on the bodies of those who are guilty of them.... Since it is evident that there are gross errors in the articles of the Anabaptist sect, we conclude that in this case the obstinate ought to be punished with death" (iii. 199). "Propter hanc causam Deus ordinavit politias ut Evangelium propagari possit ... nec revocamus politiam Moysi, sed lex moralis perpetua est omnium aetatum ... quandoc.u.mque constat doctrinam esse impiam, nihil dubium est quin sanior pars Ecclesiae debeat malos pastores removere et abolere impios cultus. Et hanc emendationem praecipue adjuvare debent magistratus, tanquam potiora membra Ecclesiae" (iii. 242, 244). "Thammerus, qui Mahometicas seu Ethnicas opiniones spargit, vagatur in dioecesi Mindensi, quem publicis suppliciis adficere debebant.... Evomuit blasphemias, quae refutandae sunt non tantum disputatione aut scriptis, sed etiam justo officio pii magistratus" (ix. 125, 131).]

[Footnote 238: "Voco autem blasphemos qui articulos habent, qui proprie non pertinent ad civilem statum, sed continent [Greek: theorias] ut de divinitate Christi et similes. Etsi enim gradus quidam sunt, tamen huc etiam refero baptismum infantum.... Quia magistratui commissa est tutela totius legis, quod attinet ad externam disciplinam et externa facta.

Quare delicta externa contra primam tabulam prohibere ac punire debet.... Quare non solum concessum est, sed etiam mandatum est magistratui, impias doctrinas abolere, et tueri pias in suis ditionibus"

(ii. 711). "Ecclesiastica potestas tantum judicat et excommunicat haereticos, non occidit. Sed potestas civilis debet const.i.tuere poenas et supplicia in haereticos, sicut in blasphemos const.i.tuit supplicia....

Non enim plect.i.tur fides, sed haeresis" (xii. 697).]

[Footnote 239: "Notum est etiam, quosdam tetra et [Greek: dysphema]

dixisse de sanguine Christi, quos puniri oportuit, et propter gloriam Christi, et exempli causa" (viii. 553). "Argumentatur ille praestigiator (Schwenkfeld), verb.u.m externum non esse medium, quo Deus est efficax.

Talis sophistica principum severitate compescenda erat" (ix. 579).]

[Footnote 240: "The office of preacher is distinct from that of governor, yet both have to contribute to the praise of G.o.d. Princes are not only to protect the goods and bodily life of their subjects, but the princ.i.p.al function is to promote the honour of G.o.d, and to prevent idolatry and blasphemy" (iii. 199). "Errant igitur magistratus, qui divellunt gubernationem a fine, et se tantum pacis ac ventris custodes esse existimant.... At si tantum venter curandus esset, quid differrent principes ab armentariis? Nam longe aliter sentiendum est. Politias divinitus admirabili sapientia et bonitate const.i.tutas esse, non tantum ad quaerenda et fruenda ventris bona, sed multo magis, ut Deus in societate innotescat, ut aeterna bona quaerantur" (iii. 246).]

[Footnote 241: "Neque illa barbarica excusatio audienda est, leges illas pertinere ad politiam Mosaicam, non ad nostram. Ut Decalogus ipse ad omnes pertinet, ita judex ubique omnia Decalogi officia in externa disciplina tueatur" (viii. 520).]

[Footnote 242: "Legi scriptum tuum, in quo refutasti luculenter horrendas Serveti blasphemias, ac filio Dei gratias ago, qui fuit [Greek: brabeutes] hujus tui agonis. Tibi quoque Ecclesia et nunc et ad posteros grat.i.tudinem debet et debebit. Tuo judicio prorsus adsentior.

Affirmo etiam, vestros magistratus juste fecisse, quod hominem blasphemum, re ordine judicata, interfecerunt" (Melanchthon to Calvin, Bretschneider, viii. 362). "Judico etiam Senatum Genevensem recte fecisse, quod hominem pertinacem et non omissurum blasphemias sustulit.

Ac miratus sum, esse, qui severitatem illam improbent" (viii. 523).

"Dedit vero et Genevensis reip. magistratus ante annos quatuor punitae insanabilis blasphemiae adversus filium Dei, sublato Serveto Arragone pium et memorabile ad omnem posteritatem exemplum" (ix. 133).]

[Footnote 243: "Abusus missae per magistratus debet tolli. Non aliter, atque sustulit aeneum serpentem Ezechias, aut excelsa demolitus est Josias" (i. 480). "Politicis magistratibus severissime mandatum est, ut suo quisque loco manibus et armis tollant statuas, ad quas fiunt hominum concursus et invocationes, et puniant suppliciis corporum insanabiles, qui idolorum cultum pertinaciter retinent, aut blasphemias serunt" (ix.

77).]

[Footnote 244: "If the French and English community at Frankfort shared the errors of Servetus or Thamer, or other enemies of the Symbols, or the errors of the Anabaptists on infant baptism, against the authority of the State, etc., I should faithfully advise and strongly recommend that they should be soon driven away; for the civil power is bound to prevent and to punish proved blasphemy and sedition. But I find that this community is orthodox in the symbolical articles on the Son of G.o.d, and in other articles of the Symbol.... If the faith of the citizens in every town were inquired into, what trouble and confusion would not arise in many countries and towns!" (ix. 179).]

[Footnote 245: Schmidt, _Philipp Melanchthon_, p. 640. His exhortations to the Landgrave to put down the Zwinglians are characteristic: "The Zwinglians, without waiting for the Council, persecute the Papists and the Anabaptists; why must it be wrong for others to prohibit their indefensible doctrine independent of the Council?" Philip replied: "Forcibly, to prohibit a doctrine which neither contradicts the articles of faith nor encourages sedition, I do not think right.... When Luther began to write and to preach, he admonished and instructed the Government that it had no right to forbid books or to prevent preaching, and that its office did not extend so far, but that it had only to govern the body and goods.... I had not heard before that the Zwinglians persecute the Papists; but if they abolish abuses, it is not unjust, for the Papists wish to deserve heaven by their works, and so blaspheme the Son of G.o.d. That they should persecute the Anabaptists is also not wrong, for their doctrine is in part seditious." The divines answered: "If by G.o.d's grace our true and necessary doctrine is tolerated as it has. .h.i.therto been by the emperor, though reluctantly, we think that we ought not to prevent it by undertaking the defence of the Zwinglian doctrine, if that should not be tolerated. ... As to the argument that we ought to spare the people while persecuting the leaders, our answer is, that it is not a question of persons, but only of doctrine, whether it be true or false" (Correspondence of Brenz and Melanchthon with Landgrave Philip of Hesse, Bretschneider, ii. 95, 98, 101).]

[Footnote 246: Hardwicke, _Reformation_, p. 274.]

[Footnote 247: Seidemann, _Thomas Munzer_, p. 35.]

[Footnote 248: Schenkel, iii. 381.]

[Footnote 249: Heinrich Grosbeck's _Bericht_, ed. Cornelius, 19.]

[Footnote 250: Herzog, _Encyclopadie fur protestantische Theologie_, ii.

418.]

[Footnote 251: Bussierre, _Establiss.e.m.e.nt du Protestantisme en Alsace_, p. 429.]

[Footnote 252: Baum, _Capito und Butzer_, p. 489.]

[Footnote 253: Baum, p. 492; Erbkam, _Protestantische Sekten_, p. 581.]

[Footnote 254: Ursinus writes to Bullinger: "Liberavit nos Deus ab idolatria: succedit licentia infinita et horribilis divini nominis, ecclesiae doctrinae purioris et sacramentorum prophanatio et sub pedibus porcorum et canum, conniventibus atque utinam non defendentibus iis qui prohibere suo loco debebant, conculcatio" (Sudhoff, _Olevia.n.u.s und Ursinus_, p. 340).]

[Footnote 255: "Adserere audemus, neminem magistratum recte gerere ne posse quidem, nisi Christia.n.u.s sit" (Zuingli, _Opera_, iii. 296). "If they shall proceed in an unbrotherly way, and against the ordinance of Christ, then let them be deposed, in G.o.d's name" (Schenkel, iii. 362).]

[Footnote 256: Christoffel, _Huldreich Zwingli_, p. 251.]

[Footnote 257: Zwingli's advice to the Protestants of St. Gall, in Pressel, _Joachim Vadian_, p. 45.]

[Footnote 258: Pestalozzi, _Heinrich Bullinger_, p. 95.]

[Footnote 259: _Ibid._, _Leo Juda_, p. 50.]

[Footnote 260: Pestalozzi, _Heinrich Bullinger_, p. 146.]

[Footnote 261: _Ibid._ p. 149.]

[Footnote 262: _Ibid._ p. 270.]

[Footnote 263: Pestalozzi, _Heinrich Bullinger_, p. 426.]

[Footnote 264: In the year 1555 he writes to Socinus: "I too am of opinion that heretical men must be cut off with the spiritual sword....

The Lutherans at first did not understand that sectaries must be restrained and punished, but after the fall of Munster, when thousands of poor misguided men, many of them orthodox, had perished, they were compelled to admit that it is wiser and better for the Government not only to restrain wrong-headed men, but also, by putting to death a few that deserve it, to protect thousands of inhabitants" (_Ibid._ p. 428).]

[Footnote 265: Herzog, _Leben Oekolampads_, ii 197.]

[Footnote 266: _Ibid._ p. 189.]

[Footnote 267: _Ibid._ p. 206.]

[Footnote 268: Herzog, _Leben Oekolampads_, ii. 195. Herzog finds an excuse for the harsh treatment of the Lutherans at Basel in the still greater severity of the Lutheran Churches against the followers of the Swiss reformation (_Ibid._ 213).]

[Footnote 269: Hundes.h.a.gen, _Conflikte des Zwinglianismus und Calvinismus_, 41.]

[Footnote 270: "Huc spectat (politia) ... ne idololatria, ne in Dei nomen sacrilegia, ne adversus ejus veritatem blasphemiae aliaeque religionis offensiones publice emergant ac in populum spargantur....

Politicam ordinationem probo, quae in hoc inc.u.mbit, ne vera religio, quae Dei lege continetur, palam, publicisque sacrilegiis impune violetur" (_Inst.i.tutio Christianae Religionis_, ed. Tholuck, ii. 477).

"Hoc ergo summopere requiritur a regibus, ut gladio quo praediti sunt utuntur ad cultum Dei a.s.serendum" (_Praelectiones in Prophetas, Opera_, v. 233, ed. 1667).]