Humble Supplication of the Poor, Despised Christians

“If a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not vex him.” “He shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself,” Leviticus 19, verses 33 and 34.

To all the pious, kind and reasonable magistrates, lords, princes, rulers and commanders, we, the poor, despised and scattered children, wish eternal happiness, a happy reign, and every blessing of God our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

“Amend your ways and your doings.” “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor; if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever,” Jeremiah 7, verses 3 and 5 to 7.

“Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you do not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth as the morning,” Isaiah 58, verses 7 and 8.

It is well known to many persons, noble, honorable and kind lords, that many are more diligent and zealous to carry out the law of Theodosius (although this law was formerly forced from the good emperor by the bloodthirsty bishops), the mandate of Charles the Fifth, and the decree of the Roman empire passed in our times against those whom they call Anabaptists, than they are to have the word of God obeyed. They never consider that these laws and decrees were made not on account of baptism itself, but on account of the ungodly errors and abominations which were committed through the doctrine and doings of the baptized. For if the law, mandate and decree mentioned were issued on account of baptism, and not on account of the crimes committed at different times by those who were baptized, then Christ Jesus, the apostles, Cyprian the Martyr, all the African bishops, the Nicene council, and besides them the great apostle Paul, were also by them judged to be public criminals. This cannot be refuted.

We are opposed to the Donatists, Circumcelliones and Munsterites, and to the errors, abuses and abominations of all riotous sects committed in our times (on account of which the law of Theodosius was formerly passed, and in our times the imperial mandate and the condemnation of the empire were issued); and we were opposed to them from the beginning of our doctrine and faith. And before God and his angels we seek nothing on earth except that we may humbly and obediently follow the express and clear word, Spirit, example, command, prohibition, usage and ordinance of the Lord, by which we should judge everything belonging to the kingdom and church of Christ if we would please God, as is testified and shown on every hand by our tribulation, oppression, misery, anxiety and blood. Therefore it is unchristian before God and man, indeed, plainly wrong and detestable, to impose on us the same penalty and punishment that is imposed on the Circumcelliones, on account of baptism alone, which we have maintained in conformity with the word of God and with the apostolic doctrine and usage, and against all human philosophy and inventions. To treat us, I say, the same as they treated the Circumcelliones, who, according to history, committed such detestable, cruel tyrannies, and also the same as they treated the Munsterites, who, contrary to the word of God, to all the evangelical Scriptures and also to sound government, set up a new kingdom, rebellion, polygamy and such things; all of which we unflinchingly oppose and rebuke, as may be seen by our open actions and doings.

We would therefore, in the first place, for the sake of Christ, humbly beg your Excellencies and your honorable Wisdom to consider with pity and fatherly concern how lamentably your miserable subjects, who were created with you by one God, were purchased with the same treasure, and will at last appear with you before the same judgment, are, through no fault of their own, lied about, mocked and slandered by the whole world, and especially by the preachers; and how in many places they are destroyed without pity or mercy as the worst criminals on earth, and are given as food to the birds of the air; how they are put to the stake and on the wheel with the criminals (as was our forerunner, Christ); and how many of us, with our wives and little children, are driven from our country and possessions and must wander in foreign countries, naked and destitute. And all this for no other reason, God knows, than that we do not agree with the disorderly way of living of this world, and do not commune with the preachers who oppose the word of the Lord by their doctrine, sacraments and life; that we rightly use baptism and the Lord’s Supper and shun all idolatry, self-righteousness and abuses, according to the Scriptures; and that we would gladly, in our weakness, fear the Lord and follow him in righteousness.

We beg your Excellencies and Honors to consider in the fear of God what he requires of you, namely, that you judge rightly between man and man, without any respect of persons, and that you deliver the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor. The Lord says, “Execute judgment between a man and his neighbor”; “Do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood.” Consider this, so that your despised servants and miserable subjects, who have fled from the roaring lions, may serve the Lord in peace and quiet and earn their bread according to the Scriptures under your fatherly care and merciful protection, Jeremiah 7, verses 6 and 7; Jeremiah 22, verse 17; Isaiah, chapter 59.

Secondly, we desire that your Excellencies and Honors would weigh by the infallible word of God, by the living example of Christ, and by the pious, blameless life of the saints, how a true Christian should be disposed according to the Scriptures. If reading, singing, water, bread, wine, a name and boasting made true Christianity, then there would be a great number of Christians. But no, beloved lords, no. The word of God knows no Christians except those who are born anew in Christ of the living seed of God, through the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ, which, preached in the power of the Spirit, is accepted in true faith by the grace of God and through the working of the Holy Spirit; who by virtue of this birth bury the old sinful life and rise with Christ in newness of life; who in their weakness gladly obey the holy will, word, example, ordinances and commands of the Lord, and sincerely die to everything contrary to them; who diligently fight against all licentious, vain thoughts and besetting sins which flow from the inherited nature of Adam; who daily sigh and mourn before the Lord with a humble, broken heart on account of their human weakness, errors and shortcomings; and who are prepared to take on themselves the cross of Christ and to forsake father, mother, husband, wife, children, possessions and self for the sake of the testimony of his holy word, when the honor and praise of God require it. In short, they are of the same mind as Christ Jesus; they are in Christ and Christ in them; they are led by his Spirit; and they abide unchangeably in the word of the Lord through true faith, firm confidence and a living hope, in all temptations and perils, Romans 6, verse 4; Colossians 2, verse 12; Galatians 3, verse 27; Second Timothy, chapter 3; Matthew 10, verse 38; Luke 14, verse 27; Philippians 2, verse 3.

It is found in fact that our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, our beloved companions in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, Revelation 1, verse 9, fear and love the Lord their God so sincerely that they would rather give their reputation and money, goods, flesh and blood, and everything that human nature desires, as prey to the bloodthirsty, than willfully and knowingly speak a false word or act hypocritically against the word of God. Therefore we would beg your Excellencies and Honors to consider whether they are such pernicious and dangerous people as, alas, many call them and all judge them to be. Indeed, dear lords, all their pleasure is in the word of the Lord. Their mouths flow with wisdom; their love smells like the precious ointment on the head of Aaron; their prayers are like the noble incense before the ark of God; their life gives light like the golden candlesticks in the temple of the Lord. And they seek nothing on this earth except that they may serve the whole world toward righteousness, both with body and spirit, and deliver many from the destruction of their souls and win them for Christ through the grace, Spirit, power and word of the Lord; and that they may thus, with the gracious help of God, make good use of the short time of their earthly life in Christ Jesus, to the praise of God and the service of their neighbors, and be eternally saved, Jeremiah 17, verse 8; John 1, verse 8; Psalm 133, verse 2.

If this is heresy and devilish deceit, as the preachers cry, then the Son of God, Christ Jesus, together with all the prophets, apostles and witnesses of God, were open heretics; and then all the Scriptures, which teach nothing but reformation and point us to Christ, are nothing but deceit. This cannot be denied; for in their weakness they conform in all their doings to the word, Spirit, life, command, prohibitions, ordinances and usages of the Lord, as their open actions testify before all the world, Isaiah 1, verse 17; Luke 9, verse 35; Deuteronomy 18, verse 15.

Since, then, they and we walk in unity of spirit, and before God seek nothing in Christ Jesus except that we, in our weakness, would gladly follow Christ, as has been said; and since we also trust, by the grace of the Lord, that your Excellencies will never see anything else in your poor servants (we write of those who are united with us in faith and life); therefore we beg your Excellencies and Honors again, for Christ’s sake, to put away all prejudice against us miserable orphans, to believe us sincere in our profession, and never to think that we would have any other intentions, even if we should become as numerous as the blades of grass in the fields or the sand on the seashore (something which will never come true, since the way is narrow and the gate is strait). For Christ, whose name we bear, taught so with his own mouth; his holy apostles preached it to all the world, testified it with the holy gospel, and spread it at the peril of their lives, Matthew 7, verse 13; Mark 16, verse 15; Romans 10, verse 18.

Thirdly, we desire that your Excellencies and Honors would earnestly consider how the Scriptures are being fulfilled in regard to those who boast themselves Christians; how deadly the sword of wrath cuts on every side, and how the hand of divine punishment is laid on us. Great and many are our sins; great and severe is the punishment of the Lord; the fire of wrath is kindled; unless the Lord in his grace quenches it, it will devour both the green and the dry trees, according to the word of the prophet. The prophecy of Christ concerning the last days, and also those of Daniel and of the apostles, are being swiftly fulfilled. The flesh-devouring sword of the Lord glitters everywhere, and his bloody darts are flying in every country. Kingdom has risen against kingdom, principality against principality, city against city, and neighbor and friend against one another. Some are put to the sword, some are imprisoned; cities and villages are leveled and destroyed; the poor, despised people, who are in part innocent, are exhausted, violated, taxed, burned and ruined without mercy; many are made adulterers and rogues; one pestilence and epidemic follows another, and one panic another. Storms, hurricanes, misery and tribulation sweep over land and water. In short, the continual severe punishments show that the Lord is angry; and yet the wicked world does not reform, but daily grows worse and worse, Deuteronomy 32, verses 23 to 35; Ezekiel 21, verses 1 to 6; Matthew 24, verse 4.

All of them in general boast that they are Christians and that they have God’s word, although their seeking and doings are quite contrary to Christ and his word. For if we turn to the magistrates, whom we should reasonably expect to know the ways and judgments of the Lord, as Jeremiah says, we find that they have broken the yoke and torn apart the bonds. If we turn to the preachers, we find there the envy of Cain toward all who fear the Lord, an insatiable love of money, the avarice of Balaam, a light-minded, easy doctrine, idolatrous sacraments, and a lustful, vain, careless life, as may be openly seen. If we turn to the common people, there we find extortion, hoarding, drinking, carousing, lying, cheating, cursing and swearing; some commit adultery and fornication, others are marauders, plunderers, thieves and murderers. Indeed, alas, they lead such a life that we may well sigh in anguish with Hosea, “There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood,” Hosea 4, verses 1 and 2; and with Paul, “They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable,” “and the way of peace they have not known,” Romans 3, verses 12 and 17; and that their sins have reached to heaven, Revelation 18, verse 5. O dear Lord, how long will this dreadfully great blindness, blasphemy, deceit, abomination, bloodthirstiness and recklessness continue!

Noble lords, reform; do works fit for repentance, such as can stand before the Lord. Humble yourselves with the king of Nineveh; take off the ungodly, stained coat of sin; repent in sackcloth and ashes; cry out to the Lord with a broken heart; rend your hearts and not your garments, as the prophet says. Let the pious Josiah be your pattern, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength as soon as the law of God was read to him from the book which had been found again, John 3, verse 7; Second Kings 22, verse 11. [Note 1]

Dear lords, seek, fear and serve God with all your strength; do justice to the widows, orphans, strangers and all the forsaken; cleanse your hands of blood; rule your countries in wisdom and peace; and let all your thoughts, words and actions be conformed to the crucified Christ Jesus. Follow his footsteps; for “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool.” “As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live,” Isaiah 1, verse 18; Ezekiel 33, verse 11; Ezekiel 18, verse 32.

Those who boast that they are the church are so estranged from Christ that they are no more than Christians in name; and the salt, which is the preachers, has so wholly lost its savor that it does more harm than good, for they flatter more than they rebuke if they can make some earthly gain by it, and they do not seek the praise of the Lord; and by this they are all, both preacher and hearer, led on the broad road which leads to destruction; and there are, alas, none to stop them in their course, as the prophet complains. And we, God knows, would gladly see all men awaken, fear the Lord, sincerely repent and be saved, so that the fallen city, which is the church, may be built again on her old foundation, that is, on the firm foundation of the apostles and on the pure doctrine of Christ Jesus, and that such repentance may be shown to the world by a pious, penitent, Christian life according to the Scriptures. See, for this reason we are so hated by the learned that through their slanderous crying and clamoring we are often robbed of our possessions and our bodies are given to the executioner. Some of us are forced by necessity to seek refuge in foreign lands on account of their persecution, as has been said. Therefore we poor, miserable outcasts pray your Honors and Excellencies for the third time, for Christ’s sake, to reflect earnestly on this matter, and faithfully to compare the doings of the preachers with the tenor of the following writing addressed to them and the matters set forth in it, so that our defense may be rightly understood and the truth explained according to the word of the Lord, and so that the guilty may no longer be protected in their unrighteousness. Indeed, beloved lords, if this were done impartially in the fear of God, you would soon find very clearly, by the grace of God, with whom the truth is and with whom the falsehood; and that the doctrine, sacraments and life of the preachers are not in accordance with the Scriptures, but are deceitful and contrary to the word of God.

O beloved, noble lords, we beg you not to despise our reasonable and Christian prayer, but to consider it in love; for it concerns the praise of the Almighty God, his eternal word and truth, and the eternal salvation of all our souls, which are so much desired and have been so dearly purchased with his precious blood. O consider the difference: to live eternally with Christ Jesus in the kingdom of heaven, or to die eternally with all the devils in the abyss of hell.

Dear lords, we are in great anxiety and tribulation, and are terrified in two ways. For if we follow the truth, which by the grace of God we always intend to do in our weakness, then we are made a prey to all the world. If we turn aside and enter again on the broad way, from which may the merciful Father save us, then we fall into the hands of God and must bear his eternal punishment. The salvation of our souls is worth more than man can comprehend. The sweet-sounding, precious word will one day be heard: “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you”; and also the fearful word which is threatened to all who are disobedient to Christ, which pierces body and soul if it is truly grasped: “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Happy are those who are awake at that time, who have their lamps prepared and have kept their wedding garments. Indeed, blessed are those who are called to the Lord’s Supper.

Dear, noble lords, this is no flattery nor vain display of words; what we write, we mean, as our sore persecutions testify.

May the merciful, great Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord of lords and King of kings, grant that your Honors may acknowledge the truth and faithfully act in accordance with it, and that you may rule the people, cities and countries entrusted to your reign in peace and prosperity, to the praise of your God and to the salvation of many souls. This is our sincere desire. Amen.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. “Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me,” Matthew 5, verse 7; Matthew 25, verse 45. Your Excellencies’ and Honors’ humble and obedient subjects in all things that we can do according to the will of God, by his grace.