Collected Works of Martin Luther
Page 445
for catching pole-cats, — or, as Dr. Johnson calls them, “stinking
beasts.” The Icelandic, ILLTUR, is malus; and the Cymrie,
YLLTYR, is talpa, a mole.
JOHAM, wine. From the Hebrew, YAH’-YIN, wine. Gengenbach
renders this JOHIN.
JONEN, to play, — at cards, or other game of chance. French,
JOUER?
JONER, a player, a gambler.
JUFFART, DER DA ROT IST ODER FREIHEIT.
JUVERBASSEN, to swear.
KABAS, a head. Latin, caput.
KAFFRIM (JACOBSBRÜDER), a pilgrim to the grave of St. James.
KAMMESIERER, a learned beggar.
CAVAL, a horse. Latin, CABALLUS.
CAVELLER, a slayer, a butcher. Modern German, KAFILLER.
KERIS, wine. Modern German, XERESWEIN, sherry;
or, from KIRSCHE, a cherry, — KIRSCHEN-WASSER, cherry-water.
CHRISTIAN (JACOBSBRÜDER), a pilgrim to the grave of St.
James.
KIELAM, a town.
KIMMERN, to buy. German, KRAMEN, to trade.
CLAFFOT, a dress, a cloak. In Gengenbach’s metrical version of
the Liber Vagatorum, this is rendered KLABOT, Clothes.
CLAFFOT-FETZER, a tailor.
KLEBIS, a horse, — literally, “a clover-biter.”
KLEMS, punishment, imprisonment. The German, KLEMMEN, signifies
to pinch.
KLEMSEN, to arrest, imprison.
KLENKSTEIN, a traitor.
KLINGEN, LEIER; — perhaps one who plays upon a lyre, from the
German, KLINGEN, to sound, KLINGELN, to tinkle.
KLINGENFETZERIN, LEIERIN, — probably a female player upon
the lyre.
KRACKLING, a nut. From the German, KRACHEN, to crack.
KRAX, a cloister.
KRÖNER, a husband. From the German, KRONEN, to crown, to
appoint as head or principal.
KRÖNERIN, a wife.
LEFRANZ, a priest.
LEFRENZIN, a priest’s harlot.
LEHEM, bread. Hebrew. A contemporary of Luther, Gengenbach,
spells the word LEM.
LINDRUNSCHEL, corn-gatherers.
LISS-MARKT, the head, — literally, “the louse market.”
LÖE, bad, false. From Belgian, LOH, Danish, LAAG, low;
Saxon, LOH, a pit, or gulf.
LÖE ÖTLIN, the devil, — literally, “the wicked gentleman.”
LÜSSLING, the ear. Old German, LOSEN, or LUSEN, to listen.
Beggars formerly had their ears cut off when detected stealing.
MACKUM, the town.
MEGEN (or MENGEN), to drown.
MENG, KESSLER.
MENKLEN, to eat.
MESS, money, coin. The German, MESSING, signifies brass.
MOLSAMER, a traitor.
NARUNG-TÜN, to seek, or look out for food. German, NAHRUNG,
livelihood; THUN, to do, make.
PFLÜGER, an alms-gatherer in churches.
PLATSCHEN, to go about preaching.
PLATSCHIERER, a preacher, — from tubs, &c.
PLICKSCHLAHER, a naked person.
POLENDER, a castle, a fort. Perhaps connected with the German,
BOLL, BOLLIG, hard, stiff; BOLLWARK, a bastion, bulwark.
QUIEN, a dog. Latin, CANIS.
QUIENGOFFER, a dog-killer?
RANZ, a sack, pouch. German, RANZEN.
RAULING, a baby.
RAUSCHART, a straw matress. German, RAUSCHEN, to rustle.
REEL, St. Vitus’ Dance.
REGEL (or REGER), a die (plural dice). From the German,
REGEN, to move?
REGENWURM, a sausage, — literally, “a rainworm.”
RIBLING, dice.
RICHTIG, just.
RIELING, a pig.
RIPPART, SECKEL.
ROL, a mill. German, ROLLEN, to roll.
ROLVETZER, a miller.
ROTBOSS, a beggar’s house of call, beggar’s home.
RÜBOLT, freedom.
RÜREN, to play. German, RUHREN, to touch, rattle.
RUMPFLING (or RUMPFFING), mustard. From the German, RÜMPFEN, to wriggle?
RUNZEN, to cheat in dealing cards, gambling, &c.
SCHEISS (SCHIESS), ZAGEL, — a tail. German, SCHEISSE, excrement,
dung; SCHEISSEN, to dung (imperative, SCHEISS); SCHIESSEN, to
shoot, dart (imperative, SCHIESS). Old German, SCHIESSEN, labi,
præscipitari, celeriter moveri. See BÜTZELMAN.
SCHLING, flax, linen. German, SCHLINGEN, to entwine.
SCHLUN, SCHAFFEN, — to cause, get, make, procure, or produce
anything.
SCHMALKACHEL, a slanderer. German, KACHEL, a pot, — literally, “a
slandering-pot.”
SCHMALN, to slander. Modern German, SCHMÄLEN.
SCHMUNK, melted butter.
SCHNIEREN, to hang. German, SCHNUR, a string.
SCHÖCHERN, to drink. Modern German, SCHENKEN, to fill, retail
liquor; SCHENKE, a drinking-house, ale-house; SCHENKWIRTH, a
beer-draper.
SCHÖCHERVETZER, an innkeeper.
SCHOSA, vulva. This is supposed to be from the Silesian,
DIE SCHOOS, the lap; Bavarian, GSCHOSL.
SCHREF, a harlot.
SCHREFENBOSS, a house of ill fame.
SCHREILING, a child, — diminutive formed from SCHREIEN, to
cry.
SCHRENZ, a room.
SCHÜRNBRANT, beer.
SCHWENZEN, to go.
SCHWERZ, night. German, SCHWARZ, black.
SEFEL, dirt. Hebrew, SHÁFÁR, humble, mean?
SEFELBOSS, a house of office, dirt-house.
SEFELN, to evacuate.
SENFTRICH, a bed. German, SANFT, soft.
SONNENBOSS, a brothel.
SONZ, a nobleman, gentleman.
SONZIN, a lady.
SPELTING, a heller, — the smallest coin.
SPITZLING, oats. Modern German, SPITZLING, oat-grass; SPITZE,
the point of anything; SPITZ, pointed, peaked. The term appears to
be a diminutive.
SPRANKART, salt. German, SPRENKELN, to scatter.
STABULER, a bread-gatherer.
STEFUNG, ZIL. Old German, ZIL, is finis, limes, terminus
temporis et loci; also meta jaculantis, scopus agentis,
terminus oculi et mentis.
STETTINGER, a florin, — perhaps one minted at Stettin.
STOLFEN, to stand.
STREIFLING, trousers. German, STREIFEN, to strip.
STROBORER, a goose, — literally, “a straw-borer.”
STROM, a brothel. Possibly an allusion to STRUMMEL, the Old
English Cant for straw, with which houses of this description may
have been littered. The cant expression, STRUMMEL, was probably
introduced into this country by the gipsies and other vagabonds
from the Continent, in the reign of Henry VIII.
STROMBART, a forest.
STUPART, flour. Old German, STOPPEL, cauda frumenti,
from the Latin, STIPULA.
TERICH, the land, or country. Latin, TERRA.
VERKIMMERN, to sell. See KIMMERN.
VERLUNSCHEN, VERSTEEN.
VERMONEN, to cheat.
VERSENKEN, to pawn, — literally, “to sink.”
VOPPART, a fool. Modern German, FOPPEN, to mock.
VOPPEN, to lie, tell falsehoods.
WENDERICH, cheese.
WETTERHAN, a hat, — literally, “a weathercock.”
WINTFANG, a cloak, — literally, “a wind-catcher.”
WISSULM, silly people.
WUNNENBERG, a pretty young woman. German, WONNE,
pleasure.
ZICKUS, a blind man. Latin, CÆCUS.
ZWENGERING, a jacket. German, ZWÄNGEN, to force.
ZWICKER, a hangman. German, ZWICKEN, to pinch.
NOTHING WITHOUT REASON.
On War against the Turk (1529)
Translated by C. M. Jacobs
Published in 1529, On War against the Turk was one of several pamphlets and sermons by Luther concerning Islam and resistance to the Ottoman Empire. It was written during the critical period of territorial expansion of the Ottoman Empire in Europe, marked by the capture of Buda in 1526 and the Siege of Vienna in 1529. Originally, in his 1518 Explanation of the Ninety-Five Theses, Luther had argued against resisting the Turks, whom he presented as a scourge intentionally sent by God to sinning Christians, and that resisting it would have been equivalent to resisting the will of God. This position had been shared by Erasmus too, but was strongly criticised by authors such as Thomas More. With the Turkish advance becoming ever more threatening, however, in 1528 Luther modified his stance and wrote On War against the Turk, encouraging the German people and Emperor Charles V to resist the invasion.
Luther disguised as "Junker Jörg", 1522
CONTENTS
LUTHER’S PREFACE
THE TWO KINGDOMS
COUNSELS OR BINDING COMMANDS
MISUSE OF THE CHRISTIAN NAME
CONFUSION OF CHRISTIANITY AND POLITICS
FACING TWO FRONTS
THE FIRST FRONT – PENANCE AND PRAYER
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PENANCE AND PRAYER
PENANCE AND PRAYER AGAINST GODS WRATH
ISLAM – THE FAITH OF THE MUSLIMS
ISLAM DENIES CHRIST
ISLAM RULES WITH ARMS
MUHAMMAD AND THE POPE ARE TIED TOGETHER
ISLAM DESPISES WOMEN AND MARRIAGE
SOME MUSLIMS ARE ALL RIGHT
PROHIBITION AGAINS PICTURES
THE SECULAR GOVERNMENT
THE AUTHORITIES SHOULD NOT INTERFERE IN PEOPLES FAITH
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AUTHORITIES CONTINUATION
THE AUTHORITIES SHOULD PROTECT OUR BODY AND EARTHLY LIFE
THE LIMIT OF THE DUTY OF OBEDIENCE
THE RELATION BETWEEN THE KORAN AND THE BIBLE
ITALIAN WEDDINGS – HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS
NOT CRUSADE, BUT ARMED DEFENCE
EFFICIENT ATTACK AS PREVENTION
SERIOUS WARNING
LUTHER’S PREFACE
COUNT OF KATZENELLENBOGEN, Ziegenhain and Nidda, My gracious lord.
Grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Serene, highborn Prince, gracious Lord.
Certain persons have been begging me for the past five years to write about war against the Turks, and encourage our people and stir them up to it, and now that the Turk is actually approaching, my friends are compelling me to do this duty, especially since there are some stupid preachers among us Germans (as I am sorry to hear) who are making the people believe that we ought not and must not fight against the Turks. Some are even so crazy as to say that it is not proper for Christians to bear the temporal sword or to be rulers; also because our German people are such a wild and uncivilized folk that there are some who want the Turk to come and rule. All the blame for this wicked error among the people is laid on Luther and must be called “the fruit of my Gospel,” just as I must bear the blame for the rebellion, and for everything bad that happens anywhere in the world.
My accusers know better, but God and His Word to the contrary, they pretend not to know better, and seek occasion to speak evil of the Holy Ghost and of the truth that is openly confessed, so that they may earn the reward of hell and never receive repentance or the forgiveness of their sins.
Therefore it is necessary for me to write of these things for my own sake and the Gospel’s sake and to enter our defense; not because of the blasphemers, however. They are not good enough to make it worthwhile to say a single word of defense to them, for to them the Gospel must always be a stench and a savor of death unto death, as they have deserved by their willful blasphemy. But I must write in order that innocent consciences may not any longer be deceived by these slandermongers, and made suspicious of me or my doctrine, and may not be deceived into believing that we must not fight against the Turks. I have thought best to publish this little book under the name of your Grace, who are a famous and mighty prince, so that it may be the better received and the more diligently read. Thus, if it came to a discussion of a campaign against the Turks, the princes and lords would readily recall it. I commend your Grace to our merciful God’s grace and favor, that He may keep your Grace against all error and against the craft of the devil, and illumine and strengthen your Grace for a blessed reign.
Your Grace’s devoted Martin Luther Wittenberg, October 9, 1528
THE TWO KINGDOMS
POPE LEO THE Tenth, in the bull in which he put me under the ban, condemned, among other statements, the following one. I had said that “to fight against the Turk is the same thing as resisting God, who visits our sin upon us with this rod.” From this article they may get it, who say that I prevent and dissuade from war against the Turk. I still confess freely that this article is mine and that I put it forth and defended it at the time; and if things in the world were in the same state now that they were in then, I would still have to put it forth and defend it. But it is not fair to forget how things then stood in the world, and what my grounds and reasons were, and still keep my words and apply them to another situation where those grounds and reasons do not exist. With this kind of art, who could not make the Gospel a pack of lies or pretend that it contradicted itself?
This was the state of things at that time – no one had taught, no one had heard, and no one knew anything about temporal government, whence it came, what its office and work was, or how it ought to serve God. The most learned men (I shall not name them) held temporal government for a heathen, human, ungodly thing, as though it were perilous to salvation to be in the ranks of the rulers. Therefore, the priests and monks had so driven kings and princes into the corner, as to persuade them that, to serve God, they must undertake other works, such as hearing mass, saying prayers, endowing masses, etc. In a word, princes and lords who wanted to be pious men held their rank and office as of no value and did not consider it a service of God. They became really priests and monks, except that they did not wear tonsures and cowls. If they would serve God, they must go to church. All the lords then living would have to testify to this, for they knew it by experience. My gracious lord, Duke Frederick, of blessed memory, was so glad when I first wrote On Temporal Government, that he had the little book copied out and put in a special binding, and was happy that he could see what his position was before God.
Thus the pope and the clergy were, at that time, all in all, over all, and through all, like God in the world, and the temporal rulers were in darkness, oppressed and unknown. But the pope and his crowd wanted to be Christians, too, and therefore pretended to make war on the Turk. Over those two points the discussion arose, for I was then working on doctrine that concerned Christians and the conscience, and had as yet written nothing about the temporal rulers. The papists, therefore, called me a flatterer of the princes, because I was dealing only with the spiritual class, and not with the temporal; just as they call me seditious, now that I have written in such glorification of temporal government as no teacher has done since the days of the apostles, except, perhaps, St. Augustine. Of this I can boast with a good conscience and the testimony of the world will support me.
COUNSELS OR BINDING COMMANDS
AMONG THE POINTS of Christian doctrine, I discussed what Christ says, in Matthew, viz., that a Christian shall not resist evil, but endure all things, let the coat go and the cloak, let them be taken from him, offer the other cheek, etc. Of this the pope, with his universities and cloister-schools, had made “an advice,” not a commandment, and not a rule that a Christian must keep; thus they had perverted Christ’s word, spread false doctrine throughout the world, and deceived Christians. Since, therefore, they wanted to be Christians, nay, the best Christians in the world, and yet fight against the Turk, endure no evil, and suffer neit
her compulsion nor wrong, I opposed them with this saying of Christ that Christians shall not resist evil, but suffer all things and let all things go. Upon this I based the article that Pope Leo condemned. He did it the more gladly because I took the rogue’s-cloak off the Roman knavery.
For the popes had never seriously intended to make war on the Turk, but used the Turkish war as a conjurer’s hat, playing around in it, and robbing Germany of money by means of indulgences, whenever they took the notion. All the world knew it, but now it is forgotten. Thus they condemned my article not because it prevented the Turkish war, but because it tore off this conjurer’s hat and blocked the path along which the money went to Rome. If they had seriously wished to fight against the Turk, the pope and the cardinals would have had enough from the pallia, annates, and other unmentionable sources of income, so that they would not have needed to practice such extortion and robbery in Germany. If there had been a general opinion that a serious war was at hand, I could have dressed my article up better and made some distinctions.
It did not please me, either, that the Christians and the princes were driven, urged, and irritated into attacking the Turk and making war on him, before they amended their own ways and lived like true Christians. These two points, or either separately, were enough reason to dissuade from war. For I shall never advise a heathen or a Turk, let alone a Christian, to attack another or begin war. That is nothing else than advising bloodshed and destruction, and it brings no good fortune in the end, as I have written in the book On Soldiers; and it never does any good when one knave punishes another without first becoming good himself.
MISUSE OF THE CHRISTIAN NAME
BUT WHAT MOVED me most of all was this. They undertook to fight against the Turk under the name of Christ, and taught men and stirred them up to do this, as though our people were an army of Christians against the Turks, who were enemies of Christ; and this is straight against Christ’s doctrine and name. It is against His doctrine, because He says that Christians shall not resist evil, shall not fight or quarrel, not take revenge or insist on rights. It is against His name, because in such an army there are scarcely five Christians, and perhaps worse people in the eyes of God than are the Turks; and yet they would all bear the name of Christ. This is the greatest of all sins and one that no Turk commits, for Christ’s name is used for sin and shame and thus dishonored. This would be especially so if the pope and the bishops were in the war, for they would put the greatest shame and dishonor on Christ’s name, since they are called to fight against the devil with the Word of God and with prayer, and would be deserting their calling and office and fighting with the sword against flesh and blood. This they are not commanded, but forbidden to do.