An Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Concerning the Reform of the Christian Estate 1520

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1520 Excerpt: ... endure it or reep silence? Almost everything he owns has been gotten by theft and robbery; that is the truth, and all history shows it. The pope never got by purchase such great properties that from his o f f i c i a1 alone he can l""" raise about a million ducats, not to mention the mines of treasure named above and the income of his lands. Nor did it come to him by inheritance from Christ or from St. Peter; no one ever loaned it or gave it to him; it has not become his by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment. Tell me, then, whence he can have it? Leam from this what they have in mind when they send out legates to collect money for use against the Turks. III. Proposals For Reform Now, although I am too small a man to make propositions which might effect a reform in this dreadful state of things, nevertheless I may as well sing my fool's song to the end, and say, so far as I am able, what could and should be done by the temporal authorities or by a general council. i. Every prince, nobleman and city should boldly forbid Abolition their subjects to pay the annates to Rome and should abolish nat" them entirely;2 for the pope has broken the compact, and made the annates a robbery, to the injury and shame of the whole German nation. He gives them to his friends, sells them for large amounts of money, and uses them to endow offices. He has thus lost his right to them, and deserves punishment. It is therefore the duty of the temporal authorities to protect the innocent and prevent injustice, as Paul teaches in Romans xiii, and St. Peter in I Peter ii, Rom. 13:4 and even the canon law in Case 16, Question 7, d e 1 a. f i 1 i i s.3 Thus it has come about that men are saying 1 i. e., The offices and positions in Rome which were for sale. See Benrath, p. 88, note 1...