from their tenants, who were little better than serfs, the galling restrictions in regard to hunting, fishing, gathering wood in the forests which they had imposed on them, the foreign Roman law under which they tried cases in court, and, in general, their haughty and contemptuous bearing toward the common people had for many generations created strained relations between the upper and the lower classes.  The estrangement which developed into open defiance existed among the peasants before Luther had begun to preach.  Nor can Luther’s teaching be said to have fanned the slumbering embers of discontent into a huge flame.  The liberty of a Christian man which he had proclaimed was not such liberty as the peasants demanded and wrested to themselves when the revolt had reached its height.  Luther had consistently taught that obedience to the government is a Christian duty.  He had, as we have shown in the preceding chapter, warned with telling force against riot, tumult, and sedition.  He had deprecated any allying of the cause of the Gospel and of spiritual freedom with the carnal strivings of disaffected men for mere temporal and secular advantages.  He had reminded Christians that it was their duty to suffer wrong rather than do wrong.

On the other hand, Luther had pleaded the cause of the poor before the lords, and had earnestly warned the nobility not to continue their tyranny, but conciliate their subjects by yielding to their just demands.  He had fearlessly pointed out to the lords what was galling in their conduct to the common, people-their pride and luxurious living, their disregard of the commonest rights of man, their despotic dealings with their humble subjects, their rude behavior and exasperating conduct toward the men, women, and children whom they made toil and slave for them.

Maintaining, thus, an honest equipoise between the two contrary forces, and dealing out even-handed justice to both, Luther was conscious of serving the true interests of either side and laboring for the common welfare of all.  With his implicit faith in the power of God’s Word he was hoping for a gradual improvement of the situation.  The conflict would be adjusted in a quiet and orderly manner by the truth obtaining greater and greater sway over the minds of men.  Luther had had no inkling of an impending clash between the peasants and the nobility when the revolt broke out with the fury of a cyclone.  Luther was shocked.  He promptly hurried to the scene of the disturbances by request of the Count of Mansfeld.  It speaks volumes for the integrity of Luther that both sides were willing to permit him to arbitrate their differences.  The invitation came originally from the peasants and was addressed to Luther, Melanchthon, Bugenhagen, and the Elector Frederick jointly, but it was not acted on until Count Albert invited Luther to come to Eisleben.  The Exhortation to Peace on the Twelve Articles of the Peasants which Luther issued, after having investigated the situation, rebukes