Peasant
Summary of The Twelve Articles
- Every
municipality shall have the right to elect and remove a preacher if he
behaves improperly. The preacher shall preach the
gospel
simply, straight and clearly without any
human
amendment, for, it is written, that we can only come to
God by true
belief.
- The preachers shall be paid from the great
tithe. A
potential surplus shall be used to pay for the poor and the
war tax. The small tithe shall be dismissed, for it has been trumped-up
by humans, for the Lord, our master, has created the cattle free for
mankind.
- It has been practice so far, that we have been held as
villein, which is pitiful, given that Christ redeemed all of us with his
precious bloodshed, the shepherd as well as the highest, no one excluded.
Therefore, it is devised by the scripture, that we are and that we want to
be free.
- It is unfraternal and not in accordance with the word of
God that the simple man does not have the right to catch game, fowls, and
fish. For, when God our master created man, he gave him power over all
animals, the bird in the air and the fish in the water.
- The high gentlemen have taken sole possession of the
woods. If the poor man needs something, he has to buy it for double money.
Therefore, all the woods that were not bought (relates to former community
woods, which many rulers had simply appropriated) shall be given back to the
municipality so that anybody can satisfy his needs for timber and firewood
thereof.
- One shall have understanding (pretty much reduce) with
regard to the
corvee (unpaid laborer) which keeps increasing from day to day to how our parents served
in accordance with exclusively the word of God.
- The nobility shall not raise the peasant's corvee in
excess of what was established at bestowal. (Raising corvee without any
agreement was not unusual.)
- Many properties can not support the levies (lease fees).
Honest men shall inspect these properties and shall determine the levy upon
their discretion so that the peasant shall not do his work in vain, for
every person is worth his pay.
- New rules are ever made for the great outcry “große
Frevel” (a fine that had to be paid to the court). One does not punish with
regards to the subject but at discretion (raising fines and arbitrary
punishment was common). It is our opinion that we shall be punished by old,
written penalty with regards to what was done and not to favour.
- Several have appropriated meadows and acres (community
land that was at the disposition of all members), that belong to the
municipality. Those we want back to our common hands.
- The “Todfall” (a sort of inheritance tax) shall be
abolished altogether and never again shall widows and orphans be robbed
contrary to God and honour.
- It is our decision and final opinion that if one or
several of the articles mentioned herein were not in accordance with the
word of God, those we shall refrain from if it is explained to us on the
basis of the scripture. If several articles were already granted to us and
it emerged afterwards that they were ill, they shall be dead and null.
Likewise, we want to have reserved that if even more articles are found in
the writ that were against God and a grievance to though neighbour.
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