Source

R and B write --- to our --- pastors, various church officials, also our subjects, associates, and relatives living and residing in our cities, counties, dominions, lands, jurisdictions and territories ---

[1.] As it is well established in common law that no one, having once been baptized according to Christian order, should let themselves be baptized again another or a second time, nor baptize another again in this manner, and we have begun, even since the time of our Christian Reformation, to drive out the newly stirred up error and sect of Anabaptism---through many mandates, open disputations, and sermons from the pulpit, and also through the threat of torments and punishments and earnest admonitions--- and to dismiss such blasphemy and confusion of rebaptism from among us, such methods have unfortunately not been effective to date, such that we see that this shameful sect has in some places gained more people than it has lost, and by this we have realized and learned that the seeds we have sown far and wide and our labour are worthless and in vain so long as its source is not countered. Since in these last days those at all levels of society are corrupted, those who in their lives and dealings conduct and show themselves to be as they ought are few. Especially also among the pastors and preachers there are those who are not at all diligent in their preaching and household responsibilities, who exemplify dissolute living, drunkenness, gluttony, and other kinds of decadence and unchastity, and among secular leaders these same blasphemous behaviours are unfortunately also present: adultery, avarice, fraud, usury, haughtiness, cursing, swearing, and drunken merriment, which is the principal reason that many God-fearing people who seek God from the heart, are frustrated, separate and cut themselves off from our churches, but this would not happen so often if the directives we sent out against the aforementioned blasphemies were taken seriously and the preachers themselves would present and demonstrate a good example for their flock and congregation. Now in order that this filth and evil might be stopped we have ordained, commanded, explained, and addressed that all our preachers, pastors, various church administrators and overseers, and others should keep a watchful eye on those who do not diligently attend sermons to listen to God’s word nor allow their young children to be baptized according to Christian order, in order that they might admonish, instruct, and hold them to [these instructions], and to arrest those who are negligent or disobedient and hand them over to the civil authorities. These should fine them and kindly teach them from God’s word. Those who then recognize their error, turn from it, and prove themselves obedient should be placed in the church before the congregation (of the church to which they belong), so that they might there testify to their renunciation and make the oath written below. And thereafter, having paid all their fines, they should be allowed to go free.

[2.] But those who will not accept any warning or instruction and remain stiff-necked and disobedient and do not want to abjure should be led in chains to the borders of the territory, expelled and cast out from our lands, and it should be shown and explained to them that we are resolved (we also wish hereby to swear and promise) that if they come again into our land and territory and are captured but will not recant, but rather as before remain stiff-necked in their error, they shall be put to death as disobedient, schismatic, perjured people.

[3.] Moreover all the costs of their capture and imprisonment leading to their expulsion should be taken from their goods (provided they have enough available.) Their remaining goods should be given to any children who remain obedient, under the care of the overseer, and the use of their goods (until they are divided in an orderly manner or some of the children marry and are no longer minors) monitored, so that they do not have the wherewithal to sell their goods or tender them to the disobedient parent.

[4.] But if the wife and children of a disobedient Anabaptist (who do not share his sect or error) intend and have decided to leave with him and cannot be dissuaded, their goods shall not go with them, but rather the same---[their goods will] remain in the care of the overseer under our control, and they will receive a yearly accounting from the overseer. But if afterwards one or more of the Anabaptist’s wife or children have returned home, proven themselves obedient and sufficiently settled for the disbursal of their respective portion or the use of the common purse it is our preference to give it to them and to deal according to the appearance of the situation.[1] This is only [concerning] the local and foreign Anabaptist communities, who have separated themselves from us and left their possessions for us to deal with.

[5.] As concerns the leaders, preachers, teachers, and agitators, who are our subjects and have previously promised to stay away or already been expelled once, if they present themselves once again in our lands, having forgotten the mercy they received and their oath and seeking to agitate or mislead our people, they shall be put to death.

[6.] But foreign Anabaptists from other lands, preachers and misleaders of the people, shall also be placed in bands, questioned under torture concerning their origins, life, and dealings, where and when they taught, instructed, and misled [people]. If they were previously expelled, as in the aforementioned sections, their lives are forfeit, but if they were not expelled, they should be dealt with as is seen above concerning the Anabaptist community.

[7.] Since women also are misled and allow themselves to be convinced to join the aforementioned Anabaptist sect, these should be [dealt with] first by the preachers and bailiffs, then (if this is not successful) they should be admonished before the consistories to abjure their sins and errors and turn from their captivity. But if they will not follow [orders] but rather remain stiff-necked, they should consequently be imprisoned and subjected to the teaching of the preachers and also their husbands (if these same men are not tainted by their blasphemy and error) and urged to convert. If they persist, they shall be imprisoned [and the costs drawn from] their goods and the goods of other Anabaptists, or given the choice to be driven from our lands and territories, never to return by the penalty stated above.

[8.] As regards those who knowingly provide for local or foreign Anabaptists lodging, shelter, or a place for their meetings, sermons, or a home in which to live, gives them harbor or goods, and by sheltering them in this way are not a small reason for the sect’s [persistence], we wish herewith to forbid everyone from doing this with a penalty of 100 pfennig or serving a one-year sentence of banishment from our city and lands, whenever it is observed and reported. But the widows who give them lodging shall only carry and suffer a half penalty, and those who are indebted or mortgaged,[2] if they do not wish to pay the fine, will be punished with imprisonment or banishment.

[9.] If someone who has done the above[3] buys the goods of known Anabaptist or lends him money,[4] they will forfeit and lose the goods and what they paid for them, as well as the principal and profit[5] and these will fall to us, the civil authorities.

[10.] And since---this is the greatest reason the Anabaptists choose to separate themselves from Christian churches, in which these blasphemies are undertaken and even engaged in by the spiritual and secular overseers and office holders, we now admonish all preachers and pastors to abandon carousing, feasting, hunting, shooting, and other worldly dealings not suited to their calling---and set a good example for the common folk, and our various church officials, that they also cultivate this and abstain from drunkenness, vanity,[6] and other blasphemies.[7] These same people should be able, because of their office, to hinder our subjects [from these behaviors], stop, and punish them. And they are consequently ordered --- each of whose condition and manner it is, by their office and oath, so that you are bound to us, also to avoid our severe punishments and unmercifulness, to preserve our reputation and policy --- (and upon our revocation or alteration, which we wish to reserve for ourselves to do, according to the appearance of things or the opportunities of the time)--- as you are obligated and required to do given the urgency of the situation---additionally we wish --- to have bidden our office holders to let this be openly proclaimed from all the pulpits they administer, so that everyone knows afterwards to follow it. Seal and date.