6. The Outcome of the Peasants' War. The flood of rebellion could no longer be checked. The peasants marched about, robbing, plundering, sacking, and murdering wherever they came, destroying more than 200 castles and many cloisters. Upon their enemies they took the most bloody vengeance. In Weinsberg they impaled and cruelly tortured 700 knights. Now Muenzer thought the time had come for him also. He sent letters in every direction: "Thomas Muenzer, servant of God with the sword of Gideon, calls all good Christians to his banners, that with him they may strike upon the princes like on an anvil, 'bing-bang!' and not allow their swords to cool from blood." Multitudes of the people gathered about him. Then Luther lifted his mighty voice for the last time, and advised the government to make the ringleaders a last offer of a peaceable compromise, and if this proved fruitless, to draw the sword. The compromise was offered, but in vain. Thereupon the princes took up the sword, and the peasants were routed everywhere. The decisive battle was fought at Frankenhausen. Muenzer encouraged his men to fight valiantly against the tyrants. He cried, "Behold, God gives us a sign that He is on our side. See the rainbow! It announces to us the victory! If one of you falls in the front ranks, he will rise again in the rear and fight anew. I will catch all bullets in my sleeve." The battle began. But when the peasants saw that the slain did not rise, and that Thomas Muenzer caught no bullets in his sleeve, they lost courage and fled. Five thousand remained on the field, and three hundred were made prisoners and beheaded. The braggart Muenzer was found in an attic of a house in Frankenhausen where he had hidden, under a bed. He was dragged out and taken to Muehlhausen, where he was tortured and finally beheaded.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Colloquy at Marburg.
1. Zwingli. At the same time that Luther issued his powerful theses against popery a man lived in Switzerland whose eyes had also been opened to the corruption of the church. This was Ulrich Zwingli, pastor at Zurich. He also wished to help the church, but did not abide by the pure Word of God. In many things he followed his own reason. Assisted by the city council he changed the church service at Zurich after his own fashion. The processions were abolished. Pictures, crucifixes, and altars were removed from the churches. Communion was celebrated in both kinds. The bread was carried about the church upon plates, and the wine in wooden chalices. Concerning Holy Communion Zwingli taught that the breaking and eating of the bread was a symbolic action. He maintained that the words of Christ, "This is my body," meant nothing but, "This represents my body." Of Baptism he likewise taught erroneously. Here also he followed his reason. He would not admit that the person baptized was in any way affected by Baptism; Baptism was to him only an external sign of membership among God's people. He taught many strange things concerning Christ's work of redemption, and called original sin a mere infirmity of human nature.
Of these false doctrines the one concerning Holy Communion spread rapidly and found many adherents. Earnestly and fervently Luther waged war against this error both in his sermons and in his writings. But the Zwinglians stubbornly adhered to their error and pursued their own way.
2. The Colloquy at Marburg. In 1529 Landgrave Philip of Hesse succeeded in arranging a colloquy between the Lutherans and the Zwinglians. It occurred on the first, second, and third of October, at Marburg. Before the doctrine of the Lord's Supper was taken up several other articles of faith were discussed. In these points the Zwinglians accepted instruction and counsel. When, finally, the doctrine of the Lord's Supper came to be discussed Luther took a piece of chalk from his pocket and wrote these words upon the table, "This is my body." These words were his sure, firm ground, and upon it he determined to stand unmoved. He demanded of his opponents to give all glory to God, and to believe the pure, simple words of the Lord. However, they clung to their opinion and cited especially John 6, 63, where Christ says: "The flesh profiteth nothing." Clearly and unmistakably Luther proved to them that in this passage Christ does not speak of His own, but of our flesh. It would also be an impious assertion, to say that Christ's flesh profiteth nothing. Then they maintained: "A body cannot at the same time be present at two places; now the body of Christ sitteth in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, consequently it could not be present, upon earth in the sacrament." Luther replied: "Christ has assumed the human nature, which, therefore, according to the Scriptures, partakes of the divine attributes and glory. Wherefore the human nature of Christ is omnipresent; hence His body and blood is capable of being present in Holy Communion." When Luther saw that his opponents grew more stubborn in their opinion he closed the colloquy on his part. With the words, "You have a different spirit from ours," he refused the hand of fellowship offered him by Zwingli. Already in 1531 Zwingli perished in the battle of Kappel. The false doctrines, however, which he had spread have remained to this day the doctrines of the Reformed church.