bavarikon4UMartin Luther to Lazarus Spengler; Wittenberg, 4 February 1525 (Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, A.III,383,(1),15)
In this letter by Martin Luther (1483–1546) dated 4 February 1525 to the Nuremberg Council secretary Lazarus Spengler (1479–1534), the reformer discussed the trial of the three “godless painters” and of the teacher Hans Denck (about 1500–1527) in Nuremberg. Spengler had probably sent Luther the trial records beforehand and asked for his opinion.
The council of the imperial city had been taking action against followers of Thomas Müntzer (around 1489–1525) and Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt (1486–1541) since the end of 1524 as well as against the distribution of their writings. Müntzer and Karlstadt are considered part of the “left” wing of the Reformation; they represented more radical views than Luther.
The three Nuremberg painters Sebald Beham (1500–1550), his brother Barthel Beham (1502–1540) and Georg Pencz (around 1500–1550) as well as the rector of the school near Saint Sebald, Denck, were arrested in January 1525 and accused of blasphemy, sectarianism and disregard for secular authorities. They questioned the real presence of Christ at the Lord’s Supper and also called into question the sacrament of baptism. At the end of January, all four were expelled from the city.
So, when Luther wrote this letter, the verdict had already been passed. Luther rejected the defendant’s views, but in his opinion, they were not yet blasphemous and were not to be punished by the secular authorities. It would be different if they did not acknowledge the secular authority and would not obey it: then “everything they are and have is forfeit. For there is certainly uproar and murder in the heart. There it is due to accept secular authority.”