Report on Whether Secular Authority Should Suppress the Writings of Enthusiasts

...committed, in which the books of the enthusiasts enthusiasts: translated from the German 'Schwärmer,' a pejorative used by Luther for radical reformers who he believed were 'swarming' with misguided spiritual zeal were taken from them, or where there was a desire to take them from some.

I have diligently read through that little book, my favorable dear lords and friends, but I certainly cannot find anywhere that he [Luther] intends to forbid the removal of writings and books that promote error and unfairly blaspheme God, His word, the Sacrament, and the Church. Rather, I find quite clearly in Doctor Luther's books that all authorities authorities: from 'Obrigkeit,' referring to the divinely ordained secular government are duty-bound to honor God and to serve the salvation of mankind, to plant pure Christian teaching, and to abolish error and blasphemy (just as the Schwenkfeldian Followers of Caspar Schwenkfeld, who emphasized internal spiritual experience over outward sacraments. books are full, full, full of those same abominations). And he [Luther] admonishes the secular authorities to use their office diligently in this regard, for the honor of God and for the benefit of themselves, other Christians, and their descendants; this is truly not the least of the duties of a Christian authority.

It is true, Doctor Luther writes in the aforementioned booklet and says: "When your Prince or secular lord commands you to side with the Pope, or to believe this or that, or commands you to surrender your books, you shall say: 'It does not befit Lucifer to sit next to God. Dear lord, I am bound to obey you with my body and my goods, etc. But if you command me to believe, or to surrender my books, then I will not obey.'" original Latin: "Hæc Lutherus," meaning "These are Luther's words."

But listen: he was induced to write such things because at that time (as is still, unfortunately, the case today...)