Forerunner of the Necessary Defense of Noble Evangelical Persons

is wont to happen / that unjust judgments follow an unjust fortune. original Latin: "ut iniquam fortunam, iniqua sequantur judicia." This refers to the historical tendency for people to judge the loser of a conflict as being in the wrong simply because they lost. For the opposing party does not stop there / continuing to assert their injustice by force / but they also gloss over it with a glittering appearance / as if the sheep had muddied the water for the wolf A reference to Aesop's fable where a wolf makes a false accusation against a sheep to justify attacking it. / the same can come to no hearing / to no defense / but rather it is straightaway commanded: Thus I will, thus I command: original Latin: "Sic volo, sic jubeo." A phrase indicating an arbitrary or tyrannical decree. Into the Imperial Ban and the Double Ban. Imperial Ban original: "Acht und Aberacht." A form of outlawry in the Holy Roman Empire where a person's rights and property were stripped, often used as a political weapon during the Thirty Years' War. For many sincere hearts—who either know the nature of the matter / or through political understanding / and experience of the Empire / recognize the hidden slanders / and can distinguish white from black distinguish original: "dijudiciren"—notice and lament the true nature of the so-called Anhalt Secret Chancery / which / alongside various other hateful and defamatory writings against high princely persons and other honest people / is now frequently appearing in print. The opposing party, who prevails with the sword and open force, also has the advantage of making things look right / the defeated, however, dare not even open their mouths against them, original Latin: "victi autem contra ne hiscere quidem audent." as the proverb goes. But when the time eventually comes / and the masks of the so-highly-praised, alleged common good / and the desired peace in the Empire / are stripped from those involved / then one will see all the more clearly / what may still be hidden from many now. Whether it is consistent with German honor / when private letters are snatched up / scattered scattered original: "spargirt" in print / but not published published original: "publicirt" entirely from beginning to end / as they were written / but rather