“Under the outward appearance of the Gospel, they honor and serve the devil, thus deserving death body and soul ten times over. » Luther's brutal words against the rebellious peasants of Germany in 1525 reveal the complex reality of the Reformation. The suppression of the rebellion by the German aristocracy was rapid and violent, leaving more than 70,000 German peasants dead. The rebellion aimed at the social and political oppression of the peasantry in the early 16th century. The peasants found new justification for their revolt in the promising words of Martin Luther. Luther proclaimed a new form of freedom for the Christian soul and the peasants applied his idea to their own situation. However, a dichotomy emerged between spiritual freedom and worldly freedom. Luther held that good Christians were spiritually free but still subject to temporal laws. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of men were distinct spheres. Luther rejected attempts to integrate spiritual freedom into the temporal sphere [Luther turned against the Peasants' Revolt of 1525 because the peasants' demands ran counter to his doctrine of Christian freedom, which emphasized the emphasis on the spiritual freedom of Christians and concordant obedience to temporal authority. Using Scripture as justification for rebellion, the peasants not only blasphemed God's name, but also acted against the natural order ordained by God. First, before exploring Luther's rejection of peasant revolt, we must examine his explanation of Christian freedom. Written in 1520, The Freedom of the Christian proclaimed the new freedom found in salvation by faith alone. His doctrine freed men from works but also from the laws of the Old Testament. Salvation was found in the promise of Go...... middle of paper ......ian, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 39 (Henceforth Luther, FC) Luther, FC, p. 43Luther, FC, p. x43Martin Luther, On Government Authority, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 74Ozment, p.273Ozment, p. 277The twelve articles of the Swabian peasants, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 95 (Now twelve articles) Twelve articles, p. 95Twelve articles, p. 95Twelve articles, p. 95-96Twelve articles, p. 97Twelve articles, p. 96-97Twelve articles, p. 97Martin Luther, Friendly Admonition to Peace, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 99 (Henceforth Luther FP)Luther, FP, p.101Luther, FP, p.103Luther, FP, p.105Luther, FP, p.106Luther, FP, p.109Luther, FP, p.115