the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...

yet have signalled his assent with a signature. The Layman’s casuistic reply distinguishes
between the content of the Menschenbücher and Scripture that they claim to explicate,
and it is only to the latter that the Layman pledged his oath. 9
The Layman also claims mitigating circumstances, emphasizing that he was
harried and pressed by those collecting the signature to decide quickly (“es [war] eine
schnelle Uberhuiung oder Ubereylung, das man nicht ettliche Tage...solche Dinge...zu
uberlesen vergönnete, sondern nur in einer Stunden dem gantzen Hauffen vorgelesen und
drauf die subscription gefodert” 10 ). And even if he had had time to think things over, the
Layman claims he would still have signed the document, to avoid having to openly
declare his unusul theological beliefs and thus expose himself as a heretic to those who
would trample and maul him. 11 Of course, he does not believe that he is a heretic; in fact,
he is the one who adheres to the “unbeweglicher apostolischer Grund” while his wouldbe
persecutors are the ones who have a “vorlogene Lehre, welches Gott nicht gefellig.” 12
They are the swine before which his pearls would be cast, the dogs to which sacred things
would be unjustly given. 13 All the same, however, the Layman does not want to risk
persecution by testifying to his true beliefs.
Finally, there is not even anything to be gained by risking either persecution or
profanation by what he calls his “unzeitiges Bekennen,” since nobody would have given
up his false beliefs as a result of hearing Weigel’s testimony. Indeed, nobody can be
persuaded by any verbal testimony, by a preacher’s sermon from the pulpit, or even by
Christ’s own preaching: after all, Weigel points out, the synagogues were not converted
9 Ibid.
10 Weigel, Dialogus, 59.
11 Ibid, 59-60.
12 Ibid, 60.
13 Ibid.
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