Twelve Articles - Wikipedia
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  1. Every town and village shall be entitled to elect and to dismiss its preacher if he misbehaves. The preacher shall preach the gospel simply, straight and clear, without any human additions, for it is written that we can only attain God through true faith.

  2. The preachers shall be paid from the great tithe. Any surplus shall be used to help the village poor and pay the war tax. The small tithe shall be abolished, for it was invented by humans, for the Lord, our God, created livestock free for mankind.

  3. Until now it has been practice that we have been treated like serfs, which is deplorable, since Christ redeemed all of us with his precious blood, both the shepherd and the nobleman, with no exceptions. Accordingly we hereby declare that we are free and want to remain free.

  4. It is unbrotherly and not in accordance with the word of God that the poor man is not entitled to hunt game or fowl, or to fish. Since when God our Lord created man, he gave him power over all beasts, the birds in the air and the fish in the water.

  5. The nobles have taken sole possession of the forest. When the poor man needs something, he must buy it for twice its price. Consequently, all the forests that were not bought [meaning former community forests, which many rulers had simply appropriated] shall be returned to the village so that anybody can satisfy his needs therefrom for timber and firewood.

  6. The excessive compulsory labour demanded of us, which grows from day to day, should be reduced to the amount that our parents used to perform, according to God’s word.

  7. The nobility shall not force us to perform more compulsory labour than was agreed upon [It was common for nobles to raise unilaterally the compulsory labour they demanded of their serfs ].

  8. Many fields cannot produce enough to pay the rent demanded for them. Honest men shall inspect these lands and set a fair amount of rent for them, so that farmers need not work for free, because each day’s work deserves its pay.

  9. New laws are constantly being made to impose new fines. Punishments are not being meted out depending on the offence but instead in an arbitrary fashion [raising fines and arbitrary judgments were common]. In our opinion we should be judged in accordance with the old written law, according to the case’s merits, instead of on a whim.

  10. Many [nobles] have appropriated meadows and fields belonging to the towns [commons, which were at the disposal of all townspeople]. We want them returned to all of us in common.

  11. The “Todfall" [death duty (inheritance tax)] shall be abolished altogether and never again shall widows and orphans be shamefully robbed contrary to God and honour.

  12. It is our decision and final opinion that if one or more of the articles listed herein contradict God’s word … we shall rescind them if it is explained to us on the basis of what is written. If any articles were already granted to us and it emerges afterwards that they were unjust, then they shall be null and void. Likewise, all this is subject to the condition that if additional articles are found here written that are against God and a grievance by some other person.