THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
where all was already in a state of ferment, he delivered inflammatory speeches, and by them as well as by his writings he unsettled the conditions more and more. Miinzer longed to be back at Miihlhausen, where his wife had remained, but did not return at the earliest before the beginning of 1525. Pfeiffer had meanwhile returned and had renewed his inflammatory course of action. They both preached openly on the necessity of rebellion, Pfeiffer taking the leading part, since he was the very man to transform Miinzer's theories into actuality. The communistic element became more prominent and the number of radicals increased. At the same time warlike preparations were made and men were drilled as soldiers. On Mar. 16 the council was deposed under the leadership of Pfeiffer, and a new council was instituted upon the principles established by the preachers. Miinzer held the great mass of the people, but his influence was still greater in Thuringia and in the Harz Mountains, where he incited the people by letters and by the formation of leagues. The inevitable consequences of Miinzer's agitation now appeared. From the South the peasants' movement approached and spread over the whole of Thuringia, the Eichsfeld and the Harz regions. The spiritual center was Miihlhausen with its preachers, though Miinzer did not appear as the real leader. People were not willing to follow him blindly, and there were also disagreements with Pfeiffer which hindered a uniform advance. While Pfeiffer's marauding expeditions into the Eichsfeld occupied a part of the insurgent forces and carried everywhere devastation and destruction, Philipp of Hesse approached after defeating the peasants around Hersfeld and Fulda, and at the same time the peasants who had gathered in the neighborhood of Frankenhausen were threatened by Duke Georg and especially by Count Ernst of Mansfeld. On May 10 Miinzer came to their assistance, and immediately broke off the negotiations that had been entered upon with Count Albrecht of Mansfeld. In the face of the superior power of the princes the peasants again entered upon new negotiations, but by false news of victories from outside, by his eloquence and trust in victory, and by his reference to signs supposed to be given him by God, the prophet once more succeeded in deluding the hesitating people. The bloody battle of Frankenhausen on May 15 decided the issue. On the following day Miinzer was captured and delivered into the hands of Count Ernst of Mansfeld at Heldrungen, was placed under torture, and Georg of Saxony and Philipp of Hesse took pains to convert him. After the surrender of Miihlhausen Miinzer was led there and put to death together with Pfeiffer. (T. Kolde.)
Bibliography: A " History of Miinzer" printed at Hagenau, 1525, and reproduced in Watch's ed. of Luther's Works, xvi. 159 sqq., is ascribed to Melanchthon. Consult: G. T. Strobel, Leben, Schriften und Lehren Thoma Milntzers, Nuremberg, 1791; J. K. Seidemann, Thomas Miinzer, Dresden, 1842; K. E. Forstemann, Neues Urkundenbuch zur Geschichle der evangelischen Kirchenreformation, i. 228, Hamburg, 1842; O. Merx, Thomas Miinzer und Heinrich Pfeiffer 1523-25, Gottingen, 1889; A. H. Newman, Hist, of Anti-Pedobaptism, pp. 67-86, Philadelphia, 1897; K. Kautsky, Communism in Central Europe in the Time of the Reformation, pp. 90-154, London, 1897
(sympathetic and apologetic); H. E. Jacobs, Martin Luther, pp. 253 sqq. et passim. New York, 1898; R. Jordan, Chronik der Stadt Miilhausen, vol. i., Miihlhausen, 1900; idem, Zur Geschichte der Stadt Miihlhausen, parts i.-ii., ib. 1901-02; E. Sehling, Die evangelischen Kirchenordnungen des 16. Jahrhunderts, i. 470 sqq., Leipsic, 1902; H. C. Vedder, Balthasar Hubmaier, pp. 97, 105-107, 160, 162, New York, 1905; H. Barge, Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt, 2 vols., Leipsic, 1905; Moeller, Christian Church, iii. 36, 62, 88, 93.
MUEZZIN, mu-ez'zin (MUEDDIN): The official attached to a Mohammedan mosque, whose business it is to chant the azan (from which the word muezzin is formed with the aid of the preformative), or call of the faithful to prayer, five times each day. The call is sounded from the minaret, if the mosque has one, otherwise from the side of the mosque. The words of the call are: " Allah is most great (four times); I testify that there is no God but Allah (twice); I testify that Mohammed is the apostle of Allah (twice); come to prayer (twice); come to salvation (twice); Allah is most great (twice); there is no god but Allah." In the early morning call, after the words " Come to salvation," the Muezzin adds " Prayer is better than sleep " (twice).
MUFTI: The title of an official in Mohammedan, particularly Turkish, countries, whose duty it is to assist the judge or cadi by expounding the law. He must be familiar with the Koran, with the body of Mohammedan tradition, as well as with the works on law, as it is part of his work to cite decisions already made in similar cases. Bibliography: D. B. Macdonald, Development of Muslim
Theology, Jurisprudence, and Constitutional Theory, pp.
115, 184, 276, 277, New York, 1903.