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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: gambling, idle display, with all kinds of bad habits and
wickedness, insubordination of subjects, of domestics and
laborers of every trade, also the exactions [and most
exorbitant selling prices] of the peasants (and who can
enumerate all?) have so increased that they cannot be
rectified by ten Councils and twenty Diets. If such chief
matters of the spiritual and worldly estates as are contrary
to God would be considered in the Council, they would have all
hands so full that the child's play and absurdity of long
gowns [official insignia], large tonsures, broad cinctures [or
sashes], bishops' or cardinals' hats or maces, and like
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