more fully be ascertened. Wherfore without all doubt or distrust, he wylled hym eftsones to make his repayre vnto hym, and to be there present the 21. day after the receate therof: & because he should not misdoubt any fraude or iniurie herein, hee assured to hym his warrant and promise.
Jan Hus had been burned even though he had been granted an imperial safe-conduct to and from the Council of Constance. Charles V had to guarantee Luther's safety in the strongest terms, in order to assuage the fears of Luther's supporters.
MarginaliaM. Luther accursed at Rome of the pope.M. Luther being thus prouided for his safeconduict by the Emperour, after he had bene first accursed at Rome vpon maundy thursday, by the Popes censure, shortly after Easter, speadeth hys iourney toward the Emperour, at Wormes. Where the sayd Luther appearyng before the Emperour, and all the states of Germanie, how constantly he stoocke to the truth, and defended hym self, and aunswered his aduersaryes, and what aduersaries he had, here foloweth in ful history, with such actes & doings as there happened, accordyng as in our former edition partly was before described.
[Back to Top]Marginalia1521.JN the yeare of our saluation.
The entire account of Luther at the Diet of Worms is reprinted from A famous and godly history, trans. Henry Bennet (London, 1561), STC 1881, sigs. D5r-F8r.
I.e., 16 April 1521.
The headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, who at that time were based on the island of Rhodes.
To conclude, he came contrary to the expectation of many, as well aduersaries, as other. For albeit he was sent for by the Emperours messenger, and had letters of safeconduict: yet for that a few dayes before hys accesse, hys bookes were condemned by publicke proclamations, it was much doubted of many that he would not come: and þt rather, for þt his frendes deliberated together in a village nyehād, called Oppenhime (where Luther was first aduertised of these occurrētes) and many persuaded him not to aduenture hym self to such a present daunger, cōsideryng how these begynnyngs aunswered not to the fayth of promise made.
Jan Hus had been burned even though he had been granted an imperial safe-conduct to and from the Council of Constance. Charles V had to guarantee Luther's safety in the strongest terms, in order to assuage the fears of Luther's supporters.
The fourth day after his repayre, a Gentleman, named Vlricke of Papppenhim, Lieuetenaunt general of þe men at armes of the Empyre, was commaunded by the Emperour before dynner, to repayre to Luther, and enioyne hym at iiij. a clocke in the after noone, to appeare before the Emperiall Maiesty, þe Princes Electors, Dukes and other estates of the Empire, to vnderstand the cause of hys sending for: Wherunto he willingly agreed as his duety was.
[Back to Top]And after iiij. a clocke Vlricke Pappenhim, and Caspar Sturm the Emperours Herauld (who conducted M. Luther from Wittenberge to Wormes) came for Luther, and accompanyed hym through the Garden of the Knightes of the Rhodes place,
The headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, who at that time were based on the island of Rhodes.
MarginaliaLuther is brought before the Emperour.Thus standyng before the Emperour, the Electours, Dukes, Earles, and all the Estates of the Empire assembled there, he was first aduertised by Vlricke of Pappenhim, to kepe silence, till such tyme as he was requyred to speake. MarginaliaIohn Eckius propoundeth agaynst M. Luther.Then Iohn Eckius aboue mentioned, who then was the Byshop of Triers generall officiall, with a loude and intelligible voyce, first in Latine, then in Dutch,
I.e., in German.
Martin Luther, the sacred and inuincible Emperiall Maiesty hath enioyned by the consent of all the estates of the holy Empire, that thou shouldest be appealed before the throne of his Maiesty, to the end I might demaunde of thee these two pointes.
First, whether thou cōfessest these bookes here (for he shewed a heape of Luthers bookes written in the Latine & Dutche tonges) & which are in all places dispersed, intituled with thy name, be thyne, and thou doest affirme them to be thine or no? Secondly, whether thou wilt recant and reuoke them, and all that is contained in them, or rather meanest to stand to that thou hast written?
[Back to Top]MarginaliaHierome Schurffe.Then, before Luther prepared to aunswere, Maister Ierome Schurffus a Lawyer of Wyttemberge,
Jerome Schurffe was advising and representing Luther.
MarginaliaM. Luthers aunswere.After this Luther answered thus in Latine & in Dutch
I.e., in German.
MarginaliaLuther refuseth to reuoke hys bookes.In the first, I can do none other then recognise those bookes to be myne, which lastly were named, and certeinly I wil neuer recant any clause therof. In þe second, to declare whether I will wholy defēd, or call backe any thing cōprised in thē: for asmuch as there be questions of faith & the saluation of the soule (& this concerneth the word of God, which is the greatest & most excellent matter þt can be in heauen or earth, & the which duely we ought euermore to reuerence:) this might be accōpted in me a rashnes of iudgemēt, & euen so a most daungerous attempt, if I would pronounce any thing, before I were better aduised, consideryng I might recite somethyng lesse then the matter importeth, and more then the truth requireth, if I did not premeditate that which I would speake. The whiche two things well considered, doth set before mine eyes this sentence of our Lorde Iesus Christ, wherin it is said: Whosoeuer shall denye me before men, I will denie him before my father. MarginaliaLuther desireth respyte to aunswere.I require then for this cause, and humbly beseche the Emperiall Maiesty, to graunt me liberty and leasure to deliberate, so that I may satisfy the interrogation made vnto me, without preiudice of the worde of God, and perill of myne owne soule.
[Back to Top]Wherupō þe Princes began to deliberate. This done, Eckius þe prolocutor pronounced what was their resolution, saying: Albeit M. Luther, thou hast sufficiently vnderstanded by the Emperours cōmaundement, the cause of thy appearaunce heare, and therfore doest not deserue to haue any further respite geuen thee to determine: yet the Emperours Maiesty of his mere clemencie, graūteth thee one day to meditate for thyne aunswere, so that tomorow at this instaunt houre thou shalt repayre to exhibite thyne opinion not in writyng, but to pronounce the same with liuely voyce.
[Back to Top]This done, Luther was led to hys lodgyng by the Herauld. But herein I may not be obliuious, that in þe way