1570 Edition | Book 7 | Page 1020 
perours Court.
After theyr departure the Archbishop of Triers, accompanyed with a few hys familiares, namely Iohn Eckius his Officiall, and Cochleus, commaunded Luther to repayre into hys parlour. With Luther was Hieronymus Schurffius and Nicolas Ambsdorff, for his assistaunce. MarginaliaFalse argumentes for the pope.Then the Officiall began to frame an argument lyke a Sophist and Canonist, defēdyng the Popes cause: that for the most part at all tymes holy Scriptures haue engēdred errours, as the error of Heluidius the heretike, out of that place in the Gospell, where is expressed: Ioseph knewe not hys wife till he was deliuered of her first childe. MarginaliaMath. 1.Further, he went about to ouerthrow this proposition, that the Catholicke Churche is the Communion of Saintes.
[Back to Top]Martin Luther and Hierome Schurffe reproued (but modestly)
CloseFoxe added the words 'but modestly' to this narrative, in the 1570 edition.
About euenyng, the Archbyshop of Triers, aduertised Luther by Ambsdorff, that þe Emperours promise made vnto hym, was prolonged two dayes, and in the meane season he would conferre with hym the next day, and for that cause he would send Peutinger, and the Doctour of Bade, whiche was Vœus, the morow after to hym, and he hym selfe would also talke with hym.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaSollicitatiō to cause Luther yelde.The Friday after, whiche was S. Markes day, Peutinger, and the Doctor of Bade trauailed in þe forenoone to perswade Luther simply and absolutely to submit the iudgement of hys writynges to the Emperour and Empire. MarginaliaNote Luthers condition.He aunswered he would do it and submit any thing they would haue him, so they grounded with authoritie of holy Scripture: otherwise he would not consent to do any thyng. For God sayd by hys Prophet (sayth he) trust ye not in princes nor in the chilren of men, in whom there is no health.
ClosePsalm 146: 3.
CloseJeremiah 17: 5.
MarginaliaLuthers condition.After dynner they returned, exhortyng him as before, but in vayne. They prayed him þt at þe least he would submit hys writyng to þe iudgement of þe next generall Coūcel. Luther agreed therunto, but with this cōdition, þt they them selues should presēt the Articles collected out of his bookes to bee submitted to the Councell in suche sorte as notwithstādyng the sentence awarded by the Councell, shoulde be authorised by the Scripture, and confirmed with the testimonyes of the same.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaFalse witnes.They then leauyng Luther departed and reported to the Archbyshop of Triers, that he had promised to submit hys writynges in certaine Articles to the next Councell, and in the meane space he would kepe silence, whiche Luther neuer thought: who neither but admonitions, ne yet manaces, could bee induced to denye or submit hys bookes to the iudgementes of men (he had so fortified his cause with cleare and manifest authorities of the Scripture) vnlesse they could proue by sacred Scripture, and apparant reasons to the contrarye.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe prouidence of God.It chaunced then by the speciall grace of God, that the Archbyshop of Triers sent for Luther, thinkyng presently to heare hym. And when he perceiued otherwise then Peutinger, and the Doctor of Bade had told hym, he sayde that hee woulde for no good, but that hee had heard hym selfe speake: for els he was euen now goyng to þe Emperour, to declare what þe Doctors had reported.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaFamiliar talke betwene the archbishop & Luther.Then the Archb. entreated Luther, & conferred with hym very gently, first remouyng such as were present, as well of the one side, as of the other. In this conferēce Luther concealed nothyng from the Archbyshop, affirmyng that it was daūgerous to submit a matter of so great importance to them, who after they had called hym vnder safeconduict, attemptyng hym with new commaundementes, had condempned hys opinion, and approued the Popes Bull.
[Back to Top]Moreouer, the Archbyshop biddyng a frēd of his draw nighe, required Luther to declare what remedy might be ministred to helpe this. Luther aunswered: MarginaliaLuthers prophecie out of Gamaliell.there was no better remedy, then such as Gamaliel alledgeth in þe v. Chap. of the Apostles, as witnesseth S. Luke saying: If thys Councell or thys worke proceede of men, it shall come to nought, but if it be of God, ye can not destroy it.
CloseActs 5: 38-39.
The Archbishop enquired of hym what he would do, if certayne Articles were taken out of hys bookes, to bee submited to the generall Councell. Luther aunswered: so that they be not those, whiche the Councell of Constance condempned. The Archbyshop sayd, I feare they will be the very same: but what then? MarginaliaLuthers constancie.Luther replyed: I will not, nor I cānot hold my peace of such, for I am sure by their decrees the worde of God was condēpned: therfore I will rather lose head and lyfe, then abandone the manfiest worde of my Lord God.
[Back to Top]Then the Archbishop, seyng Luther would in no wise geue ouer the woorde of God, to the iudgement of men, gently bad Luther farewell, who at that instaunt prayed the Archbyshop to entreat the Emperours Maiestye to graūt hym gracious leaue to depart. He aunswered: he would take order for him, and spedely aduertise hym of the Emperours pleasure.
[Back to Top]Within a small while after Iohn Eckius the archbyshops Officiall, in the presēce of the Emperours secretary, who had bene Maximilians Chauncelor, sayd vnto Luther in hys lodgyng by the commaundement of the Emperour: MarginaliaLuther sent home from the councell.that since he had bene admonished diuerslye of the Emperiall Maiesty, the Electors Princes, and Estates of the Empire, and that notwithstandyng he would not returne to vnity and concorde, there remayned that þe Emperour as aduocate of the Catholicke fayth, should procede further: and that it was the Emperours ordinaunce, þt he should within. xxi. dayes, returne boldly vnder safecōduct, and be safely garded to the place whence he came, so that in the meane while, he styrred no commotion among the people in hys iorney, either in conferēce or by preachyng.
[Back to Top]Luther hearyng this, aunswered very modestly and Christianly: euen as it hath pleased God, so is it come to passe, the name of the Lord be blessed. He sayd further, he thanked most humbly, the Emperours Maiesty, and all the Princes and Estates of the Empire, that they had geuen to hym benigne and gracious audience, and graunted safeconduct to come and returne. Finally he sayd, he desired none other of them, then a reformation, according to the sacred worde of God, and consonancie of holy Scriptures, whiche effectually in hys hart he desired: Otherwise he was prest to suffer all chaunces for the Emperiall Maiesty, as lyfe and death, goods, fame, & reproch, reseruyng nothyng to hym selfe, but the onely worde of God, whiche he would constantly confesse, to the latter end, humbly recommendyng hym to the Emperours Maiesty, and to all the Princes, and other Estates of the sacred Empire.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaLuthers departure from Wormes.The morow after, which was the. xxvi. day of Aprill, after hee had taken his leaue of such as supported hym, and other hys beneuolent frendes, that often tymes visited hym, and had broken his fast, at ten of the clocke hee departed from Wormes, accompanyed with suche as repayred thether with hym, hauyng space of tyme limited vnto hym (as is sayd) for 21. dayes and no more.
CloseLuther had twenty-one days to reurn home. During that time he was protected by the Imperial safe conduct; after that period he was at the mercy of the local authorities.