rected: For I wyll acknowledge nothing, but that I haue written, and that which I haue written, I wyl not deny.

Now to answeare to the second article, I beseech your most excellent maiestie, and your graces, to vouchsafe to geue eare.MarginaliaHe deuideth hys workes into three partes Al my bookes are not of one sort. There be some, in which I haue so simply and soundly declared and opened the religion of Christen fayth, and of good woorkes, that my very enemies are compelled to confesse them to be profitable and woorthy to be read of all Christians. And truely the Popes Bull (howe cruel and tyrannous so euer it be) iudgeth certaine of my bookes inculpable, albeit the same with seuere sentence, thundreth against me and with mōstrous crueltie condēneth my bookes, which books if I should reuoke, I myght worthyly be thought to neglecte and transgresse the office of a true Christian, and to be one alone, that repugneth the publique confession of all people. There is an other sort of my bookes, which containe inuectiues against the Papacie and other of the Popes retinue, as haue with their pestiferous doctrine, and pernicious examples, corrupted the whole state of our Christianitie. Neither can any deny or dissemble this, wherunto vniuersal experience, and common complaint of al beare witnesses that the consciences of all faythfull men be most miserably entrapped, vexed, & cruelly tormented by the Popes lawes and doctrines of men. Also that the goodes and substaunce of Christen people are deuoured, especially in this noble & famous countrey of Germanie, and yet without order and in most detestable maner, are suffered styll to be deuoured, without al measure, by incredible tyrannie:MarginaliaThe Pope procedeth contrarye to his owne doctrine. notwithstandyng that they them selues haue ordeyned to the contrarye in their owne proper lawes as in the Distinct. 9. & 25. q. 1. & 2.  

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Luther is citing sections of canon law here against Eck's arguments for papal primacy.

If then I shall reuoke these, I can do none other, but adde more force to their tyrannie, and open not onely wyndowes, but wide gates to their impietie, whiche is like to extend more wyde, and more licenciously then euer it durst heretofore: And by the testimonie of this my retractation, their insolent kingdome shalbe made more licentious, and lesse subiect to punishment, intollerable to the cōmon people, and also more confirmed & established, especially if this be bruted, that I Luther haue done this by the authoritie of your most excellent maiesty, and the sacred Romane empire. Oh Lorde, what a couer or shadowe shall I be then to cloke their naughtines and tyrannie?

The rest or third sort of my bookes are such, as I haue written against certaine priuate and singuler persons, to wyt, against such as with tooth and nayle labour to maintaine the Romish tyrannie, and to deface the true doctrine and religion, whiche I haue taught and professed. As touching these, I plainly confesse I haue ben more vehement, then my religion and profession required. For I make my selfe no Saint, and I dispute not of my lyfe, but of the doctrine of Christe.

And these I cannot without preiudice cal backe. For by this recantation it wyl come to passe, that tyrannie and impietie shal raigne, supported by my meanes, and so shall they exercise crueltie agaynst Gods people, more violently and ragyngly then before.

MarginaliaHe requireth to be instructed if he haue erred. Neuertheles, for that I am a man and not God, I can none otherwise enterprise to defende my bookes, then dyd my very Lord Iesus Christ defend his doctrine. Who being examined of his learnyng before Annas, and hauing receyued a buffet of the minister, sayd, If I haue spoken euyl, beare wytnesse of the euyl.  

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John 18: 23

If the Lord (who was perfect and could not erre) refused not to haue testimonie geuen against his doctrine, yea of a most vile seruaunt: howe much the more then I, that am but vile corruption, & can of my selfe do nothing but erre, ought earnestly to see and require, if anye wyll beare witnes agaynst my doctrine?

Therfore I require, for Gods mercy, your most excellent maiestie, your graces and right honorable lordshyps, or what soeuer he be of high or lowe degree, here to laye in his testimonie, conuict my errours, and confute me by the Scriptures, eyther out of the Prophetes or the Apostles, and I wyl be most ready (if I be so instructed) to reuoke any maner of error: yea wylbe the first that shal consume myne owne bookes and burne them.

MarginaliaDissensions and diuisions folowe the doctrine of Christ not for any cause in the doctrine, but in the aduersary. I suppose hereby it may appeare, that I haue perpended, and wel wayed before, the peryls and daungers, the diuisions and dissensions whiche haue rysen throughout the whole world, by reason of my doctrine, wherof I was vehemently and sharply yesterday admonished. Concernyng whiche diuisions of mens myndes, what other men doo iudge, I knowe not: as touchyng my selfe, I conceyue no greater delectation in any thing, then when I beholde discordes and dissensions stirred vp for the woorde of God, For such is the course and proceding of the Gospel. Iesus Christe sayth: I came not to sende peace, but a sworde. I came to set man at variance against his father.  

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Matthew 10: 34.

And further, we must thinke, that our God is maruelous & terrible in his Councels, lest perhaps þ^t whiche we endeuour with earnest study to atchieue and bring to passe (if we begyn first with condemnyng of his word) the same rebound againe to an huge sea of euyll: and least the newe raigne of this young and bounteous Prince Charles (in whom next after God, we al conceiue singuler hope) be lamentable, vnfortunate and miserably begun.

MarginaliaMans coūsaile without Gods worde and his feare, be vnfortunate. I could exemplifie this with authorities of the Scriptures more effectually, as by Pharao, þ^e kyng of Babylon, and the kinges of Israel, who then most obscured þ^e bright sunne of their glory, and procured their own ruine, when by sage counsels they attempted to pacifie & establish their gouernmentes and realmes, and not by Gods counsels: for it is he that entrappeth the wily in their wilynes, and subuerteth mountaynes before they be ware. Wherefore it is good and Gods worke, to dread the Lord.

I speake not this, supposing that so politique and prudent heades haue neede of my doctrine or admonition: but because I would not omyt to profite my countrey, and offer my duetie or seruice that may tende to the aduauncement of the same.MarginaliaLuther prouoked again to submit hym selfe And thus I humblye commende mee to your moste excellent maiestie, and your honourable Lordships, beseching you that I may not incurre your displeasures, neither be condemned of you, through the pursuite of my aduersaries. I haue spoken.

These wordes pronounced, then Eckius the Emperours Prolocutor, with a sterne coūtenaunce begā, & said, that Luther had not answeared to any purpose, neither it behoued hym to cal in question, thinges in tyme past concluded and defined by general Councels: and therfore they required of hym a plaine and direct answeare, whether he would reuoke or no.  

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It should be remembered that Luther's books had already been found heretical by the Church. He was summoned to Worms to be given a chance to recant, not to defend his views.

MarginaliaLuthers absolute aunswere Then Luther: considering (saide he) your soueraigne maiestie, and your honours require a playne answeare: this I say and professe as resolutely as I maye, without doubling or sophistication, that if I be not conuinced by testimonies of the Scriptures, and by probable reasons (for I beleue not the Pope, neither his general Councels, whiche haue erred many tymes, and haue bene contrarye to them selues) my conscience is so bound & captiued in these Scriptures and word of God which I haue alleged, that I wil not, nor maye not reuoke any maner of thing, considering it is not godly nor lawful to doo any thing agaynst conscience. Hereupon I stand and rest. I haue not What els to say. God haue mercy vpon me.

The princes consulted together vpon this answere geuen by Luther: and when they had diligentlye examined the same, the prolocutor, began to repel  

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Eck began to respond to, or answer, Luther.

MarginaliaEckius agayne replyeth. Martin (said he) þ^u hast more immodestly answeared, then besemed thy person, and also litle to the purpose. Thou deuidest thy bokes into three sorts, in such order as al that thou hast said, maketh nothing to the interrogation proponed: and therefore if thou haddest reuoked those, wherein the greatest part of thine errours is contayned, the Emperours maiestie, and the noble clemēcie of other would haue suffered the rest that be sound, to susteyne no iniurie. But thou doest reuiue & bringest to light againe, all that the general Councel of Constance hath condemned, the whiche was assembled of all the nation of Germanie, and nowe doest require to be conuinced with Scriptures, wherein thou errest greatly. For what auayleth it to renue disputation of things so long tyme past condemned by the Church and Councels,MarginaliaThe Papistes stand onely vpon their church and councels. vnles it should be necessarye to geue a reason to euery man of euery thing that is concluded. Nowe were it so, that this should be permitted to euery one that gaynstandeth the determination of the Church and Coūcels, that he may once get this aduauntage, to be conuinced by the Scriptures, we shall haue nothyng certaine and established in Christendome.

And this is the cause wherfore the Emperours maiestie requireth of thee a simple answeare, either negatiue or affirmatiue, whether thou myndest to defend al thy works as Christian, or no?

Then Luther turnyng to the Emperour, and the nobles, besought them, not to compel hym to yeelde agaynst his conscience confirmed with the holy Scriptures, without manifest argumentes alledged to the contrarye by his aduersaries. I haue declared and rendred (sayd he) myne answeare simply and directly: neyther haue I any more to saye, vnles myne aduersaries with true and sufficient probations grounded vpon the Scripture, can reduce and resolue my mynde, and refelle myne errours, whiche they