MarginaliaThe word of God onlye true. lesson (said he) he learned of S. Austen, who writeth, that he gaue his honour onely to those bookes, whiche are called Canonical, that he beleued the same onely to be true. As touching other Doctours, albeit in holynes and excellencie of learnyng they passed, yet he would not credite them further then they agreed with the touchstone of Gods worde. Further (said he) S. Paul geueth vs a lesson writing to the Thessalonians  

: Proue al things, folowe that is good.Marginalia1 Thess 5. And to the Galathians   : Though an Angel should descend from heauen, if he preache any other doctrine, let hym be accursed, and therefore not to be beleued. MarginaliaGal. 1.

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Finally he meekely besought them not to vrge his conscience, captured in the bandes of the word of God and holy scripture, to denie that same excellent worde. And thus he commended his cause and hym selfe to them and specially to the Emperours maiestie, requiring their fauour, that he might not be compelled to doo any thing in this matter against his conscience: in all other causes he would submyt hym selfe with al kind of obedience and due subiection.

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As Luther had thus ended his talke, Ioachimus Elector, Marques of Brandeburge, demaunded if his meanyng was thus, that he woulde not yeelde, vnles he were conuinced by the Scripture? Yea truely right noble Lorde (quoth Luther) or els by auncient and euident reasons. And so the assemble brake, and the Princes repayred to the Emperours Court.

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After their departure the Archbishop of Triers, accōpanyed with a fewe his familiars, namely Iohn Eckius his Official, and Cochleus, cōmaunded Luther to repayre into his parlour. With Luther was Hieronymus Schurffius and Nicolas Ambsdorff, for his assistaunce.MarginaliaFalse argumentes for the pope. Then the Official began to frame an argument like a Sophist & Canonist, defending the Popes cause: that for the moste part at al tymes holy Scriptures haue engendred errors, as the error of Heluidius the heretique, out of that place in the Gospel, where is expressed: Ioseph knewe not his wyfe tyl shee was deliuered of her first childe.MarginaliaMath. 1. Further, he went about to ouerthrowe this proposition, that the Catholique Church is the Communion of Saintes.

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Martin Luther and Hierome Schurffe reproued (but modestly)  

these follies and other vaine and ridiculous matters, which Eckius brought forth as i not seruyng to the purpose. Sometyme Cochleus would come in with his sixe egges, and labored to perswade Luther to desiste from his purpose, & vtterly to refraine thenceforth to write or teache and so they departed.

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About euenyng, the Archebishop of Triers, aduertised Luther by Ambsdorff, that þ^e Emperours promise made vnto hym, was prolonged two dayes, and in the meane season he woulde conferre with hym the next day, and for that cause he would send Peutinger, and the Doctour of Bade which was Vœus, the morowe after to hym, and he hymself would also talke with him.

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MarginaliaSollicitation to cause Luther yelde. The fryday after, which was S. Markes day, Peutinger and the Doctour of Bade trauailed in the forenoone to perswade Luther simply and absolutely to submyt the iudgement of his writinges to the Emperour and Empire.MarginaliaNote Luthers condition. He answeared, he woulde do it and submyt any thing they would haue hym, so they grounded with authoritie of holy Scripture: otherwise he woulde not consent to doo any thyng. For God said by hys prophete (saith he) Trust ye not in princes nor in the children of men, in whom there is no health.  

MarginaliaPsal. [illegible text] Also Cursed be he that trusteth in man.   MarginaliaIere. 17. And seing that they did vrge hym more vehemently, he answeared: We ought to yeelde no more to the iudgement of men, then the word of God doth suffer. So they departed, and praied him to aduise for better answeare, and said, they would returne after dynner.

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MarginaliaLuthers condition. After dynner they returned, exhorting hym as before, but in vaine. They prayed hym that at the least he woulde submit his writyng to the iudgement of the next generall Coūcel. Luther agreed therunto, but with this cōdition, that they them selues shoulde present the articles collected out of his bookes to be submitted to the Councel in such sort as notwithstanding the sentence awarded by the Coūcel shoulde be authorised by the Scripture, and confirmed with the testimonies of the same.

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MarginaliaFalse witnesse. They then leauyng Luther departed, and reported to the Archbishop of Triers, that he had promised to submyt his writinges in certaine articles to the next Councel, and in the meane space he woulde keepe silence, whiche Luther neuer thought: who neither w^t admonitions, ne yet manaces coulde be induced to denie or submyt his 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 contrary.

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MarginaliaThe prouidence of God. It chaunced then by the special grace of God, that the Archbishop of Triers sent for Luther, thinkyng presently to heare hym. And when he perceiued otherwise then Peutinger, and the Doctour of Bade had tolde hym, he sayde, þ^t he would for no good, but þ^t he had heard him self speake: for els he was euen nowe goyng to the Emperour, to declare what the Doctours had reported.

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MarginaliaFamiliar talke betwene the archbishop and Luther. Then the Archb. entreated Luther, and cōferred with hym very gently, first remouyng suche as were present, as wel of the one side as of the other. In this conference Luther concealed nothyng from the Archebishop, affirmyng that it was daūgerous to submyt a matter of so great importaunce to them, who after they had called hym vnder safeconduict, attemptyng hym with newe commaundementes, had condemned his opinion, and approoued the Popes Bull.

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Moreouer, the Archbishop byddyng a frend of his draw nigh, required Luther to declare what remedie might be ministred to helpe this. Luther annsweared:MarginaliaLuthers prophecie out of Gamaliell. there was no better remedie then such as Gamaliel alleged in the v. chapter of the Apostles, as witnesseth S. Luke saying: If this Councell or this woorke proceede of men, it shall come to nought, but if it be of God, ye can not destroy it.  

MarginaliaAct. 5. And so he desired that the Emperour might be aduertised to write the same to the Pope, that he knewe certainely if this his enterprise proceeded not of God, it would be abolished within three yea within two yeares.

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The Archbishop enquired of hym what he would do, if certaine articles were taken out of his bookes, to be submited to the general Councel. Luther answeared: so that they be not those, which the Coūcel of Constance condemned. The Archbishop saide, I feare they wyl be the verye same: but what then?MarginaliaLuthers constancie. Luther replyed, I wyl not, nor I cannot hold my peace of such, for I am sure by their decrees the word of God was condemned: therefore I wyl rather loose head and lyfe, then abandon the manfiest worde of my Lord God.

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Then the Archbishop seyng Luther would in no wise geue ouer the worde of God, to the iudgement of men, gently bade Luther fare well, who at that instaunt prayed the Archbishop to intreat the Emperours maiestie to graunt hym gratious leaue to depart. He answeared, he woulde take order for hym, and spedily aduertise hym of the Emperours pleasure.

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Within a smal while after, Iohn Eckius the Archbishops officiall, in the presence of the Emperours Secretarye, who had bene Maximilians Chauncelour, saide vnto Luther in his lodgyng, by the commaundemēt of the Emperour:MarginaliaLuther sent home from the counsell. that since he had bene admonished diuerslye of the Emperiall maiestie, the Electors, Princes, and estates of the Empire, and that notwithstandyng he woulde not returne to vnitie and concorde, there remayned that the Emperour as aduocate of the Catholique fayth, should procede further: and that it was the Emperours ordinaunce, that he shoulde within xxi. dayes, returne boldly vnder safeconduict, and be safely garded to the place whence he came, so that in the meane while he styrred no cōmotion among the people in his iourney, either in conference, or by preaching.

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Luther hearing this, answeared very modestly, & 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 al the princes and estates of the Empire, that they had geuen to hym benigne and gratious audience, and graunted safeconduict to come and returne. Finally he sayd, he desired none other of them, then a reformation, according to the sacred worde of God, and cōsonancie of holy Scriptures, which effectually in his hart he desired: Otherwise he was prest to suffer al chaūces for the Emperial maiestie, as lyfe and death, goods, fame, and reproche, reseruyng nothing to hym selfe, but the onely word of God, whiche he would constantly confesse, to the latter ende, humbly recommendyng hym to the Emperours maiestie, and to al the princes and other estates of the sacred Empire.

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MarginaliaLuthers departure from Wormes. The morow after, whiche was the. xxvi. day of Aprill, after he had taken his leaue of such as supported hym, and other his beneuolent frendes, that often tymes visited hym, and had broken his fast, at ten of the clocke he departed from Wormes, accompanyed with suche as repayred thyther with hym, hauyng space of tyme limited vnto hym (as is said) for. xxi. dayes, and no more.  

The Emperours Herauld Caspar Sturme, folowed and ouertooke hym at Oppenhime, being commaunded by the Emperour to conduct hym safely home.

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COnfirme (O God) in vs, that thou hast wrought, and perfect the woorke that thou hast begunne in vs, to thy