Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/531

 626 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let 45»

Glance entrusted the duty of questioning him to the Officiaf of Trier, a learned and orthodox man, who is very conscien- tious in carrying out the apostolic and imperial mandates. In Trier he burned the heretical books so thoroughly that not one was left. This truly excellent man, for whom God be praised, lives in the same house with me, in the very next room.

He spoke to Luther as follows: "Martin Luther, the Em- peror and Realm have summoned you hither, that you may say and tell them whether you have composed these books," for at the Emperor's orders I had sent in twenty-five or more Lutheran books, "and others which bear your name, and, secondly, that you may let us know whether you propose to defend and stand by these books." Then the titles of the works were read one after another.

Then Luther answered first that all the books were his, and that he recognized them for his own. (This was a lie, for everyone knows that some of the books have other authors, although they go under Martin's name.) To the second ques- tion he said, that as it was the most difficult question in the world, concerning the faith, he must pray for time to consider his answer. Then the Emperor with his privy council went apart, as did the electors in their own body, and the other princes and the representatives of the cities.

After due deliberation, the said official again spoke in the name of the Empire and the Realm to this effect: That as Luther had previously been summoned by the Realm, and the reason of his citation communicated to him, they were naturally much surprised that he did not have his answer ready on his arrival. Also that they were under no obliga- tion to grant a respite in questions of faith, as this could only be done with danger and scandal to believers. (Would to God they had acted on this principle five months ago, as they should have.) Nevertheless, he continued, of the pure mercy

ijohn Eck, or Ton Eck or yon der Ecken, not to be confounded with the debater, a jurist, of old family of Trier, in which diocese he held various ecclesiastical preferments. In 1515 he was entrusted with a mission to Rome, and was now the leading minister of the archbishop. He was chosen to address Luther before the Diet because the Archbishop of Trier, who had been preriously agreed to as an umpire by Luther and Miltitz, had general charge of the affair at Worms. In 1523 he was married, and died in 1524*

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