Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/550

 Luther, he had heard from his own mouth opinions which directly contradict those contained in his books.

After this third hearing the Archbishop of Trier went to the session of the princes, to relate the progress of affairs; likewise Chievres, the Chancellor Gattinara and the Bishops of Liege and Palencia appeared to communicate the Em- peror's will, to the effect that after such proofs of contumacy it was time to send this dog back and faithfully execute their judgment Again the princes took council together for a time and then by the said ambassadors sent a petition to the Em- peror that his Majesty should allow the Archbishop of Trier to exhort Martin by himself, as the prelate had expressed good confidence of converting Luther. The Emperor agreed to this. Meantime, we exerted ourselves to get the arch- bishop to discharge this duty quickly, for if delay were al- lowed it was to be feared that Luther would be induced to recant partially, which would have been fatal. Also we ur- gently requested the archbishop not to depart from the form of recantation prescribed by us.

On the twenty-fifth of this month after the midday meal Luther went to the court of the archbishop, who in a private conference exhorted him to recant, and in case he refused to do so only from fear of his companions, who, as is said, threaten him with death, the archbishop offered him a rich priory in the neighborhood of one of his castles, and said that he would at once admit him to his table and to his coun- cil, under his protection and that of the Emperor and in the high favor of the Pope. He declined all that. Then the prelate made him the four following proposals: i. That he should submit to the common judgment of the Pope and of the Emperor — an offer of which I cannot approve, as in these matters the Pope is the sole judge and his judgment has been already given. 2. That he should commit his cause to the decision of the Emperor, who would use his good offices with the Pope — a still worse proposition. 3. That he should choose the Emperor and Estates as his judges — which is a hor- rible and devilish offer. 4. Or, finally, that he should for the moment recant some of his most monstrous errors, and as for the others should submit to a future council. This proposal

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