Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/58

 pen. He is then to deliver the book privately, covered with cloth of gold/ subscribed by the king's hand; "wherein the King's grace hath devised and made two verses, inserted in the said book by the King's own hand"; and, if on perusal it be approved by the Pope, he is to have it sent forth with the Pope's authority, and i-equest leave to present it publicly in full consistory, there to receive the papal sanction. Sends him twenty-seven copies for private perusal first. On leave being granted, is to present himself with a solemn oration, "conform- ing your words and manners to the King's epistle and proem put in the beginning of the same book," with such additions as he thinks proper, stating that the King has therein styled himself the very Defender of the Catholic Faith [of] Christ's Church, which he has truly deserved of the See Apostolic.

5Q5. ALBERT OF MAYENCE TO THE EMPEROR CHARLES V. KaOcoff, Capita, 140. (Halle, end of August, 1521.)

Most gracious Lord, etc. I recently received, with all due reverence, your Imperial Majesty's edict' and prohibition against the rebellious heretic named Martin Luther, of the Augustinian Order, and against those who adhere to his con- tumacious views. It is my desire to do my duty and publish it as speedily as possible and to enforce and obey it to the best of my ability, but several reasons lead me to inquire further concerning your Majesty's will and intention before making it public. Very few of the other princes, so far as I know, have published the mandate, and fewer still have tmdertaken to put it into effect. Thus disobedience, outrages, libels, open re- bellion and seditious gatherings of the opposition are increas- ing, and so far are they from concealing their criminal views that they shamelessly allow themselves to be known as ad- herents of the doctrines and the writings that have been con- demned. Indeed they pretend that these doctrines are Chris- tian and correct, and venture to defend them. Besides, it has been found that they have hitherto grown all the stronger when they were opposed, especially where they are not steadily

^This book is still in the Vatican Library, Codex Vat., 3731. The gold bind- iaf waa atolen in tlic sack of Rome, 1527. Pastor-Kerr, yiii, 442ft n.
 * T1w Edict of Worms.

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