Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/701

 The Revolt of Germany against the Papacy 595 The following day, in a Latin address which he repeated in German, he admitted that he had been overviolent in his attacks upon his opponents ; but he said that no one could deny that, through the popes' decrees, the consciences of faithful Chris- tians had been tormented, and their goods and possessions, especially in Germany, devoured. Should he recant those things which he had said against the popes' conduct, he would only strengthen the papal tyranny and give an opportunity for new usurpations. If, however, adequate arguments against his posi- tion coul^ be found in the Scriptures, he would gladly and willingly recant. There was now nothing for the Emperor to do but to outlaw The Emperor Luther, who had denied the binding character of the commands jaw to outlaw of the head of the Church. Aleander was accordingly assigned Luther the agreeable duty of drafting the famous Edict of Worms. "/^ This document declared Luther an outlaw on the following The Edict of grounds : that he questioned the recognized number and char- °^"^^' ^^^^ acter of the sacraments, impeached the regulations in regard to the marriage of the clergy, scorned and vilified the Pope, | despised the priesthood and stirred up the laity to dip their hands in the blood of the clergy, denied free will, taught licen- tiousness, despised authority, advocated a brutish existence, and was a menace to Church and State alike. Every one was for- bidden to give the heretic food, drink, or shelter, and required to seize him and deliver him to the Emperor. Moreover, the decree provides that " no one shall dare to buy, sell, read, preserve, copy, print, or cause to be copied or printed, any books of the aforesaid Martin Luther, condemned by our holy father the Pope, as aforesaid, or any other writings in German or Latin hitherto composed by him, since they are foul, noxious, suspected, and published by a notorious and stiff- A necked heretic. Neither shall any one dare to affirm his opinions, or proclaim, defend, or advance them in any other way that human ingenuity can invent, — notwithstanding that he may have put some good into his writings in order to deceive the simple man."