Then the Archbishop, seing Luther would in no wise submit the word of God to the iudgement of men, gently bad Luther farewell, who at that instant prayed the Archbishop to entreat the Emperours Maiesty to graūt him gracious leaue to depart. He aunswered: He would take order for him, and spedelye aduertise him of the Emperors pleasure.
[Back to Top]And within a small while after, the Archbishopes Officiall, in the presence of the Emperours secretary, who was Maximiliās chaūcelor, said vnto Luther in his lodging, by the commaundemēt of the Emperour: That since he had bene admonished diuersly of the Emperiall Maiesty, the Electores, Princes, and Estates of the Empire, and that notwithstāding he would not returne to vnity and concord, ther remained that Themperour as aduocate of the Catholike faith shuld proceade further. And that it was the Emperoures ordinance, he should within. xx. daies, returne securely vnder saueconduct, & be safely garded to the place whence he came, so that in the meane while he stirred no commotion among the people in his iorney, either in conference or Sermones.
[Back to Top]Luther hauing vnderstanded this, aunswered very modestly and Christianly: Euen as it hath pleased God, so is it come to passe, the name of the Lorde be blessed. He said further, he thanked most humbly the Emperoures Maiesty, and all the Princes and Estates of the Emprie, that they had geuen to him benigne and gracious audience, and graunted safeconduct to come and to returne. Finally he said: He desired none other in them, then a reformacion, according to the sacred word of God, and consonancy of holy scriptures, which effectually in his hart he desired. Otherwise he was prest to suffer all chaunces for the Emperiall Maiesty, as life and death, good fame & reproch reseruing nothing to him selfe, but the onely word of God, which he would constantly confesse, to the latter end, humbly recommending him to the Emperoures Maiesty, and to al the Princes, and other Estates of the sacred Empire.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaLuthers departure from Wormes.The morrow after which was the. xxvi. day of Aprill after hee had taken his leaue of such as supported him, and other his beneuolent friendes, that often times visited him, and brokē his fast, at ten of the clocke, hee departed from Wormes accompanied with such, as repayred thither with him. The Emperoures Herauld Caspar Sturme followed and ouertooke him at Oppenheim being commaunded by the Emperour to conduct him safely home.
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COnfirme (O God) in vs that thou hast wrought, and perfect the worke that thou hast begone in vs to thy glory. So be it.
In the 1563 edition, the conclusion of Foxe's account of Luther can be divided into three parts. The first is an account of Luther's death, translated from Melanchthon's funeral sermon, as translated by Henry Bennet (see A famous and godly history contayning the lyves a[nd] actes of three renowned reformers…, trans. Henry Bennet (London, 1561), STC 1881, sigs. F8v-G1r). The second was a long account of the pontificate of Leo X translated from Bale's Catalogus. And the third part is a brief summary, of Foxe's composition, on the increasing papal corruption of the Church during the Middle Ages and praising Luther for bringing light into the depths of this darkness.In the 1570 edition, the second and third parts of this initial account were dropped. Material from Sleidan's Commentaries and Caspar Hedio's continuation of Burchard of Ursburg's chronicle was added to the account to provide a narrative of Luthers's dispute with Karlstadt on iconoclasm and Luther's dispute with Zwingli over the Eucharist. Since Foxe sided with Luther on neither issue, he distanced himself from the Reformer, warning readers that Luther's opinion and example were not to be slavishly followed, such as his opposition to iconoclasm (Foxe endorsed iconoclasm). But Foxe also made clear his very considerable admiration for Luther, based especially on his regard for Luther as a spiritual physician to troubled souls, on Luther's courage in defying the papacy and for being the first person to articulate a theology of justification by faith. By the end of the account, Foxe despite his theological differences with Luther, ends up crediting him with quasi-miraculous powers.
[Back to Top]Thomas S. Freeman
University of Sheffield
This is taken from A famous and godly history contayning the lyves a[nd] actes of three renowned reformers…, trans. Henry Bennet (London, 1561),STC 1881, sigs. F8v-G1r. For a modern translation of Melanchthon's life of Luther, see Elizabeth Vandiver, Ralph Keen and Thomas D. Frazel, Luther's Lives (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002), pp. 14-39.
[Back to Top]My friendes, ye know that we haue enterprised to expounde Grammatically the Epistle to to the Romaines, in the whiche is contayned the true doctrine of the sonne of God, the which our Lorde by his singular grace hath reuealed vnto vs at this present by the reuerend father, & our dearely beloued Maister Martine Luther. Notwithstanding we haue receiued heauy newes, whiche haue so augmēted my dolour, that I am in doubt if I may continue hencefoorth in scholasticall profession, and exercise of teaching. The cause wherfore I cōmemorate this thing, is, for that I am so aduised by other lordes, that ye may vnderstande the true sequele of thynges least your selues blase abroade vayne tales of this fatall chaunce, or geue credite to other fables, which commonly are accustomed to bee spred euery where.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe sicknes of Luther.Wednesday last past,
This is taken from A famous and godly history contayning the lyves a[nd] actes of three renowned reformers…, trans. Henry Bennet (London, 1561), sigs. G1r-G2r.
MY heauenly father, eternall and mercyfull God, thou has manifested vnto me thy deare sonne our lord Iesus Christ, I haue taught him, I haue knowen him, I loue him as my life my health, and my redemption, whome the wicked persecuted, maligned, and with iniurie aflic