battles. If thou art sure of the justice of thy cause, then forward in God’s name, and be of good
courage: God will not forsake thee."^360
He was again kept waiting two hours outside the hall, among a dense crowd, but appeared
more cheerful and confident than the day before. He had fortified himself by prayer and meditation,
and was ready to risk life itself to his honest conviction of divine truth. The torches were lighted
when he was admitted.
Dr. Eck, speaking again in Latin and German, reproached him for asking delay, and put the
second question in this modified form:, Wilt thou defend all the books which thou dost acknowledge
to be thine, or recant some part?"
Luther answered in a well-considered, premeditated speech, with modesty and firmness,
and a voice that could be heard all over the hall.^361
After apologizing for his ignorance of courtly manners, having been brought up in monastic
simplicity, he divided his books into three classes:^362 (1) Books which simply set forth evangelical
truths, professed-alike by friend and foe: these he could not retract. (2) Books against the corruptions
and abuses of the papacy which vexed and martyred the conscience, and devoured the property of
the German nation: these he could not retract without cloaking wickedness and tyranny. (3) Books
against his popish opponents: in these he confessed to have been more violent than was proper, but
even these he could not retract without giving aid and comfort to his enemies, who would triumph
and make things worse. In defense of his books he could only say in the words of Christ:, If I have
spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" If his opponents could
convict him of error by prophetic and evangelical Scriptures, he would revoke his books, and be
the first to commit them to the flames. He concluded with a warning to the young Emperor not to
begin his reign by condemning the word of God, and pointed to the judgments over Pharaoh, the
king of Babylon, and the ungodly kings of Israel.
He was requested to repeat his speech in Latin.^363 This he did with equal firmness and with
eyes upraised to heaven.
The princes held a short consultation. Eck, in the name of the Emperor, sharply reproved
him for evading the question; it was useless, he said, to dispute with him about views which were
not new, but had been already taught by Hus, Wiclif, and other heretics, and had been condemned
for sufficient reasons by the Council of Constance before the Pope, the Emperor, and the assembled
fathers. He demanded a round and direct answer, without horns."
This brought on the crisis.
(^360) "Mönchlein, Mönchlein, du gehst jetzt einen Gang, dergleichen ich und mancher Oberster auch in unserer allerernstesten
Schlachtordnung nicht gethan haben," etc. The saying is reported by Mathesius (who puts it on the second day of trial, not on the first,
as Köstlin and others), by Spangenberg and Seckendorf (Leipzig ed. of 1694, vol. I. 156, in Latin and German).
(^361) "Respondit Doctor Martinus et ipse latine et germanice, quanquam suppliciter, non clamose, ac modeste, non tamen sine Christiana
animositate et constantia."Acta, etc. (Op. Lat., VI. 9). He began with the customary titles: "Allerdurchlauchtigster, grossmächtigster
Kaiser, Durchlauchtige Churfürsten, gnädigste und gnädige Herren!" These fulsome titles are used to this day in Germany, as if a king
or emperor were mightier than the Almighty I
(^362) In his report at Eisleben, he calls the three classes briefly Lehrbücher, Zankbücher, and Disputationes.
(^363) So Luther says himself (in his Eisleben report of the Worms events, in the Erl. Frkf. ed., vol. LXIV. 370): "Dieweil ich redete,
begehrten sie von mir, ich sollt es noch einmal wiederholen mit lateinischen Worten ... Ich wiederholte alle meine Worte lateinisch. Das
gefiel Herzog Friedrich, dem Churfürsten überaus wohl." Spalatin confirms this in Epitome Actorum Lutheri, etc.: "Dixit primo germanice,
deinde latine." Other reports put the Latin speech first; so the Acta Luth. (in the Erl. Frkf. ed. of Op. Lat., VI. 9: respondit D. Martinus et
ipse latine et germanice). Köstlin follows the latter report (I. 445, 451), and overlooked the testimony of Luther, who must have known
best.