DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48092#0178
158
durer’s literary remains.
[chap.
lands Diary shows the greatness of his admiration for Luther
at that time (Leitschuh edition, p. 82).
“On Friday (17 May) before Whitsunday in the year 1521, came
tidings to me at Antwerp, that Martin Luther had been so treacherously
taken prisoner; for he trusted the Emperor Karl, who had granted him
his herald and imperial safe-conduct. But as soon as the herald had
conveyed him to an unfriendly place near Eisenach he rode away, saying
that he no longer needed him. Straightway there appeared ten knights
and they treacherously carried off the pious man, betrayed into their
hands, a man enlightened by the Holy Ghost, a follower of the true
Christian faith. And whether he yet lives I know not, or whether they
have put him to death; if so, he has suffered for the truth of Christ and
because he rebuked the unchristian Papacy, which strives with its heavy
load of human laws against the redemption of Christ. And if he has
suffered it is that we may again be robbed and stripped of the fruit of
our blood and sweat, that the same may be shamefully and scandalously
squandered by idle-going folk, while the poor and the sick therefore die
of hunger. But this is above all most grievous to me, that, may be,
God will suffer us to remain still longer under their false, blind doctrine,
invented and drawn up by the men alone whom they call Fathers, by
whom also the precious Word of God is in many places wrongly expoun-
ded or utterly ignored.
Oh God of heaven pity us ! Oh Lord Jesus Christ pray for Thy
people ! Deliver us at the fit time. Call together Thy far-scattered sheep
by Thy voice in the Scripture, called thy godly Word. Help us to know
this Thy voice and to follow no other deceiving cry of human error, so
that we, Lord Jesus Christ, may not fall away from Thee. Call together
again the sheep of Thy pasture, who are still in part found in the Roman
Church, and with them also the Indians, Muscovites, Russians, and
Greeks, who have been scattered by the oppression and avarice of the
Pope and by false appearance of holiness. Oh God, redeem Thy poor
people constrained by heavy bann and edict, which it nowise willingly
obeys, continually to sin against its conscience if it disobeys them.
Never, oh God, hast Thou so horribly burdened a people with human
laws as us poor folk under the Roman chair, who daily long to be free
Christians, ransomed by thy blood. Oh highest, heavenly Father, pour
into our hearts, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, such a light, that by it
we may know what messenger we are bound to obey, so that with good
conscience we may lay aside the burdens of others and serve Thee,
eternal, heavenly Father, with happy and joyful hearts.
And if we have lost this man, who has written more clearly than any
that has lived for 140 years, and to whom Thou hast given such a spirit
of the Gospel, we pray Thee, oh heavenly Father, that Thou wouldst
again give Thy Holy Spirit to one, that he may gather anew everywhere
together Thy Holy Christian Church, that we may again live free and in
Christian manner, and so, by our good works, all unbelievers, as Turks,
Heathen, and Calicuts, may of themselves turn to us and embrace the
Christian faith. But, ’ere thou judgest, oh Lord, Thou wiliest that, as
durer’s literary remains.
[chap.
lands Diary shows the greatness of his admiration for Luther
at that time (Leitschuh edition, p. 82).
“On Friday (17 May) before Whitsunday in the year 1521, came
tidings to me at Antwerp, that Martin Luther had been so treacherously
taken prisoner; for he trusted the Emperor Karl, who had granted him
his herald and imperial safe-conduct. But as soon as the herald had
conveyed him to an unfriendly place near Eisenach he rode away, saying
that he no longer needed him. Straightway there appeared ten knights
and they treacherously carried off the pious man, betrayed into their
hands, a man enlightened by the Holy Ghost, a follower of the true
Christian faith. And whether he yet lives I know not, or whether they
have put him to death; if so, he has suffered for the truth of Christ and
because he rebuked the unchristian Papacy, which strives with its heavy
load of human laws against the redemption of Christ. And if he has
suffered it is that we may again be robbed and stripped of the fruit of
our blood and sweat, that the same may be shamefully and scandalously
squandered by idle-going folk, while the poor and the sick therefore die
of hunger. But this is above all most grievous to me, that, may be,
God will suffer us to remain still longer under their false, blind doctrine,
invented and drawn up by the men alone whom they call Fathers, by
whom also the precious Word of God is in many places wrongly expoun-
ded or utterly ignored.
Oh God of heaven pity us ! Oh Lord Jesus Christ pray for Thy
people ! Deliver us at the fit time. Call together Thy far-scattered sheep
by Thy voice in the Scripture, called thy godly Word. Help us to know
this Thy voice and to follow no other deceiving cry of human error, so
that we, Lord Jesus Christ, may not fall away from Thee. Call together
again the sheep of Thy pasture, who are still in part found in the Roman
Church, and with them also the Indians, Muscovites, Russians, and
Greeks, who have been scattered by the oppression and avarice of the
Pope and by false appearance of holiness. Oh God, redeem Thy poor
people constrained by heavy bann and edict, which it nowise willingly
obeys, continually to sin against its conscience if it disobeys them.
Never, oh God, hast Thou so horribly burdened a people with human
laws as us poor folk under the Roman chair, who daily long to be free
Christians, ransomed by thy blood. Oh highest, heavenly Father, pour
into our hearts, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, such a light, that by it
we may know what messenger we are bound to obey, so that with good
conscience we may lay aside the burdens of others and serve Thee,
eternal, heavenly Father, with happy and joyful hearts.
And if we have lost this man, who has written more clearly than any
that has lived for 140 years, and to whom Thou hast given such a spirit
of the Gospel, we pray Thee, oh heavenly Father, that Thou wouldst
again give Thy Holy Spirit to one, that he may gather anew everywhere
together Thy Holy Christian Church, that we may again live free and in
Christian manner, and so, by our good works, all unbelievers, as Turks,
Heathen, and Calicuts, may of themselves turn to us and embrace the
Christian faith. But, ’ere thou judgest, oh Lord, Thou wiliest that, as