The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 136

even entreated him to leave Wittenberg for a time and find safety with
those who would gladly protect him. But he would not leave the position
where God had placed him. He must continue faithfully to maintain
the truth, notwithstanding the storms that were beating upon him. His
language was: “I am like Jeremiah, a man of strife and contention; but
the more their threats increase, the more my joy is multiplied.... They
have already destroyed my honor and my reputation. One single thing
remains; it is my wretched body: let them take it; they will thus shorten
my life by a few hours. But as for my soul, they cannot take that. He
who desires to proclaim the word of Christ to the world, must expect
death at every moment.”—Ibid., b. 4, ch. 4.
The tidings of Luther’s arrival at Augsburg gave great satisfaction
to the papal legate. The troublesome heretic who was exciting the
attention of the whole world seemed now in the power of Rome, and the
legate determined that he should not escape. The Reformer had failed to
provide himself with a safe-conduct. His friends urged him not to appear
before the legate without one, and they themselves undertook to procure
it from the emperor. The legate intended to force Luther, if possible, to
retract, or, failing in this, to cause him to be conveyed to Rome, to share
the fate of Huss and Jerome. Therefore through his agents he endeavored
to induce Luther to appear without a safe-conduct, trusting himself to
his mercy. This the Reformer firmly declined to do. Not until he had
received the document pledging him the emperor’s protection, did he
appear in the presence of the papal ambassador.
As a matter of policy, the Romanists had decided to attempt to win
Luther by an appearance of gentleness. The legate, in his interviews with
him, professed great friendliness; but he demanded that Luther submit
implicitly to the authority of the church, and yield every point without
argument or question. He had not rightly estimated the character of the
man with whom he had to deal. Luther, in reply, expressed his regard for
the church, his desire for

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