him a vigorous lecture of his own on the paramount authority of
the pope over council, Church, and Scripture. As to any argument,
however, about the theses to be retracted, Cajetan refused from the
first to engage in it, and undoubtedly he went further in that direction
than he originally desired or intended. His sole wish was, as he said,
to give fatherly correction, and with fatherly friendliness to arrange
the matter. But in reality, says Luther, it was a blunt, naked,
unyielding display of power. Luther could only beg from him further time
for consideration.

Luther's friends at Augsburg, and Staupitz, who had just arrived there,
now attempted to divert the course of these proceedings, to collect
other decisions of importance bearing on the subject, and to give him
the opportunity of a public vindication. Accompanied therefore by
several jurists friendly to his cause, and by a notary and Staupitz, he
laid before the legate next day a short and formal statement of defence.
He could not retract unless convicted of error, and to all that he had
said he must hold as being Catholic truth. Nevertheless he was only
human, and therefore fallible, and he was willing to submit to a
legitimate decision of the Church. He offered, at the same time,
publicly to justify his theses, and he was ready to hear the judgment of
the learned doctors of Basel, Freiburg, Louvain, and even Paris upon
them. Cajetan with a smile dismissed Luther and his proposals, but
consented to receive a more detailed reply in writing to the principal
points discussed the previous day.

On the morrow, October 14th, Luther brought his reply to the legate. But
in this document also he insisted clearly and resolutely from the
commencement on those very principles which his opponents regarded as
destructive of all ecclesiastical authority and of the foundations of
Christian belief. Still he entreated Cajetan to intercede with Leo X,
that the latter might not harshly thrust out into darkness his soul,
which was seeking for the light. But he repeated that he could do
nothing against his conscience: one must obey God rather than man, and
he had the fullest confidence that he had Scripture on his side.
Cajetan, to whom he delivered this reply in person, once more tried to
persuade him. They fell into a lively and vehement argument; but Cajetan
cut it short with the exclamation, "Revoke." In the event of Luther not
revoking or submitting to judgment at Rome, he thr