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Henry VIII’s Response to Martin Luther

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 April 2021

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Summary

¶ The answere of the most mighty and noble prince kyng Henry the .viii. kyng of Englande and of Fraunce defensor of the fayth and lorde of Irelande unto the letters of Martyn Luther.

Your letters wrytten the fyrst day of Septembre we have receyved the xx day of Marche. In whiche ye write your selfe to be sorie and ashamed that ye folyly and hastely nat of your owne mynde, but by the instygation of other suche as lytell favoured me dyd put out your boke against me, with whiche ye knowe your selfe that ye have sore offended me and therfore have cause to be in drede and shame to write unto me. Natwithstandyng ye saye that ye be the more bolde nowe to write unto me nat only bycause ye parceyve my benignite suche that consydring my selfe a man mortall I wyll nat beare immortall enmyte; but also for as moche as ye by credible enformation understande that the boke put forthe in my name for the assertyon of the sacramentes was nat myn own but fraudulently devised by false Sophisters to myn ignominy and rebuke, and specially by the Cardynall of Yorke, whom ye call a monster odious to god and man and the pestylence of my realme. And therfore ye say that ye be nowe ashamed to lyfte up your eyen to me that have of lightnes so suffred your self to be moved agaynst suche a kynge, whiche natwithstandynge ye write that ye be forced and compelled ernestly to write unto me bycause that I have nowe begon to beare favoure to the gospell, whiche is (as ye saye) joyfull tidynges to your herte, wherin ye beseche god to encrese me that I may with hole hert obey and favour the gospell, and that he suffre nat myn eares to be occupyed with the pestylent voyces of those Serenis which can nothyng els do but crye out that Luther is an heretyke.

¶ Ye write also that ye wolde I shulde consyder that there can be no harme in your doctryne syth ye teche (as ye say) nothing els but onely that man must nedes be saved in the faythe of Jesu Christ; and that upon this foundation ye bylde charite to your neyghbours and obeydience to your governours with the crucifyeng of the body of synne.

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Henry VIII and Martin Luther
The Second Controversy, 1525–1527
, pp. 74 - 135
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2021

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