Martin Luther, Acta Augustana, Leipzig 1518 (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Res/4 Th.u. 104,I,2)

In mid-October 1518, Luther was in Augsburg to be interrogated by Cardinal Thomas Cajetan (1469–1534), a special papal envoy. The meeting took place on the fringes of the diet which was meeting just then in the imperial city. With the greatest dedication, Luther tried to convince Cajetan of his argumentation, but the Dominican refused to discuss the contents of Luther’s arguments. The Church’s sole intention with the interrogation was to persuade Luther to revoke his theses, an expectation Luther did not fulfil.

Luther summed up the Augsburg events for the public at the end of 1518 as a kind of report in the “Acta Fratris Martini Lutheri Augustiniani apud D. Legatum Apostolicum Augustae” (i.e. Acts of the Augustinian Friar Martin Luther with the Lord Apostolic Legate at Augsburg), in short “Acta Augustana”. To the document he also added an original secret letter of Pope Leo X (1475–1521, pope 1513–1521) to Cardinal Cajetan. In the breve, the head of the Catholic Church authorised Cajetan to arrest Luther and bring him to Rome should he continue to speak against the papal doctrine in Augsburg and not revoke his views. Luther heard about the letter and left Augsburg immediately after the last interrogation on the evening of 20 October 1518.

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