The true historie of the Christen departynge of the reuere[n]de ma[n] D. Martyne Luther, collected by Iustus Ionas, Michael Celius, and Ioannes Aurifaber whych were present therat, & translated into Englysh by Iohan Bale

The true hystorye of the Christen departynge of the reuerēde man D. Martyne Lu¦ther, collected by Iustus Io∣nas, Michael Celius, and Ioan∣nes Aurifaber whych were pre∣sent therat, and transla∣ted into Englysh by Iohan Bale.

IN the yeare of our lor∣de a M.D.XLVI. at the instaunt request of the worthye and noble earles of Mansfelde. the Reuerende man of God Doctor Martyne Luther departed from Wittemberge the 23. of Ianuarye,* 1.1 and rested the first nyght at Bitterfelde. For thys onlye cause ded they call hym thydre at that tyme, to ende by hys god∣lye dyscressyon serten greuouse scysmes and controuersyes, whych had longe (& not without parell) contynued betwixt them. Rather coueted they hym than anye other persone to fynysh those varya∣unces.

for that they knewe hym a man of most groūded cōscyence, lernynge, & iud¦gemēt, & also natyue borne within their domynyon in a cytie called Ißlebē.* 1.2 And though the treatye of soch polytyck causes perteyned not to hys vocacyō▪ yet was he not vndylygēt in reducynge that lōge cō¦ceyned malyce and daungerouse hate, in to a most agreable Christen concorde. And the rather, that it was in hys owne natyue contraye.

On the xxiiij. daye of Ianuarye abou∣te eleuen of the clocke,* 1.3 he came to Hallis and remayned there all that daye forth and iij. dayes after in the howse of Do∣ctor Iustus Ionas. In the meane tyme he made there a solempne sermon in the temple, of the Conuersyon of S. Paule, out of the Apostles Actes.

On the frydaye after / whych was the xxviii. daye of Ianuarye, he departed frō Hallis with Doctor Ionas and hys iij. sonnes Iohan,* 1.4 Martyne, and Paule, & so passed ouer the daungerouse flode in a smal whyrye, takynge hys iournaye from thens towardes Ißleben hys owne na∣tyue cytie.

As he had ones entered the countye of

Mansfelde, he was honourablye recey∣ued of an C. and xiij. horse men. Anon af∣ter in the charett he became so sore sycke, that all they whych were present,* 1.5 moch doubted of hys lyfe. Wherupon they toke the next harboure, & releued hym with soch prouysyon as there was, so that he was verye cherefull that nyght, and com¦playned nomore of sickenesse.

From the xxix. daye of Ianuarye tyll the xvij. daye of Februarye, he was contynuallye occupyed aboute the mat∣ters of concorde and agrement of the for¦seyd noble prynces, bryngynge it vnto a most godlye conclusyon. And besydes hys great laboure in so necessarye a cause,* 1.6 he preached in the meane tyme iiij. wor¦thye sermons, and ij. tymes communyca∣ted with the Christē churche there in the holye supper of the lorde. And in the lat∣ter communyon, whych was vpon the son¦daye, he ordayned ij. mynysters of the wor¦de of God, after the Apostles maner.

From the afore sayd .xxix. daye of Ia∣nuarye to the xvij. of Februarye, manye a wonderfull sentence came out of hys mouthe, and manye confortable wordes ded he vtter. Manye harde places of the

scriptures he opened in the presence of those noble prynces, both at their tables and other where els, wherof a boke is now compyled and imprented. And a∣monge all other, he oft tymes complay∣ned of hys age, and sayd. If it pleased God that he came agayne to Wittem∣berge, he wolde desyre no longar to ly∣ue, but depart in the lorde.

And alwayes at euen, he vsed by the space of these xxi. dayes, to go from the prynces great haule īto hys owne chābre, where as standynge ryght vp agaynst the wyndowe, he occupyed a serten tyme in most feruent prayer vnto God the eter¦nall father.* 1.7 Wherof we Iustus Ionas, Michael Celius, Ioannes Aurifaber, & Ambrose hys owne seruaunt moch mar∣ueled, vnderstādynge oft tymes serten of hys wordes. And thys done, he turned hym alwayes from the wyndowe towar∣des vs with a merye countenaūce, as one delyuered of a verye heauye burden. Thē wolde he a lyttle commen with vs, and so go to hys bedde.

On the wedynsdaye, whych was the xvij. daye of Februarye,* 1.8 both the noble prynces & we desyred hym to kepe hys

chambre, and no longar to accombre hym selfe in their matters, whych were afore that fullye and clerelye pacyfyed. Not¦withstandynge he came forth that mor∣nynge & agayne at euen, lyke as he had done euerye daye afore. In the verye same euenynge after supper, about a vij. or viij. houres afore hys departynge from thys worlde,* 1.9 he made vs a most grounded ser∣mon of deathe necessarye and of the lyfe to come, hauynge therin thys sentence a∣monge other.

O most blessyd lorde, xx. years are a ve∣rye small tyme. Yet if there were no in∣creace therin accordynge to thy godlye creacyon and ordynaunce, the worlde wolde in a maner be clerelye vacaunt, or without people. The greatter part of hys churche, doth God gather vnto hym from infauntes. And verelye I bele¦ue thys to be true, that whan a yonge childe of one yeare of age dyeth, there departeth out of the worlde with hym▪ a M. or ij. of the same age.* 1.10 But whan I now depart the worlde whych am thre score yeares olde, there wyll sca∣nt iij. score depart hens with me of the same age, so fewe are there whych lyue to

that age. And nothynge els wynne we by our longe contynuaunce here, but day∣lye affliccyons and sorowes, in beholdyn∣ge the wyckednesse, falsehede, and cala∣mytees of thys worlde. What a cruell sprete our common aduersarye is, we ne∣de to go no farther for recorde than our¦selues. And non other thynge els is man∣kynde, than a shepe folde appoynted to the slaughter.

Afterwarde in the nyght as we were in dyuerse communycacyons, he chaun∣ced vpon thys questyon. Whether in the worlde to come or in the perpetuall con∣gregacyō,* 1.11 one of vs shuld knowe an other or naye? And as we instauntlye desyred hym therin to saye hys mynde, he made vs thys answere. How ded Adam (sayd he) how ded Adam? As he arose from the slepe that God cast hym in, Gene. 2. and behelde Eua standynge by hym, whome he neuer sawe afore, he sayd not, what art thu? or from whens dost thu co¦me? But he sayd.* 1.12 Thys is now a bone ta∣ken of my bones, and a verye flesde of my fleshe. Thus perceyued he her, not to be made of a dead stocke or a stone, but of hys owne fleshe. And full was he of the

holye Ghost in that houre, hauynge the perfyght & through knowledge of God. To thys full knowledge shall we come after thys lyfe, beyng renouated in Christ and shall knowe one another by counte∣naunce, more perfyghtlye than euer Adā knewe Eua hys wyfe.

After these communycacyons, he aro∣se and went vnto hys owne chambre▪ hys ij. sonnes Martyne and Paule with Mi¦chael Celius folowynge hym. Anon after leanynge in the wyndowe, he gaue hym∣selfe to prayer after hys accustomed ma∣ner.* 1.13 Then went Michael Celius downe agayne / and mastre Iohan Aurifaber came vp. Vnto whome he sayd. I wexe now verye sycke, and moch peyne I fele aboute my hart. Than sayd the seyd ma∣stre Iohan vnro hym. Whan I was tu∣tour to the yonge earles here, as eyther of thē felt anye grefe about the stomake, the countesse mynystred therunto soch a confortable medycyne as releued them strayght wayes.* 1.14 If ye wyll haue that, I shall procure it for yow to the easement of your grefe. He desyered hym so to do. Then went he downe, and sent vp Ionas and Celius vnto hym. Whych axt hym,

how he ded? And he complayned of a wonderfull grefe about hys hart. Then ded they confort hym with warmed ker∣chers, wherupon he sumwhat amended.

Anō after came earle Albert in great hast vnto hym with M. Iohan Aurifa∣ber, bryngynge the afore rehearced medy¦cyne. And the earle sayd vnto hym.* 1.15 How do ye mastre doctor. He answered. No pa¦rell is here to be doubted most benygne & gentyll prynce, but my hope is within a whyle to be moch better thā I now am. Then commaunded the noble earle, the seyd medycyne to be geuē vnto hym. And so after certayne communycacyons he departed from hym agayne.

Immedyatlye after, as he sumwhat a∣mended. he desyred to lye downe vpon the bedde aboute ix. of the clocke, & slept the requyetouslye by the space of more than halfe an houre,* 1.16 D. Ionas, Michael Ce∣li{us}, hys ij. sōnes Martyne & Paule, with Ambrose hys seruaunt remaynynge styll in the chambre. And as he awoke about x. of the clocke, he sayd vnto them. What syttye there yet styll? Ye maye go to your rest. They answered. No, mastre Doctor, it is mete we watche and se what ye haue

nede of. With that he desyred to ryse▪ and so wēt into the stodye whych was next to hys chambre. And as he had entered the seyd stodye, he spake these wordes. The e∣uerlastynge God be my confort,* 1.17 for now I go to my bedde. Into thy handes, o lor∣de, I commende my sprete. For thu God of truthe hast redemed me.

And as he had done of hys clothes, and was layed in the bedde, he gaue to yche one of them hys hande, and sayd Fare wele to yow all swete bretherne in the lorde. Praye for the congregacyon and holye Gospell of God, that they maye haue prosperou••e successe. For the wycked counsell of Trydent & that abho¦mynable pope hath sought and yet seketh to do them both great harme.* 1.18 Anon after he fell agayne on slepe, & rested quye∣touslye tyll one of the clocke. And as he awoke, he called hys seruaunt Ambrose, and commaunded hym to make hote the stoue or hote howse.

Then doctor Ionas Asked hym, how he felt hymselfe? Wherunto he answered. O my lorde God,* 1.19 how sycke am I thys hou∣re? O mastre Ionas, I recken non other than here in Ißleben where I was

both borne and baptysed, to laye my mor∣tall bones. Then sayd Doctor Ionas and hys seruaunt Ambrose vnto hym. We doubt not but God our eternall father wyll be your syngular confort, through hys sonne Iesus Christ, whome yow ha∣ue so ernestlye preached to the worlde. With that he arose vp alone without helpe, and went into the stoue, repetyn∣ge agayne the wordes a fore spoken. Into thy handes, o lorde, I commende my sowle. For thu God of truthe without fay¦le hast redemed me,* 1.20 And so ones or twyse he walked vp and downe in the stoue, & than returned agayne to hys bedde.

Then came there in vnto hym, hys host and hostasse, mastre Symon felde a Do∣ctour of Physyck, & one Ludouicus a me¦dycyne mastre also, with serten other of the cytie. Anon after resorted vnto hym earle Albert and hys ladye with other noble men and women,* 1.21 bryngynge with them all maner of swete odours, oyntmē¦tes, spyces, and confortatyues. And all they ded their best to confort hym there. Then called he vnto God, saynge. O my lorde God, how greuouse anguysh suffer I now about my hart? I shall now dye,

lorde, I thāke the hyghlye. I shall now laye my bones in Ißleben myne owne na¦tyue cytie.

Then sayd Doctor Ionas & Michael Celius vnto hym.* 1.22 Reuerende father, call now vpon the lorde Ihesus Christ who∣me yow so inteyrlye haue loued, our on∣lye medyatour and hygh Byshopp of our sowles, and no doubt of it, he wyll gracy∣ouslye heare yow. Ye haue now wele swett, god wyll (we trust) better it. Whe¦runto he answered. Yea, but the sweate is colde and full of deathe. I geue ouer thys lyfe, for my paynes increase more & more.

O my euelastynge father, the God & father of our lorde Iesus Christ, yea the lorde of all Ghostlye confort.* 1.23 I rendre vn¦to the most hygh thākes thys houre, that it hath pleased thy inestymable goodnes∣se, to make open vnto me a synner, thy most derelye beloued sonne my lorde Ie∣sus Christ, whome I haue now (I thāke the) in full and perfyght beleue. Hym ha¦ue I preached, hym haue I confessed, hym haue I loued and gloryfyed, whom the most wycked Pope with hys cursed cormo¦rontes do styll yett darken,* 1.24 dysdayne,

mocke, persecute and blaspheme. I besy¦che the most dere lorde Iesus Christ, mer¦cyfullye to receyue my sowle.

O my heauenlye father, though I now leaue thys mortall bodye, and am taken from thys lyfe, yet do I certaynlye knowe that I shall euermore dwell with the, & that non shall be hable to witholde me from thy gracyouse handes.

So hath God loued the worlde, that he hath geuen it hys onlye sonne, that non whych beleue in hym shuld perysh, but haue the lyfe euerlastynge.* 1.25 For God sent not hys sonne into the worl∣de to condempne the worlde, but that the worlde through hym, myght be sa∣ued. He that beleueth on hym, shall not be condempned. The God (sayth Da∣uid) whych is our sauer, is euen the sa∣me lorde God, by whome we escape deathe.* 1.26 Geue thankes vnto that lorde in the congregacyon, for the welsprynges of Israel. For hys glorye is here, and hys myght in the cloudes.

Then resorted vnto hym the medycyne mastre, of whose handes he receyued to the quantyte of a spone full of that he mynystred. Anon after he sayd agayne,

I go hens, I go hens. My sowle I com∣mende vnto God whych created it. And with that he thryse repeted agayne the∣se wordes.* 1.27 Lorde and father, into thy han¦des I commende my sprete. Thu God of truthe hast trulye redemed me. And as he had thus commended hys sowle to the heauenlye father, he laye quyetous∣lye styll, and moued not at all. Then they whych were aboute hym, vttered manye ghostlye wordes, they moued hym, refres¦hed hym, and called dyuerslye vpon hym to speake. But he neyther opened eye, nor yet answered one worde.

As he was thus in quyet / and de∣parted to euerye mannis thynkynge, Doctor Ionas and Michael Celius cry¦ed with a lowde voyce, Reuerende fa∣ther,* 1.28 wyll ye perseuer in Christ and hys holye doctryne, whych ye haue hyther∣to taught and constauntlye now dye in the same? He answered with stomake that all whych were present myght hea∣re it. Yea, And with that he turned hymselfe on the ryght syde,* 1.29 and so slept the space of a quarter of an hou∣re, so that manye reckened he shuld

haue recouered. But we lyked nothynge that slepe, but from thens fourth with lyghtes we most dylygentlye marked hys eyes.

Anon after came in Earle Iohan Hen¦ryck of Swartzenburch with hys ladye. And by that tyme he wexed verye pale in the face. Hys fete and handes were deadlye colde, and from the hart warde he sumwhat panted, but it was so softlye that we verye lyttle perceyued it. In the whych lyght breathynge he gaue ouer hys lyfe to God,* 1.30 without anye payne to all our iudgemētes. For he neyther mo∣ued hāde nor fote therī. Neyther was the¦re anye of vs (as we testyfye here in cōsci¦ence both before God & man) that coul∣de perceyue in hym anye perturbacyon, dolour, or other vnquyetnesse of bodye in hys departynge. But quyetouslye and swe¦telye with all gentylnesse of sprete he re∣sted in the lorde.* 1.31 Lyke as olde Symeon sayd. Now letyst thy seruaunt depart in peace, accordynge to thy promes. So that thys saynge of Christ in the vii••. of Iohā maye wele be veryfyed on hym. Verelye I saye vnto yow, he that kepe my worde shall neuer se deathe.

Thys text out of the viij. chaptre of Iohā, was the last clause that in thys ly¦fe he wrote with hys owne hāde, about x. dayes afore he departed. And for a me¦moryall he regestred it in the Byble of huldrick hans hys frynde, whych was there the rent mastre of that cytie. And he left it after thys sort.* 1.32 Neuer to se dea∣the. What an incredyble speakynge is thys, if it be conferred with manyfest & common experyence? Yet he whych is the veryte it selfe, hath so spoken it. Trulye whan a man hath thys sentence in seryou¦se remembraunce, stedefastlye beleuynge it, and departeth hens therin, he must plesauntlye passe awaye, and not fele the harde panges of deathe. And vndoubted¦lye blessed is that man in that worde of beleue whych he hath so remembred in the verye deathe. Herunto he thus sub∣scrybed. Martynus Luther Doctor. 1546. die 7. Februarij.

After thys was hys dead bodye wrap¦ped in a newe whyte lynen vesture,* 1.33 and so layed agayne vpon the bedde, remay∣nynge there styll by the space of v. hou∣res. In the meane tyme came there in manye worshypfull and honest cytiezens,

beholdynge it not without teares of fayth fulnesse and loue.

On the xix. daye of Februarye about ij. of the clocke at after none, was the corps carryed fourth with great solemp∣nyte and spirytuall songes in their mo∣ther tunge,* 1.34 into the pryncypall churche of S. Andrewe. And manye great prynces and earles folowed the same, as wolfan∣gus prynce of Anhalt with hys ij. brether¦ne earle Philipp and earle Iohan with their wyues and whole famylyes, earle Albert, earle Iohan & earle Wolfange of Mansfelde with their wyues & hows¦holdes also, prynce Eucrarde with hys ij. sonnes earle George and Christopher with their ladyes and assemblyes, with a great sort of lordes and gentylmen mo¦re, and a wonderfull nombre of the com∣men people. Where as doctor Iustus Io¦nas made the funerall sermon dyuyded into iij,* 1.35 partes the first treatynge of the personage and godlye gyftes of Martyne Luther, the seconde of the lattre resur∣reccyon and lyfe to come, the thirde com∣prehendeth serten commynacyons and thretteninges agaynst the truthes aduer¦saryes, that he beynge dead, shuld not yet cease to inuade Antichristes blasphemou¦se

kyngedome. And thys was vpon the lattre part of the fort chaptre of S, Pau¦les first epistle to the Thessalonyanes.

Anon after at the instaunt petycyō & request of the most noble prynce electour Iohā Frederick duke of Saxon,* 1.36 the corps was decred to be carryed, with solempne obsequyes vnto the famouse cytie of Wit¦temberge, the noble prynces and earles aforenamed, accōpanyenge it with great worshypp to the farther gates of Ißlebē

And about sixe of the clocke at nyght the next daye after,* 1.37 they came therwith to Hallis, where as it was also receyued with lyke solempnyte of the senate and cy¦tiezens, and so reserued in S. Maryes churche there all that nyght. In all the townes & vyllages as they came by, we∣re the belles solempnelye ronge, with no small lamentacyon & dolour of the com∣men people.

The next daye was it most honoura∣blye receyued of the lordes and hygh of∣fycers of the noble duke of Saxon, the earles of Anhalt,* 1.38 Swartzēburg & Mās¦felde, & other great estates more with a myghtye nombre of horse men, and so brought solēpnelye to Bitterfelde, & frō

thens to the cytie of Wittemberge. Lon∣ge were it to rehearce all the funerall ceremonyes, and sorowfull mournynges amonge the common people in the tow∣nes as they went.

As they were ones comen to the ga∣tes of Wittemberge, at the commaun∣demēt of the prynce electour Iohan Fre¦derick whych was there present,* 1.39 the rec∣tour and masters of that noble vnyuersy∣te with their great nombre of scolers on the one syde, & the worthye senate with their great commynalte on the other sy∣de, receyued them worshyplye in their de¦grees. Afore the hearce went from thens in order, the mynysters of the churches & scoles with their scollers, & they sange spirytuall songes in their mother tunge, as their common maner is at buryals. Next after the corps folowed hys most Christen wyfe Kateryne Luther with ser¦ten sober and dyscrete matrones. After them folowed hys iij. sonnes,* 1.40 Iohā, Mar¦tyne, and Paule, Iames Luther a burger of Mansfelde, with dyuerse other of hys kynsfolke. Thē folowed the hygh rectour or deane of the vnyuersyte with soch yōge prynces, earles, and barons as were stu∣deauntes

in the same.

After them folowed Doctor Georgius Pontanus, doctor Philippus Melan••hō, Doctor Iustus Ionas,* 1.41 Doctor Iohan Pomeranus, Doctor Gaspar Cruciger, Doctor Hieronymus, with other aun∣cyent doctors and masters of the vnyuer∣syte in a comelye order. After these folo∣wed the great commynaltces both of stu¦deauntes and also of the common peo∣ple. Last of all folowed there honest ma∣trones and vyrgynes in a semelye order also. And after them soch a nombre of straungers as neuer in Wittēberge was seane afore that daye.* 1.42 And as they had ones brought it into the to churche, they sett it afore the pulpett, and sange vnto God their accustomed songes, had com∣menlye at great buryalles in ther mother tunge.* 1.43 Then went doctor Iohan Pomera¦nus into the pulpet, and made a most con¦fortable sermon, to that most worshypfull audyence, whych is now imprented. In lyke case Phylypp Melanthon made a funerall oracyon with verye ernest sprete to the confort of that congregacyon, whych is also imprented and here into Englysh translated.

After thys oracyon, serten lerned ma∣stres therunto appoynted, reuerentlye toke the bodye and so buryed it, not far∣re from the tombes of the noble dukes in the same churche.* 1.44 Thus is the pre∣cyouse organe and instrument of the holye Ghost, the bodye of thys Reue∣rende Doctor Martyne Luther, com∣mytted to the earthe in the tower tem∣ple of Wittemberge, not farre from that pulpett wherin he made manye a notable and godlye sermon by hys lyfe¦tyme, in the presence of the most wor∣thye electours Dukes of Saxon, and manye other noble prynces more. So that it maye wele be veryfyed that Saynt Paule writeth 1. Corinthiorum 15. That is sowen in weakenesse,* 1.45 shall aryse in power The bodye that is sowen in corrupcyon, shall ryse agayne vncor∣rupted.

So Christen a departynge from thys myserye vnto the eternall felycyte, our euerlastynge heauenlye father graunt vs of hys mercye infynite, whych so gra∣cyouslye called thys elect seruaunt of hys Martyne Luther to so worthye an offyce, and also the lorde Iesus Christ

whom he so faythfullye preached & con∣fessed to the worlde, with the holye Ghost whych gaue hym most syngular strength in daungerouse parcls agaynst the wycked pope and the gates of helle. Amen.

We Iustus Ionas, Michael Ce∣lius, and Ioannes Aurifaber,* 1.46 whych were present at the godlye and gracyou∣se departynge of Doctor Martyne Lu∣ther from the begynnynge to the ende, do testyfye here in conscyence as we sawe and hearde, as we wyll be saued afore God in the great daye of tryall. And not we onlye, but the noble prynces and earles whych were there also present, do witnesse the same. God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ graūt vs all hys most flowynge & habundaunt gra∣ce. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iournaye
• * 1.2

  Ißleben.
• * 1.3

  Hallis.
• * 1.4

  3. sonnes.
• * 1.5

  Sore syck
• * 1.6

  Preached
• * 1.7

  Prayer.
• * 1.8

  Prynces.
• * 1.9

  A sermon
• * 1.10

  Depar∣tynge.
• * 1.11

  A questyō
• * 1.12

  Adam.
• * 1.13

  Prayer.
• * 1.14

  Medycy¦ne.
• * 1.15

  Earle Al¦bert.
• * 1.16

  Watchyn¦ge.
• * 1.17

  vnto god
• * 1.18

  The pope
• * 1.19

  Ionas.
• * 1.20

  vnto god.
• * 1.21

  Resort.
• * 1.22

  To Christ
• * 1.23

  Thankes.
• * 1.24

  The pope
• * 1.25

  Ioan. 3.
• * 1.26

  Psal. 67.
• * 1.27

  vnto god.
• * 1.28

  doctryne.
• * 1.29

  Cōstaun••••
• * 1.30

  In peace
• * 1.31

  Simeon.
• * 1.32

  Ioann. 8.
• * 1.33

  Hys bo∣dye.
• * 1.34

  Prynces.
• * 1.35

  Ionas.
• * 1.36

  The duke
• * 1.37

  Hallys.
• * 1.38

  Prynces.
• * 1.39

  Electour
• * 1.40

  Hys wyfe & sonnes
• * 1.41

  doctours
• * 1.42

  Straun∣gers.
• * 1.43

  Pomera∣nus.
• * 1.44

  Buryed.
• * 1.45

  1. Cor. 15
• * 1.46

  witnesses