Jesus Christ and not in their own merit, consisting of prayer and other good works. Because we can be saved, not of our own strength, but alone through the mercy of God. I can not refrain from this." It now seemed as if Tetzel's prediction would come true, that in a few months Luther would be burned at the stake, especially since it was at this time, that Luther published a German tract for the common people in which he attacked indulgences and declared that the vicarious death of Christ and repentant faith were the true way of salvation. Yes, with a letter and other expressions of his grace and good will, the pope even tried to turn the Elector of Saxony into a willing instrument of Rome, who would, either deliver Luther, or at least divest him of his professorship. And the Dominicans were even preparing to take him prisoner on his journey to Heidelberg, where he was required to appear toward the end of April before his superiors. But the Elector turned a deaf ear to all the allurements of the pope and more and more looked with favor on Luther and his teachings, and therefore provided most carefully for Luther's safety on his journey to and from Heidelberg. And in Heidelberg itself, where Luther was to be called to account before his order, and where he was to be delivered into the hands of the hangmen of Rome, in case he did not recant, by God's grace he was privileged to present the principles of his own theology in extended outline before his brethren of the Augustinian order and before the Dominicans who had come to hear him. Luther emphasized that true theology was not to be taken from the books of men, but out of the Book of God, Holy Scripture, and that the central thought in Holy Scripture was, (1) man can do nothing that is really good and so appear righteous before God; (2) there is no other way
