“After they had held their deliberation, they came again to me and one gave me six pfennigs that I should give them to the commissioner.  Through this contribution I, too, should become, according to them, a builder of the Church of St. Peter, at Rome, likewise a slayer of the Turk, and should furthermore share in the grace of Christ and the indulgences.  But then I said frankly, impelled by the Spirit, if I wished to buy indulgences and the remission of sins for money, I could in all likelihood sell a book and buy them for my own money.  I wanted them, however, for nothing, as gifts, for the sake of God, or they would have to give an account before God for having neglected and trifled away my soul’s salvation on account of six pfennigs, since, as they knew, both God and the Pope wished that my soul should share in the forgiveness of all my sins for nothing, through grace.  This I said, and yet, in truth, I did not know how matters stood with the letters of indulgence.

“At last, after a long conversation, the priests asked me by whom I had been sent to them, and who had instructed me to carry on such dealings with them.  Then I told them the pure, simple truth, as it was, that I had not been exhorted or urged by any one at all or brought to it by any advisers, but that I had made such a request alone, without counsel of any man, only with the confidence and trust in the gracious forgiveness of sins which is given for nothing; and that I had never spoken or had dealings with such great people during all my life.  For I was by nature timid, and if I had not been forced by my great thirst for God’s grace, I should not have undertaken anything so great and mixed with such people and requested anything like that of them.  Then the letters of indulgence were again promised me, but yet in such a way that I should buy them for six pfennigs which were to be given to me, as far as I was concerned, for nothing.  I, however, continued to insist that the letters of indulgence should be given to me for nothing by him who had the power to give them; if not, I should commend and refer the matter to God.  And so I was dismissed by them.

“The holy thieves, notwithstanding, became sad in consequence of these dealings; I, however, was partly downcast that I had received no letter of indulgence, partly I rejoiced, too, that there was, in spite of all, still One in heaven who was willing to forgive the penitent sinner his sins without money and loan, according to the words that I had often sung in church:  ’As true as I live, says the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live.’  Oh, dear Lord and God, Thou knowest that I am not lying in this matter, or inventing anything about myself.