Joan Darc—"I shall submit to this Church if it does not demand the impossible from me."
The Inquisitor—"What do you understand by that?"
Joan Darc—"To deny or repudiate the visions that I have had from God. For nothing in the world shall I deny or repudiate them. I shall not consent to save my life by a falsehood."
Bishop Cauchon (in a blandishing voice)—"If the Church militant were to declare those visions and apparitions illusory and diabolical, would you still refuse to submit to its judgment?"
Joan Darc—"I submit only to God, who has ever inspired me. I neither accept nor shall I accept the judgment of any man, all men being liable to error."
Bishop Cauchon (addressing the registrar)—"Write down that answer, registrar; write it down without any omission."
The Registrar—"Yes, monseigneur."
The Inquisitor—"You do not, then, hold yourself subject to the Church militant, that is to say to our Pope, our seigneurs the cardinals, archbishops, bishops and other holy ministers of God?"
Joan Darc (interrupting him)—"I recognize myself their subject—God being first served."
The admirable answer disconcerts the prelates. The ingenuous and pure soul that they expected to entangle in the perfidious net of their theological subtleties, slipped from them with one stroke of its wings.