“Eighthly, If the Turks should come, we ought not to resist them; for it is written: Thou shalt not kill. We must not defend ourselves against the Turks and others of our persecutors, but are to beseech God with earnest prayer to repel and resist them. But that I said, that if warring were right, I would rather take the field against the so-called Christians, who persecute, apprehend and kill pious Christians, than against the Turks, was for this reason: The Turk is a true Turk, knows nothing of the Christian faith; and is a Turk after the flesh; but you, who would be Christians, and who make your boast of Christ, persecute the pious witnesses of Christ, and are Turks after the spirit. Ex. 20:13; Matt. 7:7; Tit. 1:16.
“In conclusion: Ye ministers of God, I admonish you to consider the end for which God has appointed you, to punish the evil, and to defend and protect the pious. Whereas, then, we have not acted contrary to God and the Gospel, you will find that neither I nor my brethren and sisters have offended in word or deed against any authority. Therefore, ye ministers of God, if ye have not heard or read the word of God, send for the most learned, and for the sacred books of the Bible, of whatsoever language they may be, and let them confer with us in the word of God; and if they prove to us with the Holy Scriptures, that we err and are in the wrong, we will gladly desist and recant and also willingly suffer the sentence and punishment for that of which we have been accused, but if no error is proven to us, I hope to God, that you will be converted, and receive instruction.” Wis. 6:4; Acts 25:8; Rom. 13:4; Acts 25:11.
Upon this speech the judges laughed and put their heads together, and the town clerk of Ensisheim said:
“O you infamous, desperate villain and monk, shall we dispute with you? The hangman shall dispute with you, I assure you.”
Michael said: “God’s will be done.”
The town clerk said: “It were well if you had never been born.”
Michael replied: “God knows what is good.”
Town Clerk: “You arch-heretic, you have seduced the pious; if they would only now forsake their error, and accept grace.”
Michael: “Grace is with God alone.”
One of the prisoners also said: “We must not depart from the truth.”