“The law is an arse...” Dickens
“Here stand I. I can do no other.” Martin Luther (upon posting the 95 Thesis)
Not quite on the Luther mention.
He said this during his defense of the theses and his subsequent writings at the Diet of Worms (Diet = Congress) in front of the Holy Roman Emperor.
He was asked to recant all his writings. Luther’s response was fascinating. He divided his books into three parts.
Books on simple evangelical truths that even his enemies agreed with: These he could not recant.
Books against the corruption of the papacy: These he could not retract without cloaking wickedness and tyranny.
Books against his popish opponents: These he admitted were too vitriolic; however, he could not retract those either, lest his enemies triumph and make things worse.
He said, “Unless I am refuted and convicted by testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear arguments (since I believe neither the Pope nor the Councils alone; it being evident that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am conquered by the Holy Scriptures quoted by me, and my conscience is bound in the word of God: I can not and will not recant any thing, since it is unsafe and dangerous to do any thing against the conscience. Here I stand! I cannot do otherwise. God help me! Amen.”