Luther the Staunch Confessor.
1. LUTHER CITED TO APPEAR AT THE DIET AT WORMS. In 1521 Charles V held
his first diet at Worms. Among other matters Luther's case was also to
be discussed. The elector therefore asked Luther whether he were willing
to appear at the diet. Luther answered: "If I am called, I shall, as far
as I am concerned, go there sick if I cannot go there well, for I dare
not doubt that God calls me when my emperor calls. You may expect
everything of me save flight or recantation: I will not flee, much less
will I recant. May the Lord Jesus help me!" On the 26th of March the
imperial herald, Caspar Sturm, who was to act as Luther's safe-conduct,
arrived in Wittenberg and delivered to him the emperor's citation
according to which Luther was to appear at the diet within twenty-one
days. Friends reminded Luther of the danger awaiting him, fearing that
he would be burned like Huss. But Luther replied: "And if my enemies
kindle a fire between Wittenberg and Worms reaching up to heaven, yet
will I appear in the name of the Lord, step into the very mouth and
between the great teeth of the devil, confess Christ, and let Him have
full sway." Upon the journey Luther became dangerously ill; his enemies
also tried to keep him away from Worms. But filled with faith and
courage, he declared: "Christ liveth! Therefore we will enter Worms in
spite of the gates of hell, and in defiance of the Prince of the power
of the air" (Eph. 2, 2). And when even his friend Spalatin begged him
not to go to Worms Luther answered: "If there were as many devils in
Worms as there are tiles upon the roofs, yet I would enter it."
[Illustration: Luther's Entrance into Worms.]
2. LUTHER'S ENTRANCE INTO WORMS. On the 16th of April, 1521, the
watchman upon the cathedral spire at Worms gave the trumpet signal,
announcing the approach of a cavalcade. At its head rode the herald
wearing the imperial eagle on his breast. Luther, dressed in his monk's
cowl, followed in an open wagon surrounded by a great number of stately
horsemen, some of whom had joined him on the way, while others had gone
from Worms to meet him. A surging mass of people gathered and pressed
about the wagon. In boundless joy men and women, old and young cheered
him, and blessed the day on which they had been permitted to see the man
who had dared to break the fetters of the Pope, and to deliver poor
Christianity from his bondage. On stepping from his wagon at his lodging
place Luther said, "God will be with me!" On the same day Luther
received many of the counts and lords that waited upon him late into the
night. The Landgrave of Hessia also came to see him. Upon leaving this
nobleman shook his hand and said, "If you are in the right, Doctor, may
God help you!" The partisans of the Pope pressed the emperor to do away
with Luther and have him executed like Huss. But Charles said, "A man
must keep his promise." Luther spent the night in prayer to strengthen
himself for the ordeal of appearing before the emperor and the assembled
diet.
3. LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET. Early the next morning the marshal of the
empire came to Luther and delivered to him the imperial order to appear
before the diet at four o'clock that afternoon. The decisive hour was
drawing nigh in which this faithful witness of Jesus Christ was to stand
before the great and mighty of this earth, to profess a good profession
before many witnesses. At the time specified Luther was escorted into
the council chamber. Immense crowds had gathered in the streets. Many of
them had even climbed on the roofs, in order to see the monk, who,
therefore, was forced to take his way through hidden paths, gardens, and
sheds, in order to reach the assembly. When entering the hallway the
celebrated old General George von Frundsberg patted him on the shoulder
and said, "Monk, monk! you are now upon a road the like of which I and
many another captain have never gone in our most desperate encounters;
but if you are sincere and sure of your cause go on in the name of God
and be of good cheer. God will not forsake you." Then the door was
opened, and Luther stood before the mighty of this earth. Perhaps never
before had there been such a numerous and august assembly. The council
chamber was crowded, and about 5000 people had gathered in the
vestibules, upon the stairways, and at the windows.
[Illustration: Luther Before the Emperor and the Diet.]
The first question put to Luther was, whether he acknowledged the books
lying upon the bench to be his own, and whether he would retract their
contents, or abide by their teachings. Luther could not be prepared to
answer this question, for the imperial citation had only mentioned a
desire to be informed as to his doctrine and books. After Luther had
examined the title of all of the books he answered the first question in
the affirmative. As to the second question, however, whether he would
recant, he declared that he could not answer this at once, since it was
a matter that concerned faith, salvation, and the Word of God, the
greatest treasure in heaven and on earth, on which he must be careful
not to speak unadvisedly. He therefore asked the emperor to grant him
time for reflection. This request was granted, and the herald conducted
him back to his lodgings. On Thursday, April 18, he was called again. He
had to wait nearly two hours, wedged in the throng, before he was
admitted. When he finally entered the lights were already lit and the
council chamber brilliantly illuminated. He was now asked whether he
would defend his books, or recant. Luther replied at length, declaring
humbly but with great confidence and firmness that by what he had
written and taught in singleness of heart he had sought only the glory
of God and the welfare and salvation of Christians. He cited the word of
Christ: "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil," John 18, 23,
and prayed that they convince and convict him from the writings of the
prophets and apostles. If this were done he would at once be ready and
willing to retract every error, and be the first to cast his own books
into the fire. Hereupon the imperial spokesman addressed him in harsh
tones and told him that they wished a simple and clear answer, whether
or no he would recant. Distinctly and plainly Luther then replied:
"Since your Imperial Majesty desires a clear, simple, and precise answer
I will give you one which has neither horns nor teeth: Unless I am
convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, or by patent, clear,
and cogent reasons and arguments (for I believe neither the Pope nor the
councils alone, since it is evident that they have often erred and
contradicted themselves), and because the passages adduced and quoted by
me have convinced and bound my conscience in God's Word, therefore I
cannot and will not recant, since it is neither safe nor advisable to do
anything against conscience. Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise! God
help me! Amen."
About eight o'clock in the evening the session was closed, and two men
led Luther away. While he was still in the throng Duke Eric of Brunswick
sent him a silver flagon of Eimbeck beer, with the request that he would
refresh himself. Luther drank it and said, "As Duke Eric has now
remembered me, so may our Lord Jesus Christ remember him in his last
hour." At the same time Luther was of good courage. When he arrived at
his inn, where many friends were awaiting him, he cried with lifted
hands and beaming face, "I am through! I am through!" He also said, "If
I had a thousand heads I would rather lose everyone of them than
recant." By the courageous and steadfast confession of Luther many were
won for his cause. The emperor, however, exclaimed, "He will not make a
heretic of me!" But when the partisans of the Pope tried to persuade the
emperor to break his promise of safe-conduct he said with great
solemnity, "A man must keep his word, and if faith is not found in all
the world it ought to be found with the German emperor." The elector
said to Spalatin, "O how well Martin conducted himself! What a beautiful
address he delivered both in German and Latin before the emperor and all
the estates. To me he appeared almost too bold!" According to an order
of the diet several more attempts were made within the following days to
induce Luther to recant. Luther, however, remained steadfast, and again
and again requested, "Convince me from the Scriptures," and appealed to
the words of Gamaliel: "If this counsel or this work be of men it will
come to naught; but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it."
4. LUTHER'S HOMEWARD JOURNEY. Together with several friends Luther, on
the 26th of April, left Worms after the emperor had again granted him
safe-conduct for twenty-one days. The imperial herald, Caspar Sturm,
accompanied him to Friedberg. At this place Luther dismissed him with a
letter to the emperor in which he returned thanks for the safe-conduct.
Although the emperor had forbidden it, nevertheless Luther preached to
large audiences at Hersfeld and Eisenach. He also visited his relatives
in Moehra and preached there under a linden tree, near the church. On
the 4th of May he continued his journey, his relatives accompanying him
to the castle Altenstein. There they separated. After a little while the
wagon turned into a narrow pass. Suddenly armed horsemen dashed out of
the forest, fell upon the wagon, and amid curses and threats commanded
the driver to halt, and tore Luther from his seat. Without molesting the
others they threw a mantle upon Luther, placed him upon a horse, and led
him in zigzag through the forest. It was nearly midnight when the
drawbridge of the Wartburg fell and the castle received the weary
horsemen within its protecting walls.
[Illustration: Luther Made Prisoner.]
5. LUTHER UNDER THE BAN. A presentiment had told Elector Frederick the
Wise what would come, and therefore he had sheltered the steadfast
confessor from the brewing storm. On the 26th of May already an imperial
order appeared which is known as the Edict of Worms. By it the ban of
the empire was proclaimed against Luther and all who would protect him.
It declared: "Whereas Luther, whom we had invited to appear before us at
Worms, has stubbornly retained his well-known heretical opinions,
therefore, with the unanimous consent of the electors, princes, and
estates of the empire, we have determined upon the execution of the bull
as a remedy against this poisonous pest, and we now command everyone
under pain of the imperial ban from the 14th day of this month of May
not to shelter, house, nor give food or drink to aforesaid Luther, nor
succor him by deed or word, secretly or publicly, with help, adherence,
or assistance, but take him prisoner wherever you may find him, and send
him to us securely bound. Also, to overpower his adherents, abettors,
and followers, and to appropriate to yourselves and keep their
possessions. Luther's poisonous books and writings are to be burned and
in every way annihilated."
6. OPINIONS ON LUTHER'S DISAPPEARANCE. Luther's sudden disappearance
caused great excitement everywhere in Germany. His friends mourned him
as dead, murdered by his enemies. His opponents rejoiced and spread the
lie that the devil had carried him off. A Roman Catholic wrote to the
Archbishop of Mayence: "We now have our wish, we are rid of Luther; but
the people are so aroused that I fear we will hardly be able to save our
lives unless we hunt him with lighted torches and bring him back." The
celebrated painter Albrecht Duerer of Nuremberg, who from the beginning
had rejoiced at Luther's words as the lark rejoices at the golden dawn
of day, wrote in his diary: "Whether he still lives, or whether they
have murdered him, I do not know; he has suffered this for the sake of
Christian truth, and because he reproved antichristian popery. O God, if
Luther is dead, who henceforth will purely preach to us the holy
Gospel?"
7. LUTHER AT THE WARTBURG. While poor Christendom mourned and wailed
Luther sat upon the Wartburg securely sheltered against the curses of
the Pope and the ban of the emperor. For ten months he dwelled there,
known as Knight George. In order not to be recognized he had to lay
aside his monk's cowl, let his beard grow, and don the full dress of a
knight. At first he was not even permitted to study, that his books
might not betray him. He had to follow the knights and squires out into
the forest, over hill and dale, upon the chase, and to gather
strawberries. But wherever he went and wherever he stood he thought of
his beloved Wittenberg and the condition of the church. Once at a hunt,
when a poor little driven rabbit ran into his sleeve and the hounds came
and bit it to death, he said, "Just so Pope and Satan rage, that they
may kill the saved souls and frustrate my endeavors." In his quiet
retreat he studied Holy Scriptures, wrote sermons upon the Gospels, and
translated the New Testament into German.