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day a stranger, with a pistol concealed under his cloak, approached
the Reformer, and inquired why he went thus alone. “I am in the
hands of God,” answered Luther. “He is my help and my shield.
What can men do unto me?” Upon hearing these words, the stranger
turned pale, and fled away, as from the presence of the angels of
Heaven.
Rome was bent upon the destruction of Luther; but God was
his defense. His doctrines were heard everywhere,—in convents,
in cottages, in the castles of the nobles, in the universities, in the
palaces of kings; and noble men were rising on every hand to sustain
his efforts.
In an appeal to the emperor and nobility of Germany in behalf
of the Reformation of Christianity, Luther wrote concerning the
pope: “It is monstrous to see him who is called the vicar of Christ,
displaying a magnificence unrivaled by that of any emperor. Is this
to represent the poor and lowly Jesus or the humble St. Peter? The
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pope, say they, is the Lord of the world! But Christ, whose vicar he
boasts of being, said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ Can the
dominions of a vicar extend beyond those of his superior?”
He wrote thus of the universities: “I fear much that the univer-
sities will be found to be great gates leading down to hell, unless
they take diligent care to explain the Holy Scriptures, and to engrave
them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where
the Holy Scriptures are not regarded as the rule of life. Every insti-
tution where the word of God is not diligently studied, must become
corrupt.”
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This appeal was rapidly circulated throughout Germany, and
exerted a powerful influence upon the people. The whole nation was
roused to rally around the standard of reform. Luther’s opponents,
burning with a desire for revenge, urged the pope to take decisive
measures against him. It was decreed that his doctrines should be
condemned immediately. Sixty days were granted the Reformer and
his adherents, after which, if they did not recant, they were all to be
excommunicated.
That was a terrible crisis for the Reformation. For centuries
Rome’s sentence of excommunication had been swiftly followed by
the stroke of death. Luther was not blind to the tempest about to
burst upon him; but he stood firm, trusting in Christ to be his support
and shield. With a martyr’s faith and courage he wrote: “What is
about to happen I know not, and I care not to know.” “Wherever the
blow may reach me, I fear not. Not so much as a leaf falls without
the will of our Father; how much rather will he care for us! It is a
little matter to die for the Word, since his Word, that was made flesh
for us, hath himself died. If we die with him, we shall live with him;
and, passing through that which he has passed through before us,
we shall be where he is, and dwell with him forever.”
When the papal bull reached Luther, he said: “I despise it, and
resist it, as impious and false. It is Christ himself who is condemned
therein.” “I glory in the prospect of suffering for the best of causes.
Already I feel greater liberty; for I know now that the pope is an-
tichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself.”
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Yet the word of the pontiff of Rome still had power. Prison,
torture, and sword were weapons potent to enforce submission.
Everything seemed to indicate that the Reformer’s work was about
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to close. The weak and superstitious trembled before the decree of
the pope, and while there was general sympathy for Luther, many
felt that life was too dear to be risked in the cause of reform.
But Luther proceeded to publicly burn the pope’s bull, with the
canon laws, the decretals, and certain writings sustaining the papal
power. By this action he boldly declared his final separation from the
Roman Church. He accepted his excommunication, and proclaimed
to the world that between himself and the pope there must hereafter
be war. The great contest was now fully entered upon. Soon after,
a new bull appeared, and the excommunication which had before
been threatened, was finally pronounced against the Reformer and
all who should receive his doctrines.
Opposition is the lot of all whom God employs to present truths
specially applicable to their time. There was a present truth,—a truth
at that time of special importance,—in the days of Luther; there is a
present truth for the church today. But truth is no more desired by
the majority today than it was by the papists who opposed Luther.
There is the same disposition to accept the theories and traditions
of men for the word of God as in former ages. Those who present
truth for this time should not expect to be received with greater favor
than were earlier reformers. The great controversy between truth
and error, between Christ and Satan, is to increase in intensity to the
close of this world’s history.
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Chapter 7—Luther Before the Diet
A new emperor, Charles the Fifth, had ascended the throne
of Germany, and the emissaries of Rome hastened to present their
congratulations, and induce the monarch to employ his power against
the Reformation. On the other hand, the Elector of Saxony, to whom
Charles was in great degree indebted for his crown, entreated him
to take no step against Luther until he should have granted him
a hearing. The emperor was thus placed in a position of great
perplexity and embarrassment. The papists would be satisfied with
nothing short of an imperial edict sentencing Luther to death. The
elector had declared firmly that neither his imperial majesty nor
any one else had yet made it appear to him that the Reformer’s
writings had been refuted; therefore he requested that Doctor Luther
be furnished with a safe-conduct, so that he might answer for himself
before a tribunal of learned, pious, and impartial judges.
The attention of all parties was now directed to the assembly
of the German States which convened at Worms soon after the ac-
cession of Charles to the empire. There were important political
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questions and interests to be considered by this national council; but
these appeared of little moment when contrasted with the cause of
the monk of Wittemberg.
Charles had previously directed the elector to bring Luther with
him to the Diet, assuring him that the Reformer should be protected
from all violence, and should be allowed a free conference with
one competent to discuss the disputed points. Luther was anxious
to appear before the emperor. His health was at this time much
impaired; yet he wrote to the elector: “If I ca