, 1842-01-01

II.

The Diet of Worms. Luihcr's appearance
there on the l7rh Of April, l52l.mav be con-
sidered as the greatest scene in Modern Eu-
ropean History; the point. indeed, from
which the whole subsequent history of civil
cation takes its rise. After multiplied nego-
t%iations. dis7utations, it had come 10 this
The Young Emperor Charles Fifth, with all
the Princes Of Germany. paul Nuncios. dig
nitaries. spiritual and temporal. are assembled
there. Luther is 10 appear and answer for
himself. whether he will rccan' or not. The
worlds pomp and power sit there on this
hand: on that. stands up for Gods truth one
man, Hans Luther. the poor miners SON.
FrieadS had reminded hum Of HnSs. and ad-
vi<ed him moi 10 90; he would not be advised.
A large company of friends rode out to meet
him with srili more earnest warnings: he an
swerrd. "Werc there rs manv devils in
Worms rs there are roof tiles. | would g,
on" TIL people. on the morrow, as he
went to the Hall of The Diet. crowded the
windows nnd hon>eiops-some Of them call
ing out TO him in solemn words. not TO re-
cant: .Wh0sorver drni"th me before men,
rs in 4 kind Of solemn petition and adiura-
ton. Was it not in reality our petition. TO"
the petition of the whole world. lying in
dark bondage o~fsoul. para'yzcd under a black
spectral nightmare and triple halted chime
RI. calling itself Father in God, and what not.
Fee us il res:s with thee {; desert US
not Luther did not desert US. His speech
Of two hours. distinguished itself BY its re-
sppctiul i. wise and honest tone; submissive 10
whatsoever could lawfully claim submission;
nor submissive TO any more than that. HIS
writings. he said, were partly his own, partly
derived from the Word Of God. As to what
was his own, human infirmi'y entered into
IT; ungardcd anger. blindness. many things,
doubtless, which il Wee 4 blessing for him
could he abolish altogether. But. as t" what
stood on sound truth and the Word Of God,
he could not rrcant il. How could he?-
"Conute me-" he concluded. 'by proofs OF
Scripture, or else by plain. irst Arguments: !
canno, recant otherwise. For it is neither
safe nor prudent to d" anGht against con-
science. Here stand /; lean do no other;
God assist mel" 1t is rs we say. the great
est moment in modern history IF men. En-
glish Puri,anism, England and its Parlia-
ments, Americans, and vast work Of these two
centuries; French Revolution, Europe and its
work every where at present; the germ Of 1t
all lay there. Had Luther in that moment
done other, it had all been otherwise! The
European world was asking him, Am | to
sink ever lower into falsehood, stagnant pu.
t~rescence, loalhsome accused death; or, with
whatever paroxysn, to cast the ialsehood out
of me. and be cured and live?
Great wars. contentious, and disunIon tol
lowed out of this Reformation; which last
down to our dav, and are yet far from ended.
Great talk and elimination has been made
about these. They are lamentable, undenl-
able; but. after all, what has Luther or his
cause to do with rhem1 1t seems strange
reasoning TO charge the Reformation with all
this. When Hercules turned the purifying
river into King Augeas' stables, ] have no
doubt the confusion that resulted was consrd-
cradle all around: hut ] think it was not Her
%cules's blame. The Reformation might bring
what results it liked when it came, but the
Reformation simply could not help com-
ing.
or Luther I will add. in reference to al
these wars and bloodshed, the noticeable
FAC, that none of them began so long as he
continued living. The controversy did not
get to fighting 50 long as he was there. To
me i, is a proof Of his greatness in all senses
this fact. How seldom do we find a mar
that has stirred up some vast C ommotIon, who