Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-10-20
LUTHER AT THE DIET OF WORMS

vi 81 49, ~
ACT As AGENTS.
LUTHER AT The DIET OF WORMS
~. A. Froude.l
On the 18th of April, at ten In the
morning, the cart entered Worms,
bringing Luther in his monks dress,
followed and attended by q crowd of
cavaliers. The towns people were all
out to see the person with whore name
Germany was ringing. As the cart
passed through the gate the warder on
the walls blow q blast upon his trump
ct. The elector had provided a resi-
dence. As he alighted, one who bore
him no good will, noted the "demoniac
eyes" with which no glanced about
him. That evening q few mobiles came
to see him, who had been loud in their
complaints of churchman's exactlons at
the Diet. Of the princes, one only
came, an ardent, oble-minded youth,
of small influence as yet, but of high
spirited purposes, Philip, Landgrave of
Hesse. Instinct, more than knowledge,
drew him to Luther's side. "Dear
DOCTOR" he said, eff you r right the
Lord God stand by you" ~:
Luther needed God to stand by him;
for In all the great gathering he could
count on few assured friends. The
princes of the Empire were little
Inclined so far to favor a disturber
of the public peace. Tho Diet sati IN the
bishops palace, and the next evening
Luther appeared. The presence in
which he found himself would have
tried the nerves of the brayest of nell
the Emperor, sternly hostile, with his
retinue of Spanish priests and mobiles;
the archbishops and bishops, all OF
opinion that the stake wa the only fit
ting place for SO insolent q hereto; the
dukes and barons, whose stern eyes
were little likely to reveal their sympa-
thy If sympathy any of them felt. One
of them only, George, of Frendsberg,
had touched Luther on the shoulder as
he passed through the ante-room.
"Little Monk, little Monk" he said,
"thou hast work before thee, that L,
and many q man whose trade is war,
new faced the like of. If thy heart is
right and thy cause good, 20 on in
Gods name. He win. not forsake
thee"
A pile of books stood on a table
when he was brought forward. An
officer of the court read the titles, ask
Ing if he Acknowledged them aid
whether he was ready 10 'retract them.
He answered in Q low voice that the
books were his. 10 the other ,ques-
ton he could not reply at once. Hell
demanded time. His first appearance
had not left q favorable impression; he |
was allowed a night to consider.
The next morning, April 18th. he had
recovered himself; he came in fresh, |
courageous and collected. His old en-
envy, Eek, was this time the spikes
man against him, and asked what he
was prepared to do. Ia iaJ"H
He said firmly that his writings
We're OF three skindsAsOme on simple
Gospel truth, which all admitted, and
which vi course he could not retract;
Some against papals laws aud customs,
which had tried the conscience Of
Christians aud had been used as excus-
es to Cypress and spoil the German
people. If he retracted these he would
cover himself with shame. In q third
sort he had attacked particular persons,
and perhaps had been toe violent,
Even here he declined to retract sim
ply; but would admit his fault, if fault
could b, proved.
He gave his answer IN q ciear, strong
voice, in Latin first, and then in Ger
q There was q pause, and then
Eek said. that he had spoken disrespect-
fully; his heresies had been already
condemned at the council of Constance.
Let him retract on these special points,
and he should have consideration for
the rest. He required a plain yes or
no from him, "Without horns" The
taunt reused his blood. His full,
brave self was In his reply. 81 will
give you an answer" he said, (which
has neither horns nor teeth. Popes
have erred and councils have erred
Prove to me out of the Scriptures that
I am wrong, and l submit. Till then
my conscience binds me. Here I stand.
I can do no more. God help me-.
Amen. -
All day long the storm ragged. Night
had fallen and torches were lighted in
the hail before the sitting closed. Lu-
Their was dismissed at last. 1t. was
supposed, and perhaps intended, that
be wa to be taken to q dungeon. But
the hearts of the lay members of the
Diet had been touched by the courage
he had shown. They would not per-
NIT q hand to be laid on him. Duke
Eric, of Brunswick, handed to him q
tanKard of beer, which he had him.
self half drained. When he had reach.
ed his lodging again, he flung up his
hands. IL am through !" he cried: 81
am through If l had q thousand
heads, they should be struck off, one
by one, before l would ~retract.n The
same evening the elector, Frederick,
sent for him, and told him he had done
we'll and bravely.
But though he had escaped 80 far, he
was not acquitted. Charles conceived
that he could be now dealt with as an
obstinate hereto. At the next session
1.-THE day following) he informed the
Diet that he would send Luther home
Q Wittenberg, there to be punished as
the caurch required. The utmost that
bis friends could obtain was that furth-
or efforts should be made. The arch
bishop of Treves was allowed to tell
him that if he would acknowledge the
i%nfaliihility of councils he might be
permitted to doubt the infaliib,lity Of
the pope. But Luther stood simply
upon scripture. There. and there only.
was intatlibiiity. The doctor ordered
him home at once, till the Diet should
decid' upon his fate; and he was di-
rected Ia be silent IN the wav, with
Significant Iefer nee I o his Erturt SER
ma n M, ritv il the y It it was
now '!eas', would p%ronouncs for his
death. Ii he was sentenced by the
gr'ii ,uicil of the empire, the r%lector
Would be no longer able openly t" pro-
tect him. 1t was decided hat he should
disappear. and disappear so completely
that no trace of him should be discer-
nible. On his way back through the
Ihuringian forest, three or tour miles
from Altenstein, a party OF armed men
started out of the wood, set upon his
cal riage, seized and carried him off to
Warthurg Castle. There he remained
passing by the name of the Ritter
George, and supposed t be some cap
tive knight. The secret was 80 well
kept that ever the electors brother was
ignorant of his hiding place. Luther
was as completely lost az if the earth
had swallowed him. Some said that
he was with Won Sickingen; others
that he had been murdered. Authentic
tidings of him there were .nene.E On
the 9Th OF May the Elicit of Worms was
issued, placing him under the ban oil
b empire; but he had become sas the
air, invu nerable," and the face of the
world had charged before he came
back to it.