Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-23
LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET OF
WORMS.
The Second Representation of the Trial
nv the Lutheran sunday School.

Evangelical Lutheran Church, on Wright
square. last night to witness the second
/ representation Of Luther before the Diet
of Worms. The first representation gwen
in this city was witnessed by very large
audience on last Monday night, ana that
Of last night was made in compliance
with the request OF many persons VINO at
I tended the first. The dialogue was ar
Z ,.ar+,ad from D. Aubigne's History Of the
Z Reformation" and Or. kTanth's "Consery-
. ative Reformation" by Dr. Bowman the
nast0r Of the church in this city. Five
young gentlemen assumed the leading
characters. assisted by six men,
beers Of the sabbath school, VINO
appeared as princes and cOuruers,
and had positions on a raised platform at
one end Of the school room. Ranged IN
front of the platform were the pupils ana
teachers Of the school who lead in the
singing Of hymns appropriate to the &C
caslOn.
The exercises were presented by the
singing Of the hymn daughter OF Zion
from the Dust after which description
Of the court before which Dr. Luther
appeared was given. The Diete oil W or IiI
7 was held on the 18th and 18TH OF Aprli.
1921. This august tribunal consisted OF
I the Emperor of Charles Y. whose soy
eighty extended over a greater part oil the
T Ola and New World; his brother, the
/ Archduke Ferdinand; six Electors
/ Of the Empire; twenty-iour Dukes;
/ the Duke OF Alva and his two
/ sons: eight Margrayes; thirty ArcPDlsh-
/ OPS. Bishops and AbbOts; seven Ambas-
I sadors. including those from England and
( France: the deputies Of ten free cities;
( great number of SOyereigns. Bar0ns,
I Princes and Counts. and the Papal Nun
1 ciOs-in all 304 persons high in civil and
I ecclesiastical authority. The representa-
/ ton Of this court by the school last night,
/ though given by few persons, was very
! instructive. and gave the audience
I graphic idea of the great trial. Inc
/ scene opened by the appearance OF the
/ Emperor [pers0nated by Mr. Robert
I ZittrOuer seated on throne IN
the centre Of the platform with
! Ulrich Won POppenheim. Marshal OF
I the Empire tpersOnated by Mr.. VIM.
/ SchertfI John Ab-Eck. Chancellor OF the
! Empire Opersonated by Mr.. a. }. Pear
/ son Dr.. Luther lpersOnated by MI.
/ August Never. and the Modern Hlsto-
/ rian .personated by Mr.. Charles g.
richardson ). seated on the right and left
/ Of the Emperor. who is attended by
| Princes of the Empire persOnated by
/ Messrs. VIM. II. Roberts, VIM. }. Mlscal-
~. Frank f. keilbach, August Kraft, L.
/ w Henderson and Charles Staunt0n.
I Chancellor Eek and Martin Luther then
I stood up when the following dialogue took
/ place:
Eck-NIartin Luther, His Sacred, In
| vincible and Imperial Majesty has cited
1 YOU before his throne in accord
| ance with the advice and counsel
Of the States Of the Holy
Roman Empire. TO require you to answer
two questions: First. Do you acknWledge
I these books TO have been written by you
I .rH 20 ~
! these books and their contents, or do you
/ persist in the opinions YOU have advanced
in thems
Marshal Ulrich rising. Let the titles
I Of the books be read.
The Chancellor reads the titles, when
Luther, bowling first to the Emperor and
then to the Court generally, says:
Most Gracious Emperor. Gracious
/ Princes and Lords! His Imperial Majesty
has asked me two questions: As TO
! the first. l acknowledge as mine
| the books that have just been named;
| cannot deny them. As to the second
seeing that it is a question which con-
| Germs the faith and salvation Of souls,
! and in which the word of God, the great
I est and most precious treasure, either IN
Heaven or earth, is interested, l would
act imprudently were / to reply without
reflection. / might affirm less than the
| circumstance demands, or more than
| truth requires. and so sin against
| this saving Of Christ, ''WhOsOeVer
/ shall deny me before men, him
| Will | also deny before my Father,
which is i'm Heaven" For this reason
/ eatreat YOUR Imperial Majesty, with all
! humility. To allow me time, that l may
answer without offending against the
/ word of God.
/ (The Emperor granted the request, and
the Diet adjourned until the following
! morning at o'clock
In the representation last night the
| PRAYER which Luther was heard to offer
I In his room the night following the recess
| taken by the Diet, was then offered by DIR.
/ Bowman. after which LUther's great bat
| tie HYMN. "A safe stronghold our God is
still" was sung by the school.
The next scene was the rendition of the
I dialogue between Luther and the Cham
cellOr of the empire, which opened the
proceedings on the second day of the trial.
| The Chancellor speaks sharply TO Luther.
and asks him if he is yet ready to answer
the questions prOpOUnded to him on the
preceding day, and whether he viii defend
his books i'm whole or in part, or if he is
! ready to disaVOw some OF them.
Luther with great calmness and firm
ness explains his purpose, and concludes
by saving: Il cannot and Will not re-
tract, for it is unsafe for Christian to
speak against his conscience. Here /
stand. l can do no other. May God help
me. Amenw
The Chancellor informs him that if he
does not retract, the Emperor will con-
suit what course TO adopt. when Luther
! saws he will retract nothing, and Is then
led away by Marshal Ulrich. However
he Is soon after recalled, and sentenced to
return home in twenty-One days, and
forbidden To disturb the public peace on
Nr-TtI
Luther notifies the Emperor that he Is
ready to do and suffer everything in hum
ble obedience to the Emperor's will, with
one reservation-the preaching Of the
Gospel.
The court retires, and Luther on his
way home is seized by friendly hands and
secreted in the castle of Wartburg, where
he translated the Bible.
The exercises Of the evening were then
concluded by the singing of the hymn,
| MY Church, My Church, Ny Dear Old
Church, when the pastor invoked the
] horas1f.tfosa