South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-19
PROTESTANTS TODAY
CELEBRATE DATE
OF LUTHER TRIAL
Followers Pay Tribute TO Re,
former Condemned For
Life For Utterances.

NEW YORK. April 1s.-PrOtest-
ants throughout the world have been
asked 20 recognize tomorrow the
do0t of gratitude they owe 90 Mar
tin Luther. for their civil and re-
iigious liberty Four hundred years
ago. on April II. 1921. the fearless
monk and reformer was first hailed
before the German diet a. Worms
and requested 20 recant his asser-
tions OF the right OF individual 20
act according % the dictates OF his
own conscience.
Millions or protestants Will cele-
brate tomorrow and Monday the an
nlversary OF Luther's trial which
continued for two days Thousands
OF speakers viii attest that Luther's
refusal 20 recant marked the be
ginning of mighty intellectual and
religious revolution.
Prest Harding has ADDED his
tribute 20 the memory OF the great
refoTmer !n a statement ne has sent
TO the Rev. Howard r. Gold. Of the
National Lutheran council in which
he wrote:
ION the occasion OF the 4OOth
celebration OF Luther's stand before
the Diet OF Worms, I think there
will be general agreement that Luth-
er's firm advocacy Of unfetted opin-
ion deserves commemOration "a one
OF the notable contributions toward
mankind's intellectual emancipa-
ton. It's fitting celebration will be
a testimony 10 the fact that the
world has. since his time. travelled
far on the way TO realizing his ideal
Of full individual liberty"
Makes Possible 4. - Liberty.
The great significance Of Luther's
firm stand before his tadges is
brought out by Prof J. II. G. Fritz.
dean Of ConcOrdia seminary Of ST..
Louis. who says that but for Martin
Luther and his unyielding cOnvic-
lions OF liberty, ringing Of the Lib
erty Bell at Philadelphia would new
or have celebrated the signing Of
the Declaration OF independence and
the constitution OF the United States
would never have been written. Dean
Fritz writes:
"On the 18th day of April. 1921.
Luther was on trial before the Diet
at Worms. the man and his work
were put 10 crucial test. Shall the
Bible be an open book for ALL or
must man submit 10 that authority
Of the church as il has been eXer-
cised by popes and councils; shall
the right Of private judgment be
granted or denied: shall the yoke
laid upon the intellect by the ned
ieval system remain and become
more burdensomc. or shall the in
tellect be freed and enter upon an
era OF new development; shall ma
tons and peoples be tyranniZed by
religious and civil rules; or shall the
right Of civil and religious liberty
be grantedT
These were the great issues
which Luther's answer 10 the ques-
ton, whether or not he would re-
cant what he had spoken and writ
ten. should decide.
"All historians agrees that Luth-
er's firm stand at Worms in 1921
brought about mighty revolution
and a tremendous change in the
history Of the world.
I'm 1920 the year prior 10 the
Diet at Worms Luther had written
three epoch-making works: To the
Christian Nobility Of the German
Nation The Babylonian Captivity
Of the Church. and on Christian
Liberty In these writings Luther
ga a clear outline Of his theology.
I'm the meantime Eek and Alex
ander. the papal nuncios. brought
the bull OF accommodation TO Ger
many Luther burned il publicly
on December 10. Leo y urged
charles Y German EMPEROR to put
Luther under the ban of the en-
pire Charles was willing to comply,
but the German princes insisted
that Luther must not be condemned
unheard. Accordingly Luther was
summoned n appear before the Diet
and answer for himself
Spurns Friends Advice.
"Luther's friends were uneasy:
they feared for his very life; they
reminded him OF the fate Of Huss
they had little confidence in the
emperor's safe-Conduct. To say that
Luther was undisturbed. would al
most mean 10 deny that he was hui
man. but his fear was overcome by
trust in Him whose battle he was
convinced that he was fighting /
will go. he said. though there be
as many devils in Worms as there
are tiles on the roofs Of the houses.
The trial had been set for April
Il. At O'Clock in the evening
Luther was called before the Diet.