The New York herald., 1921-04-17
Luther at Worms 400 Years Ago.

On April 1S, 1921, four hundred
years ago tomorrow, MARTIN LUTHER
appeared before the Diet-the impe-
rial Congress-of the old German or
Holy Roman Empire at Worms. The
event studied in the perspective OF
years has taken on an Importance
and significance that none of the
participants in the Diet from the
monk who was summoned to answer
charges made against him to the EN-
peror who presided could ever i'm
agine that it would have. LUTHER S
memorable words, Here I stand. l
cannot do otherwise" marked the
actual breaking away of north Ger
many from the Church OF Rome, a
decisive step in the Reformation and
in Europe's advance toward Protes-
tantism. Moreover, the day was the
crisis in medievalism when the sys-
tenn, tradition and institutions of CEN
turies of growth began to crumble.
All this THOMAS CARLYLE summed
up when he said that the Diet Of
Worms was "the greatest moment in
the modern history Of man."
LUTHER, a monk Of Erfut and a
professor Of theology at Wittenberg,
had three years before nailed on the
door of the castle church, a sort of
bulletin board for the university, his
Ninety-five Theses. They were largely
directed against the abuse of indulg-
ences and had been written in protest
against the preaching Of TETzEL, a
Dominican monk, in the neighborhood.
They we're in Latin and the most that
LUTHER had expected of them was
that they would bring out a discus
sion among the clerics of the town
and university. But the Ninety-five
Theses We're translated into German
and their plain, simple statements at
tracted so much attention that they
were eagerly read all over Germany.
Ia their original Latin form they
reached Rome. LUTHER followed his
theses by three books principally ad-
dressed to the German people and
clergy. 1t was impossible for Rome to
overlook these works or the fact that
the Papal bun against them had been
defiantly burned by LUTHER.
At the same time 1t was very evil
dent that the enforcement of the bull
bT this civil power was a somewhat
questionable expedient. Worms,
where she Diet had been sitting for
severap months, was strongly hostile
10 the clergy. Young CHARLES ",
who had but recently come to the
imperial throne, was limited in his
power by the greater mobiles, while
the minor mobiles had melted the peas
ants to war against the then exist
ing government and institutions and
were ably led by FRANZ vow SIcKIN-
oEN and HUTTEN, who professed adj
herence to LUTHER's cause. There
was rising an active opposition
throughout Germany to the tribute
demanded by Rome and the rule ex-
ercised by a Spanish monarch; and
there was q growth of humanitarian
doctrines and of various societies,
ostensibly religious but really political,
in most of the Rhine towns. 1t was
into this critical national and local
ferment that LUTHER was projected
when he was summoned TO Worms
by the Emperor.
LUTHER appeared first before the
uiat on the afternoon Of April II.
On the throne chair sat the Emperor; (;
about him were the princes of the
realm, Archbishops, Cardinals, Elec
tors. margraves, dukes, ambassadors
OF European rulers and the two Papal
nuncios sent from Rome to conduct
the case against LUTHER. Into this
scene LUTHER was ushered; he was
the only monk In the great assembly