Martin Luther Biography, Part 13: The Diet of Worms

[Continued from Part 12.]

In 1521, Martin Luther faced the trial that became known as the most significant public test of his faith. Luther was summoned to appear before the Diet of Worms over which Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, presided. The Diet of Worms was convened by Charles V for the purpose of consolidating his power against his enemies: the governments of France and the Ottoman Empire. Charles V viewed the controversy over Luther's teachings as a threat to the unity of the Holy Roman Empire, and he wished to determine whether any agreement could be found between the Lutherans and the Romanists. No agreement would be reached at the Diet, however, because from the Roman point of view Luther needed to recant his teachings, whereas from Luther's point of view the pope and his followers needed to repent of their teachings. For Charles V, the Diet of Worms was a move in a political game; from the point of view of Luther and his opponents, the Diet of Worms was a battlefield for spiritual warfare.

Luther was scheduled to appear at 4PM on April 17, 1521 before a committee of the Diet. The streets of Worms were choked with crowds of both Luther's supporters and his opponents, and so the soldiers escorting Luther had to bring him to the Diet through a rear entrance. Luther then had to wait in a vestibule for about two hours as the committee considered other business. Finally appearing before the committee, Luther was confronted by a table on which his books were piled. Johan Eck, an official representing the Archbishop of Trier (no relation to the Eck of the Leipzig Disputation), addressed Luther as follows:

Dr. Martin Luther, you have been called before His Imperial Majesty in regard to certain doctrines that you have seen fit to propound and scatter; doctrines that have been judged to be heresy by His Holiness, the pope, the Most Blessed Father, Leo the Tenth. You have been called here to state whether these books arranged on this table were written by you, and whether you are prepared to recant the heresy they contain. [Robinson, 60]

Luther was about to answer when his counsel spoke:

Would it please you to have the titles of the books read in order that Dr. Luther might know whether or not he is the author of each? [Ibid.]

Eck agreed. As he picked up each book and read its title, Luther acknowledged by a nod of his head that he was the author. When all were read, Eck turned again and addressed Luther:

Having acknowledged that you are the author of all these books, you are now asked to declare whether you are ready to recant the heretical doctrines that they contain. What do you say? [Ibid.]

Luther reflected aloud:

This touches God and his Word. This affects the salvation of souls. Of this Christ said, "he who denies me before men, him I will deny before my father." To say too little or too much would be dangerous. I beg you, give me time to think it over. [Bainton, 141]

Bainton notes:

The emperor and the diet deliberated. Eck brought the answer. He expressed amazement that a theological professor should not be ready at once to defend his position, particularly since he had come for that very purpose. He deserved no consideration. Nevertheless, the emperor in his clemency would grant him until the morrow. [Ibid.]

Luther's delay in answering whether he would recant had the effect of allowing him to appear before a plenary session of the Diet rather than before a committee. On April 18 Luther was once again scheduled to appear before before the Diet at 4PM, and once again business of the Diet delayed his appearance for about two hours.

Eck asked Luther if he was ready to recant.

Luther responded:

Most serene emperor, most illustrious princes, most clement lords, if I have not given some of you your proper titles I beg you to forgive me. I am not a courtier, but a monk. You asked me yesterday whether [these books were all mine and whether] I would repudiate them. They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort... Some deal with faith and life so simply and evangelically that my very enemies are compelled to regard them as worthy of Christian reading. Even the bull itself does not treat all my books as of one kind. If I should renounce these, I would be the only man on earth to damn the truth confessed alike by my friends and foes. A second class of my works inveighs against the desolation of the Christian world by the evil lives and teachings of the papists. Who can deny this when the universal complaints testify that by the laws of the popes the consciences of men are racked? [Ibid., 142-143]

"No!" broke in the emperor.

But Luther continued:

Should I recant at this point, I would open the door to more tyranny and impiety, and it will be all the worse should it appear that I had done so at the instance of the Holy Roman Empire...

A third class contains attacks on private individuals. I confess that I have been more caustic than comports with my profession, but I am being judged, not on my life, but for the teaching of Christ, and I cannot renounce these works either, without increasing tyranny and impiety. When Christ stood before Ananias, he said, 'Produce witnesses.' If our Lord, who could not err, made this demand, why may not a worm like me ask to be convicted of error from the prophets and the Gospels? If I am shown my error, I will be first to throw my books into the fire. I have been reminded of the dissensions which my teaching engenders. I can answer only in the words of the Lord, 'I came not to bring peace but a sword.' If our God is so severe, let us beware lest we release a deluge of wars, lest the reign of this noble youth, Charles, be inauspicious. Take warning from the examples of Pharaoh, the king of Babylon, and the kings of Israel. God it is who confounds the wise. I must walk in the fear of the Lord. I say this not to chide but because I cannot escape my duty to my Germans. I commend myself to Your Majesty. May you not suffer my adversaries to make you ill-disposed to me without cause. I have spoken. [Ibid., 143.]

Eck replied:

Martin, you have not sufficiently distinguished your works. The earlier were bad and the latter worse. Your plea to be heard from Scripture is the one always made by heretics. You do nothing but renew the errors of Wyclif and Hus. How will the Jews, how will the Turks, exult to hear Christians discussing whether they have been wrong all these years! Martin, how can you assume that you are the only one to understand the sense of Scripture? Would you put your judgment above that of so many famous men and claim that you know more than they all? You have no right to call into question the most holy and orthodox faith, instituted by Christ the perfect lawgiver, proclaimed through the world by the apostles, sealed by the red blood of the martyrs, confirmed by the sacred councils, defined by the Church in which all our fathers believed until death and gave to us as an inheritance, and which now we are forbidden by the pope and the emperor to discuss lest there be no end of debate. I ask you, Martin– answer candidly and without horns– do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain? [Ibid., 143-144]

Luther replied:

Since then Your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and by plain reason– I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other; my conscience is captive to the Word of God– I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe... Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise... God help me, Amen. [Ibid., 144]

Luther, who had been speaking in German, was asked to repeat what he had said in Latin, which he did, then he raised his arms victoriously and departed for his hotel.

Charles V was eager to be known as a just ruler, and so he honored his promise of Luther's safe passage and allowed him to depart for Wittenberg. But Charles V was also eager to be known as a faithful Roman Catholic, and he was greatly concerned that Luther's challenge of religious authority would result in a challenge to political authority as well, thus undermining his own rule. Therefore, Emperor Charles V issued the Edict of Worms, declaring Luther a "notorious heretic." The Edict of Worms called on the citizens of the Holy Roman Empire to both destroy all of Luther's works and to capture Luther himself so that he may be punished as a heretic (i.e., he was to be burned at the stake).

Now Luther had been declared a heretic by both the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.