THE following account is extracted from The Journal of Sacred Literature, of 1852, edited by Rev. John Kitto, D.D. It was written by a Rev. Barnas Sears, D.D., an American minister, who was intimate with German theological literature and who had made a deep and special study of Luther. And this account appeared in his book, Luther: His Mental and Spiritual History.
“When the hour arrived, Ulrich von Pappenheim and Caspar Sturm came and conducted him first to the Swan, the quarters of the elector of the Palatinate, whence he was conveyed through secret passages to the Guild-hall, to avoid the concourse which had thronged the way from Luther’s lodgings to the Emperor’s quarters. Many had climbed upon the house-tops to see Dr. Martin as he passed. As he was about to enter the hall, Freundsberg, a celebrated military commander tapped him on the shoulder, and said, ‘Monk! monk! thou art about to make a passage and occupy a post more perilous than any which I and many other commanders ever knew in the bloodiest battle-fields. If thou art in the right, and sure of your ground, go on in God’s name, and fear not; God will not forsake thee.’ Even after he had entered the hall, where, according to the account of George Volger, an eye witness, not less than five thousand were assembled, including those in the galleries and windows and about the doors, many persons ventured to approach him, and speak to him words of encouragement; saying to him, ‘Speak manfully, and be not afraid of them who kill the body, but have no power over the soul.’ He was instructed by Pappenheim to say nothing but when he was called upon.
“Now the imperial orator, Dr. John Eck (not the theologian, but the official or secular agent of the Archbishop of Treves), addressed him at the emperor’s order in Latin and then in German, saying that he had been called before the Imperial diet to answer to these two questions: ‘First, whether you acknowledge these books [a large pile of which lay on the table] to be yours or not; secondly whether you will retract them or their contents, or whether you will adhere to them still.’
“Before Luther replied, Schurf, his counsellor, said, ‘Let the titles of the books be read.’ Then the official read over the titles, among which were, Exposition of Certain Psalms, Treatise on Good Works, Explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, and others which were not of a polemical character.
“Luther then answered, both in Latin and in German, ‘First, I must acknowledge the books just named to be mine, and can never deny them. But touching the next point, whether I will maintain all these, or retract them, seeing it is a question of faith, and of one’s salvation, and of the word of God, which is the greatest treasure in heaven and earth, and deserving at all times our highest reverence, it would be rash and perilous for me to speak inconsiderately, and affirm, without reflection, either more or less than is consistent with truth; for in either case I should fall under the sentence of Christ, ‘He that denieth me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ Therefore I beg of your imperial majesty time for reflection, that I may be able to reply to the question proposed without prejudice to the word of God, or to my own salvation.’
“Hereupon the diet consulted and returned a reply through the official, ‘That although thou mightest have known from the imperial summons for what purpose thou wast cited, and dost not deserve the grant of further time for consideration, yet his imperial clemency granteth thee one more day.’
“Whether we consider the serious nature of the transaction, or the impression to be made upon such a national assembly, we shall perceive that Luther judged wisely in making such a request. The solemn suspense only heightened the solicitude of the multitude to hear the result.
“On the following day, Thursday, the 18th, at four o’clock in the afternoon, the herald called again for Luther, and conducted him to the emperor’s court, where, on account of the engagements of the princes, he was obliged to stand waiting until six o’clock, with an immense crowd, which was gathered to hear his answer. The lamps were already lighted in the council hall. When the princes were ready to hear him, and Luther was standing before them, the official called on him to answer to the questions laid before him the previous day.’ Luther made his statement and defence in German, with modesty and calmness, but, at the same time, with a confidence and firmness that surprised those who expected nothing but a recantation. After bespeaking the indulgence of the diet, if, from his monastic and retired habits, he should fail in respect to any of the customary proprieties of courtly address, he observed, that his published works were not all of the same character. In some, he had treated of faith and works of piety with such plainness and Christian simplicity, that even his enemies were obliged to confess their harmlessness, usefulness and worth. To retract these would be to condemn the truth, which all parties confessed. The second class of his works was directed against the papacy and the papists, as corrupting with their teaching and example all Christendom, both in body and soul. No one can deny or conceal that by the papal laws and teachings of man, the consciences of Christians are held in bondage, burdened and tormented, and that goods and possessions, especially in Germany, are devoured by their incredible tyranny. They themselves have ordained in their own decrees, that the laws and doctrines of the pope which are contrary to the gospel and the teaching of the fathers, be regarded as erroneous. Were he to revoke this class of his books, he would but contribute to the strength of tyranny, and leave open, not only a window, but a door and a gate to wickedness wider than ever; and by his testimony, especially if extorted by his imperial majesty and the whole German nation, their unchecked tyrannical rule would be strengthened in its foundations. The third class of his books was personal, and written against those who undertook the defence of Roman tyranny and the overthrow of the Divine doctrines which he had indicated. Against these he had, he confessed, been more violent than was becoming. He did not set himself up for a saint, and disputed with his opponents, not about his own life, but about the doctrines of Christ. But even these books he could not revoke, because he would thereby give his influence in favour of Roman tyranny, which would trample on the people’s rights more mercilessly than ever.
“But as he was a man, and not God, he could not do for his books otherwise than Christ did for his doctrines, who, when questioned in respect to it by Annas, and smitten on his cheek by the servant, said, ‘If I have spoken wrong, then shew it to be wrong.’ ‘Therefore,’ said he, ‘by the mercy of God, I beg your imperial majesty, or any one else who can, whoever he may be, to bring forward proof against me, and overcome me by the writings of the apostles and prophets. And then, if I am shewn to be in error, I will be ready and willing to retract, and will be the first to cast my books into the fire.’ But we cannot attempt to present even an outline of this address. When it was ended, he was requested, for the sake of the emperor and his Spanish court, and others, who did not understand German, to repeat it in Latin. Though exhausted with the effort he had made, he consented to go over the ground again and rehearse the whole matter in Latin.
“When he had finished, the imperial orator accused him of evading the point in question, and demanded that, instead of debating on articles which the councils had long ago settled, he should give a plain and direct answer, whether he would retract or not. To this Luther replied: ‘Since your imperial majesty and lordships desire a direct answer, I will give one, which has neither horns nor teeth; and it is this: unless I be overcome by the testimony of Scripture, or by clear and plain argument (for I do not believe either in the pope or in the councils alone, because it is plain and evident they have often erred and contradicted each other), then I am overcome by those passages which I have cited, and am bound by my conscience and by the word of God, and therefore I may not—cannot retract, inasmuch as it is neither safe nor right to violate my conscience. Here I stand, and cannot do otherwise, so help me God!'”