17 Apr 1521: Luther at Diet of Worms & "Here I Stand So Help Me God"

17 April 1521.  Luther before the Diet of Worms.  

In June of the previous year, 1520, Pope Leo X issued the Papal bull Exsurge Domine ("Arise, O Lord"), outlining forty-one purported errors found in Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses and other writings related to or written by him. Luther was summoned by the emperor. Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony obtained an agreement that if Luther appeared he would be promised safe passage to and from the meeting. This guarantee was essential after the treatment of Jan Hus, who was tried and executed at the Council of Constance in 1415 despite a promise of safe conduct.

Emperor Charles V commenced the Imperial Diet of Worms on 28 January 1521. Luther was summoned to renounce or reaffirm his views. When he appeared before the assembly on 16 April, Johann Eck, an assistant of the Archbishop of Trier (Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads at that time), acted as spokesman for the emperor.

17 April 1521.  Bruder Martin Luther Appears at the Diet of Worms, Germany.

The story is often-told and should never be forgotten.

Europe was in flux in the 16^th century.  The Renaissance had rekindled interest in the pre-Christian classics of Roman and Greek literature and art.

Luther was an Augustine monk and professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg.

Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church in 1517.  His views flew across Europe and into England also.  At bar were many issues: papal supremacy, greed, simony, indulgences, justification by faith alone, sola fide and more.

Luther was excommunicated in January, 1521, by a Papal “Bull.” 

Charles V, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (which was neither Holy nor Roman) convened a “Diet,” that is, a “meeting” (not soda or pop).  The Imperial authorities, including Roman ecclesiastics, convened.  Luther needed a safe-conduct which he was given (but which later fell through, but was saved by an intervention and safe escort into exile).

At 4 PM, or 1600, Luther arrived triumphantly in Worms, Germany on 17 April 1521.  He had become quite a figure.  He was asked about his books.  Luther owned them, “Yes, they are all mine.” But he was pressed to renounce or recant.  Luther stated “I came to give you my views, not recant.”  “This touches God and His Word.  This affects the salvation of souls.  Christ said, `He who denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father.’ To say too much or too little would be dangerous.  I beg you, give me time to think it over.” 

Luther was given 24 hours although many thought he didn’t deserve the time. Luther prepared his answers that evening and prayed.

At 6 PM, or 1800, the following day, 18 April 1521, the champion of the Reformation offered his infamous rejoinder to the Euro-Romanist oppressors:

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by clear reason (for I trust neither pope nor council alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have cited, for my conscience is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and will not recant anything since to act against one’s conscience is neither safe nor right.  I cannot do otherwise.  Here I stand, may God help me. Amen.”

This was the voice that began to shape Western theology.  Luther would be repudiated by the Council of Trent in the 16^th century, the Half-Pelagian Remonstrants in Holland in the 17^th century, the Half-Pelagian Anglicans in the 17^th century, the Anglo-Tractarians in the 19^th-21^st centuries, and the evangelicals in America in the 19^th-21^st centuries.

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans still governs Confessional Lutherans, Presbyterians, and some Anglicans.

Questions:         

1. Should those betraying sola fide, sola gratia, solus Christus, justification by faith alone be forced to own up to their own betrayal of it?  See some of the backstory here:  http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2009/09/cyberbrethren-betraying-reformation-sad.html
2. Mr. (Rev. Dr.) James Packer and ECT?
3. What’s the larger relationship to Articles 9-11 with Cranmer’s Homily on Salvation?
4. Does Mr. (Abp) Bob Duncan of the ACNA affirm these things? Mr. (Bp) Iker, Ackerman and others?
5. What’s the health and status of the doctrine of justification by faith alone in these times?
6. What about modern centers of advertisement on TV and elsewhere?

Bibliography

Bainton, Roland. Here I Stand.

Meyer, Carl S. “Luther, Martin
(1483-1546).” NIDCC. 609-611.