On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther, a German monk and theology professor posted 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg church. It was simply a list of statements regarding indulgences that Luther wished to engage in public debate on. But for Luther, theological debate wasn’t a disinterested academic exercise. Luther was concerned about truth, the holiness of God, and the good of the poor masses who were being robbed by wicked men claiming to represent God. This event has gone down in history as the spark that started the Protestant Reformation.
But that was only the beginning. Luther was brought up on charges of heresy for teaching, among other things, the biblical gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone. He was summoned to stand before the diet (an official meeting of rulers) that was being held at Worms. The diet had other business to attend to, but on April 17, 1521 Luther was brought before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the electors, and a portion of the estates.
Luther’s books were laid out before him and he was asked if they were his. In a voice barely audible he answered, “The books are all mine, and I have written more.” He was then asked, “Do you defend them all, or do you care to reject a part?” Luther responded, “This touches God and his Word. This affects the salvation of souls. Of this Christ said, ‘He who denies me before men, him will I deny before my father.’ To say too little or too much would be dangerous. I beg you, give me time to think it over.”
Luther’s request was granted. He was given until the next day. That night he penned a prayer that gives us a glimpse at the anguish he was experiencing.
Oh God, Almighty God everlasting. How dreadful is the world! Behold how its mouth opens to swallow me up and how small is my faith in Thee. Oh the weakness of the flesh! Oh the power of Satan! If I am to depend upon any strength of this world all is over: the knell is struck, sentence has gone forth. Oh God! Oh God! Oh Thou my God! Help me against all the wisdom of this world. Do this, I beseech Thee. Thou shouldest do this by Thy own mighty power, for the work is not mine, but Thine. I have no business here. I have nothing to contend for with these great men of the world. I would gladly pass my days in happiness and peace. But the cause is Thine and it is righteous and everlasting. Oh Lord, help me! Oh faithful and unchangeable God, I lean not upon man, it were vain. Whatever is of man is tottering. Whatever precedes from him must fail. My God, my God, dost Thou not hear? My God, are Thou no longer living? Nay! Thou canst not die! Thou dost but hide Thyself. Thou has chosen me for this work, I know it. Therefore, oh God, accomplish Thine own will. Forsake me not for the sake of Thy well beloved Son Jesus Christ: my defense, my buckler, and my stronghold. Lord, where art Thou? My God, where art Thou? Come, I pray Thee, I am ready. Behold me prepared to lay down my life for Thy truth, suffering like a lamb, for the cause is holy. It is Thine own. I will not let Thee go! No, nor yet for all eternity! And though the world should be thronged with devils and this body which is the work of Thine hands should be cast forth, trodden under foot, cut in pieces, consumed to ashes… my soul is Thine! Yes, I have Thine own word to assure me of it. My soul belongs to Thee and will abide with Thee forever! Oh amen! Oh God, send help! Amen.
On the following day, the eighteenth, a larger hall was chosen and was so crowded that scarcely any save the emperor could sit. The terror of the Holy conspired to give Luther a hearing before the German nation. When the question was put to him again, he responded as follows.
“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 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 itself does not treat all of my books as of one kind. If I should renounce those, I would be the only man on earth to damn the truth confessed alike by 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? 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 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 Annas, 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 the 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 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.”
The examiner 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 so many famous men and claim that you know more than they all? You have no right to call into question the most holy orthodox faith, instituted by Christ the perfect lawgiver, proclaimed throughout 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 us as an inheritance, and which 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?”
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 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 I 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.”
~Adapted from “Here I Stand” by Roland Bainton, and lectures given by R.C. Sproul
