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Chapter 7—Luther Before the Diet
A new emperor, Charles the Fifth, had ascended the throne
of Germany, and the emissaries of Rome hastened to present their
congratulations, and induce the monarch to employ his power against
the Reformation. On the other hand, the Elector of Saxony, to whom
Charles was in great degree indebted for his crown, entreated him
to take no step against Luther until he should have granted him
a hearing. The emperor was thus placed in a position of great
perplexity and embarrassment. The papists would be satisfied with
nothing short of an imperial edict sentencing Luther to death. The
elector had declared firmly that neither his imperial majesty nor
any one else had yet made it appear to him that the Reformer’s
writings had been refuted; therefore he requested that Doctor Luther
be furnished with a safe-conduct, so that he might answer for himself
before a tribunal of learned, pious, and impartial judges.
The attention of all parties was now directed to the assembly
of the German States which convened at Worms soon after the ac-
cession of Charles to the empire. There were important political
questions and interests to be considered by this national council; but
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these appeared of little moment when contrasted with the cause of
the monk of Wittemberg.
Charles had previously directed the elector to bring Luther with
him to the Diet, assuring him that the Reformer should be protected
from all violence, and should be allowed a free conference with
one competent to discuss the disputed points. Luther was anxious
to appear before the emperor. His health was at this time much
impaired; yet he wrote to the elector: “If I cannot perform the
journey to Worms in good health, I will be carried there, sick as I
am. For, since the emperor has summoned me, I cannot doubt that
it is the call of God himself. If they intend to use violence against
me, as they probably do, for assuredly it is with no view of gaining
information that they require me to appear before them, I place the
matter in the Lord’s hands. He still lives and reigns who preserved
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