Luther Before the Diet
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endeavored to teach men the way to obtain everlasting life, and they
have not succeeded. I will now tell it to you: ... God has raised one
Man from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He might destroy death,
extirpate sin, and shut the gates of hell. This is the work of salvation....
Christ has vanquished! this is the joyful news; and we are saved by
His work, and not by our own.... Our Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘Peace
be unto you; behold My hands;’ that is to say, Behold, O man! it is I, I
alone, who have taken away thy sin, and ransomed thee; and now thou
hast peace, saith the Lord.”
He continued, showing that true faith will be manifested by a holy
life. “Since God has saved us, let us so order our works that they may
be acceptable to Him. Art thou rich? let thy goods administer to the
necessities of the poor. Art thou poor? let thy services be acceptable
to the rich. If thy labor is useful to thyself alone, the service that thou
pretendest to render unto God is a lie.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 7.
The people listened as if spellbound. The bread of life was broken
to those starving souls. Christ was lifted up before them as above
popes, legates, emperors, and kings. Luther made no reference to his
own perilous position. He did not seek to make himself the object of
thought or sympathy. In the contemplation of Christ he had lost sight
of self. He hid behind the Man of Calvary, seeking only to present
Jesus as the sinner’s Redeemer.
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As the Reformer proceeded on his journey, he was everywhere
regarded with great interest. An eager multitude thronged about him,
and friendly voices warned him of the purpose of the Romanists. “They
will burn you,” said some, “and reduce your body to ashes, as they did
with John Huss.” Luther answered, “Though they should kindle a fire
all the way from Worms to Wittenberg, the flames of which reached
to heaven, I would walk through it in the name of the Lord; I would
appear before them; I would enter the jaws of this behemoth, and break
his teeth, confessing the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 7.
The news of his approach to Worms created great commotion. His
friends trembled for his safety; his enemies feared for the success of
their cause. Strenuous efforts were made to dissuade him from entering
the city. At the instigation of the papists he was urged to repair to
the castle of a friendly knight, where, it was declared, all difficulties
could be amicably adjusted. Friends endeavored to excite his fears
by describing the dangers that threatened him. All their efforts failed.