Luther Before the Diet
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Two conflicting opinions were now urged by the members of the
Diet. The emissaries and representatives of the pope again demanded
that the reformer’s safe-conduct should be disregarded. “The Rhine,”
they said, “should receive his ashes, as it received those of John Huss a
century ago.” But princes of Germany, though themselves papists and
avowed enemies to Luther, protested against such a breach of public
faith, as a stain upon the honor of the nation. They pointed to the
calamities which had followed the death of Huss, and declared that
they dared not call down upon Germany, and upon the head of their
youthful emperor, a repetition of these terrible evils.
Charles himself, in answer to the base proposal, said that though
faith should be banished from all the earth, it ought to find refuge
with princes. He was still further urged by the most bitter of Luther’s
popish enemies to deal with the reformer as Sigismund had dealt with
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Huss—abandon him to the mercies of the church; but, recalling the
scene when Huss in public assembly had pointed to his chains and
reminded the monarch of his plighted faith, Charles V. declared, “I
would not like to blush like Sigismund.”
Yet Charles had deliberately rejected the truths presented by Luther.
“I am firmly resolved to tread in the footsteps of my ancestors,” wrote
the monarch. He had decided that he would not step out of the path of
custom, even to walk in the ways of truth and righteousness. Because
his fathers did, he would uphold the papacy, with all its cruelty and
corruption. Thus he took his position, refusing to accept any light in
advance of what his fathers had received, or to perform any duty that
they had not performed.
There are many at the present day thus clinging to the customs
and traditions of their fathers. When the Lord sends them additional
light, they refuse to accept it, because, not having been granted to
their fathers, it was not received by them. We are not placed where
our fathers were; consequently our duties and responsibilities are not
the same as theirs. We shall not be approved of God in looking to
the example of our fathers to determine our duty instead of searching
the Word of truth for ourselves. Our responsibility is greater than was
that of our ancestors. We are accountable for the light which they
received, and which was handed down as an inheritance for us, and
we are accountable also for the additional light which is now shining
upon us from the Word of God.