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From Here to Forever
country of my fathers staff in hand,” he continued, “than receive any
other doctrine than that which is contained in this Confession.
The appointed time came. Charles V, surrounded by the electors
and the princes, gave audience to the Protestant Reformers. In
that august assembly the truths of the gospel were clearly set forth
and the errors of the papal church pointed out. That day has been
pronounced “the greatest day of the Reformation, and one of the
most glorious in the history of Christianity and of mankind.
The monk of Wittenberg had stood alone at Worms. Now in
his stead were the most powerful princes of the empire. “I am
overjoyed,” Luther wrote, “that I have lived until this hour, in which
Christ has been publicly exalted by such illustrious confessors, and
in so glorious an assembly.”
That which the emperor had forbidden to be preached from the
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pulpit was proclaimed from the palace; what many had regarded as
unfit even for servants to listen to was heard with wonder by the
masters and lords of the empire. Crowned princes were the preach-
ers, and the sermon was the royal truth of God. “Since the apostolic
age there has never been a greater work or a more magnificent con-
fession.
One of the principles most firmly maintained by Luther was
that there should be no resort to secular power in support of the
Reformation. He rejoiced that the gospel was confessed by princes
of the empire; but when they proposed to unite in a defensive league,
he declared that “the doctrine of the gospel would be defended by
God alone. ... All the politic precautions suggested were, in his
view, attributable to unworthy fear and sinful mistrust.
At a later date, referring to the league contemplated by the re-
formed princes, Luther declared that the only weapon in this warfare
should be “the sword of the Spirit.” He wrote to the elector of Sax-
ony: “We cannot on our conscience approve of the proposed alliance.
The cross of Christ must be borne. Let your highness be without
9
Ibid., bk. 14, ch. 6.
10
Ibid., bk. 14, ch. 7.
11
Idem.
12
D’Aubigne, London ed., bk. 10, ch. 14.