Luther at the Diet of Worms

Carlyle said the greatest moment in the modern history of man was Luther at the Diet of Worms. You remember Luther in the monastery at Erfurt had reduced himself by his misery and despair almost to death itself, when the Vicar-General visited him, and said, “Luther, repeat the creed,” and when Luther came to the line, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins” he realized that his sins were included there, and relief came to him.

And then he was summoned to Rome, and he climbed the stairs of St. John’s Church. I have seen long processions of people there, climbing those steps on their hands and knees hoping thereby to obtain forgiveness of sins. And as Luther was thus climbing these stairs there was flashed in upon him, by the light of the Spirit of God, the words: “The just shall live by faith,” and he sprang to his feet, and said: “I defy all those who deny that a man is saved by faith.”

He realized that it was the doctrine that brought light and liberty and joy and power to all who accepted it. You and I know what it is to be justified by faith, to be forgiven, to be accepted of God, and to experience joy and peace in believing. It was that doctrine that brought Luther to the Diet of Worms. That was a great moment : with all the power of the Church, and all the power of the world on one side, and he, standing alone, on the other.

“Recant, and you are forgiven: fail to recant, and death.” Luther begged for time to consider, and the next day, after a night of prayer he was himself again, yea, more than himself.

“Convince me,” he said, “by plain reason, or by this Word of God, and I will recant.”