L U T 
yielded to their felicitation, that an imperial edift (hould 
without delay be ifl'ued againft that reformer, had he not 
been unwilling to give offence to the elector of Saxony, 
to whom he was under much greater obligations than to 
any other of the German princes, as it was chiefly owing 
to his difintereftednefs, as well as zealous and important 
fervices, that he had been raifed to the empire, in op- 
pofition to the pretenlions of fuch a formidable rival as 
Francis I. king of Fi ance. 
The diet having affembled at Worms at the time ap¬ 
pointed, when the (late of religion was taken into conli- 
deration, the papal legates infilted that, without any delay 
or formal deliberation, the diet ought to condemn a man 
whom the pope had already excommunicated as an incor¬ 
rigible heretic. In this demand the emperor, to the fuc- 
cefs of whofe political views the pope’s friendfliip was at 
that time of the utmolt importance, appeared delirous of 
gratifying them. However, the elector of Saxony em¬ 
ployed his credit with Charles, to prevent the publication 
of any unjuft edift againft Luther, and to have his caufe 
tried by the canons of the Germanic church, and the 
laws of the empire. And fuch an abrupt manner of pro¬ 
ceeding, as was moved for by the legates, being deemed 
unprecedented and unjuft by the other members of the 
diet, they made a point of Luther’s appearing in perfon, 
and declaring whether he adhered or not to thole opinions 
which had drawn upon him the cenfures of the church. 
The emperor therefore refolved, that Luther thould be 
called before the diet, and that he thould be publicly 
heard before any final l'entence thould be pronounced 
againft him. For his protection againft the violence of 
his enemies, not only the emperor, but all the princes 
through whofe territories he had to pafs, granted him a 
fafe-conduCt; and Charles wrote to him at the fame time, 
requiring his immediate attendance on the diet, and re¬ 
newing his promifes of protection from any injury or ill- 
treatment. This letter and fafe-conduCt were delivered 
to Luther by an officer, who was fent to accompany him 
to Worms; arid were no fooner received by him, than 
without a moment’s hefitation he prepared to obey the 
fummons. Many of his friends, however, were greatly 
againft his going to the diet, obferving, that from the late 
burning of his books he might anticipate the fentence 
which would be palled on himfelf. Others reminded him 
of the fate of Hufs, under fimilar circumltances, and pro¬ 
tected by the fame fecurity of an imperial l'afe-conduCt; 
and, filled'with folicitude, advifed and entreated him not 
to rufh wantonly into the rnidft of danger. But Luther, 
fuperior to fuch terrors, lilenced them with this reply: 
“ I am lawfully called,” faid he, “ to appear in that city ; 
and thither will I go in the name of the Lord, though as 
many devils, as there are tiles on the houfes, were there 
combined againft me.” 
Luther arrived at Worms on the 16th of April, where 
greater crowds affembled to behold him than had appear¬ 
ed at the emperor’s public entry. While he continued 
in that city, his apartments were daily filled with princes 
and perfonages of the higheft rank, and he was treated 
with all the refpeft paid to thofe who poffel's the power 
of directing the underftanding and fentiments of other 
men. When he appeared before the diet, he behaved 
with the greateft decency and propriety, and readily ac¬ 
knowledged an excefs of vehemence and acrimony in his 
controverlial writings. At the lame time he difplayed 
the utmoft relolution and pretence of mind, while (on 
the 17th and 18th of April, 1521) he pleaded his caufe 
before that grand affembly. At length, in anfwer to the 
demand that he (hould renounce the opinions which he 
had hitherto held, he firmly and folemnly declared, that 
he would neither abandon them, nor change his con'o^Ct, 
unlefs he were previoufly convinced, by the word of God, 
or the dictates of right reafon, that his fentiments were 
erroneous, and his conduCt unlawful. To this refolution 
he fteadily adhered, notwithftanding the entreaties and 
threatenings which were employed to conquer the firm- 
HER. m 
nefs of his purpofe. Irritated at his unbending fpirit, 
fome of the ecclefiaftics prefent had the bafenefs to pro- 
pofe, that they fliould imitate the example of the council 
of Conftance, and avail themfelves of the opportunity of 
having the enemy in their power, to deliver the church 
at once from fuch a peltilent heretic. But the members 
of the diet refuting to expofe the German integrity to a 
frelh reproach by a fecond violation of public faith, and 
Charles being no lefs unwilling to bring a (tain upon the 
beginning ot his adminiltration by fuch an ignominious 
aCtion, Luther was permitted to depart in fafety. A few 
days after he had left Worms, an exceffively-fevere edict 
was publilhed in the emperor’s name, and by the au¬ 
thority of the diet, in which he was declared a member 
cut off from the church, a fchifmatic, a notorious and ob- 
ftinate heretic, deprived of all the privileges which he en¬ 
joyed as a fubjeCtof the empire; the feverelt punilhments 
were denounced againlt thole who (hould receive, enter¬ 
tain, or countenance, him, either by aCts of hofpitality 
by converfation, or by writing; and all were required to, 
concur in feizing his perfon, as foon as the term of his fafe- 
conduct expired. But, after all, this rigorous decree pro¬ 
duced fcarcely any effeCf, as the emperor, whofe prefence, 
authority, and zeal, were neceffary to render it refpeClable, 
was involved in a multiplicity of occupations, created by 
the commotions in Spain, and the wars in Italy and the 
Low Countries, which made him lofe fight of the ediCt of 
Worms ; while all thofe fovereign princes who had noc 
been prelent at the diet, and who had any regard for the 
liberties of the empire and the rights of the Germanic 
church, treated it with the higheft indignation, or the ut¬ 
moft contempt. And fome days before the publication 
of this edict, the elector of Saxony had employed a pru¬ 
dent precaution, which effe&ually fecured Luther from 
the ftorm. For, in confequence of a preconcerted plan, 
and, as fome have imagined upon probable grounds, not 
without the knowledge of the emperor, as Luther, on his 
return from Worms, was p3fling near Eyfenach, a num¬ 
ber of horfemen in malks rulhed out of a wood, and, fur¬ 
rounding his company, carried him, after difmiffmg all 
his attendants, with the utmoft fecrecy to the caftle of 
Wartenberg. 
This ludden difappearance of Luther not only occafioned 
the moft bitter dilappointment to his adverfarles, but ren¬ 
dered them doubly odious to the people in Germany, 
who, not knowing what was become of their favourite re¬ 
former, imagined that he was imprifoned, or perhaps de- 
ltroyed, by the emiffaries of Rome. In the mean time, 
Luther lived in peace and quiet, fupplied by the elector 
with every thing neceffary or agreeable: but the place ot 
his retreat was carefully concealed, until the fury of the 
prefent ftorm againft him began to abate, upon a change 
in the political fituation of Europe. Nor was his con¬ 
finement here inconfiftent with amuiement and relaxation ; 
for he enjoyed frequently the pleafure of hunting in com¬ 
pany with his keepers, palfing for a country gentleman, 
under the name of Yonker George. In this folitude, 
which he frequently called his Patinos, he tranflated a 
great part of the New Teftament into the German lan¬ 
guage; wrote and publilhed feveral treatifes in defence of 
his doctrines, or in confutation of his adverlaries, which 
revived and animated the fpirit of his followers ; and wrote 
frequent letters to his trulty friends and intimates, to com¬ 
fort them during his abfence. During his confinement, he 
had the fatisfaction of learning that his opinions continued 
to gain ground, and had acquired the afcendant in almoft 
every city in Saxony. At this time, the Auguftinians of 
Wittemberg, with the approbation of the univerlity, and 
the connivance of the elector, ventured upon the firft. itep 
towards an alteration in the eftablilhed forms of worlhip, 
by abolilhing the celebration of private mafies, and by 
giving the cup as well as the bread to the laity in admi- 
niftering the facrainenr of the Lord’s fupper. But, what- 
ever confolation the courage and fuccels of his difciples, 
or the progrefs of his doctrines in his own country,afforded 
3 Luther 
