The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1890, Page 39

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The Lutheran Pioneer. 39

Luther at the Diet of Worms.

In our picture you see Luther at the Diet of
Worms. Do you know what a Diet is? It is
a convention of princes and others held for the
purpose of discussing the affairs of the empire.
Emperor Charles V. held his first Diet in the

city of Worms, in the year 1521. Luther was|

ordered to appear at this Diet. His friends
tried to keep him from going there, fearing
that his enemies would put him to death as
they had put others to death who had preached
the Gospel. Luther, however, put his trust in
God and said he would go and appear in the
name of the Lord, even ‘‘if his enemies built a
fire which should extend from Wittenberg to
Worms and reach to the heavens.’’ And when,

near the city of Worms, a letter from one of |

STAND; I CAN NOT DO OTHERWISE; GOD HELP
ME! AMEN.”

The powerful speech, so full’ of faith, made
a deep impression, and many were gained for
the truth. With thanks to God for His assist-
ance Luther entered upon his way home.

~~ +0<me- ee -

Luther’s Great Prayer.

Before Luther entered the Diet at Worms
he sought God’s help ina fervent prayer. This
prayer of God’s messenger before he took his
noble stand is one for which the history of
Christianity probably shows no parallel. Not
in polished sentences, but broken up into short
ejaculations his appeals ascend on high. Would
you not like to read that prayer? Here it is:

“O Almighty and Everlasting God! How

his friends was handed hin, in which that friend | terrible is this world! Behold! it openeth its

earnestly warned him not to enter the city, he
boldly said, ‘‘If there were at Worms as many
devils as there are tiles on the roofs, yet I would

_goin.’’ And he did go in.

_ After having received the Emperor's order
to appear before the Diet at 4 o'clock in the
afternoon of the 17th of April, Luther, in a
long and fervent prayer, sought the help of
God, whose truth he was to confess. He was
then led into the hall where the Diet was as-
sembled. There sat the mighty Emperor, and
the princes, and the dukes, and the pope’s mes-
senger, and others of high rank, There Luther
stood, the miner’s son, the poor monk, calm
and full of peace, mighty in the Lord, the
messenger of God’s eternal truth. About five
thousand people were gathered in front of the
hall and at the windows. The scene is called
by a well known English writer ‘‘the greatest
scene in modern European History.’ ‘The
world’s pomp and power sits there, on this
hand; on that, stands up for God's truth, one
man, the poor miner Hans Luther's son.”

Luther was first asked whether the books,
which lay near by, had been written by him.

* ‘After the titles of the books had been read, he
said the books were his. On being asked
whether he would retract what he had written,
he desired time to consider the question, since
it was a question of faith involving his own
salvation and the authority of God’s word.
Time was granted him until the next day.

On the following day Luther was again
brought before the Diet to give answer to the
question whether he would retract what he had
written. In a speech, which lasted two hours,
he set forth the doctrines contained in his books.
He then with great firmness gave this answer:
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of
the word of God, or by clear and overpowering
reasons, as I can not submit my faith to the
pope nor to the councils, which have often
erred and contradicted themselves, and as I

am bound in conscience by God’s word, I can

not and will not retract anything, for it is
neither safe nor right to do anything against
conscience.’? And then, with great force, he
added those memorable words: ‘“‘Here I

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| mouth to swallow me up, and I have so little

trust in Thee! How weak is the flesh, and
Satan how strong! If it is only in the strength
of this world that I must put my trust, all is
over! My last hour is come, my condemnation
has been pronounced! O God! O God! O God!
do Thou help me against all the wisdom of the
world! Do this; Thou shouldst do this—Thou
alone—for this is not my work but Thine.
I have nothing to do here, nothing to contend
for with these great ones of the world! Ishould
desire to see my days flow on peaceful and
happy. But the cause is Thine, and it is a
righteous and eternal cause. O Lord! help
me! Faithful and unchangeable God! In no
man do I place my trust. It would be in vain!
All that is of man is uncertain; all that cometh
of man failsa—O God! my God! hearest Thou
me not? My God! art Thou dead? No! Thou
canst not die! ‘Thou hidest Thyself only! Thou
hast chosen me for this work. I know it well!
—Act, then, O God!—stand at my side, for the
sake of Thy well-beloved Jesus Christ, who is
my defense, my shield, and my strong tower.

(After a moment of silent struggle he thus
continues:)

Lord! where stayest Thou? O my God!
where art Thou!—Come! come! I am ready!
—I am ready to lay down my life for Thy truth
—patient as a lamb. For it is the cause of
justice—it is Thine! I will never separate my-
self from thee, neither now nor through eter-
nity!—And though the world should be filled
with devils—though my body, which is the
work of Thy hands, should be slain, be stretched
upon the pavement, should be cut to pieces—
reduced to ashes—my soul is Thine—Yes! Thy
word is my assurance of it. My soul belongs
to Thee! It shall abide forever with Thee—
Amen! O God! help me!—Amen!”’

What The Romish Priest Could Not Burn.

A Romish priest in Ireland one day met a
little boy coming across a field from the Prot-
estant parish school with a Bible in his hand.
“Do you go to that place?’’ asked the priest,
pointing to the Protestant school.

“Yes, your reverence,” replied the boy.

“I thought so,’’ said the priest, “by the
book you have in your hand. It is a bad
book; give it to me.”’

“That book is God’s Word,” said the boy,
‘“‘and it teaches us the way to get to heaven
when we die.”’

“Come home with me,’’ said the priest.

The boy did so, and on entering his study
the priest took the poor boy’s Bible and threw
it on the fire.

“You shall never read that book again,”
said the priest; ‘‘it isa bad book; and, mind,
I shall not suffer you to go to that school again.’’

The Bible was soon in flames, and the poor
boy at first looked very sad; but as the priest
grew more and more angry, and told him there
was an end of it all now, the boy began to smile.

“Why do you laugh?”’ asked the priest.

“T can’t help it,” said the boy.

“I insist upon your telling me why you
Jaugh!”’ said the priest.

“I can’t help laughing,” replied the boy,
“for I was thinking your reverence couldn’t
burn those ten chapters I’ve got by heart.’ -

Happy boy! He could say with king David,
“Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I
might not sin against Thee.”’

= 0 6 3 a

Luther and the General.

As Luther was journeying to Worms, he met
the great General Frundsbergataninn. ‘Are
you the man,’’ said the General, “who has
undertaken to reform the papacy? how will,
how can you accomplish that?”’ ‘Yes,”’ said
Luther, ‘I am the man, and I rely upon Al-
mighty God, whose vocation and word I have
with me.”’ This terrified Frundsberg, and be-
holding Luther with affection, he said: ‘Dear
friend, there is something in what you say.
IT am a servant of the great lord, the Emperor
Charles, and at his command have made many
heavy marches. But you have a greater Master
than the Emperor Charles is; He also will help
you and stand by you.”