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Absolut acqtrfosccnce n the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of Republics, from which there is no appeal but to fotce, the vital principle af.d immediate parent of ckwpoiism. -.1rrKso.
It? Nasser & Efrrclj
SuiVbury, IVorlUumbcrlaHtl Ok lu. Satiuda), Jun. 21, IS 41 II.
Vok 3--Xo. hole JVo, 111.
Alam'i Fall, or the Flrat We rlafet
Adam m first cteated
A happy BkCHKLoa
Nor sought he 1i be mated.
Or thought of"W or "her,"
Woman had not
Been then inventej
And all contented
Waa Adam'a lot.
Joyous and free fiom ain
He paused hi early life
And th.ua he atill had been.
Had he not known a wife.
Had he not elept,
He ne'er had been,
Thus taken in
But aingle kept.
He did not want or need
A thing ao fale or frail,
More than a toad, indeed.
Require or wants a tail.
Daily had he
The Cherubim
And Seraphim
For company.
But meddling Angela soon,
To apoil hia peaceful life.
Set ail their wita to work
To "piftltim out a wife."
Aa with as here
Our "angcU" do
Whene'er they viaw
A Bachelor.
When Mrs. Adam came,
She hinted with a smile,
That th- y hd better live,
A MUle more in style,
My dear we're able,
Better to dress.
And keep, I guesa,
A better table."
Tlutt day ahe made a feart.
Of rare and costly fruit
The next day both appeared
Dreed in a bran new suit,
And every day
Did fiTnale pride
Decoy them wide
From wisdom's way.
What was dy'e think the end
Of this new course of life 1
Adam waa bankrupt made
By hia smbitiou wife ;
The ipp.1.iffcame
And made a route
And turn'd them out
Of house and home.
And now forced to work,
To digging went and hoeing
And lady Eve so proud,
Was glad to tako in sewing.
Then as a mother,
The hrata she had
Turned out ao bad
One killed his brother.
Had he not, while he slept,
Been saddled with mate,
Would Ad i in not have kept.
Think ye, hi first estate !
Without a mother,
Could wicked Cain,
Think ye, have slain
His pioua Liother 1
Thia mischief all arose.
And more than I have stated,
Fiom Adam'a first faux pas,
Sulmiuing to be mated.
Then let us all
Hia folly see
And thus shall we
Escape his full.
PnrtT ELOtcEsxt. Truly has it been said,
'there is but one step from the sublime to the re
diculous!" A striking instance of this fact occur
red in our hearing a few evenings ago. A revival
preacher, of some note, was descanting un that su
blimeat of all themes the lower and majesty of
God ! After giving utterance to a strain of real
eloquence, he closed his eulogium of the Ureal Ar
chitsct of the Universe, by describing him aa that
Being "who bad planted the Sun in the Heavena
placed the Moon in its Socket and set the Stars in
their several Candlestick." Reading Gazette.
Pociroft Youatrar. If you tska cold, doctor
yourself at once. Put your feet into warm water,
and let there be a good quantity of mustard in it.
It will draw the cold from the head. Then drink
hot gruel, lemonade, or whatever you may fancy.
Pile blankets and coverlids upon your bed, and
you will get into a violent perspiration. That,
if not checked too hastily, will cure your cold spee
dily. All the doctors in Ue world can do an more.
Wo'." "There aomethin J to me, says By
ton, "very softening in the presence of a woman 5
some strange influence, even if one ia not in love
'with them. I always feel in better humor with my.
self and every thing else, if there is a woman with
10 ken."
Willis, speaking of a lady who raairied for
money alone, remarks : "She married him for an
eatahliahment, bat forgot that he waa a part of ft
dazzled with the frame, the overlooked the hideous
tieaa of the picture."
To be great is not in every one's power, but to
tie good is in the power of all.
Rr.ttai tiom.
'I never broke a resolution yelV'
Kaid one secured of having jus' betrayed one ;
-1 know it," ssid the other, for I'll tx t
'i'hat in your life you never yet have oiaJe one I"
From VAubigne's History of the Great Re
Jbrtimtion,
LVTIIER DKPOnK Til K DIET OF
WORMS.
In the mearrttntfe Spa la tin himself began to
be disturbed with apprehensions. Situate ra
the midst of enemies of tho Reformation, he
heard It said on all sides that a heretic's safe-
conduct would be disregarded. His friendship
took the alarm. At the moment when Luther
was approching the city, a servant met him
and delivered him a message from the chap
lain. "Abstain from entering Worms. And
this from Spalatin himself, the Electer's confi
dential adviser 1 Luther, still unshaken, turn
ed his eyes on the messenger, and answered,
GoJrMyonr matter, that though lAcre should
be at many Devil t tit Vor ms, as there art tiles
on its roofs, I vxntld enter it.'
At no time had the grandeur of Luther's
spirit been more evinced. The messenger re
entered Worms, and delivered the astounding
declaration. 'I was then intrepid.' said 1m-
ther, (a few days before his death.) I feared
nothing. God can give this boldness to man.
4! know not whether now I should have to much
liberty anil joy."' 'When our cause is good,'
adds liis disciple Mathesius, 'the heart ex
pands and gives courage and energy to the e-
vangclist and the soldier.'
At last, on the morning of the IGth April,
Luther discovered the walls of the ancient ci
ty. All were expecting him. But one sub
ject occupied the thoughts of the citirens.
Some young nobles, Bernard of Kerschfeld,
Albert Lindenau, with six mounted cavaliers,
and other gentlemen of the prince's retinue, to
the number in all of a hundred, (according to
Pallavicini,) in their impatience, rode out of
the city to meet him, and surrounded his tra
velling car, escorted him to the gates. He
went forward. The imperial herald galloped
before, attired in the vestments of his office.
Luther came next, in his modest vehicle. Jo
nas followed on horseback, and the party of
horsemen surrounded him. A vaBt crowd was
awaiting his arrival at the gates. At ten o'
clock he entered within those walls, whence so
many had predicted to him that he would ne
ver again depart Behold him in Worms !
Two thousand persons accompanied the fa
med monk of Wittemberg through the streets
of the city. People ran to their doors to see
him. The crowd was increasing every mo
ment, and was even greater than at the pub
lic entry ofthe Emperor himself. Of a sudden
says an historian, a man clothed in grotesque
habiliments, and bearing before him a lofty
cross, as is customary at funerals, penetrated
through the crowd, and advanced towards Lu
ther : then with a shrill and plaintiff cadence,
in which the priests perform masses from the
repose of the dead, he chaunted these words,
as if he were uttering them from the abode of
departed spirits
Advenisti, Odoridnrabillis!
Quern expects bamus in tenebris !
Thus was Luther's arrival celebrated by a
requiem. It was the court fool ot one of the
Dukes of Bavaria, who (if the account maybe
depended upon) thus gave to Luther one of those
warnings, replete at once with solemn instruc
tion and irony, of which so many instances are
on record. But the shouts of the crowd soon
drowned the de profundis of the cross-bearer.
The procession made its way with difficulty
through the people. At last the herald of the
Empire stopped before the hotel of the Knights
of Rhodes. It was there that Fredi ic of Thun,
and Philip Feilitsch, two counsellors of tho E
lector, and Ulric Pappenhcim, the marshal of
the Empire, had taken up their abode. Luther
alighted from his waggon, and as he set his
foot on the ground, exclaimed, God will be my
defence.' 'I entered Worms,' said he, at a la
ter period, 'in an open cart and in a monk's
frock. And every one came out into the street,
desiring to see friar Martin.'
The intelligence of his arrival was recx-ived
with alarm by the Elector of Xnny anj A)e.
ander. Albert, the yon.v.g ,nd accomplished
Archbishop, whos minii w in ,he mi(ld,e
sition, was dmayed ttt tlia daring stpp qf ,
had no rnore courage than the Archbishop,'
said I.u't.cr, 'true it is, they would never have
BCe-n me at Worms.
Charles V. instantly convoked his council.
The confidential adviser of the Emperor repair
ed in hasto to the palace for the fear had com
municated to them. 'Luther is come, said
Charles, 'what must be done 1
Modo, Bishop of Palermo and Chancellor of
Flanders, answered, according to the testimo
ny of Luther : -We have long thought of this
matter. Let your Majesty rid yourself at once
of this man. Did not Sigismond bring John
Hum to the stake t One is under no obliga.
tion either to give or to observe a Rafe-conduct
in the Case of heretics. 'Not to,' said Charles,
'what we promise we should observe and keep.'
It was thercfitre, agreed that the Reformer
should be heard.
.
Meanwhile crowds continued to gather out
side the hotel ot Rhodes, where Luther had a
lighted. Somo had 'Conceived an idea of him
as a prodigy of wisdom ; others as a monster.
Every one desired to sets him. limy left him,
however, a few hours to recruit himself alter
his journey, and discourse with his most inti
mate friends. But as soon as the evening clo
sed in, counts, barons, knights, gentlemen, ec
clesiastics, and citizens, flocked about him.
All, even tho most opposed to him, were struck
with his courageous bearing the joy that bea
med in his countenance the power of his clo
quence, and the solemn elevation and cnthu
siam which gave to the words of a single monk J
a sort of irresistible authority. But some ascri
bed this grandeur to a something divine; whilst
the partizans of the Pope Iouldly exclaimed
that he was possessed "by a devil. Visitors 1
poured in, and the succession ofthe curious,
kept Luther from his bed till a late hour.
Four o,clock arrived. 1
The Marshal of the Empire appeared. Luther
prepared to set out God had heard his pray
ers ; he was calm when he quitted the hotel.
The herald walked first. Next came the Mar
shal of the Empire, followed by the Reformer.
The crowd Jthat thronged the streets v. as yet
more dense than on the preceding evening. It
was not possible to advance it was in vain
that orders were given to make way ; tho
crowd was increasing. At last the herald, tee
ing the impossibility of reaching the Town
Hall, demanded admission into some private
houses, and conducted Luther th rough the gar
dens and back ways to the place where the Di
et was assembled. The people who W Itncssnd
this, rushed into the houses a fer tho monk of
Wittemberg, stationed themselves at the win
dows overlooking the gardens, and many of
them taking their stand on the tops of the holi
es. The roofs and the pavements, above and
beneath, all around him, were covered with
spectators.
Arriving at last at the Town Hall, and his
companions were again at a loss how to pass
the gateway, which was thronged by a multi
tude. Make room ! was the cry ; but no one
stirred. The imperial soldiers then cleared a
passage. The people hurrying forward to en
ter together with the Reformer, the soldiers
drove them back with their halberds. Luther
entered the enterior of the hall, and there a
gain he beheld the enclosure crowded. In the
interior chambers and windows recesses, there
were more than five thousand spectators (Her
man, Italian, Spanish, and of other nations. Lu
ther advanced with difficulty. As he drew
near the door which was to admit him to the
presence of the judges, he was met by a va
liant knight, George Frctindsberg, who four
years afterwards, attended by his followers,
couched his lance at the battle of Pavia, and
bearing down the left of the French army, drove
it into theTessino, and decided the captivity of
the King of France. The old general, seeing
Luther pass, touched him on the shoulder, and
shaking his head, blanched in many battles, said
kindly, 'My poor monk, my poor monk, thou
hast a inarch and a struggled go through, such
as neither I nor many other aptains have seen
the like in our most bloody battles. But if
th cause be just and thou art sure of it, go
forward in God's name, and fear nothing ! I le
will not forsake thee !' A noble tribute ren
dered by martial spirit to the courage of the
soul. 'He that rulcth his spirit is greater than
he that taketh a city, was the word of a
king.
And now the doors ofthe hall were thrown
open, Luther entered, and map.y who formed
no part of the Diet gained B'Jmi,8ton with him.
Never had any man appeared before so august
an assembly. Tho Emperor Charles the V.,
whose kingdom extended across both hemis
pheres, his brother, the Archduke Ferdinand,
six Eloctors of the Empire, most of whose
1 ucci ssors are now crowned heads ; twenty-
bur dukes, many of them territorial sovereigns,
r iia oinon'' who.n were come who bore a name
in after times held in fear and horror by the na
tions who accepted the Reformation (the
Duke of Alva and hit two sons) eight mar
graves, thirty archhtshortp, binhops, and pre
lates, seven ambassadors,, including those of
France and England, the deputies ot ten free
cities, a nnmbernf prince, counts, and barons
of rank, the Pope's .Nuncios, 1n all two hun
dred persons. Such was the imposing assem
bhge before which stood Martin Luther.
His appearance there was of itself a signal
victory over the Papacy. The man whom the.,
Pope had condemned stood before a tribunal
raised by that very fact above the Popes au
thority. Placed under interdict, and struck not
from human fellowship by the Pope, he was
cited in respectful terms, and received before
the noblest of human auditories. The Pope
had decreed that his lips should be chwed fore
ver, and he was about to unclose them in pre
eence of thousands assembled from the remotest
countries of Christendom. Thus had an im
mense revolution been cfT.-cled by his means
Koine w as brought down from her scat, and the
power tlmt thus humbled her whs the word of a
monk .
Some princes who were near him, observing
the humble wb ofthe miner of Mansfield awed
ami effected in this ateembly of sovereigns, ap
proached la 111a kindly. Ono of them whispered,
Fear not them wlio arc ohie to kill the body,
and cannot destroy Vc soul.' Another whis
pered to him. 'When you are brought bvinrc
kings it shall Ik; given yw by the S,i.ril 01 your
Fat her what yon aha II say.' Tims t.iff ;ha
monk strengthened with his Mister's words
by the great ones of I his world.
Mee.nwhilo the guards made way for I, other.
llo stepped forward, and found himself in front
ofthe throne of Charles V. AU eyes were
turned upon him. The confusion was stilled,
and there was a profound silence. 'Siiy no
thing until jwe9lion is put to you,' said the
Marshal ofthe Empire as IrcruiUcd ft''n'
After a moment's solemn pause, John Eck,
the Chancellor of the Archbishop of Treves,
and the friend of Alexander, whom we must
not confound with the theologian of that nitmc,
rose, and in a clear and sonorous accent firut
in Latin and then in Gorman, said :
'Martin Luther, his sacked and invincible
Majesty has cited you before his throne, act
ing on the opinion and advice of the States of
the Holy Roman Empire, to require you to an
swer to these nunst inns. Fir.-t : Do voh ac
knowledge these writings to have been compo
sed by ynu V At the same time tho speaker
pointed his finirerto nlmut twenty vnlumns pla
ced in the centre of the hull, immediately
before Luther. 'I could not eea.i where they
had obtrriTred them,' said Luther, relntinp; the
(act : it was A lean ler who had taken the trou
ble to collect them. 'Secondly,1 continued the
Chancellor,, 'Arc you prepared to retract these
works, and the propositions contained therein,
or do you persist in what you have therein ad
vanced ?'
Luther, without faltering, was about to an
swer the first question in the affirmative, when
JermeSchurtf, hastily interrupted him, exclai
med aloud, 'Let their titles lie read.'
The Chancellor advancing to tho table, read
the titles. There were in numborseveral works
of a devotional character, and altogether uncon
nected with the controverted points.
The enumeration being gone through, Lu
ther spoke as follows, first in Latin, then iu
German :
'Most gracious Euieror, Princes, and
Irds !
'Ilis imperial Majesty puts to me two ques
tions.
'As to the first, I acknowledge the Kioks,
the names of which have been read, to be of
my writing ; I cannot deny them.
As to the second, seeing that it is a ques
tion which has reference to faith, and tho sal
vation of souls, a question which concerns the
word of God, the greatest and most precious
treasure of heaven or earth, I should set rash
ly if I wcro to answer without reflection. I
might say less than tho circumstance demands
or more than truth requires, and so sin against
that word of Christ ; lV7ioefrrr shall deny
me orjare men, mm wui 1 deny before my
Father whirh is in heaven.
Immediately the Imperial herald came for
ward and conducted Luther back to the hotel.
Threats and shouts arcoinpnnied him through
the crowd ; alntmiug reorts rwielied !ii
friends. 'The Diet is displeased.' it wiksiuI:
"the Pope's envoys triumph ; the Reformer
will fill a victim.' Men's passions were
roused. Rome gentlemen repaired in hade
to Luther. 'Doctor,' said they in agitation,
'what ie all this 1 They say they are resolved
to bring you to the stake. 'If they dare attempt
it,' they added, 'it shall be at the peril ot their
lives.' 'And it would have lieon so,' mi id Lu
ther repealing their words at EisJebeii twenty
years later.
On the other hand, Luther's enemies were
II confidence. 'lie Ins beT(jpd for tiinr
said they, 'he is going to retract. At a distance
his speech was arrogant ; but now his cotirngo
forsikes liiui. He is conquered.'
Luther was porhpa the only poison at
Worms perfectly undisturbed.
At f ur o'clock the herald presented himself,
and conducted Luther to the hall of tho Diet
The general curiosity wus extreme, for the
answer was to he decisive. The Diet being
entrained in deliberation. Luther whs obliged
to wait in tho court, surrounded hv a dense
crowd, eageily moving to and tro, and resem
fding a sea of heads. For two hours, the Re.
lormer was hemmed in bv the mnlti'n.le press
ing to see him. 'I was not used,' said he, 'to
such ways ami noise.' To an ordinary man this
would have been a previous hindrance to pre
pa redness of mind. But l-ullier was walking
with God. Ilia look was serene ; his features
unruffled. The Eternal was placing him on a
rock. Evening began to close in, ami the
torches w ere lighted in tho hall. Their light
gleamed through the ancient painted glass to
the court beyond, and the whole ecene were
an Rspeet of mor" than common solemnity. At
length the Doeter was admitted. Many per
sons obtained admission with hhu, for every
one was desired to hear his answer. The
Princes having taken their seats, and Luther
being a train in presence of OliB'lewV. The
Chancellor ot the Elector of Treves broke ei
lepee. nnd said :
'Murtin l.'.m.iT, yo'.i requested yesterday a
i)e.iy wliu h is now expired. Certiiinly tho
M:et V) - net bound 111 just ee to accede to
your ilesure, Mtire every man should be so
grounded in his faith as to be able at nil times
to give an ant-wer to those who nsk him ; much
more one who is an eminent and learned doc
tor in the rVjriptures, Now, therefore, answer
the enquiry of his Majesty, who has manifest
ed so much indulgence. Arc you prepared to
defend all that your writings contain, or do
you w ish to retract any pert-of them V
Alter having spoken these words, the Chan-1
cellor repeated them in German.
Hereupon,' says the Acts cf Worms, 'Doc
tor Martin Luther made answer in a low and
humble tone, without any veheinenco or vio
lence, but with gentlencssatid mildness, and in
a manner lull of respect and diffidence, yet
with much joy and 'Christain firmness,'
'Most Serene Emperor, and you illustrious
Princes and grncious Lords,' said Luther,
turning towards Charles, and looking round tho
assembly,'! this day appear before you in all
humility, according to your command, and I
implore your Majesty and your august High
nesses, by the mercies of God, to listen with
fivortoUic defence of a cause which I am
weil assured is just and right. I ask pardon,
if by reason of my ignorance, I am wanting in
the manners that befit a court ; fori have not
been brought up in King's palaces, Utt m
the seclusion of a cloister.
'Two quer.tions were yesterday put to me by
his Imperial Majesty ; the first, whether I was
the author ofthe books whose titles were read:
the second, whether I wished to revoke or de
fend the doctrines'! have taugtrt. I answered
the first, and I adhere to the answer.
As to the second, 1 have composed writings
on very different sfibjects. In some I have
discussed Faith and Good Works, in a spirit at
once so pure, clear, and Christian, that even
my adversaries themselves, far from finding
anything to censure, confess that these writ
ings ate profitable, and deserve to be perused
by devout persons. The Pope's bull, violent
as it is acknowledge sthis. What then should
I be doing if I were now to retract these writ
ings! Wretched man! I alone, of all men
living, should bo abandoning truths approved
by the unanimous voice of friends and ene
mies, and opposing doctrines that the whole
world glories in confessing.
'I have composed, secondly, certain works
against Popery, wherein I have attacked such
as by false doctrines, irregular lives, and scan
dalous examples, atrlirtthe Christian world, and
ruin th bodies and souls of men. And is not
this confirmed by the grief of all who fear God 7
Is it not manifest that the laws and human doc
trines of the Popes entangle vex, and distress
the consciences of the faithful, whilst the cry
ing and endless extortions of Rome engulf the
property and wealth of Christendom, mid tnoTe
particularly of this illustrious nation !
'If I were to r. vol.e. w hut I had written on
that subject, wn.it should I do but ptrtnglhen
tins lyr.iiiuy, iiihl open a widrrd'Xr to so many
Bud lli'jriint uiiu eties f Rearing down all re
sistance with fresh fjry, we should behold
these proud men swell, foam, and rago more
than ever! And not morely would the yoke
w hich now weighs dow n Christains be made
more grinding by my retraction, it would
thereby become, so to speuk, lawful, for. by
my retraction, it would receive confirmation
from your most Serene Majesty, and all thu
States ot the Empire, Great God ! I should
thus bo 1 lie to an infamous cloak, used to hide
and cover over every kind of malice and ty ran
ny.
'In the third and last place, I have written
some book against private individuals, who
had undertaken to tf4'eiul the tyranny of Home
by detroying the fiit'i. I freely confess tint
I may have attacked such pernios with mere
violence than wus consistcit w nil my profes
sion as au ecclesiastic : I do not think iuyel!
as a t-aiut, but neither can I retract these
books, because I should, by so doing, banctiou
the impieties ot'iny oiqioneni mul they would
Ihence take ocetsiou to crush God's people
with still more cruelty.
'Vet, as I am a mere man. and not God, I
will defend myself after the example of Jesus
Chri.-ti w ho said : 'If 1 hate spoken evil, hear
witness acamst e,' (John xviii.23.) How
much more should I, who am but dust and
ashes, and so prone to error, desire that every
one should bring forward what he can against
my doctrine
'Therefore, most Serene Emperor, and you
illustrious Princes, and all, whether high or
low, who hear me, I implore you by the uier-
(leliimn, f If , three aqnnres, f 12; two squares, f 9 1
one square, f A. Half-yearly: one column, f I S
hat' column, f II ; three squares, f8 ; two rquarcs,
$5; one square, fiO.
Advertisements left without directions an to the
h-ncfih of time they are to be published, will be
continued until ordered out, and charged nocord
iiigly, Cixtew lines make a square.
vies of God to provts to mo by the writings of
the prophets and apostle that I am in error. As
soon asl shall be convinced, 1 will instantly
retract all my Trrors, nd will myself be tho
first to seize my writings, and commit thetn
to the fin 1 lies.
What I have just saidlthinlt will clearly
show, that I haco well considered and weigh
ed the dangers to which 1 am exposing my
self; but fit r from being dismayed by thein.t.
rejoice exceed ingiy to see the Gospel this day
as of old, a cause of disturbance and disagree
menl. It is the character and destiny of
God's word. 'I cirno not to send pence unt
the earth, I art a sword,' said Je Christ,
G-I is wonderful and awful in his counsels. Ict
us have a care, 1c?t in our endeavors to arrest
discords, we be found to fight against the holy
word of tiod and biing down upon our bonus
a triglitiul deluge, ot mextneame uangor.-i.
prert dialers, and everlasting desolations.
let ns have a care lost the reign ofthe yonng
and noble Prince, the Emperor Charles, on
whom, next to (Jod, we build so many hopes,
should not only commence, but continue and
terminate its course under the most fatal au
spices. I wight cite examples drawn from the
oracles -of iod' continued Luther, speaking
with noble courage in the presence of the migh
tiest monarch of the world. 'I might speak of
Pharaohs. of sings of Ribylon, or of Israel,
who were never more contributing to their
own ruin, than when, by measures in appear
ance most prudent., they thought to rstablish
their authority! God removelli the mountains
and they know not. (Job ix 5.
'In speaking thus, I do not suppose tliht such
noble Princes have need of any poor judg
ment ; but I wish ti acquit myselfof a duly
that Germany has a right to expect from her
children. And soeommending myself to your
August Majesty, and your Most Serene High
nesses, I beseech you in all humility, not to
permit tiro hatred of my enemies to Tain up
on me au indignation which I have rot de
served.'
Luther had pronounced these words in Ger
man, with modesty, and yet w ith much eur
notness and resolution ; he was desired to re
peat them in Latin ; (the Emperor was not
fond of German.") The 6plcndtd assembly
which surrounded the Reformer, its noic and
excitement had exhausted him. 'I was bath
ed in sweat.' said he, 'and standing in the cen
tre ofthe l'rinces.' Fteileric of Thun, con
fidential counsellor ofthe Elector of Saxony,
who by bis master's orders had taken his stand
at the Reformer's side, to guard him against
surprise or violence, seeing the exhaustion ot
itic poor monk, said.'lf you are not equal to th'
exertion of repeating your speech, what yon
have said will suffice. But Luther, having
taken a moment's breathing time, began again
and repeated his aJdress in Latin with undi
minished nwcr.
'The Elector was quite plecscJ with that,'
said the Rcfoimor, when relating the circum
stance. As soon as he slopped speaking, the Chan
celloi of Treves, spokesman of the Diet, sail
angrily.
You have not given any answer to the en
quiry put to you. You are not to question thu
decisions of the Councils, you are required U
return a clear and distinct answer. Will you,
or will you not retract V Luther then answer
ed unhesitatingly : 'Since your 1110M Serena
Highness and your High Mightiness rcqtiira
of me a simple, clear, and direct answer, I wilf
give you one, and it is this : I cannot sub
mit my faith either to the Popo or to the Coun
cils, because it is as clear as noon day that
they have often fallen into error, and even in
to glaring inconsistency with themselves. If
then I am not Convinced by proof from Holy
Scriptures or by cogent reasons: if I am not
satisfied by tho very text that I have ci'. d ;
and if my judgment is not in this way brought
into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor
will retract any thing : for it cannot be rigb"
tir a Christian to speak against his conscience.'
Then turning a ln.k on that assembly before
wfrotii he stood, and which held in its hands his
1 1 to er death : l stand here, and ean say 10
more : Uml htlp (. Amen.
The assembly wus motionless w ith astonish
ment. Several of the Princes present could
scarcely conceal their admiration. The lim
poror, recovering I'roiii his firrt impression, x
cliiiiucd, 'The monk speaks w ith an intrepid
heart and tiiibha ken courage.' 'I'lie Jpunriksa,..
and Italians alone were confounded, and soon
began to ridicule a moral grandeur which they
could not comprehend.
'If you do not retract,' resumed (he Chancel
lor, as soon as the assembly hud recovered
from tho ilnnreion produced by Luther ,
sM?eeh, 'the Emperor and the states of tb
Empire will pnceed to consider how to del
with an obstinate heretic.' At these word
Luther's friends trembled : but the monk re.
peated : 'May GoJ Uj my helper ! Rr I can re
tract nothing.'