Martin Luther Before the Diet of Worms, oil-on-canvas by Anton von Werner.
On April 18, 1521, four years after the events of the posting of the 95 Theses, Martin Luther was summoned by the most powerful man of the time, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, to answer for the charge of heresy.
Luther reiterated the principles stated in the Bible, of which the Papacy went against.
1. Justification (salvation) by faith alone. Not by works.
2. The priesthood of all believers. Not by a selected celibate elite.
3. The sole authority of the Bible over the church. Not the pope.
4. The right of each Christian to read the Bible for himself. Not by the official interpretation of the ‘church’.
The principles stated above seemed simple, but it had a lot of repercussions. It motivated the people to read the Bible for themselves, thereby encouraging themselves to gain education, giving them confidence, hope and empowerment that they can rise up from their poor predicament. One has to realize that in the Middle Ages, the people’s beliefs were dependent on a lot of superstitions since scientific progress and new ideas inside the Catholic church was limited and feared. The principles Luther proclaimed removed the priests and saints as mediators of divine will, and put the Christian in direct access to God. It therefore put importance on the value of the individual, on hard work (as success or wealth can be used as an act of worship, and not something to be abhorred). It therefore awakened industries, pioneered discoveries, and thus new nations were forged.
In the face of great pressure to recant his position, Luther faced Charles V with all of Luther’s books laid out on the table. And then the Augustinian monk said:
“Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason–I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other–my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”
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