October 18, 2021

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16

Before the emperor and the council at Worms, Dr. Luther proceeded to deliver his answer. He stated that his published works could be divided into three categories: in the first, he had written of faith and good works which even his enemies had already declared to be not only harmless but profitable. To retract them would be to condemn truths to which all parties represented had agreed upon. The second category of writings exposed abuses and corruptions of the papacy. To revoke these writings would serve to open even wider the door of Rome to her tyranny and numerous impieties.

In the third category, he had called out by name individuals who defended the existing evils of the church. He admitted that in this area he had written more pointedly than was “becoming.” Luther was not claiming to be faultless himself, but even the third class of books he could not revoke, for it would only embolden those named therein to increase the cruelty with which they are crushing* God’s true followers. “Yet I am but a mere man and not God. I shall therefore defend myself as Christ did: ‘If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil.’ (John 18:23) By the mercy of God, I implore you, most serene emperor, and you, most illustrious princes, and all men of every degree, to prove from the writings of the prophets and apostles that I have erred. As soon as I am convinced of this, I will retract every error, and be the first to lay hold of my books and throw them into the fire.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

*After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:7