Page 2 - 08 Luther Before the Diet
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Chapter 8—Luther Before the Diet
A new emperor, Charles V, had ascended the
throne of Germany, and the emissaries of
Rome hastened to present their
congratulations and induce the monarch to
employ his power against the Reformation.
On the other hand, the elector of Saxony, to
whom Charles was in great degree indebted
for his crown, entreated him to take no step
against Luther until he should have granted
him a hearing. The emperor was thus placed
in a position of great perplexity and
embarrassment. The papists would be
satisfied with nothing short of an imperial
edict sentencing Luther to death. The elector
had declared firmly that “neither his imperial
majesty nor any other person had shown that
Luther's writings had been refuted;”
therefore he requested “that Dr. Luther
