Page 27 - 08 Luther Before the Diet

As he was about to enter the presence of his

judges, an old general, the hero of many

battles, said to him kindly: “Poor monk, poor

monk, thou art now going to make a nobler

stand than I or any other captains have ever

made in the bloodiest of our battles. But if thy

cause is just, and thou art sure of it, go

forward in God's name, and fear nothing. God

will not forsake thee.”—D'Aubigne, b. 7, ch. 8.

At length Luther stood before the council.

The emperor occupied the throne. He was

surrounded by the most illustrious

personages in the empire. Never had any man

appeared in the presence of a more imposing

assembly than that before which Martin

Luther was to answer for his faith. “This

appearance was of itself a signal victory over

the papacy. The pope had condemned the

man, and he was now standing before a