This includes a historical summary and Luther’s prayer the night before he had to give his final answer. He asked for one more day to contemplate his answer.
The famous part at the end of his speech:
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. [Here I stand; I can do no other.]* God help me. Amen.”
Martin Luther, April 18, 1521, at the trial in the city of Worms, Germany.
In April 1521, Luther appeared before Emperor Charles V to defend what he had taught and written.
*At the end of his speech, the story goes, he spoke the famous words, “Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me.”
The earliest printed version of Luther’s address added these words, which were not recorded on the spot. It’s possible they are genuine, but for almost a half century now, most scholars have believed they were probably not spoken by Luther. see here
Martin Luther’s — Here I stand
The Speech that launched the Protestant Reformation
In the late afternoon of April 18, 1521, in the city of Worms, Germany, Martin Luther, a 37 year-old Catholic monk appeared before Charles the Fifth, the Holy Roman Emperor at the imperial assembly. Luther was called to answer certain charges and to make public confession to the ‘errors’ found within the multitude of books he had written. The speech he delivered that day, “Here I Stand”, marked the beginning of the Reformation, a critical turning point in Christian history, that decisively altered the spiritual map of the world.
In this recording of one of the most consequential speeches ever given, Max McLean introduces the events leading up to the Diet of Worms; Martin Luther’s prayer the night before he delivered his speech; Luther’s stirring defense; Eck’s rebuttal; and, Luther’s
final heartfelt response.
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Narration by Max McLean © 2006.
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