protection of the Empire. The Elector Frederick, Duke George of Saxony, and the Landgrave of
Hesse, added letters of safe-conduct through their respective territories.^339
Aleander now endeavored to make the appearance of Luther as harmless as possible, and
succeeded in preventing any discussion with him. The heretic was simply to recant, or, in case of
refusal, to suffer the penalties of excommunication.
§ 54. Luther’s Journey to Worms.
"Mönchlein, Mönchlein, Du gehest einen schweren Gang."
Luther, from the first intimation of a summons by the Emperor, regarded it as a call from God,
and declared his determination to go to Worms, though he should be carried there sick, and at the
risk of his life. His motive was not to gratify an unholy ambition, but to bear witness to the truth.
He well knew the tragic fate which overtook Hus at Constance notwithstanding the safe-conduct,
but his faith inspired him with fearless courage. "You may expect every thing from me," he wrote
to Spalatin, "except fear or recantation. I shall not flee, still less recant. May the Lord Jesus strengthen
me."^340
He shared for a while the hope of Hutten and Sickingen, that the young Emperor would
give him at least fair play, and renew the old conflict of Germany with Rome; but he was doomed
to disappointment.
While the negotiations in Worms were going on, he used incessantly his voice and his pen,
and alternated between devotional and controversial exercises. He often preached twice a day,
wrote commentaries on Genesis, the Psalms, and the Magnificat (the last he finished in March),
and published the first part of his Postil (Sermons on the Gospels and Epistles), a defense of his
propositions condemned by Rome, and fierce polemical books against Hieronymus Emser, Ambrose
Catharinus, and other papal opponents.
Emser, a learned Romanist, and secretary of Duke George of Saxony, had first attacked
Luther after the Leipzig disputation, at which he was present. A bitter controversy followed, in
which both forgot dignity and charity. Luther called Emser "the Goat of Leipzig" (in reference to
the escutcheon of his family), and Emser called Luther in turn, the Capricorn of Wittenberg."
Luther’s Antwort auf das überchristliche, übergeistliche, und überkünstliche Buch Bock Emser’s,
appeared in March, 1521, and defends his doctrine of the general priesthood of believers.^341 Emser
afterwards severely criticised Luther’s translation of the Bible, and published his own version of
the New Testament shortly before his death (1527).
Catharinus,^342 an eminent Dominican at Rome, had attacked Luther toward the end of
December, 1520. Luther in his Latin reply tried to prove from Dan. 8:25 sqq.; 2 Thess. 2:3 sqq.; 2
(^339) The letters of safe-conduct are printed in Walch, XV., 2122-2127, and Förstemann, Neues Urkundenbuch, I., 61 sq. In the imperial
letter signed by Albert, Elector and Archbishop of Mayence and Chancellor of the Empire, Luther is addressed as "honorable, well-beloved,
pious" (Ehrsamer, Geliebter, Andächtiger; in the Latin copy, Honorabilis, Dilecte, Devote), much to the chagrin of the Romanists.
(^340) Letter of Dec. 21, 1520 (De Wette, I., 534, 536): "Ego vero, si vocatus fuero, quantum per me stabit, vel aegrotus advehar, si sanus
venire non possem. Neque enim dubitari fas est, a Domino me vocari, si Caesar vocat. ... Omnia de me praesumas praeter fugam et
palinodiam: fugere ipse nolo, recantare multo minus. Ita me comfortet Dominus Jesus."
(^341) On the Emser controversy see Erl. Frkf. ed., vol. XXVII.
(^342) His proper name was Lancelot Politi. See Lämmer, Vortridentinische Theologie, p. 21, and Burkhardt, Luther’sBriefwechsel, p. 38.
Luther calls him "insulsus et stolidus Thomista," in a letter to Spalatin, March 7, 1521 (De Wette, I. 570).