Luther summoned to appear at Worms-Bugenhagen at Wittemberg-Luther leaves Wittemberg-Arrives at Weimar-At Erfurth-Meets Justus Jonas-Ar- rives at Frankfort-Papists try in vain to stop him- His entry into Worms-His desertion and prayer— His first appearance before the diet-His second ap- pearance His answers and appeal-Persists in the answer that he had given-The emperor's indiscreet decision-The diet divided-Great pains taken to Luther pursues his journey towards Wittemberg- Writes to the emperor-Visits his relatives at Mora -Is captured and confined in the castle of Wart- burg-His condemnation at Worms-The edict dis- regarded in Germany-Reasons for this-Great ex- citement on account of Luther's supposed imprison- ment or death-Luther's despondency in the castle- Is allowed more liberty-His studies and labours- His publications-He humbles the Archbishop of Mentz-He commences translating the Scriptures— to the Doctors of the Sorbonne-Outward progress 295 MORNING OF THE REFORMATION. CHAPTER I. Events introductory and preparatory to the Reformation-Labours of Wickliffe and his followers-Removal of the seat of the popedom from Rome to Avignon-Schism of the West-Gradual revival of learning from the eleventh to the sixteenth centuries -Art of printing-Labours of learned men not connected with the Reformers-Forms of government in Germany and Switzerland-Death of the Emperor Maximilian-Frederic the Wise, Elector of Saxony -Engrossing occupations of Charles V.-Dreadful corruptions in the church of Rome-Fruitless attempts at reformation-No hope remaining but in the power of God. BEFORE entering directly on a history of the Reformation, it may be proper to notice some of those providențial occurrences which went before it and prepared the way for it; which rendered the world so eminently ripe for reformation, and so ready to aid in promoting its triumphs. The first of these preparatory dispensations to which I shall direct attention, was the preaching and labours of Wickliffe* and his followers. John Wickliffe died ninety-nine years before Luther was born. Although it was his lot to live in an age of thick darkness, and to labour under circumstances of peculiar disadvantage, yet so vigorously and perseveringly did he pursue his labours, and so wisely did he plan for their perpetuity and increase, that the precious fruits of them remained and continued to diffuse themselves, down to the times of which we speak. In England, though great numbers of his followers were burned at the stake, others were raised up to take their places; and though his books were studiously sought out and destroyed, yet copies of them continued to be multiplied, and were read with the deepest interest. His Bible was concealed and studied by numbers in England, notwithstanding the A life of this eminent servant of God has been Lately published by the American Sunday-School Union. threats of popish inquisitors, and was received by the famishing of that terrible period as the bread and the water of life. The writings of Wickliffe removed the darkness from the minds of John Huss and Jerome of Prague, and kindled up a light in Bohemia which all the floods of error were not able to quench. In a word, although it was not the privilege of such men as Wickliffe and Huss to see the tyranny of the Romish church overthrown, and the whole face of society changed under the influence of the gospel, yet it devolved on them to infuse the leaven which ultimately pervaded and moved the entire mass. The light which they kindled was never extinguished; we trust in God it never will be. It continued to burn and shine through more than a hundred years of prevailing darkness and ignorance, till at length it was merged in the brighter beams of the Protestant Reformation. age of There were circumstances connected with the papacy, occurring as far back as the Wickliffe, which tended eminently to prepare the way for the reformation of which we speak. One of these was the removal of the seat of the popedom from Rome to Avignon, where it re |