Luther and the Diet of Worms [pp. 145-161]

THE
CA;THOLtC WORLD.
VOL. XXXVIII. NOVEMBER, 1883. No. 224.
LUTHER AND THE DIET OF WORMS.
THE celebration of the fourth centennial oT Luther's birthday is a noteworthy event. Especially noteworthy, since the enterprise of substituting another foundation for that upon which
Christ himself had placed his Gospel, begun at the Diet of
Worms by Dr. Martin Luther, has proven an unsuccessful experiment. For it is evident now to the whole world that the
faith of his followers in Christianity grows fainter and fainter.
This is conspicuously true of the children of the cradle of Protestantism, his own countrymen, who are notorious for their indifference to Christianity. There is scarcely any one doctrine
held as of Christian faith by the father of the Reformation that
his offspring have not repudiated, or are not prepared' to repudiate on the first convenient occasion. They treat Luther's
doctrines with the same courtesy with which he treated the
doctrines of the Catholic Cburch. The more active intellect of
Protestants everywhere to-day questions not so much this or
that doctrine of Christianity as the why they are Christians at all!
They are for the most part convinced that Protestant principles
furnish no solid reasons why they are still Christians. There are
so-called orthodox Protestant sects which are willing to receive
as members of their churches persons who make no profession
of any doctrines of a distinctive Christian character whatever.
Thinking and religious men who feel an uncontrollable reluctance to give up the Christian religion begin to ask if it be not
possible to defend its divine claims on Catholic principles Not
Copyright. R~v. I. T. HEcKER. 1~83.