Introduction

The diet holds the fate of martin luther by a thread. Afraid of the pope, the emperor had withdrawn his initial invitation for luther to appear at verms. He knew that if he obeyed the pope and sent luther to rome for trial here was only ever going to be one outcome. What would happen if his protector abandoned him? Luther had already given his answer weeks before in wittenberg. Where would i go? Out under the open sky? I am expecting the curses of rome any day, but i have everything in readiness when they come. I am girded like abraham to go. Let us follow the deserted Christ back in worms.