s of his
government, pursued an independent line of policy, and Charles himself,
even in these his youthful days, knew to assert his independence as a
monarch and display his cleverness as a statesman. He saw the prudence
of cultivating friendship and contracting if possible an alliance with
the Pope. The pressure desirable for this purpose could now be supplied
by means of the very danger with which the papacy was threatened by the
great German heresy, and against which Rome so sorely needed the aid of
a temporal power. At the same time, Charles was far too astute to allow
his regard for the Pope, and his desire for the unity of the Church, to
entangle his policy in measures for which his own power was inadequate,
or by which his authority might be shaken and possibly destroyed.
Strengthened as was his monarchical power in Spain, in Germany he found
it hemmed in and fettered by the estates of the empire and the whole
contexture of political relations.

Such were the main points of view which determined for Charles V his
conduct toward Luther and his cause. Luther thus was at least a passive
sharer in the game of high policy, ecclesiastical and temporal, now
being played, and had to pursue his own course accordingly.

The imperial court was quickly enough acquainted with the state of
feeling in Germany. The Emperor showed himself prudent at this juncture,
and accessible to opinions differing from his own, however small cause
his proclamations gave to the friends of Luther to hope for any positive
act of favor on his part.

While Charles was on his way up the Rhine to hold, at the beginning of
the new year, a diet at Worms, the elector Frederick approached him with
the request that Luther should at least be heard before the Emperor took
any proceedings against him. The Emperor informed him in reply that he
might bring Luther for this purpose to Worms, promising that the monk
should not be molested.

The Emperor, on March 6th, issued a citation to Luther, summoning him to
Worms to give "information concerning his doctrines and books." An
imperial herald was sent to conduct him. In the event of his disobeying
the citation, or refusing to retract, the estates declared their consent
to treat him as an open heretic. Luther, therefore, had to renounce at
once all hope of having the truth touching his articles of faith tested
fairly at Worms by the standard of God's word in Scripture. Spalatin
indicated to him the points on