Christian history tells us that there were points when the gospel was a faint light in a dark night, and that heresies became more common than truth. This new series on the theology of the Reformation brings us back to the time where there were men who stood up against the prevailing cultural norms and traditions, and insisted that Scripture alone, would be their rule and guide. This was what Martin Luther, a mere German monk, and some of the other reformers fought to recognise again. This was what Martin Luther argued at the Diet of Worms, where he had to stand up to defend his convictions:
“Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God’s word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”