After his speech before the German nation at Worms, Luther remained in Worms for eight days. The Emperor gave a speech to the Diet, written by his own hand, in which he vowed like his ancestors to be a faithful son of the church. He would move against Luther and all who supported him. The estates (the noble rulers of all the German territories and representatives of the free cities) pledged to support the Emperor, but requested a chance to try one more time to change the reformers mind. The efforts were sincere, but since they did not promise Luther a hearing to be decided by Scripture a sound reason alone, it did not succeed. Yet the time was not wasted.
While the Emperor and papal ambassador Aleander drafted a edict to sanction Luther and his friends, in effect an arrest warrant and warrant to seize their property, plans were being made by the court of Electoral Saxony to carry Luther away to safety. The elector approved the plan, but did not want to be told the details of the effort. Luther and his close friends, including Amsdorf, were quietly informed of the initiative, but the details were not provided. The idea was to have Luther drop out of sight quietly as to both protect him and to avoid upsetting the Emperor. Instructions were sent ahead to the Warden of the Castle Wartburg, overlooking the city of Eisenach, where Luther attending elementary school.
Philip of Hesse issued a safe conduct through his territory to Luther and his party. Elector Frederick provided 40 Gulden to finance the trip and arranged a farewell dinner. On 26 April, Luther left Worms to travel home to Wittenberg via Hesse and his boyhood region, where he intended to visit relatives. The imperial herald accompanied them as far as Hesse, where Luther gratefully dismissed him, stating he felt safe for the balance of the trip. In fact, they were reducing the number of people who would be able to identify his “captors,” escorts from the Saxon army really.
On the 3rd of May, Luther preached in Eisenach. He left more of his friends there, taking only Amsdorf and a few others to go on to Möhra, where his relatives lived. On May 4th, on their way back from his relatives, a force “attacked” Luther’s party. Some ran away, the few attendants and driver not aware of the plan held at crossbow point. Luther was hustled out of the cart, Amsdorf making a show of cursing and protesting the treatment. Luther was forced to run alongside the horses until they were out of sight. He was then provided a horse and the party proceeded with detours to throw of possible pursuit to Wartburg Castle, where Luther was kept safe for ten months.
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