But he had already laid his plan for the
emergency. Spalatin refers to it in these words: "Now was my most
gracious Lord somewhat disheartened; he was certainly fond of Dr.
Martin, and was also most unwilling to act against the Word of God or to
bring upon himself the displeasure of the Emperor. Accordingly, he
devised means how to get Dr. Martin out of the way for a time, until
matters might be quietly settled, and caused Luther also to be informed,
the evening before he left Worms, of his scheme for getting him out of
the way. At this Dr. Martin, out of deference to his Elector, was
submissively content, though certainly, then and at all times, he would
much rather have gone courageously to the attack."

The very next morning, Friday, the 26th, Luther departed. The imperial
herald went behind him, so as not to attract notice. They took the usual
road to Eisenach. At Friedberg Luther dismissed the herald, giving him a
letter to the Emperor and the estates, in which he defended his conduct
at Worms, and his refusal to trust in the decision of men, by saying
that when God's Word and things eternal were at stake, one's trust and
dependence should be placed, not on one man or many men, but on God
alone. At Hersfeld, where Abbot Crato, in spite of the ban, received him
with all marks of honor, and again at Eisenach, he preached,
notwithstanding the Emperor's prohibition, not daring to let the Word of
God be bound.

From Eisenach, while Swaven, Schurf, and several other of his companions
went straight on, he struck southward, together with Amsdorf and
Brother Pezensteiner, in order to go and see his relations at Moehra.
Here, after spending the night at the house of his uncle Heinz, he
preached the next morning, Saturday, May 4th. Then, accompanied by some
of his relations, he took the road through Schweina, past the castle of
Altenstein, and then across the back of the Thuringian Forest to
Waltershausen and Gotha. Toward evening, when near Altenstein, he bade
leave of his relations. About half an hour farther on, at a spot where
the road enters the wooded heights, and, ascending between hills along a
brook, leads to an old chapel, which even then was in ruins and has now
quite disappeared, armed horsemen attacked the carriage, ordered it to
stop with threats and curses, pulled Luther out of it, and then hurried
him away at full speed. Pezensteiner had run away as soon as he saw them
approach. Amsdorf and the coachman were