measure that might be adapted to kindle the fire of discord, had preserved a sort of an external union and concord among these princes, notwithstanding their difference in opinion. But as soon as his successor, by the open and undisguised steps he took, made it glaringly evident, that he designed to withdraw the churches in his dominions from the jurisdiction of Rome, and to reform the doctrine, discipline, and worship that had been hitherto established, then indeed the scene changed. The union which was more specious than solid, and which was far from being well cemented, was dissolved of a sudden, the spirits heated and divided, and an open rupture formed between the German princes, of whom one party embraced the reformation, and the other adhered to the superstitions of their forefathers.

XXIV. Things being reduced to this violent and troubled The diet of state, the patrons of popery gave intimations that Spire in 1526. were far from being ambiguous, of their intention to make war upon the Lutheran party, and to suppress by force a doctrine which they were incapable of overturning by argument; and this design would certainly have been put in execution, had not the troubles of Europe disconcerted their measures. The Lutherans, on the other hand, informed of these hostile intentions, began also to deliberate upon the most effectual methods of defending themselves against superstition armed with violence, and formed the plan of a confederacy that might answer this prudent purpose. In the mean time the diet assembled at Spire, in the year 1526, at which Ferdinand, the emperor's brother, presided, ended in a manner more favourable to the friends of the reformation, than they could naturally expect. The emperor's ambassadors at this diet were ordered to use their most earnest endeavours for the suppression of all farther disputes concerning religion, and to insist upon the rigorous execution of the sentence that had been pronounced at Worms against Luther and his followers. The greatest part of the German princes opposed this motion with the utmost resolution, declaring that they could not execute that sentence, nor come to any determination with respect to the doctrines by which it had been occasioned, before the whole matter was submitted to the cognizance of a general council, lawfully assembled; alleging farther, that the decision of controversies of this nature belonged properly to such a council, and to it alone,

This opinion, after long and warm debates, was adopted by a great majority, and at length consented to by the whole assembly; for it was unanimously agreed to present a solemn address to the emperor, beseeching him to assemble, without delay, a free and a general council; and it was also agreed that, in the mean time, the princes and states of the empire should, in their respective dominions, be at liberty to manage ecclesiastical matters in the manner they should think the most expedient; yet so as to be able to give to God and to the emperor an account of their administration, when it should be demanded of them.

of the refor.

XXV. Nothing could be more favourable to those who had the cause of pure and genuine Christianity at heart, than a resolution of this nature. For the The progress emperor was at this time so entirely taken up in mation after regulating the troubled state of his dominions in Spire in 1527. France, Spain, and Italy, which exhibited, from day to day, new scenes of perplexity, that for some years, it was not in his power to turn his attention to the affairs of Germany in general, and still less to the state of religion in particular, which was beset with difficulties, that, to a political prince like Charles, must have appeared peculiarly critical and dangerous. Besides, had the emperor really been possessed of leisure to form, or of power to execute, a plan that might terminate in favour of the Roman pontiff, the religious disputes which reigned in Germany, it is evident that the inclination was wanting, and that Clement VII. who now sat in the papal chair, had nothing to expect from the good offices of Charles V. For this pontiff, after the defeat of Francis I. at the battle of Pavia, filled with uneasy apprehensions of the growing power of the emperor in Italy, entered into a confederacy with the French and the Venetians against that prince. And this measure inflamed the resentment and indignation of Charles to such a degree, that he abolished the papal authority in his Spanish dominions, made war upon the pope in Italy, laid siege to Rome in the year 1527, blocked up Clement in the castle of St. Angelo, and exposed him to the most severe and contumelious treatment. These critical events, together with the liberty granted by the diet of Spire, were prudently and industriously improved, by the friends of the reformation, to the advantage of their cause, and to the augmentation of their number. Several princes, whom the fear

of persecution and punishment had hitherto prevented from lending a hand to the good work, being delivered now from their restraint, renounced publicly the superstition of Rome, and introduced among their subjects the same forms of religious worship, and the same system of doctrine, that had been received in Saxony. Others, though placed in such circumstances as discouraged them from acting in an open manner against the interests of the Roman pontiff, were however far from discovering the smallest opposition to those who withdrew the people from his despotic yoke; nor did they molest the private assemblies of those who had separated themselves from the church of Rome. And in general, all the Germans, who, before these resolutions of the diet of Spire, had rejected the papal discipline and doctrine, were now, in consequence of the liberty they enjoyed by these resolutions, wholly employed in bringing their schemes and plans to a certain degree of consistence, and in adding vigour and firmness to the glorious cause in which they were engaged. In the mean time, Luther and his fellow-labourers, particularly those that were with him at Wittemberg, by their writings, their instructions, their admonitions and counsels, inspired the timorous with fortitude, dispelled the doubts of the ignorant, fixed the principles and resolution of the floating and inconstant, and animated all the friends of genuine Christianity with a spirit suitable to the grandeur of their undertaking.

XXVI. But the tranquillity and liberty they enjoyed, in

held at Spire,

in the year 1529. Origin of the denomination of profestants.

consequence of the resolutions taken in the first Another diet diet of Spire, were not of a long duration. They were interrupted by a new diet, assembled in the year 1529, in the same place, by the emperor, after he had appeased the commotions and troubles which had employed his attention in several parts of Europe, and concluded a treaty of peace with Clement VII: This prince, having now got rid of the burden that had for some time overwhelmed him, had leisure to direct the affairs of the church; and this the reformers soon felt, by a disagreeable experience. For the power, which had been granted by the former diet to every prince, of managing ecclesiastical matters as he thought proper, until the meeting of a general council, was now revoked by a majority of votes; and not only so, but every change was declared unlawful that should be introduced into the doctrine, disci

pline, or worship of the established religion, before the determination of the approaching council was known." This decree was justly considered as iniquitous and intolerable by the elector of Saxony, the landgrave of Hesse, and the other members of the diet, who were persuaded of the necessity of a reformation in the church. Nor were any of them so simple, or so little acquainted with the politics of Rome, as to look upon the promises of assembling speedily a general council, in any other light, than as an artifice to quiet the minds of the people: since it was easy to perceive, that a lawful council, free from the despotic influence of Rome, was the very last thing that a pope would grant in such a critical situation of affairs. Therefore, when the princes and members now mentioned found that all their arguments and remonstrances against this unjust decree made no impression upon Ferdinand, nor upon the abettors of the ancient superstitions whom the pope's legate animated by his presence and exhortations, they entered a solemn protest against this decree on the 19th of April, and appealed to the emperor and to a future council. Hence arose the denomination of Protestants, which from this period has been given to those who renounce the superstitious communion of the church of Rome.

pas

Leagues

formed be

protestants.

XXVII. The dissenting princes, who were the protectors and heads of the reformed churches, had no sooner entered their protest than they sent proper per- tween the sons to the emperor, who was then upon his sage from Spain to Italy, to acquaint him with their proceedings in this matter. The ministers, employed in this commission, executed the orders they had received with the greatest resolution and presence of mind, and behaved with the spirit and firmness of the princes whose sentiments and conduct they were sent to justify and explain.

If The resolution of the first diet of Spire, which had been taken unanimously, was revoked in the second, and another substituted in its place by a plurality of voices, which, as several of the princes then present observed, could not give to any decree the force of a law throughout the empire.

g The emperor was at Barcelona, while this diet was held at Spire; so that his brother Ferdinand was president in his place.

h The princes of the empire, who entered this protest, and are consequently to be considered as the first Protestant princes, were John, elector of Saxony, George, elector of Brandenburg, for Franconia, Ernest, and Francis, dukes of Lunenburg, the landgrave of Hesse, and the prince of Anhalt. These princes were seconded by thirteen imperial towns, viz. Strasburg, Ulm, Nuremberg, Constance, Rottingen, Windseim, Memmingen, Northingen, Lindaw, Kempten, Heilbron, Wissemburg, and St. Gall.

The confer

ence at Marpurg, in the year 1529.

The emperor, whose pride was wounded by this fortitude in persons that dared to oppose his designs, ordered these ambassadors to be apprehended and put under arrest during several days. The news of this violent step was soon brought to the protestant princes, and made them conclude that their personal safety, and the success of their cause, depended entirely upon their courage and concord, the one animated, and the other cemented by a solemn confederacy. They therefore held several meetings at Rot, Nuremberg, Smalcald, and other places, in order to deliberate upon the means of forming such a powerful league as might enable them to repel the violence of their enemies. But so different were their opinions and views of things, that they could come to no satisfactory conclusion. XXVIII. Among the incidents that promoted animosity and discord between the friends of the reformation, and prevented that union that was so much to be desired between persons embarked in the same good cause, the principal one was the dispute that had arisen between the divines of Saxony and Switzerland, concerning the manner of Christ's presence in the eucharist. To terminate this controversy, Philip, landgrave of Hesse, invited, in the year 1529, to a conference at Marpurg, Luther and Zuingle, together with some of the more eminent doctors, who adhered to the respective parties of these contending chiefs. This expedient, which was designed by that truly magnanimous prince, not so much to end the matter by keen debate, as to accommodate differences by the reconciling spirit of charity and prudence, was not attended with the salutary fruits that were expected from it. The divines that were assembled for this pacific purpose disputed, during four days, in presence of the landgrave. The principal champions in these debates were Luther, who attacked Ecolampadius, and Melancthon, who disputed against Zuingle; and the controversy turned upon several points of theology, in relation to which the Swiss doctors were supposed to entertain erroneous sentiments. For Zuingle was accused of heresy, not only on account of his explication of the nature and design

i See the history of the confession of Augsburg, wrote in German by the learned Christ. Aug. Salig. tom. i. book ii. chap. i. p. 128, and more especially another German work of Dr. Joachim Muller, entitled, Historie von der Evangelischen Stande Protestation gegen den Speyerschen Reichsabscheid von 1529, Appellation, &c. published at Jena in 4to. in the year 1703.