SECT. I. CENT. rests of the Roman pontiff, were, however, far XVI. 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 who 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. Another diet held at Protestants. XXVI. But the tranquillity and liberty they enjoyed, in consequence of the resolutions taken Spire, in the year in the first diet of Spire, were not of a long dura1529. tion. They were interrupted by a new diet asOrigin of the deno- sembled, in the year 1529, in the same place, by. mination of 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 burthen 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 they thought proper, until the meeting of a general council, was now revoked by a majority SECT. I. majority of votes; and not only so, but every CENT. change was declared unlawful that should be XVI. introduced into the doctrine, discipline, or worship of the established religion, before the determination of the approaching council was known [f]. This decree was justly considered as iniquitous and intolerable by the elector of Saxony, the land, grave of Hesse, and the other members of the diet, who were persuaded of the necessity of a re formation in the church. Nor was 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 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 [g], 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 [h]. Hence arose the denomination in [] 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 CENT. nation of Protestants, which from this period has XVI. been given to those who renounce the superstitiSECT. I. ous communion of the church of Rome. Leagues formed the Pro testants. XXVII. The dissenting princes, who were the protectors and heads of the reformed churches, between had no sooner entered their protest, than they sent proper persons to the emperor, who was then upon his passage 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 re. solution 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. 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 These princes were seconded by thirteen imperial towns, viz. [4] See the history of the confession of Augsburg, wrote in German, by the learned Christ. Aug. Salig, tom. i. book II. ch.,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 Jend in 4to, in the year were their opinions and views of things, that they CENT. could come to no satisfactory conclusion. XVI. I. Marpurg, XXVIII. Among the incidents that promoted SECT. I animosity and discord between the friends of the The con Reformation, and prevented that union that was ference at so much to be desired between persons embarked in the year in the same good cause, the principal one was the 1529. 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 Oecolampadius, 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 of the Lord's Supper, but also in consequence of the false notions he was supposed to have adopted, relating to the divinity of Christ, the efficacy of the divine word, original sin, and some other parts of the Christian doctrine. This illustrious reformer cleared himself, however, from the greatest part of these accusations, with the most triumphant evidence, and in such a manner as ap peared CENT. peared entirely satisfactory, even to Luther him. XVI. self. Their dissension concerning the manner of SECT. I. Christ's presence in the eucharist still remained; The diet of nor could either of the contending parties be persuaded to abandon, or even to modify, their opinion of that matter [k]. The only advantage, therefore, that resulted from this conference, was, that the jarring doctors formed a sort of truce, by agreeing to a mutual toleration of their respective sentiments, and leaving to the disposal of Provi dence, and the effects of time, which sometimes cools the rage of party, the cure of their divisions. XXIX. The ministers of the churches, which Augsburg. had embraced the sentiments of Luther, were preparing a new embassy to the emperor, when an He most [A] Val. Ern. Loescheri Historia motuum inter Lutheranos et Reformatos, tom. i. lib. i. cap. vi. p. 143.-Henr. Bullingeri Historia Colloquii Marpurgensis, in Jo. Conr. Fuesslin's compilation, intituled, Beytragen zur Schweizer Reformat. Geshichte, tom, iii. p. 156. See also the Preface, p. 80.-` Abr. Sculteti Annal. Reformat. ad A. 1529. Rudolph. Hos frani Histor. Sacramentar. par. II. p. 72, &c. |