35. The diet of Augsburg assembled on the 20th of June, 1530; and after the Confession of Faith was read to the emperor, it was signed by John, Elector of Saxony, four princes of the empire, and the representatives of two imperial cities, Nuremberg [Nu-rem-berg] and Reutlingen [Roit-ling-en].[[17]]
36. The friends of the pope at the diet presented a confutation of the Protestant confession, and thereupon the emperor commanded the Protestants to abandon their whole cause of controversy. In reply they protested they were not satisfied with the "confutation," and asked that a copy of it might be given them that they might make answer to it. This the emperor would not grant, nor would he permit an answer to be read before the diet which Philip Melanchthon had written out from memory. A number of conferences were held between the leaders of the contending parties with a view to reach an honorable compromise, but they had drifted too far apart, and all hope of reconciliation was lost. At last the emperor issued a decree commanding back to their allegiance to the pontiff the princes and cities that had become alienated from the holy See of Rome, on pain of incurring the vengeance of the emperor. The religious changes made in some of the principalities were censured and the edict of Worms against Luther and his adherents received new force.
37. The League of Smalcald.—Nothing daunted by the unfavorable decree of the emperor, the Protestant princes assembled at Smalcald, and entered into a league among themselves, and made every effort to induce the kings of England, France, Denmark and other princes to join their confederacy. This movement seriously embarrassed Charles, for he was just on the eve of a war with the Turks, and needed the entire strength of his empire. He therefore entered into negotiations with the Protestant princes, and finally agreed to annual the edict of Worms and of Augsburg, allow the Protestants to regulate religious matters to please themselves until either a council of the church or a diet of the empire should determine what religious principles should be approved and obeyed—the council to be called within six months. Such were the concessions of the emperor. On their part, the Protestant princes were to contribute money for the Turkish war, and acknowledge Ferdinand, brother of the emperor, king of the Romans.[[18]]
38. The Truce of Nuremberg.—This treaty of peace being drawn up and accepted in the city of Nuremberg [Nu-rem-berg], was known as the Truce of Nuremberg, and under it the Protestant cause was materially strengthened; for every day men and cities threw off their allegiance to the pope and rejoiced in their new-found freedom.
39. Difficulty in Locating the Council.—The emperor urged the pontiff to call the long-talked-of council which was to settle these unhappy difficulties. But this Clement VII seemed not anxious to do. When he did propose a council it was at places in Italy, and to this the Germans would not consent, as a council held there would be under the influence of the pope; besides, the controversy had arisen in Germany, and there it should be settled. The Protestants also insisted that the decision should be founded solely on the scriptures, a point which required the church of Rome to set aside all the former decisions of her great councils—a thing her pontiffs were in no temper to do, as they considered themselves in the position of a parent having absolute jurisdiction, dealing with a refractory child. Finally, the successor of Clement VII—Paul III—with the approval of the emperor, called a council to meet at Trent, in Austria (in the Austrian Tyrol). But this was not satisfactory to the Protestants, and Charles X despairing of settling the difficulties by peaceful methods and being urged to it by Pope Paul III prepared to settle them by resorting to force. While the Catholics and Protestants were preparing for this conflict Luther, whose preaching had begun this agitation, died at Eisleben, his native town. [See note 8, end of section.]
40. Reverses of the Protestants.—In the war which followed the Protestants met with severe reverses and were forced by the emperor to consent to refer the religious controversy to the council of Trent, but it being reported that the plague had broken out in that city, the council was broken up, nor could Charles induce the pope to call another immediately (see note 9, end of section); hence it became necessary to formulate a treaty which should bind both parties in respect to religion, pending the convening of a council. This treaty was called The Interim, and was of course most favorable to the victorious party—the Catholics—and went far towards establishing the old methods of worship.
41. Victory of Protestants—Religious Liberty Secured.—At last the emperor persuaded the pope to re-assemble the Council of Trent, and gave notice to the Protestants to attend, promising to use his best endeavor to have everything done in a Christian manner and without passion. But before this council could assemble the Protestant princes revolted, took the emperor by surprise, and forced him into signing a treaty at Paussau, in 1552, which guaranteed religious liberty to the Protestants. This treaty was re-confirmed by the emperor in the diet at Augsburg, 1555. By that treaty all who had accepted the Confession of Augsburg were declared free from all jurisdiction of the Roman pontiff, and his bishops. They were to be permitted to live in peace and the quiet enjoyment of religious liberty. Men were to be left free to join either the Reformed or the Catholic Church, and any person making war upon others, or molesting them because of their religion was to be accounted the public enemy of Germany.
42. Such was the fruit of the great revolution of the sixteenth century in Germany—religious liberty. To that end all the struggles tended, and its result was indeed glorious, worth all the tears and blood it had cost to gain it. But it was not a reformation, if by that is meant the bringing back of primitive Christianity. That the Reformers did not do. Indeed they left more truth in the Catholic church than they brought out with them, or found in their speculations after leaving that church, as will be seen by a careful consideration of Protestant doctrines treated in subsequent sections.
NOTES.