791 L U T 
were diftinguiflied by the name of Protestants, which 
from this period has been applied to all lefts, of whatever 
denomination, which have revolted from the Roman lee. 
No fooner had the diffenting princes and deputies en¬ 
tered their proteli againft the decree of the diet, than they 
fent ambaffadors into Italy, to lay their grievances before 
the emperor. The perfons employed in this commiflion 
executed the orders which they had received with the 
greateft refolution and prefence of mind ; and conducted 
themfelves, in all refpeCts, in a manner worthy of the 
principals whofe fentiments and conduct they were fent 
to jultify and explain. The emperor, whofe pride was 
wounded by this fpirit and firmnefs in perfons who dared 
to oppofe his deligns, ordered thefe amballiadors to be ap¬ 
prehended and put under a r re It for feveral days. The 
news of this violent Itep foon reached the proteftant 
princes, and convinced them that their perfenal fafety, 
and the fuccefs of their caufe, depended upon their cou¬ 
rage and concord. They, therefore, held feveral meet¬ 
ings, in different places, for the purpofe of forming fuch 
a powerful leag-ue as might enable them to repel the vio¬ 
lence of their enemies ; but, while they were preparing a 
new embaffy to the emperor, they received an account 
that he was determined to come into Germany, with a view 
to terminate, in a diet which he had already appointed to 
be held at Augfburg, in June 1530, the religious difputes 
which had produced fuch animofities and divifons in the 
empire. In order that the emperor might be able to form 
a clear idea of the matters to be debated, the elector of 
Saxony ordered Luther, and other eminent divines, to 
commit to writing the chief articles of their religious fyf- 
tem, and the principal points in which they differed from 
the church of Rome. In compliance with this order, 
Luther delivered to the elector at Torgau the feventeen 
articles, hence called the Articles of Torgau , which were 
deemed by him a fufficient declaration of the fentiments 
of the reformers. It was judged proper, however, to en¬ 
large them ; and, by a judicious detail, to give perfpicuity 
to their arguments, and thereby (trength to their caufe. 
For this purpofe the proteffant princes employed the pen 
of Melanftlion, who, with a due regard to the counfels of 
Luther, expreffed his fentiments and dodlrine with the 
greateft elegance and perfpicuity, and in terms as little 
offenfive to the Roman Catholics as a regard for truth 
would permit. Such was the origin of the famous creed, 
known by the name of the ConfJJion of Augfburg. 
On the zoth of June, 1530, tne diet was opened ; and, as 
it was unanimoufly agreed that the affairs of religion fhould 
.be difcuffed before any other matters, the proteftants re¬ 
ceived from the emperor a formal permidion to give in an 
account of their religious principles and tenets. Accord¬ 
ingly, on the 25th of the fame month, the chancellor of 
Saxony read, in the German language, in prefence of the 
emperor and the affembled princes, the Confeflion above 
mentioned, which was prefented to the emperor, figned 
by the princes and deputies of the Lutheran party. At 
the fame time the protellants who had adopted the opi¬ 
nions of Zuingle delivered in .their confeflion, drawn up 
by Martin Bucer. Of thefe confeflions a refutation was 
undertaken by John Faber, Eckius, and another doctor, 
named Cochlams, which was alio read publicly in the 
diet; and the unlimited fubmiflion of the proteftants to 
the doftrines and opinions contained in this refutation 
was required by the emperor. But, inftead of yielding 
obedience to the imperial command, they declared them- 
felves by no means fatisfied with the reply of their adver- 
faries, .and requelfed a copy of it, that they might de- 
monftrate more fully its extreme infufticiency and weak- 
nefs. This reafonable requeft, however, the emperor re- 
fufed to grant i but he did not difeourage the refpeflive 
parties from meeting, to try whether it were not pollible 
to bring about a reconciliation upon fair, candid, and 
equitable, terms. For this purpofe, various conferences 
were held between perfons of eminence, piety, and learn¬ 
ing, chofen from,both ficjes j and nothing was omitted that 
H E it. 
might have the leaft tendency to calm the animoflty, heal 
the divilions, and unite the hearts, of the contending 
parties : but all in vain, fince the difference between their 
opinions was too confiderable, and of too much import¬ 
ance, to admit of a reconciliation. Finding the divines 
immovable, Charles turned to the princes Their patrons, 
whom he fel.icited feparately, and allured by promifes of 
thole advantages which it was known they were molt fe¬ 
licitous of obtaining. But, however delirous they were 
of obliging the emperor, they would not make facrifices 
to him of their integrity ; and, with a zeal and fortitude 
w hich redound to their immortal honour, refufed to aban¬ 
don what they deemed the caufe of God, for the fake of 
any earthly acquifltion. 
Every fcheme to gain or difunite the proteftant party 
thus proving abortive, the emperor was determined to 
take vigorous meafures for afleiting the doffrines and au¬ 
thority of the eltabliflied church, and enforcing the fub¬ 
miflion of fuch obftinate heretics. By his exprefs order, 
on the 19th of November, during the abfence of the Hef- 
fian and Saxon princes, the diet iflued a fevere decree, 
condemning moft of the peculiar tenets held by the pro¬ 
teftants ; forbidding any perfen to protefl or tolerate fucli 
as taught them ; enjoining a Itrifl obfervance of the elta- 
blifhed rites; amd prohibiting any further innovation un¬ 
der fevere penalties. All orders of men were required to 
aflilt with their perfons and fortunes in carrying this de¬ 
cree into execution ; and fuch as refilled ro"obey it were 
declared incapable of adding as judges, or of appearing as 
parties in the imperial chamber, the fepreme court of"ju¬ 
dicature in the empire. To all which was fubjoined a 
promife, that an application fliould be made to the pope, 
requiring him to call a general council within fix months, 
in order to terminate all controverlies by its fevereign de- 
cilions. The fe verity of this decree, which was confi- 
dered as a prelude to the moft violent perfection, con¬ 
vinced the proteftants th 3 t the emperor was refelved on 
their deftruCtion 3 and the dread ot the calamities which 
were ready to fall on the church oppreffed the feeble fpirit 
of Mel3nfthon, who gave him (elf up to melancholy anti 
lamentation. But Luther, who, during the lilting of the 
diet had endeavoured to confirm and animate his party by 
feveral treatifes which he addrefl'ed to them, was not dif- 
concerted or difmayed at the prolpedt of this new danger. 
He comforted Melandlhon and his other defponding dif- 
ciples, and exhorted the princes not to abandon thofe 
truths which they had lately aflerted with fuch laudable 
boldnefs. His exhortations made the deeper impreflion 
upon them, as they had at that time received an account 
of a combination among the popifh princes of the empire 
for the maintenance of the eltablilhed religion, to which 
Charles himfelf had acceded. This circumftance con¬ 
vinced them, that their ow n fafety, as well as the fuccefs 
of their caule, depended on union. They, therefore, af¬ 
fembled, in the year 1530, and the year following, firit at 
Smalkalde, and afterwards at Frankioit, and formed a fe- 
lemn alliance and confederacy, with the refolution of de¬ 
fending vigoroufty their religion and liberties againft the 
dangers and encroachments with which they were threat¬ 
ened by the edidt of Augfburg. Into this confederacy 
they invited the kings of England, France, and Denmark 5 
and by their negociations lecured powerful foreign pro¬ 
tection and afliltance, in cafe of neceflity. In this rtate 
of things, which portended an approaching rupture, the 
eledtor palatine, and the eledfor of Mentz, offered their 
mediation, and endeavoured to reconcile the contending 
princes. With refpedt to the emperor, many circumftances 
combined to convince him, that this was not a juncture 
when the extirpation of herefy was to be attempted by 
violence and rigour. He faw that the imprudent precipi¬ 
tation with which he had already proceeded, in compli¬ 
ance with the pope’s inclinations, had forced the pro¬ 
teftants into a formidable union, which put them into a 
capacity of fetting the head of the empire at defiance. 
He faw the Turks .preparing to enter Aultria with am. 
roenfe 
