appearing at this diet, because he knew upon whose judge ment the emperor relied; upon divines, in whose opinion whosoever should dare to open his mouth in favour of piety, was a Lutheran, and worse than a Lutheran. The imperial chancellor opened the diet by declaring, that the emperor had summoned this assembly, that every one might consult upon such propositions as should be made, and offer in writing what he thought convenient, concerning religion. The Protestant princes petitioned the emperor to permit their confession of faith to be read in a full diet, which he refused; but granted them leave to read it in his presence before a special assembly of princes, and other members of the empire. This confession of faith, which was afterwards called, The Augsburg Confession, was delivered to his imperial ma esty both in Latin and German, with the authority whereon each article was founded. The emperor shed tears when this confession was read; which were doubtless owing to the truth of the doctrines contained in it, and the moderation that Melancthon had shewn in revising the whole. Luther, in his retirement, was not a little afraid to what lengths the pacific spirit of Melancthon might induce him to yield to the Papists, and therefore wrote to him to be careful of what concessions he should make them. This confutation, however, was read before the diet, and the Romanists said they hoped the Protestants would return to the communion of the church, as they agreed in several points which had been formerly contested. The elector of Saxony answered, that the Protestants were al ways ready to come to an union in religion, in any thing which was not prejudicial to their consciences. In consequence of this, the Romanists appointed seventeen persons to treat about religion with the Protestants; and this conference was held at Augsburg on August 7. The Popish deputies said, that Luther would not submit to the judgement of a council: but the Protestants declared, they would refer themselves to the determination of a council, to which they appealed; and also presented to the emperor an apology for their confession, which put an end to the diet at Augsburg, and the Protestant princes. returned home in October, without an accommodation with the Romanists. The sacramentarians also presented their confession of faith to the emperor at this diet; which was drawn up by Bucer and Capito; but this confession was more unacceptable than that of the Lutherans, and was answered by Faber and Eckius; in consequence of which, the emperor commanded the Zuinglians to renounce their errors, and threatened to compel them by his authority, if they refused *. Luther wrote some books against Popery, during the sitting of the diet; particularly a treatise upon the second Psalm, in which he applied to the princes met at Augsburg, what was said in that Psalm concerning the assembly and conspiracy of the princes of the world against Jesus Christ. The emperor procured a decree in the diet, which allowed the Protestant princes till the 15th of April following, to consult about their submission to it; and his imperial majesty promised to issue out his summons for a council to begin the next year. The Protestant princes remained firm to their confession of faith, and the emperor published the decree of the diet on the 16th of A symbolical representation was exhibited before the emperor and his brother Ferdinand at Augsburg, when the Lutherans presented their confession of faith to that assembly. As the princes were at table, a company of persons offered to act a small comedy for the entertainment of the company. They were ordered to begin; and first entered a man in the dress of a doctor, who brought a large quantity of small wood, of straight and crooked billets, and laid it on the middle of the hearth and retired: on his back was written the name of Reuchlin. When this actor went off, another entered, apparelled also like a doctor, who attempted to make faggots of the wood, and to fit the crooked to the straight; but having laboured long to no purpose, he went away out of humour, and shaking his head: on his back appeared the name of Erasmus. A third, dressed like an Augustinian monk, came in with a chafing dish full of fire, gathered up the crooked wood, clapped it upon the fire, and blew till lie made it burn, and went away, having upon his frock the name of Luther. A fourth entered dressed like an emperor, who, seeing the crooked wood all on fire, seemed much concerned, and to put it out drew his sword, and poked the fire with it, which only made it burn the brisker: on his back was written Charles, V. Lastly, a fifth entered, in his pontifical babit and triplecrown, who seemed extremely surprized to see the crooked billets all on fire, and by his countenance and attitude betrayed excessive grief; then looking about on every side, to see if he could extinguish the flame, he cast his eyes on two bottles in a corner of the room, one of which was full of oil, and the other of water; and in his hurry, he unfortunately seized on the oil, and poured it upon the fire, which made it blaze so violently that he was forced to walk off on his back was, written Leo X. This farce wanted no commentary. November, November, which ordered, that no alterations or innovation should be made in the faith or religious worship of the church; and that none should be admitted to the imperial chamber, who disobeyed this decree. The elector of Saxony was summoned by the emperor to be present at Cologne, on the 29th of December, at the election of Ferdinand to be king of the Romans: but the elector appointed the other Protestant princes to meet him at Smalkald, on the 22nd of the same month, where they entered into a confederacy to defend themselves against the emperor and the Romanists, who were deter mined to put the decree, made at the diet of Augsburg, rigorously into execution. The court of Rome was greatly disturbed at what had been transacted at the diet at Augsburg; and the Pope employed nuncios to dissuade the emperor from holding a council: but the emperor urged the necessity of it; and the Pope, Dec. 1, 1530, wrote a circular letter to all the Christian princes, informing them, that a council should be held, and desiring them to countenance so holy a cause by their personal attendance. The Protestant princes also wrote circular letters to the European sovereigns, and particularly to the kings of England and France, requesting their interest and protection in obtaining a Reformation, which had been attempted by John Colct in England, by John Gerson and Nicholas Clemangis in France, and by Luther in Germany. The kings of England and France, declared for a general council, peace, and Reformation; which encouraged the confederate princes to meet again at Smalkald on March 29, 1531, when they renewed their league; and Luther composed a treatise against the diet of Augsburg, to prove that it was lawful to resist the magistrates, if they commanded any persons to assault those who would not submit to the decree. The Protestant princes held another assembly at Franc, fort on July 4; and the emperor, on July 13, 1532, by the treaty of Nuremburg, agreed that all the disputes concerning religion should cease, until a free general council was held, which was to be within a year. The Protestants insisted, that no innovation in doctrine should be made from their confession, nor any ceremonies introduced contrary thereto; which was granted by the em VOL. III.-No 62. peror, peror, and the Protestant princes agreed to assist him it the war against the Turks. The elector of Saxony died in August, and was suc ceeded by his son John Frederic in his dominions, an zeal for the Protestant cause. The Pope sent his nuncio in January, 1581, to the new elector, to settle with hi the conditions of holding a council; and the Protestam princes met upon this occasion at Smalkald, June 2 when they desired that the council might be free, and b held in Germany, where the differences in religion fir began but the Pope refused to comply with their ru quest. Luther dissuaded the elector of Saxony from makin an alliance with the Switzers, and persisted to unite mok zealously than ever against the sacramentarians: b Bucer undertook to reconcile the Lutherans and Zuing lians, Luther met Bucer and Capito at Wittenberg, May 22, 1536, when they entered into a long debate upo their faith and doctrine concerning the sacrament; an they delivered to Luther the confession of faith of the churches of Switzerland; but they could not agree their articles of the form of union about the sacrament Luther explained himself concerning the Lord's Supper by saying, he had never taught that Jesus Christ came down from heaven to the earth, either visibly or invisibly and that he left it to the almighty power of God to effect how the body and blood of Christ are offered in the Lord's Supper, keeping himself entirely close to the words of the Scripture,This is my body, this is my-blood." He observed, that as they could not understand each other, it was convenient they should be friends, and enter tain a good opinion reciprocally of themselves, till the spirit of contention should cease among them; and so he committed to the care of Bucer and Capito to finish what they had begun. About the beginning of 1527, Luther was attacked by a severe illness, which brought him near to his grave He applied himself to prayer, made a confession of hi faith, and lamented grievously his unworthiness of mar tyrdom, which he had so often and so ardently desired In this situation he made a will, for he had a son, and hi wife was again with child, in which he recommended his family to the care of Heaven: Lord God, says he, I thank thee se, that thou wouldest have me poor on earth and ggar. I have neither house, nor land, nor possesions, money, to leave. Thou hast given me a wife and idren: take them, I beseech thee, under thy care and eserve them, as thou hast preserved me." He beeathed his detestation of Popery to his friends and ethren; agreeably to what he often used to say, "Pestis am vivus, moriens ero mors tua, papa ;" i. e. a Living, was the plague of the Pope; and dying, I shall be his ath." Luther, from about this period, having laid the great andation of the Reformation, was chiefly employed in sing and completing the superstructure. The remainof his life was spent, in exhorting princes, states, and iversities, to confirm the great work, which had been ought about through him; and in publishing from time time such writings, as might encourage, direct, and ssist them in doing it. The emperor threatened temporal unishment with armies; and the Pope eternal pains with ulls and curses; but Luther, armed with the intrepidity if grace, over and above his own courageous nature, regarded neither the one nor the other. His friend and assistant Melancthon could not be so indifferent; for Melandthon had a great deal of softness, moderation, and diffidence in his constitution, which made him very uneasy and alarmed at these formidable appearances. Hence we find many of Luther's letters were written on purpose to comfort him under these anxieties. About 1533, he had a terrible controversy with George duke of Saxony, who had such an aversion to Luther's doctrine, that he obliged his subjects to take an oath, that they would never embrace it. However, sixty or seventy citizens of Leipsic were found to have deviated a little from the catholic way, in some point or other; and they were known previously to have consulted Luther upon it. Upon which duke George complained to the elector John, that Luther had not only abused his person, but also preached up rebellion among his subjects. The elector ordered Luther to be acqainted with this, and to be told at the same time, that if he did not clear himself from the charge, he could not possibly escape punishment. But Luther easily refuted the accusation by proving, that he had been so far from stirring up his subjects against 002 |
