History of the Great Reformation Part 39

[739] Multa c.u.m cautela. (Seck. ii. p. 172.)

[740] Clam c.u.m paucis equitibus. (Corp. Ref. ii. p. 277; Mit 5 oder 6 pferden. Ibid. p. 263.)

[741] Seckendorf, and M. de Rommel no doubt after him, say that the Landgrave went out through a secret gate (porta urbis secretiori, Seck. ii. p. 172; Rommel i. p. 270.) I prefer the contemporary evidence, particularly that of Brenz, which says: Vesperi priusquam portae urbis clauderentur, urbe elapsus est. (Corp. Ref. ii. p. 277.) The chief magistrate of Augsburg, who alone had the keys of the wicket, would never have dared to favour the departure of the Landgrave.

[742] Ubi erat ille ignotus. (Corp. Ref. p. 261.)

Yet Philip has taken his measures so well, that no one as yet suspects his departure. When during the night Charles occupies the gates with his own guards, he thinks the Landgrave still in the city.[743] When the Protestants were a.s.sembled at eight in the morning in the Chapter-hall, the princes of both parties were a little astonished at the absence of Philip of Hesse. They are accustomed, however, to see him keep aloof; he is in a pet, no doubt. No one imagines he is between twelve and fifteen leagues from Augsburg.

[743] Existimabat enim Caesar adhuc praesto adesse. (Ibid.)

[Sidenote: ALARM IN AUGSBURG.]

After the termination of the conference, and as each one was returning towards his hotel, the Elector of Brandenburg and his friends on the one hand, elated at the speech they had delivered, the Elector of Saxony and his allies on the other, resolved to sacrifice everything, inquiries were made at the Landgrave's lodgings as to the reason of his absence; they closely question Salz, Nuszbicker, Mayer, and Schnepf. At last the Hessian councillors can no longer keep the secret. "The Landgrave," said they, "has returned to Hesse."

This news circulated immediately through all the city, and shook it like the explosion of a mine. Charles especially, who found himself mocked, and frustrated in his expectations--Charles, who had not the least suspicion,[744] trembled, and was enraged.[745] The Protestants, whom the Landgrave had not admitted to his secret,[746] are as much astonished as the Roman-catholics themselves, and fear that this inconsiderate departure may be the immediate signal for a terrible persecution. There was only Luther, who, the moment he heard of Philip's proceeding, highly approved of it, and exclaimed: "Of a truth all these delays and indignities are enough to fatigue more than one Landgrave."[747]

[744] Caesare nihil suspicante. (Corp. Ref. ii. p. 277.)

[745] Imperator re insperata commotus. (Seck. ii. p. 172.)

[746] Unwissend des Churfursten von Sachsenund unserer. (Corp. Ref.

ii. p. 263.)

[747] Es mochte wohl _ista mora et indignitas_ nocheinen Landgraven mude machen. (L. Epp. iv. p. 134.)

The Chancellor of Hesse gave the Elector of Saxony a letter that his master had left for him. Philip spoke in this ostensible doc.u.ment of his wife's health; but he had charged his ministers to inform the Elector in private of the real causes of his departure. He announced, moreover, that he had given orders to his ministers to a.s.sist the Protestants in all things, and exhort his allies to permit themselves in no manner to be turned aside from the Word of G.o.d.[748] "As for me," said he, "I shall fight for the Word of G.o.d, at the risk of my goods, my states, my subjects, and my life."

[748] Ut nullo modo a verbo Dei abstrahi aut terreri se patiatur.

(Seck. ii. p. 172.)

[Sidenote: METAMORPHOSIS.]

The effect of the Landgrave's departure was instantaneous: a real revolution was then effected in the diet. The Elector of Mentz and the bishops of Franconia, Philip's near neighbours, imagined they already saw him on their frontiers at the head of a powerful army, and they replied to the Archbishop of Salzburg, who expressed astonishment at their alarm: "Ah! if you were in our place you would do the same."

Ferdinand, knowing the intimate relations of Philip with the Duke of Wurtemberg, trembled for the estates of this prince, at that time usurped by Austria; and Charles the Fifth, undeceived with regard to those princes whom he had believed so timid, and whom he had treated with so much arrogance, had no doubt that this sudden fit of Philip's had been maturely deliberated in the common council of the Protestants. All saw a declaration of war in the Landgrave's sudden departure. They called to mind that at the moment when they thought the least about it, they might see him appear at the head of his soldiers, on the frontiers of his enemies, and no one was ready; no one even wished to be ready! A thunderbolt had fallen in the midst of the diet. They repeated the news to one another, with troubled eyes and affrighted looks. All was confusion in Augsburg; and couriers bore afar, in every direction, astonishment and consternation.

This alarm immediately converted the enemies of the Reform. The violence of Charles and of the princes was broken in this memorable night as if by enchantment; and the furious wolves were suddenly transformed into meek and docile lambs.[749]

[749] Sed hanc violentiam abitus Landgravii interrupit. (Corp. Ref. p.

277.)

[Sidenote: UNUSUAL MODERATION.]

It was still Sunday morning: Charles the Fifth immediately convoked the diet for the afternoon.[750] "The Landgrave has quitted Augsburg,"

said Count Frederick from the Emperor; "his majesty flatters himself that even the friends of that prince were ignorant of his departure.

It was without the Emperor's knowledge, and even in defiance of his express prohibition, that Philip of Hesse has left, thus failing in all his duties. He has wished to put the diet out of joint.[751] But the Emperor conjures you not to permit yourselves to be led astray by him, and to contribute rather to the happy issue of this national a.s.sembly. His majesty's grat.i.tude will thus be secured to you."

[750] Nam c.u.m paucis post horis rescisc.u.n.t Landgravium elapsum, convocant iterum nostros. (Ibid.)

[751] Zertrennung dieses Reichstags zu verursachen. (Corp. Ref. p.

264.)

The Protestants replied, that the departure of the Landgrave had taken place without their knowledge; that they had heard of it with pain, and that they would have dissuaded him. Nevertheless they did not doubt that this prince had solid reasons for such a step; besides he had left his councillors with full powers, and that, as for them, they were ready to do everything to conclude the diet in a becoming manner.

Then, confident in their rights, and decided to resist Charles's arbitrary acts, they continued: "It is pretended that the gates were closed on our account. We beg your majesty to revoke this order, and to prevent any similar orders being given for the future."

Never was Charles the Fifth less at ease: he had just spoken as a father, and they remind him that a few hours back he had acted like a tyrant. Some subterfuge was requisite. "It is not on your account,"

replied the Count-palatine, "that the Emperor's soldiers occupy the gates......Beware of believing those who tell you so......Yesterday there was a quarrel between two soldiers,[752] and a mob was collected......This is why the Emperor took that step. Besides, such things shall not be done again without the Elector of Saxony, in his quality of marshal of the Empire, being first informed of them." An order was given immediately to reopen the gates.

[752] Es habe ein Trabant mit einem andern ein Unwill gehabt. (Corp.

Ref. ii. p. 265.)

[Sidenote: PEACE! PEACE!]

No exertions were now spared by the Roman party to convince the Protestants of their good-will: there was an unaccustomed mildness in the language of the Count-palatine and in the looks of Charles.[753]

The princes of the Papal party, once so terrible, were similarly transformed. They had been hastily forced to speak out; if they desired war, they must begin it instantly.

[753] Nullo alio tempore mitius et benignius quam tunc c.u.m protestantibus egerit. (Seck. ii. p. 172.)

But they shrunk back at this frightful prospect. How, with the enthusiasm that animated the Protestants, take up arms against them!

Were not the abuses of the Church everywhere acknowledged, and could the Roman princes be sure of their own subjects? Besides, what would be the issue of a war but the increase of the Emperor's power? The Roman-catholic states, and the Duke of Bavaria in particular, would have been glad to see Charles at war with the Protestants, in the hope that he would thus consume his strength; but it was, on the contrary, with their own soldiers that the Emperor designed attacking the heretics. Henceforth they rejected the instrumentality of arms as eagerly as they had at first desired it.

Everything had thus changed in Augsburg: the Romish party was paralyzed, disheartened, and even broken up. The sword already drawn was hastily thrust back into the sheath. Peace! peace! was the cry of all.

XI. The diet now entered upon its third phasis, and as the time of tentatives had been followed by that of menaces; now that of arrangements was to succeed the period of menaces. New and more formidable dangers were then to be encountered by the Reform. Rome, seeing the sword torn from its hands, had seized the net, and enlacing her adversaries with "cords of humanity and bands of love," was endeavouring to drag them gently into the abyss.

[Sidenote: THE MIXED COMMISSION.]

At eight o'clock in the morning of the 16th August, a mixed commission was framed, which counted on each side two princes, two lawyers, and three theologians. In the Romish party, there were Duke Henry of Brunswick, the Bishop of Augsburg, the Chancellors of Baden and Cologne, with Eck, Cochlus, and Wimpina; on the part of the Protestants, were the Margrave George of Brandenburg, the Prince Electoral of Saxony, the Chancellors Bruck and h.e.l.ler, with Melancthon, Brenz, and Schnepf.[754]

[754] P. Urkundenbuch, ii. p. 219.

They agreed to take as basis the Confession of the Evangelical states, and they began to read it article by article. The Romish theologians displayed an unexpected condescension. Out of twenty-one dogmatical articles, there were only six or seven to which they made any objection. Original Sin stopped them some time: at length they came to an understanding; the Protestants admitted that Baptism removed the guilt of the sin, and the Papists agreed that it did not wash away concupiscence. As for the Church, they granted that it contained sanctified men and sinners; they coincided also on confession. The Protestants rejected especially as impossible the enumeration of all the sins prescribed by Rome. Doctor Eck yielded this point.[755]

[755] Die Sund die man nicht wisse, die durff man nicht beichten. (F.

Urkunden, ii. p. 228.)

There remained three doctrines only on which they differed.

The first was that of Penance. The Romish doctors taught that it contained three parts: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The Protestants rejected the latter, and the Romanists clearly perceiving that with satisfaction would fall indulgences, purgatory, with other of their doctrines and profits, vigorously maintained it. "We agree,"

said they, "that the penance imposed by the priest does not procure remission of the guilt of sin: but we maintain that it is necessary to obtain remission of the penalty."

[Sidenote: ROMISH DISSIMULATION.]

The second controverted point was the Invocation of Saints; and the third, and princ.i.p.al one, was Justification by Faith. It was of the greatest importance for the Romanists to maintain the meritorious influence of works: all their system, in reality, was based on that.

Eck therefore haughtily declared war on the a.s.sertion that faith alone justifies. "That word _sole_," said he, "we cannot tolerate. It generates scandals, and renders men brutal and impious. Let us send back the _sole_ to the cobbler."[756]

[756] Man soll die _Sole_ ein weil zum Schuster Schicken. (Urkund. ii.