History of the Great Reformation Part 43

[807] Estel List gefahrliche Tucke, &c. (Jonas. Urkund. ii. p. 423.)

[808] Die grauliche artikel. (Spalat. Ibid. p. 428.) De Primatu Papae, de Purgatorio, de Indulgentiis. (Melancthon, Cord. Ref. ii. p. 374.)

[809] Dem Teufel und antichrist zu gefallen. (Urk. ii. p. 431.)

Luther at the same time redoubled his entreaties to withdraw his friends from Augsburg. "Return, return," cried he to them; "return, even if it must be so, cursed by the Pope and the Emperor.[810] You have confessed Jesus Christ, offered peace, obeyed Charles, supported insults, and endured blasphemies. I will canonize you, I, as faithful members of Jesus Christ. You have done enough, and more than enough: now it is for the Lord to act, and he will act! They have our Confession, they have the Gospel; let them receive it, if they will; and if they will not, let them go----. If a war should come, let it come! We have prayed enough; and we have discussed enough. The Lord is preparing our adversaries as the victim for the sacrifice; he will destroy their magnificence, and deliver his people. Yes! he will preserve us even from Babylon, and from her burning walls."

[810] Vel maledicti a Papa et Caesare. (L. Epp. iv. p. 162-171.)

[Sidenote: THE ELECTOR OF SAXONY.]

XII. Thus Luther gave the signal of departure. They replied to the Reformer's appeal, and all prepared to quit Augsburg on Sat.u.r.day, 17th September. At ten at night Duke Ernest of Luneburg a.s.sembled the deputies of Nuremberg and the ministers of the Landgrave in his hotel, and announced to them that the Elector was determined to leave the next morning, without informing any one, and that he would accompany him. "Keep the secret," said he to them, "and know that, if peace cannot be preserved, it will be a trifling matter for me to lose, combating with you, all that G.o.d has given me."[811]

[811] Alles das, so Ihm Gots geben hatt, dorob zu vertieren ein geringes ware. (Corp. Ref. ii. p. 379.)

The Elector's preparations betrayed his intentions. In the middle of the night Duke Henry of Brunswick arrived hastily at his hotel, beseeching him to wait,[812] and, towards morning, Counts Truchses and Mansfeldt announced that, on the morrow between seven and eight, the Emperor would give him his _conge_.

[812] In der selben Nacht. (Corp. Ref. ii. p. 379.)

On Monday, 19th September, the Elector purposing to leave Augsburg immediately after his audience with Charles, breakfasted at seven o'clock, then sent off his baggage and his cooks,[813] and ordered his officers to be ready at ten o'clock. At the moment when John quitted the hotel to wait upon the Emperor, all the members of his household were drawn up on each side booted and spurred;[814] but, having been introduced to Charles, he was requested to wait two, four, or six days longer.

[813] Praemissis fere omnibus impedimentis una c.u.m cocis. (Corp. Ref.

ii. p. 385.)

[814] Gestiefelt und gesp.o.r.nt. (Ibid. p. 380.)

[Sidenote: THE RECESS OF AUGSBURG.]

As soon as the Elector was alone with his allies, his indignation burst forth, and he even became violent. "This new delay will end in nothing,"[815] he said; "I am resolved to set out, happen what may. It seems to me, from the manner in which things are arranged, that I have now completely the air of a prisoner." The Margrave of Brandenburg begged him to be calm. "I shall go," the Elector still replied. At last he yielded, and having appeared again before Charles the Fifth, he said, "I will wait until Friday next; and, if nothing is done by that time, I shall leave forthwith."

[815] Etwas darob schwermutig und hitzig erzeight. (Ibid. p. 380.)

Great was the anxiety of the Protestants during these four days of expectation. Most of them doubted not that, by acceding to Charles's prayers, they had delivered themselves into the hands of their enemies. "The Emperor is deliberating whether he ought to hang us or let us live," wrote Brenz.[816] Fresh negotiations of Truchses were without success.[817]

[816] Adhuc deliberat Caesar pendendum ne n.o.bis sit, an diutius vivendum. (Corp. Ref. ii.)

[817] Urkunden. ii. p. 455-472.

All that now remained for the Emperor was to draw up, in common with the Romish states, the _recess_ of the diet. This was done; and, that the Protestants might not complain of its having been prepared without their knowledge, he a.s.sembled them in his palace on Thursday, 22d September, the day previous to that fixed for the Elector's departure, and had his project read to them by the Count-palatine. This project was insult and war. The Emperor granted to the Elector, the five princes, and the six cities,[818] a delay of six months, until the 15th April next year, to come to an arrangement with the Church, the Pope, the Emperor, and all the princes and monarchs of Christendom.

This was clearly announcing to them that the Romanists were very willing to delay until the usual period for bringing armies into the field.

[818] Nuremberg and Rentlingen, to which were added the cities of Kempten, Heilbrunn, Windsheim, and Weissemberg. (Corp Ref. ii. p.

474-478.)

[Sidenote: IRRITATING LANGUAGE.]

Nor was this all: this delay was granted only on the express condition that the Protestants should immediately join the Emperor in reducing the Anabaptists, and all those who opposed the holy sacrament, by which were meant the Zwinglian cities. He wished by this means to tie the hands of the Protestants, and prevent the two families of the Reform from uniting during the winter.

Finally, the Protestants were forbidden to make any innovations, to print or sell anything on the objects of faith, or to draw any one whatever to their _sect_, "since the Confession had been soundly refuted by the Holy Scriptures." Thus they officially proclaimed the Reform a _sect_, and a sect contrary to the Word of G.o.d.

Nothing was more calculated to displease the friends of the Gospel, who remained in Charles's presence astonished, alarmed, and indignant.[819] This had been foreseen; and, at the moment when the Protestants were about to enter the Emperor's chamber, Truchses and Wehe, making signs to them, mysteriously slipped a paper into their hands, containing a promise that, if, on the 15th April, the Protestants required a prolongation of the delay, their request would certainly be granted.[820] But Bruck, to whom the paper was given, was not deceived. "A subtle ambuscade," said he; "a masterpiece of knavery! G.o.d will save his own, and will not permit them to fall into the snare."[821] This trick, in fact, served only still more to increase the courage of the Protestants.

[819] Protestantes vehementer hoc decreto minime expectato territi (Seck. ii. p. 200.)

[820] Bruck, Apologie, p. 182.

[821] Betruge, meisterstuck, aber Gott errettet die sernen. (Ibid.)

[Sidenote: INTIMIDATION.]

Bruck, without discussing the _recess_ in a political point of view, confined himself to what was princ.i.p.ally at stake, the Word of G.o.d.

"We maintain," said he, "that our Confession is so based on the holy Word of G.o.d, that it is impossible to refute it. We consider it as the very truth of G.o.d, and we hope by it to stand one day before the judgment-seat of the Lord." He then announced that the Protestants had refuted the Refutation of the Romish theologians, and holding in his hand the famous Apology of the Confession of Augsburg written by Melancthon, he stepped forward, and offered it to Charles the Fifth.

The Count-palatine took it, and the Emperor was already stretching out his hand, when Ferdinand having whispered a few words, he motioned the Count, who immediately returned the Apology to Doctor Bruck.[822] This paper and the "Commonplaces," are the masterpieces of the Reformer.

The embarra.s.sed Emperor told the Protestants to come again at eight the next morning.

[822] Auf Konig Ferdinandus wincke wieder geben. (Apologie, p. 184.)

Charles the Fifth, resolving to employ every means to get his decree accepted, began by entreaties; and scarcely was the Margrave of Brandenburg seated to take his evening repast, when Truchses and Wehe, appearing before him, used every kind of discourse and argument, but without success.[823]

[823] Nach essen allerley Rede Disputation und Persuasion furgewendt.

(Urk. ii. p. 601.)

The next day (Friday, 23d September), the Evangelical princes and the deputies of the cities, a.s.sembling at five in the morning in the Margrave's hotel, the _recess_ was there read anew in the presence of Truchses and Wehe, and Chancellor Bruck detailed seven reasons for its rejection. "I undertake," said Wehe, "to translate the _recess_ into German in such a manner that you can accept it. As for the word _sect_, in particular, it is the clerk who placed it there by mistake."[824] The mediators retired in haste to communicate to Charles the complaints of the Protestants.

[824] Sondern vom Schreiber gesetzt, der dis nicht geacht. (Urk. ii.

p. 606.)

[Sidenote: FINAL INTERVIEW.]

Charles and his ministers gave up every idea of reconciliation, and hoped for nothing except through fear. The Protestants having arrived at eight o'clock at the imperial palace, they were made to wait an hour; the Elector of Brandenburg then said to them in Charles's name: "His majesty is astonished beyond measure that you still maintain your doctrine to be based on the holy Scriptures. If you said the truth, his majesty's ancestors, so many kings and emperors, and even the ancestors of the Elector of Saxony, would have been heretics! There is no Gospel, there is no Scripture, that imposes on us the obligation of seizing by violence the goods of another, and of saying afterwards that we cannot conscientiously restore them. It is for this reason,"

added Joachim, after these words, which he had accompanied with a sardonic smile, "I am commissioned to inform you, that if you refuse the _recess_, all the Germanic states will place their lives and their property at the Emperor's disposal, and his majesty himself will employ the resources of all his kingdoms to complete this affair before leaving the Empire."

"We do not accept it," replied the Protestants firmly,--"His majesty also has a conscience," then resumed the Elector of Brandenburg, in a harsh tone; "and if you do not submit, he will concert with the Pope and the other potentates on the best means of extirpating this sect and its new errors." But in vain did they add threat to threat: the Protestants remained calm, respectful, and unshaken. "Our enemies, dest.i.tute of all confidence in G.o.d!" said they, "would shake like a reed in presence of the Emperor's anger, and they imagine that we should tremble in like manner; but we have called unto G.o.d, and he will keep us faithful to his truth."

The Protestants then prepared to take their final leave of the Emperor. This prince, whose patience had been put to a severe trial, approached to shake hands according to custom: and beginning with the Elector of Saxony, he said to him in a low voice: "Uncle, uncle! I should never have expected this of you." The Elector was deeply affected: his eyes filled with tears: but, firm and resolute, he bent his head and quitted Charles without reply. It was now two in the afternoon.

[Sidenote: MESSAGES OF PEACE.]

While the Protestants were returning to their hotels, calm and happy, the Romish princes returned to theirs, confused and dispirited, uneasy and divided. They doubted not that the _conge_ that had just been given the Protestants would be regarded by them as a declaration of war, and that on quitting Augsburg, they would rush to arms. This thought terrified them. Accordingly, the Elector of Saxony had hardly reached his palace, when he saw Dr. Ruhel, councillor of the Elector of Mentz, hastening towards him, commissioned by his master to deliver this message: "Although my brother the Elector (Joachim of Brandenburg) has declared that all the states of the Empire are ready to support the Emperor against you, know that both myself and the ministers of the Elector-palatine and of the Elector of Treves immediately declared to his majesty that we do not adhere to this declaration, seeing that we think very favourably of you.[825] I intended saying this to the Emperor in your presence, but you left so precipitately, that I was unable."

[825] Wussten auch nicht anders denn wohl und gut. (Urk. p. 210.)

Thus spoke the primate of the German Church, and even the choice of his messenger was significant: Dr. Ruhel was Luther's brother-in-law.

John begged him to thank his master.

As this envoy retired, there arrived one of the gentlemen of Duke Henry of Brunswick, a zealous Romanist. He was at first refused admittance on account of the departure, but returned hastily, just as Bruck's carriage was leaving the court-yard of the hotel. Approaching the carriage-door, he said: "The Duke informs the Elector that he will endeavour to put things in a better train, and will come this winter to kill a wild boar with him."[826] Shortly after, the terrible Ferdinand himself declared that he would seek every means of preventing an outbreak.[827] All these manifestations of the affrighted Roman-catholics showed on which side was the real strength.

[826] Ein Sawe fahen helfen. (Ibid. 211.)