tical politicians in a priestly garb. In the view of such men, the points in dispute among religious parties are not, in themselves, worth notice, and it matters little how they are decided-" whether men speak after one manner or another :" but authority must be upheld and submitted to; the plea of conscience, in such matters, cannot be allowed-indeed it can hardly be understood; "favours," on the one hand, and "threats" on the other, must surely produce compliance! The emperor's counsellors concurring in the last-recited opinion of the legate, the Confession was delivered into the hands of the popish divines, particularly Faber and Eckius, that they might prepare a refutation of it. And on this work they employed between five and six weeks. A. D. 1530. of the During this time all things hung in doubt, and Harsh a wearisome langour oppressed the protestants.2 treatment The period was, however, made sufficiently pain- Protestants. ful, as well as tedious, to them. This we shall see more fully hereafter: but we may here remark, that during this period Campeggio's plan of "favours and threats," particularly the latter, began to be put in practice; and it was applied to different individuals in the manner which was thought most likely to reach their respective cases. The elector of Saxony had never yet received formal investiture in his dignities and dominions from the emperor, though his right was unquestioned, and he had had actual "Among them are men of fashion, open Epicureans and atheists, who make a mock of all religion."-"We are well aware how ridiculous these disputes concerning religion. and the gospel appear to those Epicureans who stir up the princes against us." Melanc. Ep. i. 120. * "Incerta hærebant, languebantque omnia." Seck. ii. 180. 1. CHAP. possession for some years. He now applied for the perfomance of this ceremony; but was surprised by a refusal! "The emperor would not grant it, unless the elector would return to the catholic church." Such a proceeding might seem to indicate, on the part of Charles, further views than he would choose to avow. In the same terms he refused to ratify the marriage of the elector's pious and excellent son, John Frederic, with Sibylla of Cleves. This was the more mean and cruel, as, in order to break off a match between his own sister (subsequently queen of Portugal,) and this young prince, Charles had promised to afford every countenance in his power to any other suitable alliance. In like manner, he threatened to deprive the marquis of Brandenburg of the guardianship of his nephew. To the landgrave of Hesse, on the other hand, he held out the hope of the restoration of Ulric of Würtemberg, who had been expelled from his dukedom-an object which the landgrave had much at heart.1 But such "threats and favours" were as unavailing as they deserved to be; and no one of the protestant princes was induced by them to swerve in the least from the principles which they had in common avowed.2 The "Refutation" of the At length the popish divines presented their Refutation of the Confession. "The concluConfession. sion of it," says Sleidan,3" was severe and hard; no less than the ban of the empire being threatened to those that obeyed not:" that is, I presume, the divines came to this decision, and submitted it for the sanction of the states, who alone could pronounce such a sentence. 1 Robertson, iii. 85. 2 Sleid. 132. Seck. ii. 194. Sleid. 130. The emperor is said not to have approved the harsh and invective tone of the Refutation; 1 and Du Pin observes, that "the princes were of opinion, that all the biting expressions, which the divines could not help bringing in, should be taken out."2-Thus qualified, it was read, on the third of August, in a full assembly of the states, the emperor premising that it had his approbation, and should receive his support.3 As already intimated, the Refutation divided the articles of the Confession into three classes, one of which, containing doctrines common to both parties, it wholly approved; another it wholly rejected; and the third it partly approved and partly condemned. The substance of four, out of six, doctrinal articles wholly rejected, is thus stated by Du Pin, "That men are not justified by the merit of good works, but by faith alone."-With respect to the marriage of priests, wonder was expressed, how the protestants could demand it, "since it was never in use from the very age of the apostles!" -The mass was affirmed, of course, to be "a sacrifice for the quick and dead," and this extraordinary argument was used in its support: "That Daniel had prophesied long before, that when Antichrist should come the daily offering should cease: that that was not indeed yet come to pass; but that nevertheless, in those places where mass was despised, altars de 1 Seck. ii. 172. ? Du Pin, vi. 117.-Melancthon says: "Eckius lately complained to a friend, that the emperor had erased nearly a third part of his manuscript: and I suspect that the chief ornaments of the work have been destroyed-its foolish calumnies and glaring falshoods." Ep. iii. 179. Melanc. Ep. i. 12. Seck. ii. 172. • Dan. viii. 9—12. A. D. 1530. CHAP. stroyed, and images burned, there that prophecy was fulfilled!"1 1. A copy of the Refuta A day or two after the reading of the Refutation, Melancthon (who, however, had not himself been present,) wrote concerning it to Luther: "At length we have heard the Refutation, and the determination of the emperor that he will suffer no schism in Germany. Though this is sufficiently violent, yet so puerile was the Refutation, that it produced much mutual congratulation among us. No book even of Faber's is equal in point of weakness to this!....The contention, concerning our being allowed a copy, lasted till eight o'clock in the evening, when the electors of Mentz and Brandenburg, and the duke of Brunswick, requested our princes to desist, and they would endeavour to effect an arrangement for them. .....All good and wise men seem to be in better spirits since they heard this silly Refutation."2 After the reading of the Refutation, it was acknowledged on the part of the emperor and of the catholic princes, that some abuses existed, of which he would endeavour to procure reformation. With this prospect before them, and after all that they had heard, he trusted that the protestants would return into the bosom of the church, and submit themselves; in which case they might expect every favour at his hands: but, if otherwise, he must then act as became the guardian and defender of the church.3 The elector of Saxony answered for himself tion refused. and his friends, That they would do any thing 1 Sleid. 131. 3 Sleid. 130. 131. Melanc. Ep. i. 12. Seck. ii, 172. for peace which they could do with a safe conscience; and, if convicted of any error by scriptural authority, they would readily renounce it. But he desired a copy of the Refutation, that they might consider it at leisure, and shew on what points it was not satisfactory to them; which would be in conformity with the fair and candid discussion to which they had been invited.-This however was refused. Two days after, a copy was offered, merely for their private perusal, and on condition that no transcript should be made, and that it should not be communicated to any other persons, as the emperor would have no further debate, but require them to submit to his decision.-On such conditions they declined to receive it. A. D. 1530. Augsburg. The day, or rather the night, following, the The Landlandgrave suddenly quitted Augsburg, without grave leaves taking leave; a step which displeased the emperor, and seems to have been by no means agreeable to his own party. He left, however, deputies to represent him, and alleged, as the reason of his departure, the sickness of his wife: but the fact seems to be, that, being a discerning, and at the same time a somewhat hasty man, he had seen enough to convince him that no good was to be expected at Augsburg, and he did not wish to be longer detained there.' Thus all prospect of the friendly discussion Conferenof differences, which had been proposed, and the parties. much more that of pacification, seemed to have vanished. None but the protestants had submitted their tenets to examination, and they had been met only by an angry "Refutation," (as it was called,) and by demands of implicit submission, backed by threats in case of their 'Sleid. 131. Seck. ii. 172. Mel. Epist. i. 13. ces between |