Chapter 11 . Princely Protest
One of the noblest testimonies ever uttered for the Reformation was the Protest offered by the Christian princes of Germany at the Diet of Spires in 1529 . The courage , faith , and firmness of those men of God gained for succeeding ages liberty of thought and of conscience . Their Protest gave to the reformed church the name of Protestant ; its principles are " the very essence of Protestantism ." - -D ' Aubigne , b . 13 , ch . 6 .
A dark and threatening day had come for the Reformation . Notwithstanding the Edict of Worms , declaring Luther to be an outlaw and forbidding the teaching or belief of his doctrines , religious toleration had thus far prevailed in the empire . God ' s providence had held in check the forces that opposed the truth . Charles V was bent on crushing the Reformation , but often as he raised his hand to strike he had been forced to turn aside the blow . Again and again the immediate destruction of all who dared to oppose themselves to Rome appeared inevitable ; but at the critical moment the armies of the Turk appeared on the eastern frontier , or the king of France , or even the pope himself , jealous of the increasing greatness of the emperor , made war upon him ; and thus , amid the strife and tumult of nations , the Reformation had been left to strengthen and extend .
At last , however , the papal sovereigns had stifled their feuds , that they might make common cause against the Reformers . The Diet of Spires in 1526 had given each state full liberty in matters of religion until the meeting of a general council ; but no sooner had the dangers passed which secured this concession , than the emperor summoned a second Diet to convene at Spires in 1529 for the purpose of crushing heresy . The princes were to be induced , by peaceable means if possible , to side against the Reformation ; but if these failed , Charles was prepared to resort to the sword .
The papists were exultant . They appeared at Spires in great numbers , and openly manifested their hostility toward the Reformers and all who favoured them . Said Melanchthon : " We are the execration and the sweepings of the world ; but Christ will look down on His poor people , and will preserve them ." -- Ibid ., b . 13 , ch . 5 . The evangelical princes in attendance at the Diet were forbidden even to have the gospel preached in their dwellings . But the people of Spires thirsted for the word of God , and , notwithstanding the prohibition , thousands flocked to the services held in the chapel of the elector of Saxony .
This hastened the crisis . An imperial message announced to the Diet that as the resolution granting liberty of conscience had given rise to great disorders , the emperor required that it be annulled . This arbitrary act excited the indignation and alarm of the evangelical Christians . Said one : " Christ has again fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and Pilate ." The Romanists became more violent . A bigoted papist declared : " The Turks are better than the Lutherans ; for the Turks observe fast days , and the Lutherans violate them . If we must choose between the Holy Scriptures of God
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