History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 1MacCaffrey, James
Religion
History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution — Volume 1
MacCaffrey, James
Catholic Church -- History -- Modern period, 1500-
These concessions, wrung from the Catholic princes owing to the fear
of Turkish invasion, did not satisfy either party. False rumours were
spread among the Protestant princes that Duke George of Saxony and
other Catholic rulers intended to have recourse to arms, and though
the Duke was able to clear himself of the charge, the relations
between the two parties became gradually more strained. In 1526 the
Turks overcame the Hungarians and Bohemians at Mohacz, and advancing
into Austria were encamped under the very walls of Vienna. It became
necessary to summon another Diet at Speier (1529). The Catholic
princes were in the majority, and the knowledge, that the Emperor had
concluded peace with France and the Pope and was now ready to support
them, rendered them less willing to accept dictation. It was carried
by a majority that the Emperor should endeavour to have a Council
convoked within a year, that in the meantime the rulers in whose
territories the decree of Worms had been in force should continue to
enforce it, and that in the states where the new teaching had taken
root the rulers were at liberty to allow it to continue, but, in the
interval before the Council they should permit no further changes to
be introduced. Nobody should be allowed to preach against the
Sacrament of the Altar; the Mass should be celebrated if it had not
been abolished, and if abolished no one should be punished for
celebrating or attending it, and the Scripture should be expounded
according to the traditional interpretation of the Church.
The Lutheran party objected strongly to this decree, and as their
objections were over-ruled they submitted a formal protest, on account
of which they received the distinctive title of Protestants.[28] The
protest, signed by the Elector of Saxony, the Margrave of Brandenburg,
the Dukes of Brunswick-Luneburg, Philip of Hesse, and the
representatives of fourteen cities, having failed to produce any
effect on the Diet, a deputation was appointed to interview the
Emperor and to place their grievances before him. But Charles V.,
mindful of his imperial oath, refused to allow himself to be
intimidated. He warned the deputation that he and the Catholic princes
had also their duties to fulfil towards God and the Church, and that
until a Council should assemble they must obey the decrees of the
Diet. In January 1530 he convened a new Diet to meet at Augsburg at
which he himself promised to be present.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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