One thought was involuntarily present in the minds of the spectators,--the recollection of the Diet of Worms.[557] Only nine years before, a poor monk stood alone for this same cause in a hall of the town-house at Worms, in presence of the Empire. And now in his stead, behold the foremost of the Electors, behold princes and cities! What a victory is declared by this simple fact! No doubt Charles himself cannot escape from this recollection. [557] Ante decennium in conventu Wormatensi.--(Corp. Ref. ii. p. 153.) [Sidenote: THE CONFESSION--PROLOGUE.] The Emperor, seeing the Protestants stand up, motioned them to sit down; and then the two chancellors of the Elector, Bruck and Bayer, advanced to the middle of the chapel, and stood before the throne, holding in their hands, the former the Latin, and the other the German copy of the Confession. The Emperor required the Latin copy to be read.[558] "We are Germans," said the Elector of Saxony, "and on German soil; I hope therefore your majesty will allow us to speak German." If the Confession had been read in Latin, a language unknown to most of the princes, the general effect would have been lost. This was another means of shutting the mouth of the Gospel. The Emperor complied with the Elector's demand. [558] Cæsar Latinum prelegi volebat.--(Seck. ii. p. 170.) Bayer then began to read the Evangelical Confession, slowly, seriously, distinctly, with a clear, strong, and sonorous voice, which re-echoed under the arched roof of the chapel, and carried even to the outside this great testimony paid to the truth.[559] [559] Qui clare, distincte, tarde et voce adeo grandi et sonora eam pronunciavit.--(Scultet. p. 276.) "Most serene, most mighty, and invincible Emperor and most gracious Lord," said he, "we who appear in your presence, declare ourselves ready to confer amicably with you on the fittest means of restoring one sole, true, and same faith, since it is for one sole and same Christ that we fight.[560] And in case that these religious dissensions cannot be settled amicably, we then offer to your majesty to explain our cause in a general, free, and christian council."[561] [560] Ad unam veram concordem religionem, sicut omnes sub uno Christo sumus et militamus.--(Confessio, Præfatio. Urkunden. i. p. 474.) [561] Causam dicturos in tali generali, libero, et Christiano concilio.--(Ibid. p. 479.) [Sidenote: THE CONFESSION--JUSTIFICATION.] This prologue being ended, Bayer confessed the Holy Trinity, conformably with the Nicene Council,[562] original and hereditary sin, "which bringeth eternal death to all who are not regenerated,"[563] and the incarnation of the Son, "very God and very man."[564] [562] Et tamen tres sunt personæ ejusdem essentiæ.--(Ibid. p. 682.) [563] Vitium originis, afferens æternam mortem his qui non renascuntur.--(Confessio, Præfatio. Urkunden. i. p. 483.) [564] Unus Christus, vere Deus, et vere homo.--(Ibid.)