Pope Paul III. determines to hold a Council at Mantua in 1537. Vergerio dispatched by the Pope to Germany to smooth the way; the Legate invites Luther to breakfast with him at the Castle of Wittenberg; his description of his guest; his own subsequent apostasy _pages_ 424-430 3. THE SCHMALKALDEN ASSEMBLY OF 1537. LUTHER’S ILLNESS. The Schmalkalden League. The league of the Catholic Princes. Luther’s “Artickel” for the Schmalkalden convention. Melanchthon’s endeavour to arrange matters. Luther’s willingness to promote the Council. The discussions at Schmalkalden; Melanchthon’s backhanded proceedings. Luther, prostrated by an attack of stone, desires to be removed so as not to die in a town defiled by the presence of a Papal envoy. His parting benediction: “_Deus vos impleat odio Papæ_.” The agreement subsequently reached at Schmalkalden. Luther makes his “First Will”; his recovery; his imprecatory Paternoster _pages_ 430-438 4. LUTHER’S SPIRIT IN MELANCHTHON. Melanchthon’s sudden change of attitude whilst at Schmalkalden; he emulates Luther; reason of the change; Melanchthon’s preference for the “needle,” Luther’s for the “hog-spear.” Melanchthon’s work for Luther in the Antinomian and Osiander controversies; his “_Confessio Augustana variata_” tacitly sanctioned by Luther; Bucer and Melanchthon and the “Cologne Book of Reform”; Bucer is violently taken to task by Luther, but Melanchthon is spared. The last joint work of Luther and Melanchthon, viz. the “Wittenberg Reformation” (1545) _pages_ 438-449 VOL. III THE REFORMER (I) LUTHER CHAPTER XV ORGANISATION AND PUBLIC POSITION OF THE NEW CHURCH 1. Luther’s Religious Situation. Was his Reaction a Break with Radicalism? FROM the date of the presentation of the “Confession” at the Diet of Augsburg, Lutheranism began to take its place as a new form of religious belief. Before this it had ostensibly been merely a question of reforming the universal Church, though, as a matter of fact, the proposed reform involved the entire reconstruction of the Church. Now, however, Lutherans admitted—at least indirectly, by putting forward this new profession of faith—that it was their intention to constitute themselves into a distinctive body, in order to impart a permanent character to the recent innovations in belief and practice. The Protestants were prepared to see in Germany two forms of faith existing side by side, unless indeed the Catholic Church should finally consent to accept the “evangelical” Profession of Faith.