This was interpreted by those States favorable to the Reformation that they had a legal right to organize territorial churches and to make such changes in public worship as would bring it into harmony with their beliefs. This gave new life to the Reformation. Almost the whole North Germany adopted the principles of the Reformation. Various political intrigues caused division and discredit among the reform party. When the diet again met at Spires in 1529, the Roman Catholic party was largely in the majority. The emperor at the outset declared: By my imperial and absolute authority I abolish the clause in the ordinance of 1526 on which the Lutherans relied when they founded their territorial churches; it has been the cause of much ill counsel and misunderstanding. The majority of the diet upheld the emperor’s decision, and the practical effect of the ordinance was to rescind that of 1526; re-establish Roman Catholic rule everywhere, and with it the right of the bishops to direct all preachers in their dioceses. This ordinance called forth the celebrated “Protest,” which was read before the diet April 19, 1529, when all concessions to the reformers had been refused. The legal position taken was that the unanimous decision of the diet in 1526 could not be rescinded by a majority. The “protesters” declared that they intended to abide by the decision of 1526, and not by that of 1529. They also declared their readiness to obey the emperor and the diet in all “dutiful and possible matters, but any order considered by them repugnant to God and his holy Word, to their soul’s salvation, and their good conscience,” they appealed to the emperor, to the free council, and to all impartial Christian Judges. The essential principles involved in the protest against this decree and in the arguments on which it was grounded were: We protest publicly before God, our only Creator, Preserver, Redeemer and Savior, who, as the only Searcher of all our hearts, judgeth righteously, and we also protest before all the world, that both for ourselves and for our connections and subjects, we do not consent or agree with any resolutions or acts contained in the last decree of Spires above referred to, which, in the great concern of religion, are contrary to God and to his holy word, injurious to our soul’s salvation, and also in direct opposition to the dictates of our conscience, as well as to the degree issued by an imperial diet at Spires; and we hereby solemnly declare that, from reasons already assigned, and from other weighty considerations, we regard all such resolutions or acts as null and void. Thus in the presence of the diet spoke those courageous men. This is the origin of the name “Protestant.”