meeting of the council at Trent; but, when he found them fixed in their opposition to this measure, he began to listen to the sanguinary measures of the pope, and resolved to terminate the disputes by force of arms. The elector of Saxony and landgrave of Hesse, who were the chief supporters of the Protestant cause, upon this took proper measures to prevent their being surprised and overwhelmed by a superior force; but, before the horrors of war commenced, the great reformer Luther died in peace at Ayselben, the place of his nativity, in 1546. who raised an army to reduce them to obedience. The elector of Saxony and the landgrave of Hesse led their forces into Bavaria against the emperor, and cannonaded his camp at Ingolstadt. It was supposed that this would bring on an engagement, which would probably have been advantageous to the cause of the reformed; but this was prevented chiefly by the perfidy of Maurice duke of Saxony, who invaded the dominions of his uncle. Divisions were also fomented among the confederate princes by the dissimulation of the emperor; The emperor and the pope had and France failed in paying the mutually resolved on the destruc- subsidy which had been promised tion of all who should dare to op- by its monarch: all which so dispose the council of Trent. The couraged the heads of the Protesmeeting of it was to serve as a tant party, that their army soon signal for taking up arms; and ac-dispersed, and the elector of Saxcordingly its deliberations were ony was obliged to direct his march scarcely begun, in 1546, when the homewards. But he was pursued Protestants perceived undoubted by the emperor, who made several signs of the approaching storm, forced marches with a view to deand a formidable union betwixt stroy his enemy before he should the emperor and pope which threat- have time to recover his vigour. ened to crush and overwhelm them The two armies met near Muhlat once. This year, indeed, there berg, on the Elbe, on the 24th of had been a new conference at Ra- April, 1547; and, after a bloody tisbon upon the old subject of ac-action, the elector was entirely commodating differences in religion; but, from the manner in which the debates were carried on, it plainly appeared that these differences could only be decided in the field of battle. The council of Trent, in the mean time, promulgated their decrees; while the reformed princes, in the diet of Ratisbon, protested against their authority, and were on that account proscribed by the emperor, defeated, and himself taken prisoner. Maurice, who had so basely betrayed him, was now declared elector of Saxony; and, by his entreaties, Philip, landgrave of Hesse, the other chief of the Protestants, was persuaded to throw himself on the mercy of the em peror, and to implore his pardon. To this he consented, relying on the promise of Charles for obtaining forgiveness, and being re stored to liberty; but, notwith- || council should be assembled; but standing these expectations, he as this was only a temporary exwas unjustly detained prisoner, by pedient, and had not the force of a scandalous violation of the most a permament or perpetual institusolemn convention. tion, it thence obtained the name of the Interim. The affairs of the Protestants now seemed to be desperate. In This project of Charles was the diet of Augsburg, which was formed partly with a design to soon after called, the emperor re-vent his resentment against the quired the Protestants to leave the pope, and partly to answer other decision of these religious disputes political purposes. It contained to the wisdom of the council all the essential doctrines of the which was to meet at Trent. The church of Rome, though considergreatest part of the members con-ably softened by the artful terms sented to this proposal, being con-which were employed, and which vinced by the powerful argument were quite different from those of an imperial army, which was employed before and after this peat hand to dispel the darkness from riod by the council of Trent. There the eyes of such as might other-was even an affected ambiguity in wise have been blind to the force many of the expressions, which of Charles's reasoning. However, made them susceptible of different this general submission did not senses, and applicable to the senproduce the effect which was ex-timents of both communions. The pected from it. A plague which broke out, or was said to do so, in the city, caused the greatest part of the bishops to retire to Bologna, by which means the council was in effect dissolved; nor could all the entreaties and remonstrances of the emperor prevail upon the pope to re-assemble it without delay. During this interval, there-again held at Augsburg, under the fore, the emperor judged it neces-cannon of an imperial army, and sary to fall upon some method of Charles laid the matter before the accommodating the religious dif- princes of the empire. Most of ferences, and maintaining peace those present gave their consent to until the council so long expected it, and amongst the rest, Maurice should be finally obtained. With elector of Saxony; who consented this view he ordered Julius Pelu- on the following conditions: 1. gius, bishop of Naumberg, Mi- That the points of doctrine which chael Sidonius, a creature of the had already been decided there pope, and John Agricola, a na- should be re-examined.-2. That tive of Ayselben, to draw up a this examination should be made formulary which might serve as a in presence of the Protestant dirule of faith and worship till the vines.-3. That the Saxon Protest consequence of all this was, that ants should have a liberty of voting as well as of deliberating in the council.-4. That the pope should not pretend to preside in the assembly, either in person or by his legates. This declaration of Maurice was read in the diet, and his deputies insisted upon its being entered into the registers, which the archbishop of Mentz obstinately refused. The diet was concluded in 1551; and, at its breaking up, the emperor desired the assembled princes and states to prepare all things for the approaching council, and promised to use his utmost endeavours to procure moderation and harmony, impartiality and charity, in the transactions of that assembly. troops at Inspruck, and expected no such thing. By this sudden and unforeseen accident Charles was so much dispirited, that he was willing to make peace almost on any terms. The consequence of this was, that he concluded a treaty at Passau, which by the Protestants is considered as the basis of their religious liberty. By the first three articles of this treaty it was agreed that Maurice and the confederates should lay down their arms, and lend their troops to Ferdinand, to assist him against the Turks; and that the landgrave of Hesse should be set at liberty. By the fourth it was agreed that the rule of faith called the Inte rim should be considered as null and void: that the contending parties should enjoy the free and undisturbed exercise of their reli On the breaking up of the diet, the Protestants took such steps as they thought most proper for their own safety. The Saxons employ-gion until a diet should be assemed Melancthon, and the Wirtem- bled to determine amicably the prebergers Brengius, to draw up con- sent disputes (which diet was to fessions of faith to be laid before meet in the space of six months); the new council. The Saxon di- and that this religious liberty should vines, however, proceeded no far- continue always, in case it should ther than Nuremberg, having re- be found impossible to come to an ceived secret orders from Maurice uniformity in doctrine and worto stop there; for the elector, per- ship. It was also determined, that ceiving that Charles had formed all those who had suffered banishdesigns against the liberties of the ment, or any other calamity, on German princes, resolved to take account of their having been conthe most effectual measures for cerned in the league or war of crushing his ambition at once. He Smalcald, should be reinstated in therefore entered with the utmost their privileges, possessions, and secrecy and expedition into an al- employments; that the imperial liance with the king of France, chamber at Spire should be open and several of the German princes, to the Protestants as well as to the for the security of the rights and Catholics; and that there should liberties of the empire; after which, always be a certain number of Luassembling a powerful army in therans in that high court. 1552, he marched against the em- this peace Albert, marquis of peror, who lay with a handful of Brandenburgh, refused to sub scribe; and continued the war |blished in many parts of the Geragainst the Roman Catholics, com- man empire where it continues to mitting such ravages in the em-this day; nor have the efforts of pire, that a confederacy was at last formed against him. At the head of this confederacy was Maurice, elector of Saxony, who died of a wound he received in a battle fought on the occasion in 1553. the popish powers at any time been able to suppress it, or even to prevent its gaining ground. It was not, however, in Germany alone that a reformation of religion took place. Almost all the kingdoms of to the truth about the same time. The reformed religion was propagated in Sweden, soon after Luther's rupture with the church of Rome, by one of his disciples named Olaus Petri. The zealous efforts of this missionary were se The assembling of the diet pro-Europe began to open their eyes mised by Charles was prevented by various incidents; however, it met at Augsburg, in 1555, where it was opened by Ferdinand in the name of the emperor, and terminated these deplorable calamities which had so long desolated the empire. After various debates, the follow-conded by Gustavus Vasa, whom ing acts were passed, on the twen- the Swedes had raised to the throne ty-fifth of September:-That the in the place of Christiern, king of Protestants who followed the con- Denmark, whose horrid barbarity fession of Augsburg should be for lost him the crown. This prince, the future considered as entirely however, was as prudent as he was free from the jurisdiction of the zealous; and, as the minds of the Roman pontiff, and from the au Swedes were in a fluttering state, thority and superintendence of the he wisely avoided all kind of bishops; that they were left at vehemence and precipitation in perfect liberty to enact laws for spreading the new doctrine. Acthemselves relating to their reli-cordingly the first object of his atgious sentiments, discipline, and tention was the instruction of his worship: that all the inhabitants people in the sacred doctrines of of the German empire should be the holy scriptures; for which allowed to judge for themselves in purpose he invited into his domireligious matters, and to join nions several learned Germans, and themselves to that church whose spread abroad through the kingdoctrine and worship they thought dom the Swedish translation of the the most pure and consonant to the Bible that had been made by Olaus spirit of true Christianity; and Petri. Some time after this, in that all those who should injure or 1526, he appointed a conference persecute any person under reli- at Upsal, between this reformer gious pretences, and on account of and Peter Gallius, a zeaous detheir opinions, should be declared fender of the ancient superstition, and proceeded against as public en-in which each of the champions emies of the empire, invaders of its was to bring forth his arguments, liberty, and disturbers of its peace. that it might be seen on which Thus was the reformation esta-side the truth lay. In this dispute Saxony, and appointed him professor of divinity at Hasnia; and after his death, which happened in 1521, he invited Carlostadt himself to fill that important place. Carlostadt accepted of this office, indeed, but in a short time returned to Germany; upon which Christiern used his utmost endeavours to Olaus obtained a signal victory;|| which contributed much to confirm Gustavus in his persuasion of the truth of Luther's doctrine, and to promote its progress in Sweden. The following year another event gave the finishing stroke to its propagation and success. This was the assembly of the states at Westeraas, where Gustavus re-engage Luther to visit his domicommended the doctrine of the nions, but in vain. However, the reformers, with such zeal, that, af- progress of Christiern in reformter warm debates, fomented by the ing the religion of his subjects, or clergy in general, it was unani- rather of advancing his own pow. mously resolved that the reforma-er above that of the church, was tion introduced by Luther should checked, in the year 1523, by a have place in Sweden. This reso-conspiracy, by which he was delution was principally owing to the posed and banished; his uncle firmness and magnanimity of Gus- Frederic, duke of Holstein and tavus, who declared publicly, that Sleswic, being appointed his suche would lay down the sceptre, cessor. and retire from the kingdom, rather than rule a people enslaved by the orders and authority of the pope, and more controlled by the tyranny of their bishops than by the laws of their monarch. From this time the papal empire in Swe-established government and disciden was entirely overthrown, and Gustavus declared head of the church. Frederic conducted the reformation with much greater prudence than his predecessor. He permit ted the Protestant doctors to preach publicly the sentiments of Luther, but did not venture to change the pline of the church. However, he contributed greatly to the progress of the reformation by his successIn Denmark, the reformation ful attempts in favour of religious was introduced as early as the year liberty in an assembly of the states 1521, in consequence of the ar- held at Odensee in 1527. Here dent desire discovered by Chris- he procured the publication of a tiern II of having his subjects in- famous edict, by which every substructed in the doctrines of Lu-ject of Denmark was declared free ther. This monarch, notwithstand-either to adhere to the tenets of ing his cruelty, for which his name has been rendered odious, was nevertheless desirous of delivering his dominions from the tyranny of the church of Rome. For this purpose, in the year 1520, he sent for Martin Reinard, one of the disciples of Carlostadt, out of the church of Rome, or to the doctrine of Luther. The papal ty ranny was totally destroyed by his successor Christiern III. He began by suppressing the despotic authority of the bishops, and restoring to their lawful owners a great part of the wealth and possession which |