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Chapter 9—Protest of the Princes
One of the noblest testimonies ever uttered for the Reformation
was the Protest offered by the Christian princes of Germany at the
Diet of Spires. The courage, faith, and firmness of these men of
God, gained for succeeding ages liberty of thought and of conscience.
Their Protest gave to the reformed church the name of Protestant;
its principles are the very essence of Protestantism.
A dark and threatening day had come for the Reformation. For
a season religious toleration had prevailed in the empire; God’s
providence had held opposing elements in check, that the gospel
might obtain a firmer foothold; but Rome had now summoned her
forces to crush out the truth. At Spires the papists openly manifested
their hostility toward the Reformers and all who favored them. Said
Melancthon, “We are the execration and the sweepings of the earth;
but Christ will look down on his poor people, and will preserve
them.” The evangelical princes in attendance at the Diet were for-
bidden even to have the gospel preached in their dwellings. But the
people of Spires thirsted for the word of God, and, notwithstand-
ing the prohibition, thousands flocked to the morning and evening
worship still held in the chapel of the Elector of Saxony.
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This hastened the crisis. An imperial message announced to the
Diet that as the resolution granting liberty of conscience had given
rise to great disorders, the emperor declared it to be annulled. This
arbitrary act excited the indignation and alarm of the evangelical
Christians. Said one, “Christ has again fallen into the hands of Ca-
iaphas and Pilate.” The Romanists became more violent. A bigoted
papist declared, “The Turks are better than the Lutherans; for the
Turks observe fast-days, and the Lutherans violate them. If we must
choose between the Holy Scriptures of God and the old errors of the
church, we should reject the former.” Said Melancthon, “Every day,
in full assembly, Faber casts some new stone against the Gospellers.”
Religious toleration had been legally established, and the evan-
gelical States were resolved to oppose the infringement of their
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