Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/707

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The Revolt of Germany against the Papaey 60 1 would in time be suppressed, as they had always been in the past, and that harmony would thus be restored. Neither party was right ; for the decision of the diet of Speyer was destined to become a permanent arrangement, and Germany remained divided between different religious faiths. New sects opposed to the old Church had also begun to Charles v „ , ,. ^ . r • • r 11 again inter- appear. Zwmgli, a Swiss reformer, was gammg many followers, venes in the and the Anabaptists were rousing Luther's apprehensions by [rov^SJfin"' their radical plans for doing away with the Catholic religion alto- Germany gether. The Emperor, finding himself again free for a time to attend to German affairs, commanded the diet, which again met at Speyer in 1529, to order the enforcement of the Edict of Worms against the heretics. No one was to preach against the Mass, and no one was to be prevented from attending it freely. This meant that the " Evangelical " princes would be forced Origin of to restore the most characteristic of the Catholic ceremonies. '< protestant " As they formed only a minority in the diet, all that they could do was to draw up a protest, signed by John Frederick, elector of Saxony, Philip of Hesse, and fourteen of the imperial towns (Strassburg, Nuremberg, Ulm, etc.). In this they claimed that the majority had no right to abrogate the edict of the former diet of Speyer, which had been passed unanimously, and which all had solemnly pledged themselves to observe. They there- fore appealed to the Emperor and a future council against the tyranny of the majority. Those who signed this appeal were called from their action Protestants. Thus originated the name which came to be generally applied to those who do not accept the rule and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Ever since the diet at Worms the Emperor had resided in Preparations Spain, busied with a succession ' of wars carried on with the of Augsburg king of France. It will be remembered that both Charles and Francis claimed Milan and the duchy of Burgundy, and they sometimes drew the Pope into their conflicts. But in 1530 the Emperor found himself at peace for the moment and came to