Both documents were signed by seven princes; namely, the Elector John of Saxony,
Landgrave Philip of Hesse, Margrave George of Brandenburg, Duke Ernest of Lüneburg, Duke
John Frederick of Saxony, Duke Francis of Lüneburg, Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt; and by two
representatives of free cities, Nürnberg and Reutlingen.
The signing required considerable courage, for it involved the risk of the crown. When
warned by Melanchthon of the possible consequences, the Saxon Elector nobly replied: "I will do
what is right, unconcerned about my Electoral dignity. I will confess my Lord, whose cross I esteem
more highly than all the power on earth."
This act and testimony gave great significance to the Diet of Augsburg, and immortal glory
to the confessors. Luther gave eloquent expression to his joy, when he wrote to Melanchthon, Sept.
15, 1530:^952 You have confessed Christ, you have offered peace, you have obeyed the Emperor,
you have endured injuries, you have been drenched in their revilings, you have not returned evil
for evil. In brief, you have worthily done God’s holy work as becometh saints. Be glad, then, in
the Lord, and exult, ye righteous. Long enough have ye been mourning in the world; look up, and
lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. I will canonize you as a faithful member of
Christ. And what greater glory can you desire? Is it a small thing to have yielded Christ faithful
service, and shown yourself a member worthy of Him?"
The only blot on the fame of the Lutheran confessors of Augsburg is their intolerant conduct
towards the Reformed, which weakened their own cause. The four German cities which sympathized
with the Zwinglian view on the Lord’s Supper wished to sign the Confession, with the exception
of the tenth article, which rejects their view; but they were excluded, and forced to hand in a separate
confession of faith.
§ 118. The Negotiations, the Recess, the Peace of Nürnberg.
The remaining transactions during this Diet were discouraging and unfruitful, and the result
was a complete, but short-lived, victory of the Roman Catholic party.
Melanchthon during all this time was in a state of nervous trepidation and despondency.^953
Before the delivery of the Confession he thought it too mild and pacific; after the delivery, he
thought it too severe and polemic. So far was he carried away by his desire for reunion, and fears
of the disastrous results of a split, that he made a most humiliating approach to the papal legate,
Campeggi, who had advised the Emperor to crush the Protestant heresy by fire and sword, to put
Wittenberg under the ban, and to introduce the Spanish Inquisition into Germany. Two weeks after
the delivery of the Confession, he assured him that the Lutherans did not differ in any doctrine
from the Roman Church, and were willing to obey her if she only would charitably overlook a few
minor changes of discipline and ceremonies, which they could not undo.^954 And, to conciliate such
(^952) In De Wette, IV. 165.
(^953) He spent his time "in lacrymis ac luctu," was exhausted and emaciated. See his letters, and those of Jonas and Osiander, in "Corp.
Ref.," II. 125 sq., 157, l63.
(^954) He wrote two letters to Campeggi, July 6, and two to his secretary, July 7 and Aug. 5. See "Corp. Reform.," II. 168-174, and 240.
In the first letter, after a quotation from Plato and some words of flattery, he makes this astounding concession (fol. 170): "Dogma nullum
habemus diversum ab ecclesia Romana. ... Parati sumus obedire ecclesiae Romana, modo ut illa pro sua clementia, qua semper erga
omnes gentes usa est, pauca quaedamvel dissimulet, vel relaxet quae jam mutare nequidem si velimus queamus. ... Ad haec Romani