SPEIEE.

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visit, had, with a stränge infatuation, suddenly turned agalnstthe monarcli; whereupon Charles turned as abruptly towardstlie Evangelical princes : " Let us suspend the Edict of Worms,"he then wrote to his brother; " let us bring back Luther'spartisans by mildness, and, by a good counsel, cause thetriumph of Evangelical truth."

What, then, was to be done ? The Edict of Wormscould neither be repealed nor carried into execution. Sostränge a predicament led of necessity to the desired Solution—Religious Liberty.

" In one place," said the deputies of the cities, " the ancientceremonies (of the Church) have been preserved; in anotherthey have been abolished; and both parties think they areright. Let us allow every man to do as he think fit untila Council shall re-establish the desired unity of all by theWord of God."

The "recess" of the Diet, dated the 27th of August,1526, decreed, therefore, that a national free Council shouldbe convoked within a year; that they should request theEmperor to return speedily to Germany; and that, untilthen, each State should behave in its own territory in sucha manner as to be able to render an account to God and to theEmperor.

Thus matters continued—the Reformationstill increasing,under the authority of the law as it were — until the 29thJune, 1528, when a peace between the heads of the GermanEmpire and of the Roman Church was concluded at Barcelona,based on the destruction of heresy; and in November of thesame year another Diet was convoked to meet at Speier, onthe 21st February, 1529.

" Never did the sacerdotal party appear in the Diet, we aretold, in such numbers, or so powerful and decided, as then."

On the 5th March, Ferdinand, who was the President of