Charles V
Emperor before whom Luther refused to recant at Worms in 1521. He outlawed Luther by the Edict of Worms, and in his name the diet of Speyer of 1529 revoked the latitude granted in 1526.
The Edict of Worms styles Charles elected Roman emperor, king of Germany, Spain, the Two Sicilies, Jerusalem and Hungary, archduke of Austria and duke of Burgundy (Edict of Worms preamble and § 26 (Kidd no. 45, p. 87)). The day after Martin Luther refused to retract at Worms, Charles declared that he would stake his dominions, his friends, his body and his soul on the defence of the faith his ancestors had held, and would hear Luther no more (Charles V, Declaration of 19 April 1521 Kidd no. 43, pp. 85–86). The edict issued in his name put Luther under the ban of the empire (Edict of Worms preamble and § 26 (Kidd no. 45, p. 87)).
In 1529 the proposition laid before the diet of Speyer in his name annulled the article of 1526 that had left each estate to answer to God and the emperor for its conduct (Diet of Speyer (1529) proposition, § 7 (Kidd no. 104, p. 241)). The Lutheran estates addressed their confession to him at Augsburg in 1530 (Augsburg Confession preface). See Luther Is Excommunicated and Outlawed at Worms, the Protestation at Speyer and the Augsburg Confession.
In the timeline
- 1520 to 1521, firm dateLuther Is Excommunicated and Outlawed at Worms
Leo X condemns forty-one of Luther’s propositions in 1520 and excommunicates him in January 1521. Before Charles V at Worms that April, Luther refuses to retract unless convinced by Scripture or evident reason. An imperial edict outlaws him, and he is hidden in a Saxon castle.
- 19 April 1529, firm dateThe Protestation at Speyer
At the diet of Speyer in April 1529 the majority revokes the latitude that the diet of 1526 had left to each ruler in religion. A group of princes and fourteen cities enter a formal protest, holding that in matters of salvation each must answer to God for himself.
- 25 June 1530, firm dateThe Augsburg Confession
At the Diet of Augsburg seven princes and two cities present the emperor Charles V with a statement of their faith in twenty-eight articles, drawn up by Philip Melanchthon. Lutheran princes and cities bind themselves to it again in the Book of Concord of 1580.
- 1545 to 1563, firm dateThe Council of Trent
In twenty-five sessions spread over eighteen years, the Catholic bishops assembled at Trent define their church’s teaching on Scripture and tradition, justification and the sacraments, and decree a reform of the clergy.
- 25 September 1555, firm dateThe Peace of Augsburg
The imperial diet at Augsburg makes a lasting peace between the estates of the old religion and those of the Augsburg Confession. Each estate keeps its religion in its own lands; subjects who dissent may emigrate; all other confessions are excluded.