AUGSBURG, the Augusta Vindelicorum of the ancients, an ancient free imperial city of Swabia, but now incorporated with the kingdom of Bavaria, is situated in a beautiful plain near the confluence of the Lech and Werlach, about forty miles north-west of Munich, and 300 miles west of Vienna. It was once a very flourishing, large, and handsome city, a prin cipal seat in Germany of commerce, manufactures, and the liberal arts. Its position was favourable for between Italy, Tyrol, Switzerland, and the northern states ; and accordingly it was for many ages the grand entrepot of the commerce carried on between the Venetian territories and the different provinces of Germany, Bohemia, and the various states which extend from the Gulf of Venice to the shores of the Baltic. Here was held the celebrated diet of the empire, by Charles V. in person, A. D. 1530, at which the confederate princes, who had a few months before protested against the acts of the imperial diet of Spires, (which had declared any re ligious innovations rebellion against the Germanic body,) assumed the name of Protestants. At this diet of Augsburg, the well-known Lutheran Confes sion of Faith, consisting of twenty-eight chapters, concerning the nature, reasons, and extent of the se paration from the Romish church, was drawn up by Melancthon ; presented to the emperor and all the German princes ; discussed with great earnestness for many weeks ; and finally considered as the code of Lutheran Protestantism in Germany. The greatest delicacy of address was requisite in managing this business. The minds of men, kept in perpetual agi. tation by a controversy carried on for twelve years with unparalleled acrimony, without intermission of debate, or abatement of zeal, were now inflamed to a very high degree. They were accustomed to inno vations, and saw the boldest of them successful. Having not only abolished old rights, but substitu ted new forms in their place, they were influenced as much by attachment to the system which they had embraced, as by aversion to that which they had abandoned. This spirit, and those views, were not confined to the ecclesiastics of the new sect. Some of the most powerful princes of the empire embraced them with equal ardour. The elector of Saxony, the marquis of Brandenburg, the landgrave of Hesse Cassel, the dukes of Lunenburg, the prince of An halt-Dessau, together with the deputies of fourteen imperial free cities, joined in the solemn protest allu ded to, and were present at the diet of Augsburg, to enforce and maintain the confession of faith pre sented by the learned Melancthon.
The elector of Saxony did not allow Luther to accompany hiM to the diet, lest his presence should inflame the minds of the opposite party to a degree incompatible with the object for which the diet was assembled. For the same reason, he and the confe derate princes and deputies employed Melancthon, the man of the greatest learning, as well as of the most pacific and gentle spirit, among the reformers, to draw up the confession of their faith, expressed in terms as little offensive to the ROman Catholics, as a regard for truth and consistency would permit. Melancthon, who seldom suffered the rancour of con troversy to envenom his style, even in writings purely polemical, executed a task so agreeable to his natu ral disposition with great moderation and address: The creed which he composed was read publicly in the city-hall of Augsburg, before the diet, and the catholic and protestant divines. Some of the former were appointed to examine it : they brought in their animadversions. A dispute ensued between them and Melancthon, seconded by some of his coadjutors ; but though he softened some articles, made conces sions with regard to others, and put the least objec tionable sense upon all ; though Charles V. laboured with great earnestness to reconcile the contending parties ; so many marks of distinction were now esta blished, and such insuperable barriers placed between the two churches, that all hopes of bringing about a coalition were utterly desperate, (See Seekendor§; lib. xi. p. 159, &c.) It was not merely the Ro man Catholic party, however, to whom the proceed ings of the diet of Augsburg, and the confession of faith given in by Melancthon, gave offence. A very numerous body of the Protestants themselves disap proved of the whole transaction, and separated, not only from the Catholic church for ever, but also from the Lutheran. They assumed the denomina tion of Evangelical Reformed, and are still known by that title, and constitute nearly one-third of the Pro testants of all Germany.