In March 1529, a diet was convoked at Speyer, in which the Roman Catholics endeavoured to enforce the edict of Worms, but the oppo sition of the Elector of Saxony, the Landgrave of Hesse, the Margrave of Brandenburg, and the deputies of the imperial cities, caused its rejection. The Roman Catholics then endeavoured to separate the reformers; they drew up a decree, apparently directed against those who denied the real presence, hut so worded as to include the Lutherans also, who refused their sanction to it. It was on this occasion that the reformed princes and deputies delivered a formal "Protestation " against the decree, dated Speyer, 19th of April 1529, which was signed by John, elector of Saxony, George, tuargrave of Brandenburg, Philip, landgrave of Hesse, Ernest and Francis, dukes of Ltineburg, Wolfgang, prince of Auhalt, and the deputies of fourteen cities. From this protestation arose the name of "I'rotestants," which in its origin was applied to the Lutherans.
The Landgrave of Hesse, wishing if possible to bring about a union among all reformers, succeeded iu appointing a conference between Luther and Melaucthon on one side and Zuingli and (Ecolampadius on the other at Marburg. The conference turned chiefly on the subject of the real presence, but it produced no approximation among the opposite parties. They separated neither in friendliness nor hostility, and both parties retained their favourite tenets. In 1530 a diet was convoked at Augsburg by Charles V., who attended it iu person, and there the Lutherans presented their confession of faith, which was drawn up by Melanethon and approved by Luther.
In 1534 Luther completed his greatest, work, the German version of the Bible, which is much admired for its elegance, force, and precision, and which has rendered the Scriptures really popular in Germany.
The remaining years of Luther's life were passed in comparative quiet, chiefly at Wittenberg, in the dutica of his professorship, in • writing religious and controversial tracts, and in epistolary corre spoudence. He was consulted by the Protestant princes and clergy • upon all important and listened to with deference. The • pacification of Ntirtiberg iu 1532 had left the Lutheran princes, states, and towns in full possession of their religious liberties; and that peace e was not openly interrupted till after Luther's death. Luther had , the satisfaction of seeing his doctrines spread farther and farther through Germany, throughout Saxony and Brandenburg, to Moravia and Bohemia, Denmark, and Sweden. He also effected a reconciliation with the so.called Sacrameutarians of Strasbourg, Ulm, and other towns, by means of Bucer, eo that all reformed Germany was united - under one harmer. The Helvetic reformed churches however continued separate from hia.
r At tho beginning of 1546 Luther repaired from Wittenberg to Eisiebou for the purpose of reconciling the counts Mansfcld, whose - subject he was born. lie attended several conferences for that bene• volent purpose, and succeeded in restoring peace to that family. While at Eisleben be preached four times and also revised a plan of regulations concerning the ecclesiastical discipline of that little state. He had been for some time in a very precarious state of health : on the 17th of February he felt very ill and weak, laid himself on a couch, spoke of his approaching death, for which be appeared quite prepared, and recommended his soul to Jesus. He grew worse in the evening. Count Albrecht of Manafeld and his countess and several medical men attended him during his last hours. His old friend Dr. Jonas having asked him : "Reverend father, do you die with a firm conviction of the faith you have taught 7" Luther in a distinct voice replied "Yes," and soon after breathed his last. His body was carried to Wittenberg, where he was buried with great honours. Shortly before his death he wrote several affectionate letters to his wife, who had remained at Wit tenberg with her children. He left her by his will a house which he had purchased, as well as a small estate at Zeirsdorf, charging her to pay his debts, which amounted to 450 florins; and he left her also a few valuable trinkets and other moveables worth about 1000 florins. "I leave," be wrote, "no ready cash or hidden treasure, as I have had no other income but my salary and a few presents, and yet have managed to keep an establishment and purchase property."
Luther's works, which are multifarious and voluminous, partly in Latin and partly in German, have been repeatedly published : a complete edition was published at Erlangen in 26 vols. 12mo, 1826-33. Among his works, those of most interest to the general reader are his Table Talk' (" Tischreden "), his familiar letters, and his sermons. Luther ranks high among German writers for the vigour of his style and the development which he imparted to his vernacular language. Schroeck, Melancthon, and others have written biographies of Luther, snd Michelet has extracted a kind of autobiography from numerous passages of his works : Memoires de Luther, emits par lui-mdme, traduits et mis en ordre,' 2 vols. 8vo, Paris, 1835. In the character of Luther there was no calculation, reserve, or hypocrisy. He was frank and vehement, and often intemperate. But be was in earnest in his vehemence; he really felt the importance of the topics he was discuss ing; and whether he was right or wrong in his peculiar opinions, he was a sincere and zealous believer in the Christian Revelation. Luther considered religion as the most important busiucas of man, and because he considered it as such, he wished to ascend to its very source unalloyed by human authority. He contended for the right of every man to consult the great book of the Christian law ; and although he insisted upon his own interpretation of particular passages of the Scriptures, the principles of free inquiry which he introduced led to further results, and gradually established that liberty of conscience which now exists in the Protestant states of Europe. But Luther himself, whilst he appealed to the Scriptures against human authority, did not for a moment admit of any doubts concerning the truth of revelation. The question between Luther and his antagonists is there fore of material importance chiefly to Christians. To those who do not believe in Christianity it may appear of little consequence what Christians do believe, or how and whence they derive their belief; but even in a social point of view it is of some importance to decide whether large multitudes of men are to exercise their own judgment and be able to give reasons why they believe certain doctrines, or whether they are for ever to repeat, generation after generation, whatever they have been taught in their youth, without exercising their reasoning powers on the matter.
Those who judge of' Luther's disposition merely from his contro versial style and manner greatly mistake his character. He was a warm-hearted German, kind and generous ; he abused and vilified his antagonists the more in proportiontas they were powerful, but he could feel for the unhappy, and he even tendered some consolation to his bitterest enemy Tetzel, when, forsaken by his employers, and upbraided as the cause of all the mischief, he was in the agonies of death and despair.
Luther gave that impulse towards spiritual philosophy, that thirst for information, that logical exercise of the mind, which have made the Germane the most generally instructed and the most intellectual people in Europe. Luther was convinced of the necessity of education as auxiliary to religion and morality, and be pleaded unceasingly for the education of the labouring classes, broadly telling princes and rulers how dangerous as well as unjust it was to keep their subjects in ignorance and degradation. He was no courtly flatterer • he spoke in favour of the poor, the humble, and the oppressed, and against the high and mighty, even of his own party, who were guilty of cupidity and oppression. Luther's doctrine was altogether in favour of civil liberty, and in Germany it tended to support constitutional rights against the encroachments of the imperial power.
Luther's moral courage, his undaunted firmness, his strong convic tion, and the great revolution which he effected in society, place him in the first rank of historical characters. The form of the monk of Wittenberg emerging from the receding gloom of the middle ages, appears towering above the sovereigns and warriors, statesmen and divines of the 18th century, who were his contemporaries, his anta gonists, or his disciples.
(J. Alb. Fabricius, Centtfoliunt Lutheranum, 2 vole. 1728-30, gives a list of all the authors who had then written concerning Luther and his Reformation.)