The rumor had spread that the emperor would move the imperial diet, which had been announced for Worms, to Augsburg. The council of Augsburg feared that the Imperial Diet would curtail religious freedom and therefore turned to the Elector of Saxony with the request that he should prevent the Imperial Diet from being moved there. The Elector did not agree, but on October 28 he sent this concern with a letter to the Augsburg council.
From the Weimar Archives, Reg. H 571-574, No. 186, printed by Burkhardt, p. 450. It is by Bugenhagen's hand, but without signature.
The Psalm says, "Command GOtte thy way, and he shall perform it." We see that we cannot lead this great cause, the preservation of right pure doctrine, with human prudence alone. Therefore, do as much as is possible at any time by right divine means, and do not think that it is possible to prevent all future dangers.-And although we also ask and call upon our Savior Jesus Christ for peace, it is nevertheless to be feared that our antagonism will now persist so vehemently with His Majesty that much swifter attempts will be made to destroy or weaken or break up our churches. - Nevertheless, we do not want to advise that one should
I do not believe that I will use improper means of my own accord to prevent the Diet than with armaments, war or indignation, but [it is] better that we wait and see how God Himself will send and guide us in time. Whoever wants to stay, let him stay; whoever does not want to stay, we cannot keep. - And first of all it is true that if the city of M. [Augsburg] could occur with due cause that the Diet would not be held there, that would be very good. Therefore, this should first be attempted, and the Emperor should be reminded of the theuration and such inconvenience, and it should also be indicated that His Majesty knows how it has a form there for the sake of religion, and if a change were to be made in it, all sorts of things would have to be taken care of. - If this does not help, however, and the King persists in his opinion that the Diet should be held in N., then this may be allowed to happen, and the gates cannot be closed to him as the Lord. - From this it will follow that he wants to have a church there, will perhaps also bring the canons there again and order them to hold their usual ceremonies, and it would also be necessary to have patience if the king were to take a church and hold his ceremonies there with his people, as he did in Nuremberg at the castle. For we cannot and should not force him to hold our ceremonies. - If, however, he should command us to hold still with the present right doctrine and sermon and Christian ceremonies, the city of Nuremberg, together with the other estates that will be there, shall petition Imperial Maj. Maj. and be clearly heard that they will keep their present ecclesiastical order and not let it fall, and even if the Imperial Diet is disrupted because of this, there is no other way to proceed in this case. - If, however, Imperial Maj. Maj. alone seizes and restores the cathedral chapter without this search, and wants to reinstate the Canonicos, the Council shall, on the other hand, petition Imperial Maj. Maj. for this, with notice of ecclesiastical and secular grievances, so that they [the canons] may cause the city manifold disturbances before this time, and that they do not know and do not want to protect them in the future. - If the King is not satisfied with this, the City Council may be patient and await the end of the Imperial Diet, which is to be held in the next few days.
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3150 to 3153.
will also give its measure in this case. -For we have heard that the Holy Roman Emperor will present an order in doctrine and ceremonies in the semblance of a settlement, and will command all estates to accept it via edicti. Whether all will accept the same settlement on both sides, that remains to be seen. But it is not probable, and we fear that the parting will not be peaceful, and so the Canonici will not remain in N. for long. - If, however, the farewell will be gracious and peaceful, we may thank God, but we cannot consider that Gropperus and Gerardus, who are primarily the settlers, are primarily seeking the truth, but their opinion is directed to adorning and preserving the masses and the priesthood with a pretense, which, they consider, serves peace and good government. That this is basically their opinion is public. - Nevertheless, the Diet should not be hindered by improper means, by war or indignation, but whoever is God-fearing should show himself Christian, faithful and constant in the Diet. May God grant grace for this.
No. 3151.