From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

epresentatives from the cities of Strasburg, Ulm,
Nuremberg, Heilbronn, Reutlingen, Constance,
Memmingen, Kempten, and Lindau. The sitting of
the assembly was marked by a striking incident.
The emperor having released two of the
ambassadors, and the third, Caden, having
contrived to make his escape, they came to
Schmalkald just as the Protestants had assembled
there, and electrifying them by their appearance in
the Diet, gave a full account of all that had befallen
them at the court of the emperor. Their statement
did not help to abate the fears of the princes. It
convinced them that evil was determined, that it
behooved them to prepare against it; and the first
and most effectual preparation, one would have
thought, was to be united among themselves.
The necessity of union was felt, but unhappily
it was sought in the wrong way. The assembly put
the question, which shall we first discuss and
arrange, the matter of religion or the matter of
defense? It was resolved to take the question of
religion first; for, said they, unless we are of one
mind on it we cannot be united in the matter of
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