of German states
had been quite common in the past, and a new stimulus to their
formation was given by the common religious interest. The first league
of this sort was that of Ratisbon, [Sidenote: 1524] between Bavaria and
other South German principalities; its purpose was to carry out the
Edict of Worms. This was followed by a similar league in North Germany
between Catholic states, known as the League of Dessau, [Sidenote:
1525] and a Protestant confederation known as the League of Torgau.

[Sidenote: The Diet of Spires, 1526]

The Diet held at Spires in the summer of 1526 witnessed the strength of
the new party, for in it the two sides treated on equal terms. Many
reforms were proposed, and some carried through against the obstruction
by Ferdinand, the emperor's brother and lieutenant. The great question
was the enforcement of the Edict of Worms, and on this the Diet passed
an act, known as a Recess, providing that each state should act in
matters of faith as it could answer to God and the emperor. In effect
this allowed the government of every German state to choose between the
two confessions, thus anticipating the principle of the Religious Peace
of Augsburg of 1555.

The relations of the two parties were so delicate that it seemed as if
a general religious war were imminent. In 1528, this was almost
precipitated by a certain Otto von Pack, who assured the Landgrave of
Hesse that he had found a treaty between the Catholic princes for the
extirpation of the Lutherans and for the expropriation of their
champions, the Elector of Saxony and Philip of Hesse himself. This was
false, but the Landgrave armed and attacked the Bishops of Wuerzburg and
Bamberg, named by Pack as parties to the treaty, and he forced them to
pay an indemnity.

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[Sidenote: Recess of Spires]

The Diet which met at Spires early in 1529 endeavored to deal as
drastically as possible with the schism. The Recess passed by the
Catholic majority on April 7 was most unfavorable to the Reformers,
repealing the Recess of the last Diet in their favor. Catholic states
were commanded to execute the persecuting Edict of Worms, although
Lutheran states were forbidden to abolish the office of the (Catholic)
mass, and also to allow any further innovations in their own doctrines
or practices until the calling of a general council. The princes were
forbidden to harbor the subjects of another state. The Evangelical
members of the Diet, much