And  even  had  they  come  to  some  sort  of  understanding,  and  settled
some  terms  of  compromise,  it  would  have  been  almost  impossible  to  put
them  in  execution.  What  difficulties,  for  example,  would  the  re-establish-
ment of  bishoprics  have  created  !  The  character  of  the  new  church
rested  mainly  on  the  independence  of  the  lower  clergy,  and  its  immediate
connexion  with  the  territorial  power.  The  old  antipathy  of  the  cities
was  already  aroused  by  the  suggestion ;  the  Niirembergers  declared  they
would  never  again  submit  to  the  domination  of  a  bishop.1

Another  and  a  less  numerous  meeting,  consisting  of  only  three  members
on  either  side,  was  convened  towards  the  end  of  August,  after  the  first
negotiations  were  broken  off  ;  but  on  following  their  discussions  with
attention,  we  find  that  they  never  approached  the  point  which  the  former
assembly  had  reached.
Some  isolated  attempts  at  conciliation  were  afterwards  made.  Duke
Henry  of  Brunswick  had  a  conference  with  the  son  of  the  Elector  John
Frederick,  in  the  garden  of  a  citizen  of  Augsburg.  In  the  church  of
St.  Maurice,  the  chancellor  of  Baden  made  certain  proposals  to  the  chan-
cellor of  Saxony,  who  was  accompanied  by  Melanchthon  :  these  were
discussed  for  a  time,  but  could  lead  to  no  results.
The  protestant  party  had  conceded  as  much  as  possible,  consistently
with  their  religious  convictions ;  they  had  reached  the  farthest  limits  of
compliance  ;  nay,  murmurs  were  already  heard  in  their  own  body  against
the  concessions  that  had  been  made  ;  it  was  impossible  to  induce  them  to
advance  a  single  step  farther.  During  these  negotiations  Elector  John
exhorted  the  theologians  to  look  only  at  the  cause,  and  to  take  no  thought
for  him  or  his  land.
