The emperor, however, resolutely persevered in the endeavor to compel the Protestants to subscribe to his articles, and punished severely those who refused to do so.  In his Burgundian provinces he endeavored to establish the inquisition, that all heresy might be nipped in the bud.  In his zeal he quite outstripped the pope.  As Julius III. had now ascended the pontifical throne, Charles, fearful that he might be too liberal in his policy towards the reformers, and might make too many concessions, extorted from him the promise that he would not introduce any reformation in the Church without consulting him and obtaining his consent.  Thus the pope himself became but one of the dependents of Charles V., and all the corruptions of the Church were sustained by the imperial arm.  He then, through the submissive pope, summoned a council of Catholic divines to meet at Trent.  He had arranged in his own mind the decrees which they were to issue, and had entered into a treaty with the new King of France, Henry II., by which the French monarch agreed, with all the military force of his kingdom, to maintain the decrees of the council of Trent, whatever they might be.

The emperor had now apparently attained all his ends.  He had crushed the Protestant league, vanquished the Protestant princes, subjected the pope to his will, arranged religious matters according to his views, and had now assembled a subservient council to ratify and confirm all he had done.  But with this success he had become arrogant, implacable and cruel.  His friends had become alienated and his enemies exasperated.  Even the most rigorous Catholics were alarmed at his assumptions, and the pope was humiliated by his haughty bearing.

Charles assembled a diet of the States of the empire at Augsburg, the 26th of July, 1550.  He entered the city with the pomp and the pride of a conqueror, and with such an array of military force as to awe the States into compliance with his wishes.  He then demanded of all the States of the empire an agreement that they would enforce, in all their dominions the decrees of the council of Trent, which council was soon to be convened.  There is sublimity in the energy with which this monarch moved, step by step, toward the accomplishment of his plans.  He seemed to leave no chance for failure.  The members of the diet were as obsequious as spaniels to their imperious master, and watched his countenance to learn when they were to say yes, and when no.

In one thing only he failed.  He wished to have his son Philip elected as his successor on the imperial throne.  His brother Ferdinand opposed him in this ambitious plan, and thus emboldened the diet to declare that while the emperor was living it was illegal to choose his successor, as it tended to render the imperial crown hereditary.  The emperor, sagacious as he was domineering, waived the prosecution of his plan for the present, preparing to resume it when he had punished and paralyzed those who opposed.