A History of the Reformation in the 16th
Century
Book 14 - The Augsburg Confession
(1530)
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 1
The
essence of Christianity was it spirituality.
However, at this point in the Reformation, politics were taking a
grip on the Reformation and its was beginning to deal with the world in
less than spiritual terms. Once
this began to occur, it’s decline began.
Charles
had not yet heard the edict that came from Spires, and the outcome of
the dealing there. German
citizens who were in favor of the protest brought news to him, and the
Word of God was glorified as the only foundation upon which the church
should build. Charles was
silent. This was not the
Catholic alliance he had made in order to destroy the heresy of the
land.
A
congress was opened at Smalkald where Ehinger, Caden and Frauentraut,
those three who had brought news to Charles, appeared before them.
Phillip was pleased that his political endeavors were coming
together nicely. However,
he was deceived into thinking Charles accepted the news of Spires with
delight and not disdain. Luther
desired to see religion and politics wed, but at this point the
Protestant Church was not the religious state wed to the emperor –
that was the case with Rome.
Charles
called together the states of the empire to Augsburg in order to come
together and discuss the problems on both sides of the church, both
Protestantism and Romanism, in order to reach one unified Christian
body. This seemed all well
and good. However, this did
not seem like Charles at all. At
first he spoke of ridding heresy by the sword, and now he is talking
about peace. Yet, each time
Charles tended toward being cordial with both parties, Ferdinand
continued to bring him back to his Catholic senses.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 2
Charles
desired to be crowned by the Pope, and this happened in Bologna.
Clement distributed the mass to him, had him recite vows to the
Catholic church, then presented him with a sword in which he was to make
use of it against the enemies of the faith.
The emperor kissed a white cross-embroidered on the Pope’s
slipper and vowed to uphold such. The
people feared the emperor since he was now the anointed one of the
papacy. They thought this
was the end for Luther and Melancthon against the empire of both Charles
and the pontificate.
The
Duke of Saxony inquired with Luther as to what should be done if the
emperor marched against the reformers.
Luther consoled him not to raise a sword, nor should any prince,
for God would deliver them from the hand of their enemies.
Now all that the Duke desired was to entertain whether he would
go to the Diet at Augsburg or not, in case it would be a trap for those
who held forth the Protestant banner.
The
elector decided to go to Augsburg, though his life may be at stake, and
arrived on May 2nd. On
May 12th Phillip of Hesse arrived as well.
Charles himself arrived and the people thronged him as he entered
the city. The people
thought, as they had been discussing, that the Reformation would fall
apart now that Charles was near.
A
new turn took place. As
some were in Augsburg awaiting the official start of religious matters
concerning the Diet, at Innspruck Duke George and the worst opposers of
the Reformation held a new “secret” Diet with Charles.
This was opposed by John-Frederick, an electoral prince, and he
insisted that the Diet be held where Charles had originally intended it
– in Augsburg. This was
the first opposition Charles experienced.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 3
Augsburg was now the official place where the Diet should be
held. John and Phillip took
advantage of this Diet in order to voice their opinions and the truth of
Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to convert the empire to Protestantism.
Phillip had Snepff and Cellarius preach in the cathedral
subsequent days, and the Gospel was heard by all who attended.
Rome was amazed. The
mother Church came hoping to see dejected criminals, and instead, they
saw the fierceness of the Gospel.
Rome was upset that such preaching had taken place and had
Charles raise up two counts to create formal charges against John for
having allowed it. The priests of Rome were not skilled enough to battle
the Gospel, and therefore had to resort to political coos.
John received their letter and told the prince that if he was to
be shut down, he would leave the city.
This would not have been good politically.
John said that he would wait for an answer from his theologian as
to his course of action. Luther
said he should be humble and respectful of the king.
Melancthon, who was at Augsburg with him along with the princes,
agreed with Luther on this course of action.
The elector and princes, along with Melancthon, decided to draw
up a common confession that they could hand the emperor concerning their
position on doctrine, and they petitioned him to allow the preaching of
the Word of God to continue each day. Melancthon sent the draft to
Luther and Luther approved it without correction.
However, upon return to Melancthon, he and the princes continued
to improve it day by day until it was finished.
The confession was distributed to the Protestants States and all
agreed to it after deliberations.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 4
There was great agitation in the city as the king made his way to
the Diet. Spaniards (those
who were devout Catholics) caused some problems for the princes as they
arrived on the scene and tore down their arms, and many of the town’s
people were ready for some kind of outburst or riotous behavior to take
place. Soldiers lined the streets, and the magistrates had chains put up
in order to keep the crowd controlled.
Charles
had finally made it to Augsburg himself and the throng of people that
greeted him was innumerable. The
electors and princes gathered at the town hall and waited for Charles to
arrive there. Albert of Mentz heralded his arrival, and welcomed the
emperor to the Diet.
The
princes, electors, and the king assembled at Augsburg, and the Romanists
there desired to have the mass instituted.
The Protestants vehemently protested this.
Charles was agitated as to why they could not simply go along
with this, but it would be against their conscience to do so.
He angrily instructed the theologians to draw up a document
stating why they did not agree with the Romanists on this, and Spalatin
took pen in hand and that night wrote down their differences with the
help of other theologians.
In
the morning the Margrave of Brandenburg was the spokesmen on behalf of
the Protestants to Charles. They
withstood the emperor, and this caused him great irritation since he was
defending Catholic doctrine, and now the Pope.
Charles sent forth a threatening order in light of his doctrinal
position against the Protestants, but princes, who were in fact Romans,
but desired to keep peace there, overthrew it.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 5
Charles was defeated on the procession, but wanted to take
revenge on the princes by stopping the sermons they were having each
day. Protestants gathered
to discern the request of the emperor to stop the sermons and it was
obviously rejected. Mention
was made of laying aside both Catholic and Lutheran positions and having
chaplains simply preach the Word of God.
This, though not perfect in Melancthon’s eyes, was acceptable
since the desire of the Protestants was to have Charles hear their
confession that they had been working upon for days.
If they continued to agitate the emperor there would be no room
to have him see the Confession.
The Diet assembled in the cathedral and a sermon or sorts was
given. Both the Protestants
and Catholics disdained it since the man exalted the Turks about the
Germans. The Turks all bow
to one man, but the Germans bow to no one.
He made the Germans seems like anarchists and that they should be
put to the sword. Even the
cardinals detested this language. Germany
was almost at war with the Turks, and here they were being elevated
above the Germans!
Valdez begged Melancthon to call on Charles that a conference may
be had that was less public than a disputation between all these people
in the Diet. Melancthon
desired such a conference much more than the public debate, and again
Valdez relayed to Melancthon the emperor’s desire to keep things
discreet. Melancthon was
almost won over to such a meeting, but Duke John intervened in this and
did not think that such a conference was proper.
It would have to be a public disputation of sorts between the
Protestants and Charles.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 6
Charles, desiring to having this disputation finished, ordered
the elector have the Confession read by Friday.
This took the Protestants by surprise.
They labored day and night to have the Confession ready.
On Thursday the document was read during a gathering of the
electors and princes. The
landgrave, being Zwinglian and not Lutheran, as well as the
Strasburgers, wanted one point on the sacrament of the Supper changed,
but the request was denied.
The electors and princes were ready to sign this document when
Melancthon said that only ministers and theologians should be the ones
to put their signature to it. It was not for princes to do such things.
However, John was quite forceful in his desire to uphold the
truth, and Melancthon gave way to the princes to sign the document.
Melancthon was in anguish. He
was unsure of how all this would turn out and desired so much to have
Luther by his side. However, due to the threats upon Luther’s life, he could
not attend the Diet in the city it was held.
Melancthon was not on his own though.
Luther was taking time to pray fervently for the Diet and the
success of the Gospel there. Instead
of taking his prime hours of study, he used that time to pray. He took three hours a day to pray for this Diet and the
importance of it. He
desired, as much as the princes and theologians attending, to see a
happy victory come from the work that Melancthon had put in on the
Confession. The Confession was written by the grace of prayer, along with
the theological prowess of Melancthon’s intellect.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 7
At last the day arrived when the Confession would be read before
the king. The hearing would
take place in the chapel of the Palatine Palace, and Charles took his
seat on the throne and readied himself to hear the Protestant.
John the elector, his son, Phillip of Hesse, and the other
Protestant electors and margraves stood up with joy before the king to
present him with the Confession. Bayer
was chosen to read the Confession clearly, slowly and precisely.
The Confession painted the expression of faith of the Christian
Church, the sacraments of the supper and baptism, the government of the
church, forgiveness of sins, and then they moved onto the second part of
the Confession which outlined abuses that the Protestants could not in
good conscience uphold. The reading took two hours.
The document itself was profound, and it remains one of the
penned work of genius of the Reformation.
Roman documents come forth without Scripture, and pressed
harshness and threats. This
document was filled with the Bible and purposed solemnity and high
intellectual structure and language that was serene. In writing in this manner, Melancthon demonstrated he was
being as wise as a serpent and harmless a dove.
He compromised on nothing, but addressed all that should be said
in the context for which it was written.
Charles kept the Latin copy for himself, and gave the German one
to the elector of Mentz since he was not proficient in the language.
Charles rose from his throne and begged them in a low tone not to
publish the Confession and they agreed.
The chapel was dismissed.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 8
The Roman church had expected a harsh document that attacked
their doctrines. Instead
they heard the confession of Protestants to their Lord Jesus Christ.
Many were won to the truth by this document, among whom were
Archbishop Hermann, elector of Cologne, the Count-palatine Frederick,
Duke Erick of Brunswick-Luneberg, Duke Henry of Mecklenburg and the
Dukes of Pomerania. Charles
himself had the Confession translated into French, Italian, Spanish and
Portuguese in order to send it to every court, echoing the sentiments
that Luther desired.
Luther was quite happy that the document was moving through
Christendom, but the outcome of such a drama would be another thing
altogether. What would the
end be of all this? Luther
proposed that it would not be as good as the present circumstances.
Charles, knowing he needed to unify the nation, thought he would
attack the smaller confederacies first by having them adhere to the
edict of the Diet of Spires. These small confederacies thought this was strange and asked
for time to consider this. The
next day they answered the emperor in saying they could not hold to the
Recess of the Diet that contradicted the Word of God, and so refused his
request. Charles called all
the princes together as debate began over the Confession.
The princes stood their ground heartily and George of Saxony and
Joachim of Brandenburg were both animated and outspoken in their views.
Charles then had a group of theologians sit with Melancthon to go
over this document and see if resolve could be made.
Resolve was not met because to do so would be to give up the
Catholicism that the Romanist theologians adhered.
Among those consulting theologians were John Eck and Faber.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 9
A refutation of the Confession was commencing by the Catholic
theologians, each one adding his own refutations and his own thoughts of
hatred toward the document. The refutation was “confused, violent and blood-thirsty.”
Charles immediately saw the difference between the two documents
– it was too forthright to be denied.
Charles would have been ashamed to have such a refutation read at
the Diet and he told them they must revise it, and make it shorter, with
moderate language.
The Romanists theologians and Charles knew they would not win the
Protestants with the document. Instead
they decided to hold meetings with the electors one by one, thinking
they would not be able to remain strong while standing alone.
They accused John of siding with the Swiss (Bucer and Capito had
arrived day before the Confession was read, but the Romanists did not
know such celebrated doctors were also present).
This did not work, for the Christian faith was stronger than the
Catholic pressure.
The document of Refutation was revised and submitted to
the Diet. The Protestants
saw their hopes of success fade, and the deception of the king’s
reception of the Confession they had drawn up was nothing more than an
exercise for him. The
Catholics placed forth their objections, and even the Pope, while in
Rome, set on paper certain doctrines that the Protestants would heed –
they pressed manmade tradition that the Confession rejected.
The Protestants saw this document as a ploy to set the foundation
of Romanism again and feared this would be the recourse. On the 6th of August, a Saturday night, soldiers
were brought into the city by Charles’ command, to guard the gates and
to keep a watch on the elector and the princes.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 10
Though a storm was rising about him, Phillip of Hesse stood firm
against the king and his ploys. Charles
summoned him to speak with him and Phillip took up the opportunity.
Charles brought forth accusations against him but Phillip
justified himself on every one, though Charles did not accept his
testimony to his faith as a Protestant and commanded him to submit to
him. Charles was “stupefied” at the landgrave’s boldness.
Phillip then desired the Protestants to unify and come against
the king by civil war, but the Protestants refused.
Phillip, of no use to either side, quit the city.
Charles called the electors and princes again to the hall to
meet. The speaker was again
Joachim who refused, on behalf of the princes and electors, to give up
their doctrines. The
emperor cried peace only if they would compromise his beliefs.
How could they dismiss the Confession which they had taken pains
to convey to the Diet? They
would not recant of their evangelical doctrines and left the breach open
wide between the two parties.
Phillip requested a leave of absence from the emperor and he left
the city without addressing any of his friends, more agitated with them
because of their failure to take up arms.
Charles had the matter known to the Protestants, but they did not
know that Phillip had departed and all this was done without their
consent to him leaving. With
Phillip gone, though, both sides of the conflict sheathed their swords
and did not desire disputations to break out in blood.
Both sides desired peace, although the Protestants had always
desired this.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 11
Romish theologians again went through the Confession and
disagreed only with six or seven points out of twenty-one.
This was far more condescending than they had been previously.
After further deliberation, the points were dwindled down to
three. The first was of penance, the second was the invocation of the
saints, and the third justification by faith alone.
Dr. Eck found it absurd to believe one is justified by faith
alone, or sola. Eck
wanted the word sola taken out of the document.
The Protestants refused. The
Catholic theologians were only acquiescing as far as they could
equivocate the document to their own likening.
Next they traced the abuses mentioned in the Confession.
The question that occupied them on this part of the Confession
was the government of the church. The
Protestants decided to give a little and allow the bishops and priests
to reside so long as they did not persecute the preachers of the Gospel. They even acquiesced that the Pope could remain Pope so
long as they would not be under his tyranny.
They confessed him as antichrist, but as Pharaoh was over the
Jews so they would remain under his authority in this regard, but not
doctrinally.
These,
and other concessions were made between Protestants and Catholics, and
when news of all this reached the streets the Protestants were in
rejection of it. It impugned on Christian liberty and overthrew it.
Luther heard of it and desired that he be excused from such
concessions. The Pope would
not be reconciled to him and he would not be reconciled to the Pope.
Melancthon had blinded himself to taking a stand, and his
weakness was demonstrating itself in these concessions.
History
Of The Reformation Of The Sixteenth Century:
Book
14, Chapter 12
The elector John was furious at the outcome of the court and
could do nothing but quit the city.
The Protestants were forbidden to print anything since the
Catholics had claimed to refute the Confession by the Holy Scriptures
and the Protestants did not bow to their refutation.
A Recess was written up and distributed to them.
The electors and princes gathered early to go over this document
and desired to stand before Charles again to protest this document.
Charles, though, gave up all hopes of reconciliation.
Charles met with the princes after their morning meeting and
Joachim again spoke for them. They
rejected the document and could not acquiesce to it.
Charles was astounded at their firmness and did not expect such
resolution. The electors and princes bowed out before the king, and
Charles petitioned his uncle there not expecting such a thing could be
done between families. But
his uncle bowed out as well without reply.
In the afternoon the electors and princes quit the city and
headed for their respective provinces.
Charles V wrote to the Pope and informed him that all
negotiations were off and that reconciliation had not occurred.
The adversaries of Rome were more resolute than ever.
The Reformation was unified in its faith, though Germans and
Swiss were not all agreed on every point of the Lord’s Supper and
worship.
The Diet at Augsburg was convened for the express purpose of
destroying the Reformation, and yet, God’s providence would have it
that the same would strengthen it.
One of the most helpful Reformed confessions emerged from there,
commonly known as the Augsburg Confession.
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