CENT. reformation was attempted in Saxony in the year XVI. 1570, and a great variety of clandestine arts and PART II. Stratagems were employed, in order to bring it to

SECT. III.

a happy and successful issue. What the sentiments of Melancthon concerning the eucharist were towards the conclusion of his days, appears to be extremely doubtful. It is however certain, that he had a strong inclination to form a coalition between the Saxons and Calvinists, though he was prevented, by the irresolution and timidity of his natural character, from attempting openly this much desired union. Peucer, and the other disciples of Melancthon already men. tioned, made a public profession of the doctrine of Calvin and though they had much more spirit and courage than their soft and yielding master, yet they wanted his circumspection and prudence, which were not less necessary to the accomplishment of their designs. Accordingly, in the year 1571, they published in the German language, a work entitled, Stereoma [s], and other writings, in which they openly declared their dissent from the doctrine of Luther concerning the eucharist and the Person of Christ [t]; and

[s] A term which signifies foundation..

that

[t] The learned historian seems to deviate here from his usual accuracy. The authors of the book intitled Stereoma, did not declare their dissent from the doctrine of Luther, but from the extravagant inventions of some of his successors. This great man in his controversy with Zuingle had indeed thrown out some unguarded expressions, that seemed to imply a belief of the omnipresence of the body of Christ: but he became sen sible afterwards that this opinion was attended with great difficulties, and particularly, that it ought not to be made use of as a proof of Christ's corporal presence in the eucharist *. But this absurd hypothesis was renewed after the death of Luther, by Tinman and Westphal, and was dressed up in a still more specious

See Lutheri opp. tom. viii. p. 375. Edit. Janiens.

XVI. SECT. III.

that they might execute their purposes with CENT. greater facility, introduced into the schools a Catechism, compiled by Pezelius, which was fa- PART II. vourable to the sentiments of Calvin. As this bold step excited great commotions and debates in the church, Augustus held at Dresden, in the year 1571, a solemn convocation of the Saxon divines, and of all other persons concerned in the administration of ecclesiastical affairs, and commanded them to adopt his opinion in relation to the eucharist [u]. The assembled doctors compiled with this order in appearance; but their

specious and plausible form, by Brentius, Chemnitz, and Andreæ, who maintained the communication of the properties of Christ's divinity to his human nature, in the manner that it was afterwards adopted by the Lutheran church. This strange system gave occasion to the book intitled Stereoma, in which the doctrine of Luther was respected, and the inventions alone of his successors renounced, and in which the authors declared plainly, that they did not adopt the sentiments of Zuingle or Calvin; nay, that they admitted the real and substantial pre sence of Christ's body and blood in the eucharist.

[u] In this passage, compared with what follows, Dr. Mosheim seems to maintain, that the opinion of Augustus, which he imposed upon the assembled divines, was in favour of the adversaries of Melancthon, and in direct opposition to the authors of the Stereoma. But here he has committed a palpable oversight. The convocation of Dresden, in the year 1571, instead of approving or maintaining the doctrine of the rigid Lutherans, drew up, on the contrary, a form of agreement (formula consensus) in which the omnipresence, or ubiquity of Christ's body was denied, and which was, indeed, an abridgment of the book entitled Stereoma. So that the transactions at Dresden were entirely favourable to the moderate Lutherans, who embraced openly and sincerely, (and not by a feigned consent (subdole) as our historian remarks) the sentiment of the elector Augustus, who at that time patronized the disciples of Melancthon. This prince, it is true, seduced by the crafty and artful insinuations of the Ubiquitarians, or rigid Lutherans, who made him believe that the ancient doctrines of the church were in danger, changed sides soon after, and was pushed on to the most violent and persecuting measures, of which the convocation of Torgaw was the first step, and the Form of Concord the unhappy issue

CENT, compliance was feigned [w]; for, on their return XVI. to the places of their abode, they resumed their PART II. Original design, pursued it with assiduity and zeal,

SECT. III.

and by their writings, as also by their public and private instructions, endeavoured to abolish the ancient doctrine of the Saxons, relating to the presence of Christ's body in that holy sacrament. The Elector, informed of these proceedings, convened anew the Saxon doctors, and held, in the year 1574, the famous convocation of Torgaw [x], where, after a strict enquiry into the doctrines of those who, from their secret attach, ment to the sentiments of the Swiss divines, were called Crypto-Calvinists [y], he committed some of them to prison, sent others into banishment, and engaged a certain number by the force of the secular arm to change their sentiments. Peucer, who had been principally concerned in moderating the rigour of some of Luther's doctrines, felt, in a more especial manner, the dreadful effects of the elector's severity: For he was confined to a hard prison, where he lay in the most affecting circumstances of distress until the year 1585, when, having obtained his liberty through the intercession of the prince of Anhalt, who had given his daughter in marriage to Augustus, he

retired

[w] The compliance was sincere, but the order was very different from that mentioned by our author, as appears from the preceding note.

[x] It is to be observed, that there were but fifteen of the Saxon doctors convened at Torgaw by the summons of the elector; a small number this to give law to the Lutheran church. For an account of the declaration drawn up by this assembly on the points relating to the presence of Christ's body in the eucharist, the omnipresence of that body, and the oral manducation of the flesh and blood of the divine Saviour, see Hospiniani Concordia Discors, p. 39.

[y] i. e. Hidden, or disguised Calvinists.

retired to Zerbst, where he ended his days in CENT. peace [~].

XVI. SECT. III.

XXXIX. The schemes of the Crypto-Calvinists, PART II. or secret abettors of Calvinism, being thus disconcerted, the elector of Saxony, and the other The form princes who had entered into his views, redoubled of concord. their zeal and diligence in promoting the Form of Concord that has been already mentioned. Accordingly, various conferences were held preparatory to this important undertaking; and, in the year 1576, while the Saxon divines were convened at Torgaw by the order of Augustus, a treatise was composed by James Andreæ, with a design to heal the divisions of the Lutheran church, and as a preservative against the opinions of the Reformed doctors [a]. This production, which received the denomination of the Book of Torgaw, from the place where it was composed, having been carefully examined, reviewed, and corrected, by the greatest part of the Lutheran doctors in Germany, the matter was again proposed to the deliberations of a select number of divines, who met at Berg, a Benedictine monastery in the neighbourhood of Magdeburg [b]. Here all things relating

[z] See Schlusselburgii Theologia Calvinistica, lib. ii. p. 207. lib. iii. Præf. & p. 1–22. 52–57. 69. lib. iv. p. 246. -Hutteri Concordia Concors, cap. i-viii.—Arnoldi Histor. Ecclesiast. lib. xvi. cap. xxxii. p. 389-395.-Loscheri Historia motuum inter Lutheranos et Reformat. part II. p. 176. part III. P. 1.—All these are writers favourable to the rigid Lutherans; see therefore, on the other side, Casp. Peuceri Historia Carcerum et Liberationis Divina, which was published in 8vo, at Zurich, in the year 1605, by Pezelius,

[a] The term Reformed was used to distinguish the other Protestants of various denominations from the Lutherans; and it is equally applied to the friends of episcopacy and presbytery. See the following chapter.

[6] The book that was composed by Andreæ and his associates at Torgaw, was sent, by the elector of Saxony, to almost all the Lutheran princes, with a view of its being examined, approved, and received by them. It was, however,

rejected

CENT. relating to the intended project were accurately XVI. weighed, the opinions of the assembled doctors PART II, Carefully discussed, and the result of all was the

SECT. III.

famous Form of Concord, which has made so much noise in the world. The persons who assisted Andreæ in the composition of this celebrated work, or at least in the last perusal of it at Berg, were Martin Chemnitz, Nicolas Selneccer, Andrew Musculus, Christopher Cornerus, and David Chytræus [c]. This new confession of the Lutheran faith was adopted first by the Saxons, in consequence of the strict order of Augustus; and their example was afterwards followed by the greatest part of the Lutheran churches, by some sooner, by others later [d]. The authority of this confession,

rejected by several princes, and censured and refuted by several doctors. These censures engaged the compilers to review and correct it; and it was from this book, thus changed and newmodelled, that the Form of Concord, published at Berg, was entirely drawn.

[c] The Form of Concord, composed at Torgaw, and re viewed at Berg, consists of two parts. In the first is contained a system of doctrine, drawn up according to the fancy of the six doctors here mentioned. In the second is exhibited one of the strongest instances of that persecuting and tyrannical spirit, which the Protestants complained of in the church of Rome, even a formal condemnation of all those who differed from these six doctors, particularly in their strange opinions concerning the majesty and omnipresence of Christ's body, and the real manducation of his flesh and blood in the eucharist. This condemnation branded with the denomination of heretics, and excluded from the communion of the church, all Christians, of all na tions, who refused to subscribe these doctrines. More particu larly in Germany, the terrors of the sword were solicited against these pretended heretics, as may be seen in the famous testament of Brentius. For a full account of the Confession of Torgaw and Berg, see Hospinian's Concordia discors, where the reader will find large extracts out of this confession, with an ample account of the censures it underwent, the opposition that was made to it, and the arguments that were used by its learned adversaries. ~ [d] A list of the writers who have treated concerning the Form of Concord, may be found in Jo. George Walchii In

troduct