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The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

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execution to the unforced action of the different Estates, <strong>and</strong> it promised<br />

the speedy convocation of a General Council, or at least of a National<br />

Assembly. <strong>The</strong> second Diet at Spires (1529) quenched the hopes inspired<br />

by this earlier action. It decreed that the Edict of Worms should be strictly<br />

enforced where it had already been received; the celebration of the Romish<br />

Mass protected, <strong>and</strong> the preachers bound to confine themselves to the<br />

doctrine of the Romish Church in their teachings. <strong>The</strong> Protest of the<br />

Evangelical Princes against this decision, originated the name<br />

PROTESTANTS.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Protestant Princes made their appeal to a free General Council.<br />

Charles V., after vainly endeavoring to obtain the consent of the Pope to<br />

the convocation of a General Council, summoned the Diet at Augsburg,<br />

promising to appear in person, <strong>and</strong> to give a gracious hearing to the whole<br />

question, so that the "one only Christian truth might be maintained, that all<br />

might be subjects <strong>and</strong> soldiers of the one Christ, <strong>and</strong> live in the fellowship<br />

<strong>and</strong> unity of one Church." To this end the Emperor directed the friends of<br />

the Evangelical faith to prepare, for presentation to the Diet, a statement on<br />

the points of division.<br />

In consequence of this order of the Emperor, the Elector of Saxony,<br />

who was the leader of the Evangelical Princes, directed Luther, in<br />

conjunction with the other theologians at Wittenberg, to draw up a<br />

summary of doctrine, <strong>and</strong> a statement of the abuses to be corrected. <strong>The</strong><br />

statement drawn up in consequence of this, had, as its groundwork,<br />

Articles which were already prepared; <strong>and</strong> as the Augsburg Confession is<br />

the ripest result of a series of labors, in which this was one, <strong>and</strong> as much<br />

confusion of statement exists on the relations of these labors, it may be<br />

useful to give the main points in chronological order.<br />

1. 1529. October 1, 2, 3. <strong>The</strong> Conference at Marburg took place<br />

between Luther <strong>and</strong> the Saxon divines upon the one side, <strong>and</strong> Zwingle <strong>and</strong><br />

the Swiss divines on the other. Luther, in conjunction with others of our<br />

great theologians, prepared the XV. Marburg Articles, October, 1529.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se Articles were

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