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

the four theologians at Wittenberg, March, 1530, and presented at Torgau.
Dr. Shedd goes on to say: "This draft of a Confession was then brought
before the Imperial Diet, at Augsburg, for examination and adoption. Here
it received revision, and some slight modifications, under the leadership of
Melanchthon, who was present at the discussion before the Diet, and was
aided during the progress of the debate, by the advice and concurrence of
Luther, then at Coburg, in a free and full correspondence. The Symbol
having been formed in this manner, was subscribed by the princes and
authorities of the Protestant interest, and in their name publicly read in
German, before the imperial assembly, and a copy, in both German and
Latin, presented to the Emperor. The Augsburg Confession thus became
the authorized doctrinal basis of Protestantism in Germany." In this
account we are compelled to say there is more than one mistake. Neither
this draft of a Confession, nor any other draft, was ever brought before the
Imperial Diet, either for examination and adoption, or for any other
purpose. Of course, therefore, it received no revision there, or modification.
None of the processes connected with the formation of the Confession,
took place in the presence of the Diet. The Diet knew nothing of its
contents up to the time of the reading of it. After the Elector had received,
at Torgau, the Schwabach, and the Torgau Articles proper, he started for
Augsburg, leaving, for prudential reasons, Luther at Coburg, with the
understanding that nothing final should be done without consulting him.
The Elector and his retinue entered Augsburg, May 2nd, and remained
there. During the rest of the month, and for the first half of June, the secular
and ecclesiastical dignitaries were gathering for the Diet. In this interval,
from May 26th to June 20th, the Emperor not having arrived, and no
sessions of the Diet having taken place, Melanchthon, with the aid and
advice of the other theologians, and of all the representatives of the
Evangelical interest, given in, sentence by sentence, did the work of
composing the Confession which was to be submitted to the Diet, laying,
as the ground-work, the Articles of Schwabach and Torgau, but doing far
more than would be generally understood in Dr. Shedd's