WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:05.540 A Proposal for Toleration and Unity The conference was ended, and nothing had been 00:05.540 --> 00:06.880 done towards unanimity. 00:07.940 --> 00:12.060 Philip and other mediators endeavored at least to establish an understanding of 00:12.060 --> 00:13.680 mutual toleration and unity. 00:14.500 --> 00:18.840 The theologians, one after another, were invited into his private chamber, 00:19.240 --> 00:23.180 there he pressed, entreated, warned, exhorted, and conjured them. 00:23.920 --> 00:28.860 Think, said he, of the salvation of the Christian Republic, and remove all discord 00:28.860 --> 00:29.620 from its bosom. 00:30.560 --> 00:35.020 Politically, things were threatening, Charles V and the Pope were uniting in 00:35.020 --> 00:38.980 Italy, Ferdinand and the Roman Catholic princes were uniting in Germany. 00:40.020 --> 00:43.620 Union among all the Protestants seemed the only thing that could save them. 00:44.580 --> 00:49.420 So Philip believed, and toiled exceedingly to accomplish it, but the intractable and 00:49.420 --> 00:52.080 imperious disposition of Luther stood in his way. 00:52.820 --> 00:56.860 The Swiss doctors entered most heartily into the wishes of the Landgrave. 00:57.460 --> 01:02.220 Let us, said Zwingle, confess our union in all things in which we are agreed, 01:02.520 --> 01:05.960 and as for the rest, let us forbear and remember that we are brethren. 01:06.980 --> 01:11.340 Respecting the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus, as to the grand doctrine of 01:11.340 --> 01:13.600 salvation, there is no point of discord. 01:14.600 --> 01:17.840 Yes, yes, cried the Landgrave, you agree. 01:18.800 --> 01:22.920 Give then a testimony of your unity, and recognize one another as brothers. 01:23.980 --> 01:28.660 There is no one upon earth, said Zwingle, with whom I more desire to be united than 01:28.660 --> 01:30.980 with you, approaching the Wittenberg doctors. 01:32.000 --> 01:35.560 O Ecolampadius, Bucer, and Hedio said the same. 01:36.520 --> 01:40.540 This most Christian movement seemed for the moment to produce the desired effect. 01:41.560 --> 01:43.960 Many hearts were touched even among the Saxons. 01:45.000 --> 01:45.780 Acknowledge them. 01:46.740 --> 01:50.560 Acknowledge them, continued the Landgrave, acknowledge them as brothers. 01:51.680 --> 01:54.380 Even Luther's obduracy seemed to be giving way. 01:55.120 --> 01:58.840 The keen eye of Zwingle, seeing what he hoped was a measure of relenting, 01:59.160 --> 02:00.140 he burst into tears. 02:00.220 --> 02:04.380 Tears of joy approaches Luther, holds out his hand, and begged him only to 02:04.380 --> 02:05.620 pronounce the word, brother. 02:06.600 --> 02:07.640 But, alas! 02:08.420 --> 02:11.560 That glowing heart was doomed to a cruel disappointment. 02:12.520 --> 02:17.000 When all eyes were fixed on the two leaders, and all hearts full of hope that 02:17.000 --> 02:21.240 the two families of the Reformation were about to be united, Luther coldly rejected 02:21.240 --> 02:25.340 the hand thus offered, with this cutting reply, you have a different spirit from 02:25.340 --> 02:29.820 ours, which was equal to saying, we are of the spirit of God, you are of 02:29.820 --> 02:30.780 the spirit of Satan. 02:31.740 --> 02:33.320 These words, says D. 02:33.540 --> 02:37.760 Albine, communicated to the Swiss, as it were, an electrical shock. 02:38.680 --> 02:42.460 Their hearts sank each time Luther repeated them, and he did it frequently. 02:43.500 --> 02:47.500 Luther's refusing to shake hands with Zwingle, says Principal Cunningham, 02:47.780 --> 02:52.240 which led that truly noble and brave man to burst into tears, was one of the most 02:52.240 --> 02:56.140 deplorable and humiliating, but at the same time solemn and instructive, 02:56.440 --> 03:00.140 exhibitions of the deceitfulness of sin and the human heart the world has ever 03:00.140 --> 03:00.640 witnessed. 03:01.740 --> 03:02.360 Asterisk. 03:02.960 --> 03:07.920 A brief consultation now took place among the Wittenberg doctors, but the result was 03:07.920 --> 03:09.200 not more conciliatory. 03:10.280 --> 03:15.560 Luther, Melanchthon, Agricola, Brenz, Jonas, and Oshinder, conferred 03:15.560 --> 03:15.940 together. 03:16.980 --> 03:21.320 Turning toward Zwingle and his friends, the Saxons said, We hold the belief of 03:21.320 --> 03:25.540 Christ's bodily presence in the Eucharist to be essential to salvation, and we 03:25.540 --> 03:28.680 cannot in conscience regard you as in the communion of the Church. 03:29.280 --> 03:34.320 In that case, replied Busser, it were folly to ask you to recognize us as 03:34.320 --> 03:34.660 brethren. 03:35.340 --> 03:40.220 We think that your doctrine strikes at the glory of Jesus Christ, who now sits at the 03:40.220 --> 03:41.180 right hand of God. 03:41.780 --> 03:45.360 But seeing that in all things you acknowledge your dependence on the Lord, 03:45.660 --> 03:49.580 we look at your conscience, which compels you to receive the doctrine you profess, 03:49.580 --> 03:52.100 and we do not doubt that you belong to Christ. 03:53.160 --> 03:57.340 And we, said Luther, declare to you once more that our conscience opposes our 03:57.340 --> 03:58.480 receiving you as brothers. 03:59.420 --> 04:03.700 Well, doctor, answered Busser, if you refuse to acknowledge as brethren 04:03.700 --> 04:07.800 those who differ from you in any point, you will not find a single brother in your 04:07.800 --> 04:08.400 own ranks. 04:09.360 --> 04:11.660 The Swiss had exhausted their solicitations. 04:12.600 --> 04:16.940 We are conscious, said they, of having acted as in the presence of God. 04:17.760 --> 04:19.200 They were on the point of leaving. 04:19.640 --> 04:23.680 They had manifested a truly Catholic Christian spirit, and the feeling of the 04:23.680 --> 04:26.320 conference was in their favor and also of their doctrine. 04:27.400 --> 04:32.100 Luther perceiving this, and especially the indignation of the landgrave, appeared to 04:32.100 --> 04:33.360 soften down considerably. 04:34.160 --> 04:38.160 He advanced towards the Swiss and said, We acknowledge you as friends, 04:38.500 --> 04:43.260 we do not consider you as brothers aia members of Christ's Church, but we do not 04:43.260 --> 04:47.000 exclude you from that universal charity which we owe even to our enemies. 04:48.060 --> 04:52.500 Although this concession was only a fresh insult, the Swiss resolved to accept what 04:52.500 --> 04:54.220 was offered them without disputation. 04:54.860 --> 04:59.820 The Swiss and the Saxons now shook hands, and some friendly words passed between 04:59.820 --> 05:00.120 them. 05:01.020 --> 05:05.380 The landgrave was overjoyed that so much had been gained, and at once called out 05:05.380 --> 05:07.160 for a report of this important result. 05:07.780 --> 05:12.340 We must let the Christian world know, said he, that except the manner of the 05:12.340 --> 05:16.300 presence of the Body and Blood in the Lord's Supper, you are agreed in all the 05:16.300 --> 05:17.240 Articles of Faith. 05:17.860 --> 05:22.540 This was resolved upon, and Luther was appointed to draw up the Articles of the 05:22.540 --> 05:23.420 Protestant Faith. 05:24.380 --> 05:27.880 A formula of Concord was immediately drawn up by Luther. 05:28.880 --> 05:33.080 It consisted of fourteen Articles, rather general in their character such as 05:33.080 --> 05:38.680 the Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, Ascension, Original Sin, Justification by 05:38.680 --> 05:43.140 Faith, the Authority of the Scriptures, the Rejection of Tradition, and lastly, 05:43.480 --> 05:47.900 the Lord's Supper, which was spoken of as a spiritual feeding on the very Body and 05:47.900 --> 05:49.920 very Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 05:50.640 --> 05:55.460 To the thirteen Articles as they were read, one by one, the Swiss gave their 05:55.460 --> 05:56.140 hearty Amen. 05:57.140 --> 06:00.620 And although the terms in which the fourteenth was expressed appeared to them 06:00.620 --> 06:04.680 objectionable, yet being somewhat obscure and capable of different interpretations, 06:05.220 --> 06:08.440 they agreed to sign the Articles without causing further discussion. 06:09.120 --> 06:13.840 This important document received the signatures of both parties on October 4, 06:14.200 --> 06:15.080 1529. 06:16.260 --> 06:20.160 A desire was expressed to cherish towards one another the spirit of Christian 06:20.160 --> 06:24.380 charity, and to avoid all bitterness in maintaining what each deemed to be the 06:24.380 --> 06:25.120 truth of God. 06:25.980 --> 06:28.700 The Confession of Marburg was now sent to the press. 06:29.740 --> 06:33.560 Its appearance gave the Saxons some ground for saying that the Swiss had signed 06:33.560 --> 06:38.000 Luther's Creed, that they had recanted all their errors, that on the Eucharist alone 06:38.000 --> 06:38.520 accepted. 06:39.180 --> 06:43.380 That they were prepared to retract even that, but they had been deterred by fear 06:43.380 --> 06:47.000 of the vulgar, and that they had produced no argument against the doctrine of 06:47.000 --> 06:49.680 Luther, except their own inability to believe it. 06:50.520 --> 06:54.840 Reports such as these flew rapidly through every part of Germany, but they were false 06:54.840 --> 06:55.360 reports. 06:56.020 --> 06:59.720 The reader must have observed that the courage and confidence of the Swiss 06:59.720 --> 07:03.680 increased as the contest advanced, and that their fairness and gentleness 07:03.680 --> 07:07.080 were mightier far than the unreasonableness and haughtiness of their 07:07.080 --> 07:07.800 adversaries. 07:08.700 --> 07:14.220 On Tuesday, October 5th, after a four-days conference, the Landgrave left Marburg 07:14.220 --> 07:14.540 early. 07:15.540 --> 07:19.420 The doctors and their friends soon followed, but the amount of truth which 07:19.420 --> 07:23.840 had been brought out, and the opinions expressed, were widely propagated in 07:23.840 --> 07:27.860 Germany, and many hearts were turned to the simplicity of the New Testament in 07:27.860 --> 07:29.060 observing the Lord's Supper.