A Proposal for Toleration and Unity The conference was ended, and nothing had been
done towards unanimity.
Philip and other mediators endeavored at least to establish an understanding of
mutual toleration and unity.
The theologians, one after another, were invited into his private chamber,
there he pressed, entreated, warned, exhorted, and conjured them.
Think, said he, of the salvation of the Christian Republic, and remove all discord
from its bosom.
Politically, things were threatening, Charles V and the Pope were uniting in
Italy, Ferdinand and the Roman Catholic princes were uniting in Germany.
Union among all the Protestants seemed the only thing that could save them.
So Philip believed, and toiled exceedingly to accomplish it, but the intractable and
imperious disposition of Luther stood in his way.
The Swiss doctors entered most heartily into the wishes of the Landgrave.
Let us, said Zwingle, confess our union in all things in which we are agreed,
and as for the rest, let us forbear and remember that we are brethren.
Respecting the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus, as to the grand doctrine of
salvation, there is no point of discord.
Yes, yes, cried the Landgrave, you agree.
Give then a testimony of your unity, and recognize one another as brothers.
There is no one upon earth, said Zwingle, with whom I more desire to be united than
with you, approaching the Wittenberg doctors.
O Ecolampadius, Bucer, and Hedio said the same.
This most Christian movement seemed for the moment to produce the desired effect.
Many hearts were touched even among the Saxons.
Acknowledge them.
Acknowledge them, continued the Landgrave, acknowledge them as brothers.
Even Luther's obduracy seemed to be giving way.
The keen eye of Zwingle, seeing what he hoped was a measure of relenting,
he burst into tears.
Tears of joy approaches Luther, holds out his hand, and begged him only to
pronounce the word, brother.
But, alas!
That glowing heart was doomed to a cruel disappointment.
When all eyes were fixed on the two leaders, and all hearts full of hope that
the two families of the Reformation were about to be united, Luther coldly rejected
the hand thus offered, with this cutting reply, you have a different spirit from
ours, which was equal to saying, we are of the spirit of God, you are of
the spirit of Satan.
These words, says D.
Albine, communicated to the Swiss, as it were, an electrical shock.
Their hearts sank each time Luther repeated them, and he did it frequently.
Luther's refusing to shake hands with Zwingle, says Principal Cunningham,
which led that truly noble and brave man to burst into tears, was one of the most
deplorable and humiliating, but at the same time solemn and instructive,
exhibitions of the deceitfulness of sin and the human heart the world has ever
witnessed.
Asterisk.
A brief consultation now took place among the Wittenberg doctors, but the result was
not more conciliatory.
Luther, Melanchthon, Agricola, Brenz, Jonas, and Oshinder, conferred
together.
Turning toward Zwingle and his friends, the Saxons said, We hold the belief of
Christ's bodily presence in the Eucharist to be essential to salvation, and we
cannot in conscience regard you as in the communion of the Church.
In that case, replied Busser, it were folly to ask you to recognize us as
brethren.
We think that your doctrine strikes at the glory of Jesus Christ, who now sits at the
right hand of God.
But seeing that in all things you acknowledge your dependence on the Lord,
we look at your conscience, which compels you to receive the doctrine you profess,
and we do not doubt that you belong to Christ.
And we, said Luther, declare to you once more that our conscience opposes our
receiving you as brothers.
Well, doctor, answered Busser, if you refuse to acknowledge as brethren
those who differ from you in any point, you will not find a single brother in your
own ranks.
The Swiss had exhausted their solicitations.
We are conscious, said they, of having acted as in the presence of God.
They were on the point of leaving.
They had manifested a truly Catholic Christian spirit, and the feeling of the
conference was in their favor and also of their doctrine.
Luther perceiving this, and especially the indignation of the landgrave, appeared to
soften down considerably.
He advanced towards the Swiss and said, We acknowledge you as friends,
we do not consider you as brothers aia members of Christ's Church, but we do not
exclude you from that universal charity which we owe even to our enemies.
Although this concession was only a fresh insult, the Swiss resolved to accept what
was offered them without disputation.
The Swiss and the Saxons now shook hands, and some friendly words passed between
them.
The landgrave was overjoyed that so much had been gained, and at once called out
for a report of this important result.
We must let the Christian world know, said he, that except the manner of the
presence of the Body and Blood in the Lord's Supper, you are agreed in all the
Articles of Faith.
This was resolved upon, and Luther was appointed to draw up the Articles of the
Protestant Faith.
A formula of Concord was immediately drawn up by Luther.
It consisted of fourteen Articles, rather general in their character such as
the Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, Ascension, Original Sin, Justification by
Faith, the Authority of the Scriptures, the Rejection of Tradition, and lastly,
the Lord's Supper, which was spoken of as a spiritual feeding on the very Body and
very Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To the thirteen Articles as they were read, one by one, the Swiss gave their
hearty Amen.
And although the terms in which the fourteenth was expressed appeared to them
objectionable, yet being somewhat obscure and capable of different interpretations,
they agreed to sign the Articles without causing further discussion.
This important document received the signatures of both parties on October 4,
1529.
A desire was expressed to cherish towards one another the spirit of Christian
charity, and to avoid all bitterness in maintaining what each deemed to be the
truth of God.
The Confession of Marburg was now sent to the press.
Its appearance gave the Saxons some ground for saying that the Swiss had signed
Luther's Creed, that they had recanted all their errors, that on the Eucharist alone
accepted.
That they were prepared to retract even that, but they had been deterred by fear
of the vulgar, and that they had produced no argument against the doctrine of
Luther, except their own inability to believe it.
Reports such as these flew rapidly through every part of Germany, but they were false
reports.
The reader must have observed that the courage and confidence of the Swiss
increased as the contest advanced, and that their fairness and gentleness
were mightier far than the unreasonableness and haughtiness of their
adversaries.
On Tuesday, October 5th, after a four-days conference, the Landgrave left Marburg
early.
The doctors and their friends soon followed, but the amount of truth which
had been brought out, and the opinions expressed, were widely propagated in
Germany, and many hearts were turned to the simplicity of the New Testament in
observing the Lord's Supper.