Afflictions of the Lutheran Church in Germany after the Reformation.
1. THE SMALCALD WAR. Already during the life of Luther clouds of war had
frequently arisen, threatening to destroy the Lutheran church. But as
long as Luther lived the storm did not break. His prophecy was
fulfilled: "I have fervently prayed to God, and still beseech Him daily,
to check the evil counsels of the papists and permit no war to come upon
Germany while I live, and I am sure that God has certainly heard my
prayer, and I know that as long as I live there will be no war in
Germany. Now when I am dead, rest and sleep do you also pray. I will die
before this calamity and misery come upon Germany." Scarcely had Luther
closed his eyes when the emperor and the Pope thought the time had come
again to strengthen popery and oppress the Lutheran doctrine with the
sword, aye, completely to destroy it. The emperor accused the Lutheran
princes of disobedience because they would not submit to the Edict of
Augsburg, and declared the ban of the empire against them. Soon
thereafter he made war upon them. The Lutherans also gathered an army
for their defense. Before the Elector John Frederick was aware of it the
emperor's army, led by a traitor, fell upon him.
On the 24th of April, 1547, the battle was fought near Muehlberg on the
Elbe. The army of the Lutheran princes was defeated; 3000 remained
upon the battlefield, and the elector himself was taken prisoner. Not
long thereafter he was condemned to die. Only on condition that he
surrender his electoral crown and domain to the Lutheran Duke Maurice of
Saxony, who had joined the forces of the emperor, was he to be pardoned.
The elector gave up his country without remonstrance, but he would not
forsake his faith. His high courage earned him the title, "The
Magnanimous." For when the emperor demanded that he sign the resolutions
of the Council of Trent in which the Lutheran doctrine was condemned, he
declared with indignation: "I will abide steadfast in the doctrine and
confession which, together with my father and other princes, I confessed
at Augsburg, and rather give up country and people, yea, and my head
also, than forsake the Word of God."
Thus the cause of the Lutheran confessors seemed to be lost. But right
in the midst of war's tumult and the enemy's triumph sounded the word of
the Lord: "Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the
word, and it shall not stand; for God is with us," Is. 8, 10. God helped
wonderfully. Maurice of Saxony demanded of the emperor the release of
his father-in-law, Philip of Hesse. When the emperor refused to do this
Maurice turned against him with his army and put him to flight. In 1555
the Peace of Augsburg was signed. By it complete liberty of religion and
worship was guaranteed to the Lutherans for the future.
2. DOCTRINAL CONTROVERSIES. Already in the days of Luther fanatics had
attempted to darken and displace the true doctrine with diverse errors.
After his death his prophetic words were fulfilled: "I see it coming, if
God does not give us faithful pastors and ministers the devil will
disrupt the church by factious spirits, and will not leave off nor cease
till he has finished it. If the devil cannot do it through the Pope and
the emperor he will accomplish it through those who now agree with us in
doctrine. Therefore pray God to let His Word remain with you, for
abominable things will happen. I know that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock."
Scarcely had the faithful watchman and guardian been gathered to his
fathers when everywhere teachers and preachers arose who departed from
the truth of God's Word and tried to set up their own false teachings.
Thus some taught: Good works are necessary unto salvation; others,
again, maintained: Not only are they unnecessary, but they are harmful
to our salvation. Again, it was taught that man could prepare himself
for grace, and assist in his conversion. Others even secretly plotted to
introduce the false doctrines of the Reformed into the Lutheran church.
Thus the bright light which shone so brilliantly in Luther's days was in
danger of being obscured by the doctrines of men. But in the midst of
such confusion God had His faithful confessors. After heated contests
truth, by God's grace, obtained the victory. In 1577, by the united
labors of the faithful confessors, the Form of Concord, the last
confession of the Lutheran church, was completed. In this confession the
Lutheran church renounces all error and demands of all its members unity
of doctrine and confession. The reestablished unity of doctrine called
forth loud rejoicing and thanksgiving to God everywhere in Germany. In
1580 the Book of Concord of the Lutheran church, containing also the
Form of Concord, appeared in print for the first time.
3. THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR. This good fortune and peace of the Lutheran
church did not last long. Satan did not cease to attack her. For his
purpose he especially used the Jesuits, a new order of monks. These
allied servants of the Pope used every means to suppress the Lutheran
church. As advisers of princes, in the confessional, and as teachers at
the higher schools they fanned the flame of hatred against the
Lutherans, and their endeavors were not in vain. Through them a war of
thirty years began to rage in Germany. During the reign of Emperor
Rudolph II the religious peace guaranteed at Augsburg was broken
repeatedly, and the Lutherans were sorely oppressed. Finally, when a
Protestant church in Bohemia was forcibly closed and another was even
torn down, the storm broke loose. By it the greater part of Germany was
laid waste, and untold misery was caused. Everywhere the evangelical
princes were defeated, and their cause seemed to be lost. The Pope and
his minions rejoiced.
But in the hour of greatest distress help appeared in the person of
Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden. Everywhere the people welcomed him.
However, in his march of triumph through Germany he met with a bloody
death. On the 6th of November, 1632, a battle was fought at Luetzen. In
the Swedish army the trumpeters played the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is
Our God." Then the whole army sang, "May God Bestow on us His Grace."
Whereupon the king cried, "Now at it! In the name of God! Jesus, Jesus,
Jesus, help us fight this day in honor of Thy holy name!" The Swedes
gained a glorious victory, but their king, struck by a bullet, fell
dying from his horse. Sixteen years longer the deplorable war raged on.
In 1648 the long-desired peace was finally concluded. In it the
Religious Peace of Augsburg was again acknowledged and extended to
include the Reformed church. The Pope protested violently, but in vain.
It is true, conditions after the war were terrible in Germany, also for
the Lutheran church. But the chastenings of the Lord strengthened the
faith in His Word, and the church flourished and prospered. Faithful
pastors strengthened the Christians by their sermons and their writings,
and everywhere the seed grew and brought fruit. It was just in this time
that pious poets made their harps resound and sang their glorious hymns
to the honor and praise of God.
4. RATIONALISM AND UNIONISM. In no way had the devil succeeded in
smothering the Lutheran church in its own blood or in destroying it by
false doctrine. Again and again courageous witnesses arose, and in loud
and clear words testified that man is justified and saved by grace
alone, for Christ's sake, through faith. At the end of the seventeenth
century, however, men arose in England who craftily sought to abolish
the Christian faith. These were the so-called Deists, or Freethinkers.
Their doctrine, at first, passed from England to France, and then to
Germany. Human reason was to take the place of the Bible. Luther's
prophecy was fulfilled: "Until now you have heard the true, faithful
Word; now beware of your own thoughts and your own wisdom. The devil
will light the candle of reason and deprive you of faith." Not the
Scriptures, the revelation of God, but human reason was to decide
matters of faith and salvation. Whatever did not agree with human reason
was simply to be rejected as superstition. Whoever confessed his faith
in the truths of the Bible was called an obscurant. Those were sad
times.
In addition, the so-called "Union" in Germany, by sacrificing the
biblical truth, made the attempt to unite the Lutheran and the Reformed
churches into a mixed church, which was called the Evangelical church.
In this way the ruin of the church of the pure Gospel was to be
completed. Faithful Lutherans who would not join in this apostasy were
violently persecuted, cast into prison, cruelly punished, or compelled
to emigrate into foreign countries, Australia or America.