Elector August, the stanch defender of genuine Lutheranism, died 1586.
Under his successor, Christian I, and Chancellor Nicholas Crell,
Crypto-Calvinism once more raised its head in Electoral Saxony. But it
was for a short period only, for Christian I died September 25, 1591,
and during the regency of Duke Frederick William, who acted as guardian
of Christian II, Lutheranism was reestablished. In order effectually and
permanently to suppress the Crypto-Calvinistic intrigues, the Duke, in
February of 1592, ordered a general visitation of all the churches in
the entire Electorate. For this purpose Aegidius Hunnius [born 1550;
1576 professor in Marburg and later superintendent and professor in
Wittenberg; attended colloquy at Regensburg 1601; wrote numerous books,
particularly against Papists and Calvinists, died 1603], Martin Mirus
[born 1532, died 1593], George Mylius [born 1544; 1584 expelled from
Augsburg because he was opposed to the Gregorian almanac, since 1585
professor in Wittenberg and Jena, died 1607], Wolfgang Mamphrasius [born
1557; superintendent in Wurtzen; died 1616], and others, who were to
conduct the visitation, composed the so-called _Visitation Articles_
which were printed in 1593. The complete title of these articles runs:
"_Visitation Articles in the Entire Electorate of Saxony_, together with
the Negative and Contrary Doctrines of the Calvinists and the Form of
Subscription, as Presented to be Signed by Both Parties."
As a result of the visitation, the Crypto-Calvinistic professors in
Wittenberg and Leipzig were exiled. John Salmuth [born 1575;
court-preacher in Dresden since 1584; died 1592] and Prierius, also a
minister in Dresden, were imprisoned. As a bloody finale of the
Crypto-Calvinistic drama enacted in Electoral Saxony, Chancellor Crell
was beheaded, October 9, 1601, after an imprisonment of ten years. Crell
was punished, according to his epitaph, as "an enemy of peace and a
disturber of the public quiet--_hostis pacis et quietis publicae
turbator_," or, as Hutter remarks in his _Concordia Concors_, "not on
account of his religion, but on account of his manifold perfidy--_non ob
religionem, sed ob perfidiam multiplicem_." (448. 1258.) For a long
period (till 1836) all teachers and ministers in Electoral Saxony were
required to subscribe also to the Visitation Articles as a doctrinal
norm. Self-evidently they are not an integral part of the _Book of
Concord_.