In lieu of the General Lutheran Council advocated by the Flacians,
Christopher of Wuerttemberg, in March, 1559, recommended as the best
means to heal the breach a convention of all the Lutheran princes and
estates to be held at Naumburg, deliberations to begin January 20, 1561.
The object of this assembly, he said, was neither to discuss the
differences among the Lutherans, nor to formulate any condemnations, but
only to renew the subscription to the _Augsburg Confession_ and to
consider how the Lutherans might present a united front and a unanimous
confession at the next diet and at the prospective papal council. All
finally consented to attend, including Duke John Frederick, Elector
August (who, instigated by Melanchthon, first had declined
participation), and the Crypto-Calvinist, Elector Frederick of the
Palatinate. Expecting no results favorable to genuine Lutheranism from
this assembly, the Jena theologians renewed their request for a general
synod and sent their _Supplication_ to Naumburg with an additional
writing, dated January 23, 1561, in which they admonished the princes
not to enter into an ungodly and unionistic agreement, rather to
eliminate the errors of Major, Osiander, etc. But the princes, whose
object was to settle matters without the theologians, declined to
consider their petition, and, on February 8, the last day of the
convention, returned the documents to their authors in Jena.
After comparing the various editions of the _Augsburg Confession_, the
Naumburg Assembly decided to subscribe to the _Confession_ as delivered
1530 in Augsburg and published 1531 in German and Latin at Wittenberg.
But when, in the interest of Calvinism, whither he at that time already
was openly tending, Elector Frederick, supported by Elector August,
demanded that the edition of 1540 be recognized as the correct
explanation of the original _Augustana_, the majority of the princes
yielded, and, as a result, the Variata of 1540 alone was mentioned in
the Preface (_Praefatio_), in which the princes stated the reasons for
renewing their subscription to the _Augsburg Confession_ at Naumburg.
This Preface, prepared by Elector Frederick and the Wittenberg
Crypto-Calvinist Cracow, also asserted that hitherto no doctrinal
corruptions or deviations from the _Augsburg Confession_ had been
tolerated among the Lutherans. It mentioned neither the controversies
within the Lutheran Church nor the _Smalcald Articles_.
Evidently, to subscribe to this Preface was impossible for genuine
Lutherans. Duke John Frederick was told by his theologians Moerlin and
Stoessel that, if he signed it, they would resign and leave. The duke
replied that he, too, would mount his horse and depart rather than put
his signature to a document in which the errors introduced by the
Philippists, etc., were not rejected. Ulrich of Mecklenburg took the
same stand. And failing in his efforts to have the Preface changed in
accordance with his convictions, the Duke entered his protest and left
Naumburg without any further conference with the princes. When hereupon
the latter sent messengers to Weimar, John Frederick remained firm. As
conditions of his subscription the Duke demanded that in the Preface the
apostasy during the Interim be confessed, the distinctive features of
the Lutheran doctrine concerning the Lord's Supper be brought out
clearly, the recognition of the Variata of 1540 as a doctrinal norm be
eliminated, and the _Smalcald Articles_ be recognized with the rest of
the Lutheran symbols. Unwilling to accede to these demands, the princes
closed the discussions at Naumburg without the Duke,--hence also without
having attained their goal: peace among the Lutherans.
The Preface containing the objectionable features was signed by the
Electors of the Palatinate, Saxony, and Brandenburg, by Christopher of
Wuerttemberg, Philip of Hesse, Carl of Baden, and quite a number of
other princes and cities. However, Duke John Frederick did not by any
means stand alone in his opposition to the ambiguous, unionistic
Naumburg document. He was supported by Ulrich of Mecklenburg (who also
left Naumburg before the close of the convention), Ernest and Philip of
Brunswick, Albrecht of Mecklenburg, Adolf of Holstein, Francis of
Saxon-Lauenburg, the counts of Schwartzburg, Mansfeld, Stolberg, Barby,
and a number of other princes and cities, among the latter Regensburg,
Augsburg, Strassburg, Nuernberg and Windsheim. Besides, the loyal
Lutherans were represented also in the territories of almost all the
princes who had signed the Preface. Margrave John of Brandenburg
emphatically declared his dissatisfaction with the subscription of his
delegate at Naumburg. Before long also August of Saxony, Wolfgang of the
Palatinate, Christopher of Wuerttemberg, and Joachim of Brandenburg
signified their willingness to alter the Preface in accordance with the
views and wishes of John Frederick, especially regarding the doctrine
of the Lord's Supper. Indeed, the princes declared that from the
beginning they had understood the Preface in the strict Lutheran sense.
In the Preface of the _Book of Concord_ signed by the Lutheran princes,
we read: "Now, our conferences and those of our illustrious
predecessors, which were undertaken with a godly and sincere intention,
first at Frankfort-on-the-Main and afterwards at Naumburg, and were
recorded in writing, not only did not accomplish that end and peaceful
settlement which was desired, but from them even a defense for errors
and false doctrines was sought by some, while it had never entered our
mind, by this writing of ours, either to introduce, furnish a cover for,
and establish any false doctrine, or in the least even to recede from
the Confession presented in the year 1530 at Augsburg, but rather, as
many of us as participated in the transactions at Naumburg, wholly
reserved it to ourselves, and promised besides that if in the course of
time, anything would be desired with respect to the _Augsburg
Confession_, or as often as necessity would seem to demand it, we would
further declare all things thoroughly and at length." (CONC. TRIGL. 15.)
Even Philip of Hesse finally consented to the changes demanded by Duke
John Frederick. Elector Frederick of the Palatinate, however, who had
misled and, as it were, hypnotized the Lutheran princes at Naumburg,
openly embraced the Reformed confession and expelled all consistent
Lutherans. For the cause of Lutheranism the loss of the Palatinate
proved a great gain internally, and helped to pave the way for true
unity and the formulation and adoption of the _Formula of Concord_. And
more than any other individual it was Flacius who had helped to bring
about this result. (Preger 2, 102.)