The movement for a general unity within the Lutheran Church received a
powerful impetus by the sudden and ignominious collapse of
Crypto-Calvinism in Electoral Saxony, 1574. By unmasking the
Philippists, God had removed the chief obstacle of a godly and general
peace among the Lutherans. Now the clouds of dissension began to
disappear rapidly. As long as the eyes of Elector August were closed to
the dishonesty of his theologians, there was no hope for a peace
embracing the entire Lutheran Church in Germany. Even before the public
exposure of the Philippists, August had been told as much by Count
Henneberg and other princes, _viz._, that the Wittenberg theologians
were universally suspected, and that peace could not be established
until their Calvinistic errors had been condemned. For in the doctrines
of the Lord's Supper and of the person of Christ, as has been shown in
the chapter on the Crypto-Calvinistic Controversy, the Philippists of
Electoral Saxony and of other sections of Germany were Calvinists rather
than Lutherans. It was the appearance of the Calvinistic _Exegesis
Perspicua_ of 1574 which left no doubt in the mind of the Elector that
for years he had been surrounded by a clique of dishonest theologians
and unscrupulous schemers, who, though claiming to be Lutherans, were
secret adherents of Calvinism. And after the Elector, as Chemnitz
remarks, had discovered the deception of his theologians in the article
on the Lord's Supper, he began to doubt their entire contention.
(Richard, 426.)
Among Lutherans generally the humiliating events in Saxony increased the
feeling of shame at the conditions prevailing within their Church as
well as the earnest desire for a genuine and lasting peace in the old
Lutheran truths. And now Elector August, who, despite his continued
animosity against Flacius, always wished to be a true Lutheran, but up
to 1574 had not realized that the Philippistic type of doctrine dominant
in his country departed from Luther's teaching, was determined to
satisfy this universal longing for unity and peace. Immediately after
the unmasking of the Philippists he took measures to secure the
restoration of orthodox Lutheranism in his own lands. At the same time
he placed himself at the head of the larger movement for the
establishment of religious peace among the Lutherans generally by the
elaboration and adoption of a doctrinal formula settling the pending
controversies. To restore unity and peace to the Lutheran Church, which
his own theologians had done so much to disturb, was now his uppermost
desire. He prosecuted the plan of pacification with great zeal and
perseverance. He also paid the heavy expenses (80,000 gulden), incurred
by the numerous conventions, etc. And when, in the interest of such
peace and unity, the theologians were engaged in conferences the pious
Elector and his wife were on their knees, asking God that He would crown
their labor with success.
The specific plan of the Elector was as appears from his rescript of
November 21, 1575, to his counselors, that pacific theologians,
appointed by the various Lutheran princes "meet in order to deliberate
how, by the grace of God, all [the existing various _corpora doctrinae_]
might be reduced to one _corpus_ which we all could adopt, and that this
book or _corpus doctrinae_ be printed anew and the ministers in the
lands of each ruler be required to be guided thereby." Before this
Elector August had requested Count George Ernest of Henneberg to take
the initiative in the matter. Accordingly, in November, 1575 Henneberg,
Duke Ludwig of Wuerttemberg and Margrave Carl of Baden agreed to ask a
number of theologians to give their opinion concerning the question as
to how a document might be prepared which would serve as a beginning to
bring about true Christian concord among the churches of the _Augsburg
Confession_. The theologians appointed were the Wuerttemberg
court-preacher Lucas Osiander (born 1534; died 1604), the Stuttgart
provost Balthasar Bidembach (born 1533; died 1578) and several
theologians of Henneberg and Baden. Their opinion, delivered November
14, 1575, was approved by the princes, and Osiander and Bidembach were
ordered to prepare a formula of agreement in accordance with it. The
document which they submitted was discussed with theologians from
Henneberg and Baden at Cloister Maulbronn, Wuerttemberg and subscribed
January 19, 1576.
The _Maulbronn Formula_, as the document was called, differs from the
_Swabian-Saxon Concordia_ in being much briefer (about half as
voluminous), in avoiding technical Latin terms, in making no reference
whatever to Melanchthon, in quoting from Luther's works only, and in
omitting such doctrinal points (Anabaptism, Schwenckfeldianism,
Antitrinitarianism, etc.) as had not been controverted among the
Lutherans. Following the order of the _Augustana_, this _Formula_ treats
the following articles. 1. Of Original Sin; 2. Of the Person of Christ;
3. Of Justification of Faith 4. Of the Law and Gospel; 5. Of Good Works;
6. Of the Holy Supper of Our Lord Christ; 7. Of Church Usages, Called
Adiaphora or Things Indifferent; 8. Of Free Will; 9. Of the Third Use of
God's Law.