Formula of Concord
The Formula of Concord (Latin formula Concordiae, Eintracht formula, even the Bergische book ) is the last confession of the Lutheran Church. It was created in 1577 at the instigation of the Elector Augustus of Saxony.
History
The Formula of Concord should settle the disagreements which arose after Luther's death in 1546 between the Swabian and Lower Saxon Lutherans in that particular course axes of the mild Melanchthon 's direction ( Philippism ) followed, during Ernestine Saxony and Württemberg remained strictly Lutheran ( Gnesio-Lutherans ). The related disputes ranged partly even up to Luther's lifetime back. First, it was on a 1576 to Torgau, the former Saxon seat of government, held the Convention, at the Jacob Andreae from Tübingen, Georg Lysthenius from Dresden, Martin Chemnitz from Braunschweig, David Chytraeus from Rostock, Andreas Musculus and Christoph Körner from Frankfurt (Oder ) participated, completed on the basis of Andreae 1574 designed Swabian- Saxon Concord and the so-called Maulbronner formula of 1576 Torgau book called, this but after running numerous reports in the monastery mountains near Magdeburg in 1577 mentioned by the theologians, to which, instead Georg Lysthenius Nicholas Selnecker from Leipzig came, but many alterations and now called the Bergische book or the Formula of Concord.
When this formula is any approach to the Reformed was made impossible. Church received the same recognition, among others in the Electorate of Saxony, the Electorate of Brandenburg, the Palatinate, 20 duchies, 24 counties and 35 imperial cities. 8000-9000 Lutheran theologians recognized by their signature. However, not all in favor of Lutheran territories the Formula of Concord; subsequently it is true today in all Lutheran churches as a confession. So it was, inter alia, in Hesse, Zweibrücken, Anhalt, Pomerania, Holstein, Denmark, Sweden, Nuremberg and Strasbourg not be accepted.
The Formula of Concord was included in the 1580 Book of Concord was published.
All pastor in the Electorate of Saxony had a confession to Concord. It circulated a verse:
"Write, dear Lord, writes, that you remain in the parish. "
Content
The Formula of Concord was written in German. A later translation into Latin worried Chemnitz and Selnecker. The first part, called Epitome, in twelve articles describing the assessment and decision of the hitherto disputed points of doctrine. First, each of the issue (status controversiae ) sets out the orthodox view of the disputed point flush summarized in the so-called Affirmativa, finally called her conflicting teaching in the negatives or Antithesis their main points after and immediately " rejected and condemned".
The second part, solida declaratio ( = detailed presentation ) called the same items discussed in the context and is actually the Torgau book after the changes on which agreement had been reached in the monastery mountains, which is why it is also called Bergisch book.