Talk:Formula of Concord

[edit] Translation of the German Wikipedia entry

Source: [1]

The Formula of Concord (Latin: Formula concordiae, “Harmony Concord,” also “The Bergic Book”), is the last symbolical writing of the Lutheran Church. It came into being in 1577 at the instigation of Elector August of Saxony. It was meant to settle the disagreements, which after Luther’s death had come into being thereby, that Electoral Saxony, in particular, followed the mild Melanchthonian direction (Philippism), while Lower Saxony and Württemberg remained strictly Lutheran. First of all, at a 1576 convention held in Torgau—Saxon seat of government at that time—in which Jacob Andreae from Tübingen, Martin Chemnitz from Braunschweig, David Chytraeus, Andrew Musculus, and Christopher Körner from Frankfurt (Oder) took part—on the basis of the Swabian-Saxon Concord, drafted by Andreae in 1574 and the so called Maulbron Formula of 1576, the so called Torgau Book had been completed. This, then, after the arrival of numerous opinions, in the Bergen Abbey near Magdeburg in 1577, by the mentioned theologians, to whom also Nikolaus Selneccer from Leipzig came, was reworked and now called the Bergic Book or the Formula of Concord. Through this Formula any convergence with the Reformed Church was made impossible. Ecclesiastical acceptance was received alike in Electoral Saxony, Electoral Brandenburg, Electoral Pflaz, 20 duchies, 24 counties, and 35 imperial free cities. It was rejected, however, in Hesse, Zweibrücken, Anhalt, Pommeranian (Land), Holstein, Denmark, Sweden, Nürnberg, Strassburg, and Magdeburg.

The Formula of Concord was originally written in German and later was first translated into Latin by Andrew Osiander. The first part, called [the] “Epitome,” contained in eleven articles the assessment and decision of the then disputed points of doctrine in such a way that the dispute (‘’status controversiae’’) was explained, the orthodox view of the disputed points was summarized concisely in the so called “Affirmativa” [Affirmative statement], finally the doctrine that stood against it [i.e. the orthodox view] was indicated in the “Negativa” or “Antithesis” according to its main points and immediately rejected and condemned. The second part, called [the] “Solid Declaration,” discussed in detail the same articles in context and is actually the Torgau Book after the change, which they had made there in the Bergen cloister. The Formula of Concord was included in the Book of Concord, published in 1580.

Every parson in electoral Saxony had to make a confession with respect to the Formula of Concord. A rhyme was circulated [at the time]: “Write, dear Lord, write, that you might remain at the parish”.