Conference of Regensburg
Encyclopedia
The Colloquy of Regensburg, historically called the Colloquy of Ratisbon, was a conference held at Regensburg
(Ratisbon) in 1541, during the Protestant Reformation
, which marks the culmination of attempts to restore religious unity in the Holy Roman Empire
by means of theological debate.
in 1540 and at Worms
in January 1541 but the latter session of the Imperial Diet was adjourned by the Emperor Charles V
as the Diet was preparing to meet at Regensburg. The subject for debate was to be the Augsburg Confession
, the primary doctrinal statement of the Protestant movement, and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession
, a defence of the Confession written by Philipp Melancthon.
On December 15, 1540, a secret conference took place between Johann Gropper, canon
of Cologne, and Gerhard Veltwick, the Imperial secretary, on the one side and Butzer and Capito
, the delegates of Protestant Strasbourg, on the other. The two sides agreed their positions on original sin
and justification
, but the promise made by the Catholic party at Haguenau, to negotiate on the basis of the Confession and Apology, was withdrawn.
Early in 1541, Butzer sent a draft of the conclusions to Joachim II, Elector of Brandenburg, with the request to communicate it to Luther
and the other princes of the Protestant league. The document was essentially identical with the later so-called Regensburg Book, which formed the basis of the Regensburg Conference in place of the Augsburg Confession.
It was divided into twenty-three articles, some of which closely approached the Protestant view; but it decided no questions of dogma and did not exclude the Catholic positions. On February 13, 1541, the book reached the hands of Luther. In spite of the apparent concessions made in regard to the doctrine of justification, he perceived that the proposed articles of agreement could be accepted by neither party.
and the negotiations of the French king with the Protestants in his country, it was his desire to pacify Germany. The conference was opened on April 5. The negotiators were Gropper, Pflug
, and Eck
on the Catholic side, under the oversight of the Papal Legate Cardinal Contarini
, Bucer, the elder Johannes Pistorius
, and Melanchthon for the Protestants. Besides the presidents, Count Palatine Frederick and Granvella, six witnesses were present, among them Burkhardt and Feige, chancellors of Saxony
and Hesse
respectively, and Jakob Sturm
of Strasbourg.
The first four articles, on the condition and integrity of man before the
fall, on free will
, on the cause of sin, and on original sin
, passed without difficulty. The article on justification
encountered great opposition, especially from Eck
, but an agreement was finally arrived at; neither Elector John Frederick
nor Luther was satisfied with this article. With respect to the articles on the doctrinal authority of the Church, the hierarchy, discipline, sacraments, etc., no agreement was possible, and they were all passed over without result. On May 31 the book with the changes agreed upon and nine counter-propositions of the Protestants was returned to the Emperor. In spite of the opposition of Mainz
, Bavaria
, and the Imperial legate, Charles V
still hoped for an agreement on the basis of the articles which had been accepted by both parties, those in which they differed being postponed to a later time.
As it was perceived that all negotiations would be in vain if the consent of Luther were not obtained, a deputation headed by John of Anhalt arrived at Wittenberg
, where Luther resided, on June 9. Luther answered in a polite and almost diplomatic way. He expressed satisfaction in reference to the agreement on some of the articles, but did not believe in the sincerity of his opponents and made his consent dependent upon conditions which he knew could not be accepted by the Roman Catholics.
Before the deputation had returned from Wittenberg, the Roman party had entirely destroyed all hope of union. The formula of justification, which Contarini
had sent
to Rome, was rejected by a papal consistory. Rome declared that the matter could be settled only at a council, and this opinion was shared by the stricter party among the estates. Albert of Mainz
urged the Emperor to take up arms against the Protestants. Charles V
tried in vain to induce the Protestants to accept the disputed articles, while Joachim of Brandenburg made new attempts to bring about an agreement. With every day the gulf between the opposing parties became wider, and both of them, even the Roman
Catholics, showed a disposition to ally themselves with France against the Emperor.
received instructions to announce to the Emperor that all settlement of religious and ecclesiastical questions should be left to the Pope. Thus the whole effort for union was frustrated, even before the Protestant estates declared that they insisted upon their counterproposals in regard to the disputed articles.
The supposed results of the religious conference were to be laid before a general or national council or before an assembly of the Empire which was to be convoked within eighteen months. In the mean time the Protestants were bound to adhere to the articles agreed upon, not to publish anything on them, and not to abolish any churches or monasteries, while the prelates were requested to reform their clergy at the order of the legate. The peace of Nuremberg was to extend until the time of the future council, but the Augsburg Recess was to be maintained.
These decisions might have become very dangerous to the Protestants, and in order not to force them into an alliance with his foreign opponents, the Emperor decided to change some of
the resolutions in their favor; but the Roman Catholics did not acknowledge his declaration. As he was not willing to expose himself to an intervention on their part, he left Regensburg on June 29, without having obtained either an agreement or a humiliation of the Protestants, and the Roman party now looked upon him with greater mistrust than the Protestants.
II. Secondary literature
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc09.html?term=Regensburg,%20Conference%20of
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
(Ratisbon) in 1541, during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, which marks the culmination of attempts to restore religious unity in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
by means of theological debate.
Background
Delegates from the various factions had met at HaguenauHaguenau
-Economy:The town has a well balanced economy. Centuries of troubled history in the buffer lands between France and Germany have bequeathed to Haguenau a rich historical and cultural heritage which supports a lively tourist trade. There is also a thriving light manufacturing sector centred on the...
in 1540 and at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
in January 1541 but the latter session of the Imperial Diet was adjourned by the Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
as the Diet was preparing to meet at Regensburg. The subject for debate was to be the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, the primary doctrinal statement of the Protestant movement, and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Apology of the Augsburg Confession
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession was written by Philipp Melanchthon during and after the 1530 Diet of Augsburg as a response to the Pontifical Confutation of the Augsburg Confession, Charles V's commissioned official Roman Catholic response to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession of June 25, 1530...
, a defence of the Confession written by Philipp Melancthon.
On December 15, 1540, a secret conference took place between Johann Gropper, canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Cologne, and Gerhard Veltwick, the Imperial secretary, on the one side and Butzer and Capito
Wolfgang Fabricius Capito
Wolfgang Fabricius Capito was a German religious reformer-His life and work:Capito was born in born of humble parentage at Haguenau in Alsace....
, the delegates of Protestant Strasbourg, on the other. The two sides agreed their positions on original sin
Original sin
Original sin is, according to a Christian theological doctrine, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred...
and justification
Justification (theology)
Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
, but the promise made by the Catholic party at Haguenau, to negotiate on the basis of the Confession and Apology, was withdrawn.
Early in 1541, Butzer sent a draft of the conclusions to Joachim II, Elector of Brandenburg, with the request to communicate it to Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and the other princes of the Protestant league. The document was essentially identical with the later so-called Regensburg Book, which formed the basis of the Regensburg Conference in place of the Augsburg Confession.
It was divided into twenty-three articles, some of which closely approached the Protestant view; but it decided no questions of dogma and did not exclude the Catholic positions. On February 13, 1541, the book reached the hands of Luther. In spite of the apparent concessions made in regard to the doctrine of justification, he perceived that the proposed articles of agreement could be accepted by neither party.
The Colloquy
On February 23, 1541, the Emperor entered Regensburg. In consideration of his difficult political situation, especially of the threatened war with the Ottoman TurksOttoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
and the negotiations of the French king with the Protestants in his country, it was his desire to pacify Germany. The conference was opened on April 5. The negotiators were Gropper, Pflug
Julius von Pflug
Julius von Pflug was the last Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Naumburg from 1542 until his death. He was one of the most significant reformers involved with the Protestant Reformation....
, and Eck
Johann Eck
Dr. Johann Maier von Eck was a German Scholastic theologian and defender of Catholicism during the Protestant Reformation. It was Eck who argued that the beliefs of Martin Luther and Jan Hus were similar.-Life:...
on the Catholic side, under the oversight of the Papal Legate Cardinal Contarini
Gasparo Contarini
thumb|240px|Gasparo Contarini.Gasparo Contarini was an Italian diplomat and cardinal. He was one of the first proponents of the dialogue with Protestants, after the Reformation.-Biography:...
, Bucer, the elder Johannes Pistorius
Johann Pistorius the Elder
Johann Pistorius was a German Protestant minister. From 1541 he was the Superintendent at the church in Nidda in Hesse....
, and Melanchthon for the Protestants. Besides the presidents, Count Palatine Frederick and Granvella, six witnesses were present, among them Burkhardt and Feige, chancellors of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
respectively, and Jakob Sturm
Jacob Sturm von Sturmeck
Jacob Sturm von Sturmeck was a German statesman, one of the preeminent promoters of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.-Biography:...
of Strasbourg.
The first four articles, on the condition and integrity of man before the
fall, on free will
Free will in theology
Free will in theology is an important part of the debate on free will in general. This article discusses the doctrine of free will as it has been, and is, interpreted within the various branches of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism...
, on the cause of sin, and on original sin
Original sin
Original sin is, according to a Christian theological doctrine, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred...
, passed without difficulty. The article on justification
Justification (theology)
Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
encountered great opposition, especially from Eck
Johann Eck
Dr. Johann Maier von Eck was a German Scholastic theologian and defender of Catholicism during the Protestant Reformation. It was Eck who argued that the beliefs of Martin Luther and Jan Hus were similar.-Life:...
, but an agreement was finally arrived at; neither Elector John Frederick
John Frederick, Elector of Saxony
John Frederick I of Saxony , called John the Magnanimous, was Elector of Saxony and Head of the Protestant Confederation of Germany , "Champion of the Reformation".-Early years:...
nor Luther was satisfied with this article. With respect to the articles on the doctrinal authority of the Church, the hierarchy, discipline, sacraments, etc., no agreement was possible, and they were all passed over without result. On May 31 the book with the changes agreed upon and nine counter-propositions of the Protestants was returned to the Emperor. In spite of the opposition of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, and the Imperial legate, Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
still hoped for an agreement on the basis of the articles which had been accepted by both parties, those in which they differed being postponed to a later time.
As it was perceived that all negotiations would be in vain if the consent of Luther were not obtained, a deputation headed by John of Anhalt arrived at Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, where Luther resided, on June 9. Luther answered in a polite and almost diplomatic way. He expressed satisfaction in reference to the agreement on some of the articles, but did not believe in the sincerity of his opponents and made his consent dependent upon conditions which he knew could not be accepted by the Roman Catholics.
Before the deputation had returned from Wittenberg, the Roman party had entirely destroyed all hope of union. The formula of justification, which Contarini
Gasparo Contarini
thumb|240px|Gasparo Contarini.Gasparo Contarini was an Italian diplomat and cardinal. He was one of the first proponents of the dialogue with Protestants, after the Reformation.-Biography:...
had sent
to Rome, was rejected by a papal consistory. Rome declared that the matter could be settled only at a council, and this opinion was shared by the stricter party among the estates. Albert of Mainz
Albert of Mainz
Cardinal Albert of Hohenzollern was Elector and Archbishop of Mainz from 1514 to 1545, and Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545.-Biography:...
urged the Emperor to take up arms against the Protestants. Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
tried in vain to induce the Protestants to accept the disputed articles, while Joachim of Brandenburg made new attempts to bring about an agreement. With every day the gulf between the opposing parties became wider, and both of them, even the Roman
Catholics, showed a disposition to ally themselves with France against the Emperor.
Outcome of the Conference
Thus the fate of the Regensburg Book was no longer doubtful. After Elector John Frederick and Luther had become fully acquainted with its contents, their disinclination was confirmed, and Luther demanded most decidedly that even the articles agreed upon should be rejected. On July 5 the estates rejected the Emperor's efforts for union. They demanded an investigation of the articles agreed upon, and that in case of necessity they should be amended and explained by the Papal legate. Moreover, the Protestants were to be compelled to accept the disputed articles; in case of their refusal a general or national council was to be convoked. ContariniGasparo Contarini
thumb|240px|Gasparo Contarini.Gasparo Contarini was an Italian diplomat and cardinal. He was one of the first proponents of the dialogue with Protestants, after the Reformation.-Biography:...
received instructions to announce to the Emperor that all settlement of religious and ecclesiastical questions should be left to the Pope. Thus the whole effort for union was frustrated, even before the Protestant estates declared that they insisted upon their counterproposals in regard to the disputed articles.
The supposed results of the religious conference were to be laid before a general or national council or before an assembly of the Empire which was to be convoked within eighteen months. In the mean time the Protestants were bound to adhere to the articles agreed upon, not to publish anything on them, and not to abolish any churches or monasteries, while the prelates were requested to reform their clergy at the order of the legate. The peace of Nuremberg was to extend until the time of the future council, but the Augsburg Recess was to be maintained.
These decisions might have become very dangerous to the Protestants, and in order not to force them into an alliance with his foreign opponents, the Emperor decided to change some of
the resolutions in their favor; but the Roman Catholics did not acknowledge his declaration. As he was not willing to expose himself to an intervention on their part, he left Regensburg on June 29, without having obtained either an agreement or a humiliation of the Protestants, and the Roman party now looked upon him with greater mistrust than the Protestants.
Further reading
I. Sources- Klaus Ganzer (Hrsg): Akten der deutschen Reichsreligionsgespräche im 16. Jahrhundert. Band 3: Das Regensburger Religionsgespräch (1541). 2 Teilbände. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2007.
- Johannes Calvins Lebenswerk in seinen Briefen. Band 1. Mohr, Tübingen 1909, pp. 118–129.
II. Secondary literature
- Hans-Martin Barth u.a.: Das Regensburger Religionsgespräch im Jahr 1541. Rückblick und ökumenische Perspektiven. Pustet, Regensburg 1992, ISBN 3-7917-1318-3.
- Wolf Dieter Hauschild: Lehrbuch der Kirchen- und Dogmengeschichte. Band 2: Reformation und Neuzeit. 3. Auflage. Gütersloher Verlag-Haus u. a., Gütersloh 2005, ISBN 3-579-00094-2, pp. 145ff.
- Athina Lexutt: Rechtfertigung im Gespräch. Das Rechtfertigungsverständnis in den Religionsgesprächen von Hagenau, Worms und Regensburg 1540/41. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1996, ISBN 3-525-55172-X, (Forschungen zur Kirchen- und Dogmengeschichte 64), (Also: Bonn, Univ., Diss., 1994/95).
- Otto Scheib: Die innerchristlichen Religionsgespräche im Abendland. Regionale Verbreitung, institutionelle Gestalt, theologische Themen, kirchenpolitische Funktion. Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des konfessionellen Zeitalters (1517 - 1689). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-447-06133-9, (Wolfenbütteler Forschungen Bd. 122), pp. 186f.
- Gehrhard B. Winkler: Das Regensburger Religionsgespräch 1541. In: Albrecht, Dieter (ed.): Regensburg - Stadt der Reichstage. Vom Mittelalter zur Neuzeit. Regensburg 1994, (Schriftenreihe der Universität Regensburg 21), ISBN 3-9803470-9-5, pp. 72–81.
- Karl-Heinz zur Mühlen: Die Reichsreligionsgespräche von Hagenau, Worms und Regensburg 1540/41, Chancen und Grenzen des kontroverstheologischen Dialogs in der Mitte des 16. Jahrhunderts. In: Blätter für pfälzische Kirchengeschichte und religiöse Volkskunde (BPfKG) 72, 2005, , S. 319–334.
External links
- Scanned Pages of the Regensburg Book
- Dr. Anthony Lane's Translation of Regensburg Article 5, on Justification
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