Diet of Regensburg (1541)
The Colloquy of Regensburg, historically called the Colloquy of Ratisbon, was a conference held at
Background
Delegates from the various factions had met at
On 15 December 1540 a secret conference took place between
Early in 1541, Butzer sent a draft of the conclusions to
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 13 February 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 23 February 1541 the Emperor entered Regensburg. In consideration of his difficult political situation, especially of the threatened war with the
The first four articles, on the condition and integrity of man before the fall, on
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 9 June. 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.
Pope Paul III addresses the mighty Emperor of Germany, and we may properly say that Calvin, though indirectly, does the same. This strange colloquy is well worth the trouble of listening to it. The Pope:"We are desirous of the peace and the unity of Germany; but of a peace and a unity which do not constitute a perpetual war against God." Calvin:"That is to say, against the earthly god, the Roman god. For if he (the pope) wished for peace with the true God, he would live in a different manner; he would teach otherwise and reign otherwise than he does. For his whole existence, his institutions, and his decrees make war on God." The Pope: "The Protestants are like slippery snakes; they aim at no certain object, and thus show plainly enough that they are altogether enemies of concord, and want, not the suppression of vice but the overthrow of the apostolic see! We ought not to have any further negotiations with them." Calvin: "Certainly, there is a snake in the grass here. The pope, who holds in abomination all discussion, cannot hear it spoken of without immediately crying 'Fire!' in order to prevent it. Only let anyone call to mind all the little assemblies held by the pontiffs these twenty years and more, for the purpose of smothering the Gospel, and then he will see clearly what kind of a reformation they would be willing to accept. All men of sound mind see clearly the question is not only of maintaining the status of the pope as a sovereign and limited episcopacy, but rather of completely setting aside the episcopal office and of establishing in its stead and under its name an anti-Christian tyranny. And not only so, but the adherents of the papacy put men out of their minds by wicked and impious lies, and corrupt the world by numberless examples of debauchery. Not contented with these misdeeds, they exterminate those who strive to restore to the Church a purer doctrine and a more lawful order, or who merely venture to ask for these things.
— The History of the Reformation in the Time of Calvin, by J. H. Merle d'Aubigne, Vol. 7, 1877, ch. "CHAPTER XX. CALVIN AT RATISBON. (1541.)"
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 5 July 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. Contarini 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 meantime the Protestants were bound to the Regensburg Interim, enacted by Charles V, to ensure that they 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 29 June, 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.
See also
Notes
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References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the New Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge(third ed.). London and New York: Funk and Wagnalls.
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.
- 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, ISSN 0341-9452, S. 319–334.