The Schmalkaldic Articles written by Luther in 1536 in preparation for the council of Mantua.
“Schmalkaldic Articles are one of the confessions of faith of Lutheranism.
Luther, M. Artickel that were to be presented to the Council zu Mantua or wo es would be, submitted be, by our part on account. And what wir accept or give children or not. Fr. M. Luther.
Wittenberg, by H. Lufft, 1538.
In-4 of (32) ff. Half-vellum, smooth spine, brown morocco title piece in length. Binding from the 20the century.
191 x 151 mm.
Rare original edition of the “Schmalkaldic Articles” written by Luther in 1536, which offer a synthesis of his doctrine.
Graesse, Treasure of rare books, 306.
Luther’s attacks against the papacy are reiterated and virulent. In 1535, weary of war, Pope Paul III proposed to convene a council. The Protestants of the Schmalkaldic League assembled in Congress still posed demands for participation. This council was called to Mantua for May 1537. Immediately Luther composed what would later be called the Schmalkaldic Articles where he set out the essential points of his doctrine. The council would be postponed and only take place in 1545 in the city of Trent.
In 1534 Alessandro Farnese was elected as Pope Paul III with a clear message of internal church reform. To further this mission and to respond to the rise of Protestantism, he called for an ecumenical church council to meet at the Italian city of Mantua in 1537. Given the importance of this council for Christian unity and the future of reformed forms of worship, the elector of Saxony asked Luther to prepare an official statement of doctrine that would both represent his views and indicate where negotiation might be possible. Luther agreed, and, with some input from his Wittenberg colleagues, carefully laid out what he saw as the central pillars of Christian teaching. Yet these doctrinal statements, or articles, were never presented at the council – which was delayed a number of times, finally meeting in Trent beginning in 1545. Instead, they were discussed at a general meeting of the Protestant Schmalkaldic League, although even here the collected princes and theologians declined to affirm them, due mostly to concerns that they were too exclusionary and divisive, especially the statements on the Eucharist and papacy. Luther then published the articles in 1538, adding a preface but leaving their structure and content otherwise intact… As these articles offered a clear and comprehensive summary of Luther’s doctrine, they would be extremely important as a Lutheran confession of faith, and in 1580 would be incorporated into the authoritative collection of fundamental Lutheran documents known as the ‘Book of Concord’…” (The Essential Luther, 23).
“Schmalkaldic Articles are one of the confessions of faith of Lutheranism, written by Martin Luther in 1536. The articles were prepared as the result of a bull issued by Pope Paul III calling for a general council of the Roman Catholic Church to deal with the Reformation movement. (The council was actually postponed several times until it met in Trent in 1545.) John Frederick I, Lutheran elector of Saxony, wished to determine what issues could be negotiated with the Roman Catholics and what could not be compromised. He asked Luther to review earlier statements of faith by the reformers to determine what was absolutely essential to the faith. After Luther prepared the articles, he invited several reformers to Wittenberg to discuss them, and after some minor changes eight theologians signed them. They were then sent to the elector in January 1537.
In February 1537 the Protestant secular heads of state who were members of the Schmalkaldic League met with several theologians at Schmalkalden to decide how to deal with a council of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther became ill and could not attend, but John Frederick I presented Luther’s articles to the gathering. Because of Luther’s somewhat controversial doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, Philipp Melanchthon urged that the Augsburg Confession and its Apology, previously presented to Emperor Charles V, adequately presented the reformer’s faith and that additional statements should not be added. This decision was adopted, and the Schmalkaldic Articles were not officially accepted. They were, however, circulated and read, and 44 theologians signed them as an expression of their personal faith. Subsequently they were included in the Book of Concord (1580).
The Schmalkaldic Articles are divided into three sections. The first discusses the unity of God, the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Christ, and on these subjects Luther believed there was no real controversy between Roman Catholics and Protestants. The second section dealt with Christ and justification by faith. According to Luther, “On this article rests all that we teach and practice against the pope, the devil, and the world.” This section also discusses the mass, monastic orders, and the papacy. The third section discusses 15 articles that could be considered by Roman Catholics and Protestants. It includes such subjects as sin, the Law, repentance, the sacraments, confession, the ministry, and a definition of the church”.
