of 1580, and it may now be questioned which is the original edition, and whether these seven editions may not be reduced to a smaller number, by observing that alterations were introduced, in consequence of corrections received during the passage of the first edition through the press, while it can still not be admitted, that a work so comprehensive, could have been so often reprinted in less than two years. Köllner, whom we and Franke follow, with great propriety gives much weight to the evidence of Chemnitz, who knows of two editions only; namely, of the first, in which is found an Errata, and of another edition published at Dresden, in which these errata are corrected. If there had been other independent editions, Chemnitz certainly would have mentioned them. So Hutter likewise names only two editions, assigning the want of the Saxon signatures, in the first as the distinctive difference between these two. All the variations which appear in the seven editions enumerated by Feuerlein, can easily be explained as the alterations of a few pages of the two editions, -as nos. 27 and 28 belong to the first editon, nos.29 up to 33 belong to the second. But the signs by which the editio princeps can be distinguished are the following: 1.-It has an Errata appended. 2.-It mentions a period of 25 years, which in other editions is said to be 30 years. 3.-The twentieth article of the Augsburg Confession stands according to the German editions of 1531. 4.-It contains the articles concerning the ceremonies of marriage and of baptism; or where these are wanting, it has the paginal numbers, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, all printed on the last page of the Smaller Catechism, in order to preserve a similarity in the designation of pages with the copies already published. 5.-The Latin text is printed in Italic letters. 6.-The Catalogue of Testimonies is called Appendix. 7.—At the end of the book, after the signatures, is a particular page upon which above are the first and second verses of the ninth Psalm, and then a woodcut, upon which stand, in a circle, the names of the printers Mathes Stőckel and Gimel Bergen, with the date 1579; under this again they are repeated in the following manner: "Printed at Dresden in the Court-residence of the elector of Saxony, by Mathes Stöckel and Gimel Bergen."

Selnecker published the first Latin edition in the year 1580. As he adopted the title from the German Book of Concord, it contains an incorrect statement,"Communi consilio et mandato eorundem Electorum, Principum, ac Ordinum Imperii". Because the text of the Augsburg Confession was published after the octavo edition of 1531, and also because the translations of the other Symbolic books are more or less disfigured with errors, as we have explained in the present Introduction, this first Latin publication was not acknowledged; and Selnecker is obliged to confess in his second edition, the only authentic one of 1584, that "the Book of Concord had previously been published in Latin, but in a private and hasty manner." A Latin edition was not published in 1581, as was formerly believed, from confounding it with Selnecker's edition of the Form of Concord in that year.

IX. THE SAXON ARTICLTS OF VISITATION.

Just as the first system of Cryptocalvinism gave occasions to the Form of Concord, so the second system of Cryptocalvinism gave occasion to the Articles of Visitation. Soon after the death of the elector Augustus, the circulation of the Form of Concord in Saxony was less sought after, the form of exorcism began to be rejected, the introduction of a new Cryptocalvinistic catechism was encourayal, compiled by David Steinbach and John Salmuth, a false edition of the

Bible was published, and it was forbidden to oppose the doctrine of Calvin from the pulpit. This was effected through the agency of Nicolas Crell whom the general superintendent Pierius, the count-prelate John Salmuth, and the pastor Christopher Sunderman, supported. Christian I. guessed indeed some of these effects, but he could not clearly perceive them, and all was left in the hands of the Chancellor. He died on the 25th of September 1591, and his son Christian II. was only in his ninth year; hence the government of Saxony had to be assumed by a regent, duke Frederick William, and he, in February of the next year, summoned a diet at Torgau, the most important consequence of which was a General Visitation of the churches and schools, ordered by the landgrave, for the suppression of Cryptocalvinism.

With this view, the theologians appointed on the visitation, Dr. Martin Mirus, Dr. George Mylius, Dr. Aegidius Hunnius, Dr. Burchard Hebardus, Dr. Joshua Lonerus, and M. Wolfgang Mamphrasius, were instructed to draw up an instrument of writing, which should contain the principal points in dispute. The Visitation commenced in 1592, on the eighth Sunday after Trinity, upon the principles of the instrument, drawn up by the theologians above mentioned, which was printed in 1593, under the following title: "Articles of Visitation in the whole electorate of Saxony, containing also the negative arguments in opposition to the Calvinists, and the form of subscription, according to which both parties should continue to subscribe it."

These articles of Visitation had to be subscribed by all the officiates of churches and schools, according to an edict of the Regent on the 6th of March, 1594, and since that, in Saxony, they have had the force of a symbolic writing. They are four in number, the first of which treats of the Lord's Supper; the second, of the person of Christ; the third, of holy Baptism; and the fourth, of the election and eternal foreknowledge of God, in such order that the pure doctrine and then the opposite doctrine are advanced in short sentences, after the method pursued in the Epitome of the Form of Concord.

In substance, these are the same articles which Dr. Jacob Andrea discussed with Theodore Beza, during their interview at Mompelgard in 1586, except that, as the occasion required, every thing which was not doctrinal was omitted, especially the paragraphs concerning images, churches, and other external things.

IMMELDORF, BAVARIA,
December, 1817.

JOHN T. MÜLLER,
EVANG. LUTH. MINISTER.

MANDATE OF CHRISTIAN II.

CHRISTIAN II, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, DUKE OF SAXONY, CHIEF MARSHAL AND ELECTOR OF THE HOLY EMPIRE OF ROME, LANDGRAVE OF THURINGIA, Marquis of MISNIA, AND BURGOMASTER OF MAGDEBURG, &c.

To the church dignitaries collectively and individually, to the Counts, Barons, and the whole order of Knighthood subject to our authority, and likewise to that of the Bishops over the people of Misnia, Naumburg, and Merseburg, to the Admirals and subordinate officers, but most especially to the superintendents, the Pastors and Ministers of churches, our salutation and favor.

Right honorable, illustrious, active and noble sirs, and venerable too, faithful and devoted to us, we have been informed now for several years past, that the churches and schools of our provinces generally have been censured among distant states, as if some change of Confession took place among them almost every seven years. This intelligence was indeed the more grievous to us, the more closely we examined, and the more easily we were able to render it plain, that our most devout and worthy ancestors, of pious and hallowed memory, had never changed their Confession, from the very origin of the reformed doctrine, after God, in this twilight of a declining world, had graciously kindled the light of Gospel truth, by the agency of his chosen instrument, Dr. Martin Luther, and had most kindly diffused it pure and uncorrupted from his indubitable word; but all the electors in order have persisted in the Confession, with that invincible firmness which, in the year 1530, was manifested to the emperor Charles the fifth, and at the same time to the whole Roman empire,--and they have spread it abroad with devout ardor; some have even sustained many injuries, and incurred heavy expenses through their zeal in maintaining it; so that indeed the praise of constancy in the true religion can be or ought to be by no means withdrawn from them.

At the same time we have discovered this also,-that there have been certain false and deceitful men, who deport themselves towards their supreme govern ment with words specious indeed, and even with oaths wickedly conceived declare, that they are devoted to the pure and unaltered Augsburg Confession, in opposition to all corruptions and visionary opinions of the Calvinistic sects as well as of others, who nevertheless have afterwards been detected as cherishing secretly false doctrines and erroneous opinions about the sacraments, and endeavoring by means of their adherents to introduce privately their treacherous schemes and machinations, to disseminate and spread them abroad with all their energies, without the knowledge of their own government regularly and divinely institu ted.

This class of men have indeed excited riots sometimes and dissensions in the schools and churches of these territories, which always, however, through the grace of God, have been suppressed and quieted by the Christian magistrate, as soon as he was informed of the wicked movement of these night prowlers.

Since then God himself seriously abhors this indefinite sort of men who are neither cold nor warm, and threatens them that he will cast them out of his mouth, we applied ourselves to this duty, immediately on the commencement of our administration, that all our counsellors, our courtiers, our admirals, our subordinates, and those exercising other functions, observe an oath administered un der the sanction of religion, and pledge their faith, that they will, by the assis tance of God, resolutely persevere to the end of their lives with us in the first un

altered Augsburg Confession, as it was transcribed and declared in the year 1580, in the book of Christian Concord, and carefully secured against corruptions of every kind. Having matured our design and deliberated upon it in every aspect, we have undertaken this duty, assuredly for this object, that by this salutary method, it may be successfully protected, through the assistance of God, from the wicked attempts of those treacherous men, who circulate through our provinces by their secret insinuations so foul a stigma among distant states.

We know too (praise and glory be to God) that the illustrious noblemen and rulers Sir John George, and Sir Augustus, dukes of Saxony, our highly esteemed brothers, agree in all things with us in this eause of religion, as in others also.

In order therefore that this pious and truly Christian work may be preserved even as under a shelter repaired, and may be perpetuated to coming posterity, nor that any one may have reason to pretend that occasion and opportunity for reading this symbolic writing were denied him, we have taken care that the Form of Concord, agreeing in every respect with the authentic copy, be printed and published in each language, in Latin and also in German, but in a smaller form, in order that it may be purchased at a lower price as well as more conveniently eirculated.

And henceforth in our own name, and first in the guardian name of our most beloved brethren, we devoutly enjoin it upon you individually and collectively as above mentioned, that as you agreed with us in this matter in the last provincial assem bly, so let each one still in his own capacity persist resolutely in that determination, for the pledge of his honor once given to us.

And especially we enjoin upon our counsellors delegated to the duties of schools and churches, the doctors and professors of academics, the justices of ecclesiastical courts, upon all superintendents and their subordinates, upon pastors and deacons, likewise upon rectors and fellows of the high schools, and other principals of schools generally, together with our stipendiaries and alumni, that they hold this book very dear to them, that they handle it by night and by day, that they meditate with due assiduity, that they collect their proofs from it, and that they do not promote any one to office, who has not approved this book both by his subscription and by his fidelity pledged upon oath, and that they strive with all their energies, that nothing contrary throughout this famous electorate of ours in schools and in churches, be either taught publicly or introduced privately, as the mercy of Almighty God, our favor, and the health and security of his own life are dear to each. May ye act up to this agreement, which is consistent with your duty, and commensurate with your serious and constant affection towards us, and on our part we shall be most kindly disposed towards you. Given at Dresden,

August 1, 1602.