Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly (1559-1632) Commander of the Catholic League Forces in trhe Thirty Years War
According to Alfred Gallen and his history of the centenary commemoration of the Augsburg Confession from 1630 to 1830, the time leading up to the first centenary was extremely turbulent. He describes the course of the Thirty Years inter-religious war as ‘downright desperate’ for the Reformation movement. On March 6, 1629, Emperor Ferdinand II issued an Edict of Restitution for the return of all Catholic Church properties that been in the possession of Lutherans since the Treaty of Passau in 1552. This Treaty had allowed a measure of co-existence between the churches in the German territories. Ferdinand however charged General Wallenstein to reverse this policy and ordered a complete restoration of Catholic church properties within a year. The Generals’ army had a swift victory over all the territories up to the Baltic Coast. So devastating was the campaign that the Emperors brother complained about the ‘wild conduct of the war’. The only possible help for the Protestant cause would have been the army of Lutheran Sweden which at that time was at war with Poland.
When Wallenstein was dismissed, his role was taken over by the even ‘more terrible’ absolutist Tilly who brought with his armed forces many priests and monks to help reestablish the monasteries that had been taken over in Lutheran lands. One of the leaders declared “there must be a return to the Papacy again in the Lutheran Lands ‘per Deum sanctum’”. The first centenary of the Augsburg Confession was thus in times of great tumult and discord which was according to Gallen “in the midst of the greatest trouble and most dangerous of times”. The theologians of Wittenberg called for a celebration but lamented that the ‘beautiful splendor of the truth cannot shine because of the gloomy clouds of persecution overhead’. They likened the situation to that of the Jews during the Babylonian exile as they witnessed the loss of their holy city of Jerusalem, and had to ‘hang up their harps in mourning’. One group in Leipzig declared that the various Protestant Imperial estates were prevented by forces of arms from celebrating the Jubilee as they wished. The City of Reutlingen related that ‘the city had to suffer and endure a great deal because of the 1630 Gospel as it was heavily fortified with Imperial soldiers…it would not have failed to praise God humbly but also because of the persecution mentioned, it would not have been able to arranged public festivities.’
When Wallenstein was dismissed, his role was taken over by the even ‘more terrible’ absolutist Tilly who brought with his armed forces many priests and monks to help reestablish the monasteries that had been taken over in Lutheran lands. One of the leaders declared “there must be a return to the Papacy again in the Lutheran Lands ‘per Deum sanctum’”. The first centenary of the Augsburg Confession was thus in times of great tumult and discord which was according to Gallen “in the midst of the greatest trouble and most dangerous of times”. The theologians of Wittenberg called for a celebration but lamented that the ‘beautiful splendor of the truth cannot shine because of the gloomy clouds of persecution overhead’. They likened the situation to that of the Jews during the Babylonian exile as they witnessed the loss of their holy city of Jerusalem, and had to ‘hang up their harps in mourning’. One group in Leipzig declared that the various Protestant Imperial estates were prevented by forces of arms from celebrating the Jubilee as they wished. The City of Reutlingen related that ‘the city had to suffer and endure a great deal because of the 1630 Gospel as it was heavily fortified with Imperial soldiers…it would not have failed to praise God humbly but also because of the persecution mentioned, it would not have been able to arranged public festivities.’
Reinhard Bake (1587-1657) Lutheran theologian and first Domprediger (Canon) of Magdeburg Dom Cathedral
In the light of all the tumult the authorities of the City of Magdeburg suggested ‘holding festivities at a more convenient time’ but the Cathedral preacher Reinhard Bake courageously decided to hold sermons on the Augsburg Confession ‘despite the extremely sad, anxious, dangerous and difficult times and in view of all kinds of hostilities that are increasing thereafter’. He concluded the preface of his three festival sermons which he entitled ‘Confessio Augustana Triumphans’ with words from Psalm 122:
‘Wish Magdeburg luck! May it go well for those who love you; May there be peace in your walls and happiness in your palaces’.
Several months later the siege of Magdeburg commenced by the forces of Tilly leaving between 20-30,000 dead.
Parts of southern Germany were able to celebrate but still felt the burden of the cost of war and tumult. A prayer from the City of Erfurt said:
“Do not burden us, God, in this sad, gloomy time! Let each one pray with your loved ones at home in your home church with all diligence and earnestness that the pious God will turn his face to use again with grace’.
The City of Augsburg which had given birth to the Confession had prepared a public recitation and interpretation of the Confession in preparation for the Jubilee celebrations. However, because of the Restitution Act the city had to return properties to the jurisdiction of the Catholic Bishop with the closing of six Lutheran churches and 14 Lutheran clergy had to resign their posts. According to Gallen the City was in mourning’ and ‘had to sing the apostolic song of mourning of Amos 8:10.
‘Wish Magdeburg luck! May it go well for those who love you; May there be peace in your walls and happiness in your palaces’.
Several months later the siege of Magdeburg commenced by the forces of Tilly leaving between 20-30,000 dead.
Parts of southern Germany were able to celebrate but still felt the burden of the cost of war and tumult. A prayer from the City of Erfurt said:
“Do not burden us, God, in this sad, gloomy time! Let each one pray with your loved ones at home in your home church with all diligence and earnestness that the pious God will turn his face to use again with grace’.
The City of Augsburg which had given birth to the Confession had prepared a public recitation and interpretation of the Confession in preparation for the Jubilee celebrations. However, because of the Restitution Act the city had to return properties to the jurisdiction of the Catholic Bishop with the closing of six Lutheran churches and 14 Lutheran clergy had to resign their posts. According to Gallen the City was in mourning’ and ‘had to sing the apostolic song of mourning of Amos 8:10.
Die Plünderung Magdeburgs (Die Magdeburger Jungfrauen), The Looting of Magdeburg ( the Magdeburg Maidens) Historical painting by Eduard Steinbrück, 1866
The ACTUAL cOMMEMORATION in 1630
(English translation of Alfred gallen book 'the centenary celebration of the augsburg confession of 1630,1730 and 1830')**
Saint Thomas Kirche in Leipzig
In 1630, June 25th fell, as already mentioned, on the Friday before the fifth Sunday of Trinity. In the majority of Lutheran regional churches, the festival was extended to three days from June 25th to 27th. Yes, June 24th, when St. John's Day was celebrated, since the day before, St. John the Baptist, was already a high day, actually (making it) a four-day celebration. The Gospel text for St. John's Day also offered The hymn of Zacharias, through its obvious application to the jubilee festival of CA, gave the preachers a good opportunity to create a very festive atmosphere, as will be shown later with an example. There are now a whole series of detailed contemporary reports about the course of the festival. We have chosen a particularly vivid description, that of the celebration in Leipzig, which we would like to supplement with a few small additions from other festival reports. Polycarp Lenser of the Elders (?), the then superintendent of Leipzig, and also, as we have seen, professor and dean of the theological faculty, has described in detail the festival in Leipzig, which was celebrated with greater solemnity than that of 1617, in his address to his jubilee sermons publishedon November 28, 1630, which he dedicated to the city's patron saint, St. Thomas Church. by Lehser on Psalm 75, in St. Nicholas Church by Professor Höpfner on Psalm 116, on Trinity Sunday 4th by Leyser on the Sunday Gospel Luke 6, on St. John's Day by Leyser on the Gospel Luke 1 v. 5 ff. - had prepared the congregations for the festival, the same was rung in after the service on June 24th at 1 o'clock noon with all the bells of the city for an hour. Then the vespers sermons were held, and after them "the clergy sat in confession". "In the meantime, (!) the churches were decorated with the best flowers, green hedges were planted, and grass was strewn." On June 25th, "with the sun breaking out," various lovely vocal and instrumental music was played in various places in the colleges, in the churchyards and other places in the city." At 4 o'clock many large pieces of fire were thrown from the Pleissenburg and three salvos were fired in succession." Amid the thunder of cannons from the ramparts, the paths to the churches were strewn with flowers. At 5 o'clock the bells rang for the sermon in St. Nicholas's and at 6 o'clock in St. Thomas's. Solemn processions led by music choirs "with their positives, regals, viol digambes, lutes, cymbals, dreyangels, etc. w." moved to the churches, where the morning services began at 6:15 a.m. We would like to include the structure of the early morning sermon in St. Nikolai by Professor Höpfner here, although we will devote a special consideration to the festival sermons later. "Four circumstances," Höpfure explained, "should inspire us to rejoice: 1. Diuturnitas temporis, the length of time, that such a confession has lasted for a whole 100 years; 2. Dignitas et majestas huius Confessionis, the worthiness and excellence of this confession; 3. Bonitas Dei protectoris, the great goodness of God to the protector; 4. Pacis jucunditas, the sweetness of peace which God has given us through this confession." - The sermon was followed by the reading of the prayer of jubilation, the announcement of the collection for the poor, which brought in 140 guilders in Nikolai and 120 in Thomas, the Te Deum and the celebration of Holy Communion in the presence of the entire congregation. This order of worship was repeated during the "official" or "high" sermon at 9 a.m. The vespers service, which began at 1 a.m., in other places at 2 p.m., took place in the evening.
Save us O Lord by your Word (Erhalt uns Herr bei dienem Wort) Hymn of Martin Luther used in settings by Bach and others
The event, which took place in Coburg, was easier, as some consideration had to be given to the reading of the CA, which was ordered everywhere. So, the 76th Psalm was explained in the sermon, and then the preface and the first 21 articles of the CA were read out, with brief reminders of the participants. The participants had a copy of the CA in their hands and read the preacher's words. We find a noteworthy distinction for the main service in the festival report from Coburg. All three pastors of the town church officiated in this service; one led the liturgy, the second read the lessons, the third gave the sermon. Incidentally, the "official sermon" was already at 8 a.m., and the morning service even at 5 a.m.! - Leyser does not report anything about the musical embellishment of the festival services. But from Wittenberg we have an interesting description of the musical event in the main service in the castle church. "At the front of one choir stood a single treble singer, who intoned plaintively: "Save us, Lord, by your word!" Above the church vault was beautiful instrumental and vocal music, which repeated the treble singer's words so that the sound fell through the vault and spread out into all the corners of the church. Then there were two choirs behind the treble singer, one with deep voices, which also sang this line, the other a full choir, which concluded with these words. (The first was therefore a male choir, the second a mixed choir). Then the treble singer began again: "And tax the Pope!" The choir above the vault followed again, then the deep choir, and then also the light choir. This was observed with all the verses of the entire song."
What Leyser tells of the celebrations on the second and third days of the festival in Leipzig corresponds exactly to the instructions of the Electorate of Saxony given above.
It is unnecessary to go into the celebrations in other places, as they were generally similar to those in Leipzig. From a report by an eyewitness to the celebration in the city of Wittenberg, we cannot help but highlight a picture of the mood of the morning of the festival, which vividly describes the participation of the population in the church festival:
"At 2 o'clock in the night of June 25th," he said, "while the drums were being beaten in the fortress (they) then went through all the streets to see how the people would start that morning." "I found a few houses in which a religious band was not playing. Wherever there was a lack of instrumental music in one building or another, even the simplest of the servants were always ready to play; "Now praise my soul...", "Lord God, we praise you", "Help us to praise God's goodness", "If God were not with us this time", "Oh God from heaven" etc. (The Coburg report also says: "The young daughters and maids sing the evening deer now and again in the streets with beautiful spiritual songs"). "In the market I find... with what appetite the doctors, nobility and citizens listened in all the windows with folded hands to the student musicians, which were always loud and ordered from every corner, during their morning prayers. At 3 o'clock the best clarinets, cymbals and trombones are blown out from the towers through the raised bells, among many others this song: "Now let us God the Lord". As soon as it was about to strike four, a volley followed, which was fired from the fortress with several large guns and 500 musket shots. At 5 o'clock the streets were completely black with students. At 6 o'clock the entire university teaching staff and the students went with the city council to the castle church..." etc. in a considerable procession into the Schlosskirche….
As in the external festivities, the people naturally also took an active part in the church celebrations. The services took place "in large, crowded gatherings". In the churches, even before the celebrations began, "the estates were already crowded and besotted". A report from Wittenberg emphasizes that "the long sermons on all festival days were so undauntedly awaited by everyone and the church doors were immediately besieged by listeners from outside". It is documented that Elector Johann Georg I regularly attended both the morning service and the main service on the four consecutive holidays in Dresden and sat reading along while the CA was being read. Participation in the communion celebrations was enormous. In the Thomas Church in Leipzig over 300 people took communion on each of the three days; a total of 926 communion guests were counted, in the Nikolai Church 844. The parish church in Wittenberg reports the number of communicants on June 25th as 450, on the 26th as 362, and on the 27th as high as 364
What Leyser tells of the celebrations on the second and third days of the festival in Leipzig corresponds exactly to the instructions of the Electorate of Saxony given above.
It is unnecessary to go into the celebrations in other places, as they were generally similar to those in Leipzig. From a report by an eyewitness to the celebration in the city of Wittenberg, we cannot help but highlight a picture of the mood of the morning of the festival, which vividly describes the participation of the population in the church festival:
"At 2 o'clock in the night of June 25th," he said, "while the drums were being beaten in the fortress (they) then went through all the streets to see how the people would start that morning." "I found a few houses in which a religious band was not playing. Wherever there was a lack of instrumental music in one building or another, even the simplest of the servants were always ready to play; "Now praise my soul...", "Lord God, we praise you", "Help us to praise God's goodness", "If God were not with us this time", "Oh God from heaven" etc. (The Coburg report also says: "The young daughters and maids sing the evening deer now and again in the streets with beautiful spiritual songs"). "In the market I find... with what appetite the doctors, nobility and citizens listened in all the windows with folded hands to the student musicians, which were always loud and ordered from every corner, during their morning prayers. At 3 o'clock the best clarinets, cymbals and trombones are blown out from the towers through the raised bells, among many others this song: "Now let us God the Lord". As soon as it was about to strike four, a volley followed, which was fired from the fortress with several large guns and 500 musket shots. At 5 o'clock the streets were completely black with students. At 6 o'clock the entire university teaching staff and the students went with the city council to the castle church..." etc. in a considerable procession into the Schlosskirche….
As in the external festivities, the people naturally also took an active part in the church celebrations. The services took place "in large, crowded gatherings". In the churches, even before the celebrations began, "the estates were already crowded and besotted". A report from Wittenberg emphasizes that "the long sermons on all festival days were so undauntedly awaited by everyone and the church doors were immediately besieged by listeners from outside". It is documented that Elector Johann Georg I regularly attended both the morning service and the main service on the four consecutive holidays in Dresden and sat reading along while the CA was being read. Participation in the communion celebrations was enormous. In the Thomas Church in Leipzig over 300 people took communion on each of the three days; a total of 926 communion guests were counted, in the Nikolai Church 844. The parish church in Wittenberg reports the number of communicants on June 25th as 450, on the 26th as 362, and on the 27th as high as 364
prayers from the services of 1630
Copy of the Luther Bible of 1534 Printed in Wittenberg
This impression of a deeply serious understanding of the centenary celebration in the age of Orthodoxy is reinforced when we look at the prayers that were prescribed to be read after the festival sermons. Although their form is usually rather awkward due to the aforementioned stringing together of Bible passages, their content is moving due to the depth of the recognition of sin expressed in them and the warmth of the refuge in the grace of God. We will give just two examples, one from a country not directly threatened by the hardships of war and one in which the "protracted hardships of war" clearly resonate. In the prayer of the Electorate of Saxony's instruction, which has served as a model for many state governments, it says:
"We poor, miserable, sinful people stand before your most holy face, recognize and confess that we unfortunately sinned with our fathers, that we mistreated and were godless, and therefore deserve that you, out of righteous anger, hid your intentions for us and sent a constant hunger for your word into our country, for which we would have utterly perished. We thank you that you have not acted according to our sins ... and have heard the sighs of the miserable and provided help... Preserve your word for us and let us keep it in our hearts that we do not sin. Give us true penitence... protect, comfort and heal your highly distressed and deeply afflicted church and our fellow believers everywhere and have mercy on them......
And the pulpit prayer from Erfurt, which is 10 pages long at Kapp, contains the following:
"We poor sinners, convinced in our conscience, recognize and confess with heartfelt remorse and sorrow that we... have lived in many and various sins, through which your holy name has been blasphemed, for which you have not unjustly visited us at home with many great and severe punishments, especially with the long-lasting burden of war and everything that goes with it. Yes, Lord, we would have deserved it if you had wanted to deal with us according to the many sins we have committed, that you would have cast away your lampstand from this place long ago, that the night of darkness would have overtaken us... Lord, rule our hearts with your Holy Spirit to true repentance, forgive us all our sins and do not forsake us in this last gloomy time... preserve your word for us, which is the joy and comfort of our hearts... grant us faithful pastors and shepherds so that we are not vain hearers, but also doers of the word, that we walk blamelessly in accordance with your divine will and your commandments... so that we do not sin...
"We poor, miserable, sinful people stand before your most holy face, recognize and confess that we unfortunately sinned with our fathers, that we mistreated and were godless, and therefore deserve that you, out of righteous anger, hid your intentions for us and sent a constant hunger for your word into our country, for which we would have utterly perished. We thank you that you have not acted according to our sins ... and have heard the sighs of the miserable and provided help... Preserve your word for us and let us keep it in our hearts that we do not sin. Give us true penitence... protect, comfort and heal your highly distressed and deeply afflicted church and our fellow believers everywhere and have mercy on them......
And the pulpit prayer from Erfurt, which is 10 pages long at Kapp, contains the following:
"We poor sinners, convinced in our conscience, recognize and confess with heartfelt remorse and sorrow that we... have lived in many and various sins, through which your holy name has been blasphemed, for which you have not unjustly visited us at home with many great and severe punishments, especially with the long-lasting burden of war and everything that goes with it. Yes, Lord, we would have deserved it if you had wanted to deal with us according to the many sins we have committed, that you would have cast away your lampstand from this place long ago, that the night of darkness would have overtaken us... Lord, rule our hearts with your Holy Spirit to true repentance, forgive us all our sins and do not forsake us in this last gloomy time... preserve your word for us, which is the joy and comfort of our hearts... grant us faithful pastors and shepherds so that we are not vain hearers, but also doers of the word, that we walk blamelessly in accordance with your divine will and your commandments... so that we do not sin...
memorabilia from 1630
Gold coin of 1630 Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession.
A small accompanying phenomenon, which certainly, like the coin, was not only a symbol of the last centenary celebrations, but also a symbol of the "planting of the joy of jubilation" insofar as it was also characteristic of a festival of religious celebrations: the jubilation.[1] A considerable number of these commemorative coins for the festival were minted at that time in Sturachsen, Coburg, Welmar, Cijenach, Nuremberg, Württemberg, Frankfurt am Main and elsewhere. The seriousness of the festival is also evident in its design. While, as we shall see, the symbol-loving 18th century expressed its jubilation on commemorative coins in a colorful array of symbols and allegorical depictions, we find images used much less frequently on the medals of 1630, apart of course from the busts of princely persons, but very extensive use of Bible verses and religious sayings, mostly in verse form. For example, Elector Johann Georg I had a coin struck which shows on one side the bust of Elector Johann of Saxony from 1530 with the sword and the inscription in the obverse the words: "Nomen Dei Turris fortissima[2]", while on the reverse his own picture can be seen with the inscription: "Conf. Luther. Aug. exhibitae seculum[3]".
Another commemorative coin, minted in Dresden by the famous medalist Sebastian Dadler, bears the verse: "John, Elector of Saxony, freely confesses with heroism that the teaching he has handed down is the guideline for eternal life." Another bears a picture of Luther and the verse from 2 Timothy 1:8 with the inscription on the reverse: "Christianity now rejoices and thanks God for the time of grace when Dr. Luther's hand and mouth made his word known to the church." We often find the Bible verse: "Verbum Domini manet in aeternum" or in German: "The word of God remains forever." Other inscriptions are: "Now is the true jubilee year, The teaching was handed over to the man in Augsburg, clear and clear - God protect it from all dangers!" or: "From the Pope's idolatry and the tyranny of all enemies - protect us (41) Jesus Christ, in addition, frees us from the fear of the Lord, and grants us peace, with the Lutheran proverb, finally the Pestis eram vivus, moriens ero mora tua, Papa, and finally the very significant saying: Angustan placet Confessio, ugun ea tota fontibus e sacria eruta, Papa jacet [4]But we must still highlight one memorial coin because of its beautiful, impressive and dignified execution. It is a gold ducat, which bears its prince's bill, but only shows the open Bible on the first page, in which one reads the saying: ‘Therefore we hold that a man shall be justified by faith alone, without the need for the law’. Rom. on the 3rd." Above the Bible book is written "Augustana" and under the same "Confessio". The reverse has the inscription in French thread: Deo Conservatori Saxones Vinarienses Transacto Seculo 1630.[5] The great numismatist Schlegel judges correctly in his "coin bible" that Duke Wilhelm of Saxony-Weimar, as a learned and curious gentleman, inventoried this medal himself, since it is known that he mostly declared the... display coins himself". The commemorative coins were minted in copper, silver or gold, weighing from 1 to 15 ducats. A golden cup made in 1630 on the orders of the Saxon Elector from jubilee medals from 1617 and 1630 is praised as a particularly magnificent display piece. It is made of pure gold and weighs three and a half pounds". It is a so-called house cup that Elector George I distributed to his princes in memory of the anniversary. In these jubilee medals and commemorative coins, our Lutheran fathers of 1630 also found a way to express their joy and gratitude for the anniversary of the CA.
** This translated description of the Augsburg 1650 Commemoration has been reduced but not been edited in any way. It contains some negative phrases and comments and language about different religious communities which have to be read in the context of the turbulence of period of the Thirty Years War. (Ed.)
[1] Gallen p.40 [2] The Name of the Lord is a strong fortress [3] Exhibited for a century [4] In life I was your Plague, in dying I will be your Praise Pope(?) ." “The CA finds our approval because it is drawn entirely from the source of scripture. The Pope (has been) dethroned." [5] To God the Conservator of the Saxon Winemakers after 1630