I. Editions. The Latin text was first printed at Strassburg (Argentoratum), a.d. 1531, Sept. (21 leaves); then in the Corpus et Syntagma Confess. (1612 and 1654); in Augusti's Corpus libr. symb. (1827), p. 327 sqq.; and in Niemeyer's Collect. Confess. (1840), p. 740-770; Comp. Proleg., p. LXXXIII.

The German text appeared first at Strassburg, Aug. 1531 (together with the Apology, 72 leaves); then again, 1579, ed. by John Sturm, but was suppressed by the magistrate, 1580; at Zweibruecken, 1604; in Beck's Symbol. Buecher, vol. I., p. 401 sq.; in Boeckel's Bekenntniss-Schriften der evang. reform. Kirche (1847), p. 363 sq.

II. Gottl. Wernsdorff: Historia Confessionis Tetrapolitanae, Wittenb. 1694, ed. IV. 1721. Schelhorn: Amaenitates Litter., Tom. VI., Francf. 1727. J. H. FELS: Dissert. de varia Confess. Tetrapolitanae fortuna praesertim in civitate Lindaviensi, Goetting. 1755. Planck: Geschichte des protest. Lehrbegriffs, vol. III., Part I. (second ed. 1796), pp. 68-94. J. W. Roehrich: Geschichte der evangel. Kirche des Elsasses. Strassburg, 1855, 3 vols. J. W. Baum: Capito und Butzer (Elberf. 1860), p. 466 sqq. and 595. Schaff: Creeds, I. 524-529.

The Tetrapolitan Confession, also called the Strassburg and the Swabian Confession, is the oldest confession of the Reformed Church in Germany, and represented the faith of four imperial cities, Strassburg, Constance, Memmingen, and Lindau, which at that time sympathized with Zwingli and the Swiss, rather than Luther, on the doctrine of the sacraments.

It was prepared in great haste, during the sessions of the Diet of Augsburg, by Bucer, with the aid of Capito and Hedio, in the name of those four cities (hence the name) which were excluded by the Lutherans from their political and theological conferences, and from the Protestant League. They would greatly have preferred to unite with them, and to sign the Augsburg Confession, with the exception of the tenth article on the eucharist, but were forbidden. The Landgrave Philip of Hesse was the only one who, from a broad, statesmanlike view of the critical situation, favored a solid union of the Protestants against the common foe, but in vain.

Hence, after the Lutherans had presented their Confession June 25, and Zwingli his own July 8, the four cities handed theirs, July 11, to the Emperor in German and Latin. It was received very ungraciously, and not allowed to be read before the Diet; but a confutation full of misrepresentations was prepared by Faber, Eck, and Cochlaeus, and read Oct. 24 (or 17). The Strassburg divines were not even favored with a copy of this confutation, but procured one secretly, and answered it by a Vindication and Defense in the autumn of 1531.

The Tetrapolitan Confession consists of twenty-three chapters, besides preface and conclusion. It is in doctrine and arrangement closely conformed to the Lutheran Confession, and breathes the same spirit of moderation, but is more distinctly Protestant. This appears at once in the first chapter (On the Matter of Preaching), in the declaration that nothing should be taught in the pulpit but what was either expressly contained in the Holy Scriptures, or fairly deduced therefrom. (The Lutheran Confession is silent on the supreme authority of the Scriptures.) The evangelical doctrine of justification is stated in the third and fourth chapters more clearly than by Melanchthon; namely, that we are justified not by works of our own, but solely by the grace of God and the merits of Christ, through a living faith, which is active in love, and productive of good works. Images are rejected in Chap. XXII.

The doctrine of the Lord's Supper (Chap. XVIII.) is couched in dubious language, which was intended to comprehend in substance the Lutheran and the Zwinglian theories, and accords with the union tendency of Bucer. But it contains the germ of the Calvinistic view. In this ordinance, it is said, Christ offers to his followers, as truly now as at the institution, his very body and blood as spiritual food and drink, whereby their souls are nourished to everlasting life. Nothing is said of the oral manducation and the participation of unbelievers, which are the distinctive features of the Lutheran view. Bucer, who had attended the Conference at Marburg in 1529, labored with great zeal afterwards to bring about a doctrinal compromise between the contending theories, but without effect.

The Tetrapolitan Confession was soon superseded by the clearer and more logical confessions of the Calvinistic type. The four cities afterwards signed the Lutheran Confession to join the Smalcald League. But Bucer himself remained true to his union creed, and reconfessed it in his last will and testament (1548) and on his death-bed.

I conclude this volume with Luther's immortal hymn, which is the best expression of his character, and reveals the secret of his strength as well as the moving power of the Reformation.

A tower of strength1 our God is still,

A good defense1 and weapon;

He helps us free from all the ill

That us has overtaken.

Our old, mortal foe1

Now aims his fell blow,

Great might and deep guile

His horrid coat-of-mail;1

On earth is no one like him.

Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott,

Ein' gute Wehr und Waffen.

Er hilft uns frei aus aller Noth,

Die uns jetzt hat betroffen.

Der alt' boese Feind,

Mit Ernst er's jetzt meint;

Gross' Macht und viel List,

Sein grausam Ruestung ist,

Auf Erd' ist nicht sein's Gleichen.

By might of ours can naught be done:1

Our fate were soon decided.

But for us fights the champion,1

By God himself provided.

Who Is this, ask ye?

Jesus Christ! ÕTis he!

Lord of Sabaoth,

True God and Saviour both,

Omnipotent in battle.

Mit unsrer Macht ist nichts gethan,

Wir sind gar bald verloren:

Es streit't fuer uns der rechte Mann,

Den Gott hat selbst erkoren.

Fragst du, wer Der ist?

Er heisst Jesus Christ,

Der Herr Zebaoth,

Und ist kein and rer Gott;

Das Feld muss Er behalten.

Did devils fill the earth and air,1

All eager to devour us,

Our steadfast hearts need feel no care,

Lest they should overpower us.

The grim Prince of hell,

With rage though he swell,

Hurts us not a whit,

Because his doom is writ:

A little word can rout1 him.

Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel waer'

Und wollt uns gar verschlingen,

So fuerchten wir uns nicht zu sehr,

Es soll uns doch gelingen.

Der Fuerst dieser Welt,

Wie sau'r er sich stellt,

Thut er uns doch nichts;

Das macht, er ist gericht't;

Ein Woertlein kann ihn faelen.

The word of God will never yield

To any creature living;

He stands with us upon the field,

His grace and Spirit giving.

Take they child and wife,

Goods, name, fame, and life,

Though all this be done,

Yet have they nothing won:

The kingdom still remaineth.

Das Wort sie sollen lassen stan1

Und keinÕn Dank dazu haben.

Er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan1

Mit seinem Geist und Gaben.

Nehmen sie den Leib,

Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib;

Lass fahren dahin,

Sie haben's kein'n Gewinn;

Das Reich muss uns doch bleiben