Gottorper oath of ordination
The Gottorp oath of ordination of 1574 was formulated and introduced by the superintendent Paul von Eitzen as a new oath of service for all clergymen who report to him in the area of the Gottorp regional church.
content
Although it is formally an oath of office that was required of new preachers as well as those who at the time of its introduction had only taken a conventional oath of office, the content of the Gottorf Ordination Oath is more of a church text, which above all reflects Eitzen's view of pure doctrine should cement in his sphere of influence and was directed against Calvinist currents in particular.
In fact, the formula lacks promises to be expected, such as loyalty to the office or a moral way of life. Instead, on the one hand, the doctrine of the Lord's Supper and Christology are prescribed in detail, i.e. the most important points in which Calvinism deviated from Lutheranism . On the other hand, the preachers are required not only to reject, but also to expressly hate deviating teachings:
“[…] On the sixth and special one, that I am the Anabaptists , devotees of the sacrament , Karlstadians , Zwinglians , Calvinists , Bezaists , or as they may be called now or in future times, blasphemous teaching against the necessity and power of holy baptism and against the true Presence, distribution and conception of the truly essential Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, [...] consider to be unjust, false, lying and seductive and with real zeal hate, reject and condemn [...] "
In addition to the Bible "in all points, articles and words", the Augsburg Confession , its apology , the Schmalkaldic articles and Martin Luther's catechisms are invoked as "to be followed and to be truly believed".
The oath thus stands in contrast to the mildness that the Melanchthon student Eitzen would otherwise like to assume.
Validity period
The oath of ordination was published for the first time on September 15, 1574 at the spiritual synod in Garding and remained in this form (or the form later supplemented by Eitzen's successor Jakob Fabricius ) binding in the area of the Gottorp regional church until at least 1685 and replaced the concord formula that was not officially introduced there . In 1607, Duke Johann Adolf temporarily abolished the oath as part of " cryptocalvinist " measures, but it was reintroduced by the Lutheran reaction.