Memmingen disputation
The Memminger Disputation was a debate in the course of the Memmingen Reformation . It was written out on December 26, 1524 and took place on January 2, 1525 in Memmingen.
Beginnings
Although a disputation on the new teachings had been requested in Memmingen since January 1524 , it did not take place. The city's clergy insisted that they were not authorized to do so, but that they had to obtain the bishop's permission to participate. The old believing pastor Mergerich von der Frauenkirche and other clergymen often rejected the request. When there was a commotion in the Frauenkirche on December 25, 1524, Mergerich could no longer avoid it. He did send a letter to the bishop that he should prevent the disputation because he did not see himself in a position to pass one. If he cannot prevent it, the bishop should send a more capable clergyman. The city council, however, urged that the disputation be held because, as the authorities, it wanted to end the dispute and counter the risk of an uproar among the population. Furthermore, doubts about questions of faith within the population should be removed. The reformer Christoph Schappeler and the leaders of the new believers, including Sebastian Lotzer , also tolerated no delay and had the majority of the Memmingen population behind them. Therefore, on December 26th, the city council invited all pastors, preachers, chaplains and religious to an interrogation and "friendly talk".
The disputation
On January 2, 1525, the disputation took place in the Memmingen town hall . The clergy, all councilors, Paul Höpp and a member of the citizenship from each guild were present. Of these twelve guild members, however, nine were Reformation supporters. Four doctors were also invited. The Reformation devotee Dr. Wolfhart was appointed director.
procedure
After the emperor had already banned the Speyr National Council and other "other disputations, explanations and statements" in the edict of Burgos , the mayor said in his welcoming speech at the beginning of the disputation that the Memmingen disputation is not about any of the forbidden disputations, but about a friendly conversation. That is why the files only ever speak of an interrogation or a conversation. All in all, it seems as if the procedure was followed in the Second Zurich Disputation . The individual clergy were asked in turn what they had to object to the seven main articles by Schappeler.
These were as follows:
- The confession is not necessary to a faithful confession to God, however salutary.
- The invocation of Mary and the saints is not justified in the Bible.
- To tithe out of divine law, the new law (testament) does not know how to say.
- The mass , called the night mark of Christ, is neither a sacrifice nor a good work, but a reminder of the certain promise of sins, made by God to us and confirmed by the death of his only Son.
- From Scripture we do not know what to say about purgatory.
- The holy sacrament of the altar is to be communicated in whole and not in half in both forms to all Christians who desire it.
- A unified spiritual priesthood with the same sacrifice and office, not two things as the papists say, is common to all Christian believers.
The Old Believers tried as best they could to break Schappeler's chain of arguments. However, they were mostly poorly educated or not at all theologically trained, so that many also indicated that they were “not trained and skilled at disputing”. Schappeler must have taken this into account at the beginning, as he knew the sermons of the Old Believers present. Many Old Believers also argued that this disputation was not fair, as it belonged to a council and would belong to the universities. The first phase lasted three days. Up to the third day, a factual objection was only made to the seventh point in the article. This consisted in the fact that a priest, on behalf of the entire priesthood, described the seven articles as "naked blos speak vnd an schrifft dathun". Therefore they should not be given any faith. Schappeler and his assistants then brought forward the references from the Holy Scriptures. On the fourth day of the disputation, this was presented to the clergymen of the old faith and instructed to leave the room. Then one by one was invited in so that everyone could express their own opinion about the articles. However, there was not one among the priests who had anything to say against the articles. Rather, the council should "put it down and follow how it does it, you want to pause and follow it".
Result
When none of the priests raised an objection at the repeated joint meeting, the mayor of Memmingen announced the result. Priests should be urged to refrain from defamation. Anyone who violates this should be dealt with using all urban means. The priests should now keep quiet for a while with the mass and other ceremonies. It was also decided: “... so wolt ain Rath in the matter learned advice and as then from the despaired by it the almighty got looped, brotherly loving and peaceful and ainiteness became and many times know how to get ahead in idolatry and should send against the spiritual and the spiritual against the worldly ”. In his closing speech, the mayor emphasized that everyone present should now acknowledge these articles or should leave the city. Anyone who did not leave the city but did not recognize the articles was threatened with the city court. The special thing about this disputation was the agreement. This was not the case at any other disputation, as can be seen from the archive files.
literature
- Wolfgang Schlenck: The imperial city of Memmingen and the Reformation . In: Memminger Geschichtsblätter . Yearbook 1968. Verlag der Heimatpflege Memmingen, 1969, ISSN 0539-2896 , p. 42–43 (At the same time: Dissertation University Erlangen-Nürnberg 1969).
- Barbara Kroemer: The introduction of the Reformation in Memmingen. About the importance of their social, economic and political factors . In: Memminger Geschichtsblätter . 1980, ISSN 0539-2896 , p. 101-112 .
- Thomas Pfundner: The Memminger and Kaufbeurer Religious Discussion of 1525 . In: Memminger Geschichtsblätter . Annual journal 1991/92. ISSN 0539-2896 , p. 23-66 .