on, in the name of the Wittenberg faculty, wrote an opinion of
the _Book of Confutation_. (_C. R._ 9, 763.) But contents as well as
form of this opinion merely served to confirm the ducal theologians in
their position. The Philippists also fortified themselves by publishing
the _Corpus Doctrinae_ (_Corpus Philippicum_ or _Misnicum_), which
contained writings only of Melanchthon. The _Frankfort Recess_,
therefore, instead of bringing relief to the Lutherans, only increased
their mutual enmity and distrust. In order to reconcile John Frederick,
the Duke of Wuerttemberg suggested a convention of princes at Fulda, on
January 20, 1559. But when Elector August heard that besides the Duke of
Saxony also other opponents of the _Frankfort Recess_ were invited, he
foiled the plan by declining to attend.

273. General Lutheran Council advocated by Flacianists.

To heal the breach and end the public scandal, Flacius and his adherents
fervently advocated the convocation of a General Lutheran Synod. In 1559
they published "_Supplicatio Quorundam Theologorum ... pro Libera
Christiana et Legitima Synodo_, Supplication of Some Theologians ... for
a Free, Christian and Lawful Synod." The document was signed by 51
superintendents, professors, and pastors, "who after Luther's death," as
they emphasized, "had contended orally and in writing against the
corruptions and sects." The signatures represented theologians from
Ducal Saxony, Hamburg, Bremen, Luebeck, Rostock, Wismar, Brunswick,
Magdeburg, Halberstadt, Koethen, Nordhausen, Schweinfurt, Regensburg,
Lindau, Upper Palatinate, Hesse, Brandenburg, Electoral Saxony,
Nuernberg, Augsburg, Baden, etc. Some of the first were: Amsdorf,
Musaeus, Joachim Moerlin, Hesshusius, Max Moerlin, Gallus, Wigand,
Judex, Westphal, John Freder of Wismar, Anton Otto of Nordhausen,
Flacius. The _Supplication_ showed why a General Synod was necessary and
how it was to be conducted. Its chief object, the _Supplication_ said,
would be to pass on adiaphorism, Majorism, and synergism, all
participants in the Synod having previously been pledged on the
_Augsburg Confession_, the _Apology_, and the _Smalcald Articles_,
according to which all questions were to be decided. (Preger 2, 86f.)

The most violent opponent of this plan was Melanchthon. Fearing that the
Flacianists might get control of the prospective general council, he, in
advance, denounced and branded it as a "Robber Synod (_Raeubersynode_),
advocated by