the ignorant Flacian rabble." Three weeks before his death,
March 28, 1560 he wrote: "Since they [the Flacians] cannot kill me, the
object of these hypocrites is to expel me. For long ago they have said
that they would not leave a foot of ground for me in Germany. _Hoc agunt
isti hypocritae, ut me pellant, cum sanguinem meum haurire non possint;
et quidem oratio istorum vetus est, qua dixerunt, se mihi non relicturos
esse in Germania vestigium pedis_." (_C. R._ 9, 1079.) Philip of Hesse
consented to attend the general synod with the proviso that the power of
the Jena theologians be curbed and also the Swiss be admitted. (Preger
2, 93.) That the plan of the Flacianists failed was chiefly due to
Elector August, who declined to attend the synod.

274. Futile Efforts of Princes at Naumburg.

In lieu of the General Lutheran Council advocated by the Flacians,
Christopher of Wuerttemberg, in March, 1559, recommended as the best
means to heal the breach a convention of all the Lutheran princes and
estates to be held at Naumburg, deliberations to begin January 20, 1561.
The object of this assembly, he said, was neither to discuss the
differences among the Lutherans, nor to formulate any condemnations, but
only to renew the subscription to the _Augsburg Confession_ and to
consider how the Lutherans might present a united front and a unanimous
confession at the next diet and at the prospective papal council. All
finally consented to attend, including Duke John Frederick, Elector
August (who, instigated by Melanchthon, first had declined
participation), and the Crypto-Calvinist, Elector Frederick of the
Palatinate. Expecting no results favorable to genuine Lutheranism from
this assembly, the Jena theologians renewed their request for a general
synod and sent their _Supplication_ to Naumburg with an additional
writing, dated January 23, 1561, in which they admonished the princes
not to enter into an ungodly and unionistic agreement, rather to
eliminate the errors of Major, Osiander, etc. But the princes, whose
object was to settle matters without the theologians, declined to
consider their petition, and, on February 8, the last day of the
convention, returned the documents to their authors in Jena.

After comparing the various editions of the _Augsburg Confession_, the
Naumburg Assembly decided to subscribe to the _Confession_ as delivered
1530 in Augsburg and published 1531 in German and Latin at Wittenberg.
But when, in the int