erest of Calvinism, whither he at that time already
was openly tending, Elector Frederick, supported by Elector August,
demanded that the edition of 1540 be recognized as the correct
explanation of the original _Augustana_, the majority of the princes
yielded, and, as a result, the Variata of 1540 alone was mentioned in
the Preface (_Praefatio_), in which the princes stated the reasons for
renewing their subscription to the _Augsburg Confession_ at Naumburg.
This Preface, prepared by Elector Frederick and the Wittenberg
Crypto-Calvinist Cracow, also asserted that hitherto no doctrinal
corruptions or deviations from the _Augsburg Confession_ had been
tolerated among the Lutherans. It mentioned neither the controversies
within the Lutheran Church nor the _Smalcald Articles_.

Evidently, to subscribe to this Preface was impossible for genuine
Lutherans. Duke John Frederick was told by his theologians Moerlin and
Stoessel that, if he signed it, they would resign and leave. The duke
replied that he, too, would mount his horse and depart rather than put
his signature to a document in which the errors introduced by the
Philippists, etc., were not rejected. Ulrich of Mecklenburg took the
same stand. And failing in his efforts to have the Preface changed in
accordance with his convictions, the Duke entered his protest and left
Naumburg without any further conference with the princes. When hereupon
the latter sent messengers to Weimar, John Frederick remained firm. As
conditions of his subscription the Duke demanded that in the Preface the
apostasy during the Interim be confessed, the distinctive features of
the Lutheran doctrine concerning the Lord's Supper be brought out
clearly, the recognition of the Variata of 1540 as a doctrinal norm be
eliminated, and the _Smalcald Articles_ be recognized with the rest of
the Lutheran symbols. Unwilling to accede to these demands, the princes
closed the discussions at Naumburg without the Duke,--hence also without
having attained their goal: peace among the Lutherans.

The Preface containing the objectionable features was signed by the
Electors of the Palatinate, Saxony, and Brandenburg, by Christopher of
Wuerttemberg, Philip of Hesse, Carl of Baden, and quite a number of
other princes and cities. However, Duke John Frederick did not by any
means stand alone in his opposition to the ambiguous, unionistic
Naumburg document. He was supported by Ulrich of Mecklenburg (who also
left Naumburg