a dream to me.
certainly a good happy and desired beginning has been made toward the
restoration of purity of doctrine, toward the elimination of
corruptions, toward the establishment of a godly confession." In a
letter of July 24, 1576, to Hesshusius and Wigand, Andreae wrote in a
similar vein, saying: "Often were they [Chemnitz and Chytraeus] almost
overwhelmed with rejoicing and wonder that we were there [at Torgau]
brought to such deliberation. Truly, this is the change of the right
hand of the Most High, which ought also to remind us that since the
truth no longer suffers, we should do everything that may contribute to
the restoration of good feeling." (Richard, 428. 430.)

281. The Bergic Book or the Formula of Concord.

In accordance with the recommendation of the Torgau convention the
Elector of Saxony examined the _Torgau Book_ himself and had copies of
it sent to the various Lutheran princes and estates in Germany with the
request to have it tested by their theologians, and to return their
opinions and censures to Dresden. Of these (about 25) the majority were
favorable. The churches in Pomerania and Holstein desired that
Melanchthon's authority be recognized alongside of Luther's. On the
other hand, Hesshusius and Wigand demanded that Flacius, Osiander,
Major, Melanchthon, and other "originators and patrons of corruptions"
be referred to by name and condemned as errorists. Quite a number of
theologians objected to the _Torgau Book_ because it was too bulky. To
meet this objection the _Epitome_, a summary of the contents of the
_Torgau Book_, was prepared by Andreae with the consent of the Elector.
Originally its title read: "_Brief Summary_ of the articles which,
controverted among the theologians of the _Augsburg Confession_ for many
years, were settled in a Christian manner at Torgau in the month of
June, 1576, by the theologians which there met and subscribed."

After most of the censures had arrived, the "triumvirate" of the
_Formula of Concord_ (as Chytraeus called them 1581), Andreae,
Selneccer, and Chemnitz, by order of the Elector met on March 1, 1577,
at Cloister Bergen, near Magdeburg, for the consideration of the
criticisms and final editing of the new confession. They finished their
work on March 14. Later when other criticisms arrived and a further
revision took place (also at Bergen, in May 1577), Musculus, Cornerus,
and Chytraeus were added to their number. Though numerous changes,
additions