portant matter, that it is to be discussed and settled in the following manner, viz., '"the suggestions, (pinions and ideas of the several estates are to be heard, explained and considered in all love and kindliness, the divisions are to be allayed and brought to one single Christian truth, everything that is not rightly explained and all practices that are not right are to be abolished, one single religion is to be accepted and main- tained by all of us, and as we are all under one Christ, so we are all to live in one communion, Church and unity, and, finally, unity and peace are to be made" : * — ^therefore we con- sider that great and inevitable necessity requires — since this diet will take the place of a national council — ^that all the articles because of which the said division continues, those that concern the faith and those that deal with external Church usages and ceremonies, shall be put in such form that before the diet begins we may be firmly and fully decided whether and in what form and how far we and the other estates who have accepted and admitted the pure doctrine in their lands may allow the discussion, with God, a good con- science, with propriety and without grave offence.
Since, however, the matters are to be taken up in such a way — we can place no other interpretation on the said an- nouncement of the diet — that no one can better o^ more fully consider them or give advice about them than you ; therefore it is our gracious request that you will do this, and especially that you will let all other matters rest, and so undertake this consideration as to be finished with it between now and Oculi Sunday ' and come together here at Torgau on the said Oculi Sunday, bringing it with you. Seeing that the time before the diet is very short and we must start without delay, we leave the whole matter entirely to you.
And although it is not said in the aforesaid summons that every estate may bring its own preachers under safe conduct, for which reason we cannot understand how it will be possible for everyone's opinion and judgment to be heard and for unity to be reached ; nevertheless it is our gracious request to
^The puaige !n quotation marks is taken almost word for word from the Stimmons.
'March 20, The reports of the Wittenbergers form the basis of the "Torgau Articles."
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