The Book of Concord: Part 9—The Smalcald Articles: Luther’s Last Will and Testament by Vicar Trevor Flanick
“The Smalcald Articles: Articles of Christian Doctrine that we would have presented to the council, if one had been convened at Mantua or elsewhere, pointing out what we could give up and what we could not.” — Dr. Martin Luther
The Smalcald Articles, often referred to as Luther’s Last Will and Testament, are the next part of the Lutheran Confessions that we will explore. It is not as long as our two previous sections, the Augsburg Confession and the Apology, but it is rich in how it lays out the Lutheran Theology. Historically, it was written eight years after those two primary documents and in response to the call of a general church council to convene by Pope Paul III.
Since the very beginning of the Reformation, Luther and others advocated for an ecumenical council to be established in order to finally put to rest the various challenges and concerns in a fair and Scripturally-based hearing. Though many calls had been made for Rome to take this action, it had fallen on deaf ears. Based on the unsuccessful attempt at Augsburg to appeal to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, the Reformers believed that the only way these systemic issues in the church at large would be addressed was through a council. Now, church councils were no small matter; they could only be called together by the Pope and were used throughout history to deal with important doctrinal issues primarily. The intent of a council was to bring together all bishops throughout Christendom in order to work together, as a church body, to address the problems of the day. Heresies were argued over and dogma (established church law and belief) was proclaimed through these councils. Finally, after years of religious turmoil throughout Europe, in June of 1536, Pope Paul III called for a church council to convene, beginning May 23, 1537.
The intent of the council was not necessarily to determine right doctrine and correct church error. Pope Paul III made it clear that the purpose of the council was “the utter extirpation of the poisonous, pestilential Lutheran heresy,” as per a published Papal bull. This made it clear that, once again, the Lutherans were fighting an uphill battle. The Lutheran princes were torn as to whether any representatives should even attend the council, but Luther encouraged that some should go in order for the truth to be proclaimed and perhaps cause those in attendance to reconsider. John Frederick, the nephew of Frederick the Wise who first protected Luther—who was his current prince—commissioned Luther to prepare a statement for presentation at the council. This statement would provide doctrinal positions on which the Lutherans would not budge. It would be bolder and more direct than the previous confessions but would bear the same weight that those who subscribed to it were willing to die for that confession.
Since 1531, many of the princes in Germany had banded together in an alliance called Schmalkaldic League. This provided the territories political, military, and religious support as they resisted the Holy Roman Empire’s attempt to crush the Reformation. It prevented Charles V and Rome from sweeping through and making their lands Roman Catholic by force. It wasn’t just a political alliance; these princes took their faith seriously. Those who would not fully subscribe to the Augsburg Confession were not permitted to join, even if they had significant power like England’s King Henry VIII. Prior to the convening of the council, the Schmalkaldic Leage would meet February 7, 1537, in order to ensure unity on the statement of faith that Luther was preparing. The meeting would be held in the town of Schmalkalden, where all the princes and theologians would review the statement then sign their names in endorsement.
As he prepared the articles, Luther became gravely ill in December 1536 (perhaps experiencing a heart attack and also struggling with kidney stones). He was convinced that he would die soon and so regarded the Smalcald Articles as his own last will and testament—a final confession of his faith to the world. Though Luther would live another decade, he believed that this would be his only chance to present the Lutheran Theology before a general council. It is one of Luther’s greatest writings, written with conviction and desperation, as he struggled against his own broken flesh to complete the document in time.
Some of the princes were concerned at the strong language of the Smalcald Articles. They were content to simply re-present the Augsburg Confession and the Apology before the Council. Melanchthon was one of the hesitant members, even though he did sign the document. Melanchthon was willing to compromise on certain things, like the authority of the pope, which he indicated in an added caveat. Unfortunately, Luther was still very sick during the time of the meeting and was not able to defend his Articles in person. As a result, the League sided with Melanchthon and did not adopt them for use before the Council. This compromising attitude that Philip Melanchthon often displayed would continue to plague the reformation until the Lutherans formerly rejected his various conciliatory views in 1577. Even without being officially adopted, forty-four of the Lutherans present did affix their names to the Smalcald Articles.
Luther’s last will and testament clearly defines the differences between Lutheran Theology based on Scripture and the Romanist doctrines that the Papacy was propagating. In typical Luther sharpness and wit, it clearly outlines what doctrines are true and rejects falsehood. He believed that clarity and honesty, no matter how it may be received, was far more important than speaking in a manner that pleased the crowds. Luther, while disheartened that the League did not accept it, still published the Articles in 1537 so that his final confession would stand. Interestingly, the council was cancelled, and no church council would convene until the Council of Trent in 1545, right before Luther died. While it did not serve the original intended purpose, the Smalcald Articles still stand today as a clear confession of Lutheran Doctrine.
“We cannot yield without becoming guilty of treason against God, even though property and life, peace of war, are at stake.” —Elector John Frederick