On the Life and Missions of Jacobus Andreae for the Reformation of the Lutheran Church, Part I

For Kæufelinus, who alone had borne the entire burden of the faculty and had subscribed to the Interimistic formula, had introduced the Papal Mass anew, not without significant scandal to the church of Tübingen. Therefore, the Prince appointed Martinus Frechtus of Ulm—who had suffered grave hardships and even chains (having sat as a captive at Kirchheim because he opposed Carolus V’s Augsburg formula, which they call the Interim)—as Professor of Theology at Tübingen. He enjoined Jacobus to join theological lectures with his ecclesiastical ministry. He did not, however, deem it advisable to antiquate or abrogate the Mass itself, which we have testimony from Crusius was read in the primary church of Tübingen in the year 1551. q

He thus revealed quite openly that he had destined Jacobus for academic studies; for this reason, the ecclesiastical Consistory was forced to abstain from that destination by which it had decided to appoint Jacobus as pastor of the church at Vayhingen.

Letters of presentation, as they are called, had already been offered by the Consistory to the Grand Master of the Court, Balthasar a Gultlingen, whose duty it was to ratify and sign those letters. But when he had examined the letters, he returned them torn to the Secretary. The Consistory, completely ignorant of what this meant, could scarcely explain what reason lay beneath it, why a wise and grave man was acting so irately and precipitously. Therefore, they ordered Jacobus to approach the Grand Master of the Court and inquire from him what was the cause of his indignation. But feigning a severe countenance, he said: "Do you not know the cause?" "But I am ignorant among the most ignorant," replied Jacobus, "nor am I conscious of what guilt I have committed to merit your indignation?" Gultlingen spoke severely: "If you wish to become a village pastor Dorfpfarrer," he said, "take up that condition, but with my consent that will never happen, for I know the Duke’s judgment concerning you, the sentiment of which you shall await."

q) The learned Schnurrer has collected more on this topic, loc. cit., p. 201, § 56, where in note 1 he cites a passage from the Prodromus, p. 151: "Christophorus, son of Ulricus, daring to change nothing lest he offend the Emperor on the very threshold of his principate, urged the priests themselves that they should feel and teach the people regarding the faith just as Carolus V had prescribed."