NOMIANISM AND ANTINOMIAN CONTROVERSIES,
II., 1, § 3). He declined a call to the bishopric of Sleswick, and another to the University of Copenhagen; but he visited Holstein in 1542, at the king's invitation, to assist in the adoption and adaptation of the Danish church constitution for the duchies. No sooner had he returned than the success of the arms of the Schmalkald League against Henry of Brunswick laid a new task upon him, together with Corvinus and Gorlitz; viz., that of organizing an Evangelical Church in the conquered territory. The constitution for Brunswick- Wolfenbiittel which appeared in the autumn of 1543 is mostly his work, and that adopted for Hildesheim in the following year is practically derived from it. Yet the difficulties which he had experienced in this visitation were sufficient, it would seem, to make him reluctant to accept the invitation of the duke of Pomerania to take the place of the deceased bishop of Kammin; and when the duke would have no conditional acceptance, he declined abso-
RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bug- Bible Bulgaria
lutely, though professing his willingness to assist for a time in organization.
Bugenhagen remained, accordingly, at Wittenberg, a help and strength to Luther in his last years, and preached his funeral sermon on Feb. 22, 1546. In the troublous times that followed, he adhered undauntedly to the cause of the Wittenberg church, encouraged the citizens during the siegs, and went on preaching even after the emperor had entered the city as conqueror. The consideration with which he was treated by Charles V and the new elector Maurice, and his desire to Last serve the university and to remain Years. connected with it, combined to reconcile him to the new state of things more readily than some ardent evangelicals thought fitting. There was much criticism of his action from his own side, and calumny even went so far as to accuse him of venality. He was drawn into the policy of the Interim still further, as conducted by Maurice of Saxony and represented theologically by Melanchthon. His personal share in the negotiations was, indeed, a slight one; he was in the opposition at Alten-Zelle, and was consequently not summoned to Juterbogk. But the concessions made to the Roman Catholic ceremonial found a sympathizer in the man who had impressed upon North German Lutheranism a conservative approximation to the old forms; he overlooked the fact that, as Hering has truly said, what had originally been consideration for the weak brethren might now be only obsequious deference to the powerful. His attitude cost him the confidence of the deposed elector and of Albert of Prussia, and not a few of his old friends turned from him. As an attempt to set himself right, he published in 1550 his commentary on Jonah, in which he gave vigorous expression to his undiminished protest against the Roman Catholic Church, undertaking to derive its doctrines and practises from the Montanist heresy. He raised his voice during the troubles of 1556 in a warning to all pastors to prepare for the end of the world by confession of sin and firm adherence to their faith. Decaying bodily strength forced him to give up preaching in 1557, and a year later he went to his long rest, being buried near the altar in the church he had served so long. He left behind him many a trace of his organizing abilities throughout northern Germany, especially in Lower Saxony, of his wisdom in practical matters, his sensible views on education, and his liturgical institutions, which substantially determined the abiding character of North German Lutheranism.
(G. Kawerau.)
Bibliography: His Brief wechsel, ed. O. Vogt, appeared Stuttgart, 1888. The best treatment is to be found in H. Hering, Doktor Pomeranua, J. Bugenhagen, Halle, 1888. Special treatises are: G. H. Goetze, De J Buqenhagii meritis . . oratio, Leipsic, 1704; J. D. Jancke, Lebensgeschichte J. Bugenhagens, Rostock, 1757; R. F. L. Lngelken, J. Bugenhagen, ein biographischer Aufsatz fur die evangelische Kirche, Berlin, 1817; J. H. Zietz, J. Bugenhagen. Ein biographischer Versuch, Leipsic, 1834; M. Meurer, J. Bugenhagen's Leben, ib. 1862; K. A. T. Vogt, J. Bugenhagen Pomeranus, Elberfeld, 1867. Consult further: J. Kostlin, Martin Luther, ed. G. Kawerau, passim, 2 vols., Berlin, 1903; Sehaff, Christian Church, vi. 347, 467, 567, 621-622; Moeller, Christian Church, vol. iu. passim; KL, ii. 1453-58. Bugenhagen's Vermahnung
an die Bohmen was published in Zeitgemasse Traktate aus der Reformationszeit, part 2, ed. C. von Kiigelgen Leipsic 1903.