The Landgrave was the first prince who took advantage of the recess of the Diet of Speier,
Aug. 27, 1526, and construed it into a legal permission for the introduction of the Reformation into
his own territory. For this purpose he convened a synod in the little Hessian town of Homberg.^770
It consisted of the clergy, the nobility, and the representatives of cities, and was held Oct. 20–22,
- He himself was present, and his chancellor Feige presided over the deliberations. The synod
is remarkable for a premature scheme of democratic church government and discipline, which
failed for the time, but contained fruitful germs for the future and for other countries. It was suggested
by the disputations which had been held at Zürich for the introduction of the Zwinglican Reformation.
The leading spirit of this synod was Francis Lambert of Avignon (1487–1530), the first
French monk converted to Protestantism and one of the secondary reformers. He had been formerly
a distinguished and efficient traveling preacher of the Franciscan order in the South of France. But
he could find no peace in severe ascetic exercises; and, when he became acquainted with some
tracts of Luther in a French translation, he took advantage of a commission of his convent to deliver
letters to a superior of his order in Germany, and left his native land never to return. He traveled
on a mule through Geneva, Bern, Zürich, Basel, Eisenach, to Wittenberg, as a seeker after light on
the great question of the day. He was half converted by Zwingli in a public disputation (July, 1522),
and more fully by Luther in Wittenberg, where he arrived in January, 1523. Luther, who was often
deceived by unworthy ex-priests and ex-monks, distrusted him at first, but became convinced of
his integrity, and aided him.^771 At his request Lambert delivered exegetical lectures in the university,
translated reformatory tracts into French and Italian, and published a book in defense of his leaving
the convent (February, 1523), and a commentary on the rule of the Minorites to which Luther wrote
a preface (March, 1523). He advocated the transformation of convents into schools. He married a
Saxon maiden (July 15, 1523), anticipating herein the Reformer, and lived with her happily, but in
great poverty, which obliged him to beg for assistance. He spent over a year in Wittenberg; but,
finding no prospect of a permanent situation on account of his ignorance of the German language,
he suddenly left for Metz, against the advice of Luther and Melanchthon, on invitation of a few
secret friends of the Reformation (March 24, 1524). He addressed a letter to the king of France to
gain him for the Reformation, and announced a public disputation; but the clergy prevented it, and
the magistrate advised him to leave Metz. He then proceeded to Strassburg (April, 1524), was
kindly received by Bucer, and presented with the right of citizenship by the magistrate. He published
practical commentaries on the Canticles, the Minor Prophets, a book against Erasmus, on free-will,
von der Sale, who captivated his passions, had consented to become his mistress, he would not have fallen upon the extraordinary device
of bigamy. The worst feature in this shameful affair is the weak connivance of the Reformers, which furnished the Romanists a keen
weapon of attack. See Janssen. But Protestantism is no more responsible for the sins of Philip of Hesse, than Romanism is for the sins of
Louis XIV.(^770) In Kurhessen (which in 1866 was annexed to Prussia). Homberg must not be confounded with the better-known watering-place
Homburg near Frankfort on the Main.
(^771) He mentions him under the assumed name of Johannes Serranus in letters to Spalatin, Dec. 20 and 26, 1522, and Jan. 12 and 23,
1523 (in De Wette, II. 263, 272, 299, 302). In the last letter, after he had made his personal acquaintance, he writes, "AdestJohannes ille
Serranus, vero nomine Franciscus Lambertus ... De integritate viri nulla est dubitatio: testes sunt apud nos, qui illum et in Francia et in
Basilea audierunt. ... Mihi per omnia placet vir, et satis spectatus mihi est ... ut dignus sit quem in exilio paululum feramus et juvemus."
Then he asks Spalatin to secure for him from the Elector a contribution of twenty or thirty guilders for his support. In a letter of Feb. 25,
1523 (De Wette, II. 308), he repeats this request as a beggar for a poor exile of Christ. A last request he made Aug. 14, 1523 (II. 387).