and a sort of dogmatic compend.^772 He was highly recommended to the Landgrave, who took him
into his service soon after the Diet of Speier (1526), and made him one of the reformers of Hesse.
Lambert prepared for the Synod of Homberg, at the request of the Landgrave, a hundred
and fifty-eight Theses (Paradoxa), as a basis for the reformation of doctrine, worship, and discipline.
He advocated them with fiery and passionate eloquence in a long Latin speech.^773 Adam Kraft
spoke in German more moderately.
His leading ideas are these. Every thing which has been deformed must be reformed by the
Word of God. This is the only rule of faith and practice. All true Christians are priests, and form
the church. They have the power of self-government, and the right and duty to exercise discipline,
according to Matt. 18:15–18, and to exclude persons who give offense by immorality or false
doctrine. The bishops (i.e., pastors) are elected and supported by the congregation, and are aided
by deacons who attend to the temporalities. The general government resides in a synod, which
should meet annually, and consist of the pastors and lay representatives of all the parishes. The
executive body between the meetings of synod is a commission of thirteen persons. Three visitors,
to be appointed first by the prince, and afterwards by the synod, should visit the churches once a
year, examine, ordain, and install candidates. Papists and heretics are not to be tolerated, and should
be sent out of the land. A school for training of ministers is to be established in Marburg.
It is a matter of dispute, whether Lambert originated these views, or derived them from the
Franciscan, or Waldensian, or Zwinglian, or Lutheran suggestions. The last is most probable. It is
certain that Luther in his earlier writings (1523) expressed similar views on church government
and the ministry. They are legitimately developed from his doctrine of the general priesthood of
believers.^774
On the basis of these principles a church constitution was prepared in three days by a
synodical commission, no doubt chiefly by Lambert himself. It is a combination of
Congregationalism and Presbyterianism. Its leading features are congregational self-government,
synodical supervision, and strict discipline. The directions for worship are based on Luther’s
"Deutsche Messe," 1526.^775
The constitution, with the exception of a few minor features, remained a dead letter. The
Landgrave was rather pleased with it, but Luther, whom he consulted, advised postponement; he
did not object to its principles, but thought that the times and the people were not ripe for it, and
that laws in advance of public opinion rarely succeed.^776 Luther learned a bitter lesson from the
(^772) Farrago omnium fere rerum theologicarum. It was translated into English, 1536. This book and his De Fidelium vocatione in Regnum
Christi contain the views which he defended in Homberg.
(^773) Hase says (p. 387): "Die Mönche und Prälaten verstummten vor der glühenden Beredtsamkeit des landflüchtigen Minoriten." But
he was opposed by Ferber, the guardian of the Marburg Franciscans, who denounced him as a "runaway monk," and denied the legal
competency of the synod. Lambert in turn called him a champion of Antichrist and a blasphemer, and exclaimed, "Expellatur ex provincia!"
which Ferber misunderstood, "Occidatur bestia!" He confessed afterwards that he lost his temper. Hassencamp, Fr. Lambert, p. 39 sq.,
and Hencke, l.c. I. 103 sq.
(^774) See above, pp. 518 and 538. Ritschl and Meier assert that Lambert borrowed his church ideal from his own order of the Minorites.
(^775) The Latin original of the constitution is lost, but two copies are extant from which the printed editions of Schminke, Richter, and
Credner are derived. Janssen (III. 54) calls it, not quite accurately, "ein vollständig ausgebildetes, rein demokratisches Presbyterialsystem."
(^776) Letter to the Landgrave, Monday after Epiphany, 1527 (in the Erl. ed., vol. LVI. 170 sq.). He was reluctant to give an answer, from
fear that nonapproval might be construed as proceeding from Wittenberg jealousy of any rivalry. He does not mention Lambert, but
cautions against rash proceedings. "Fürschreiben und Nachthun ist weit von einander" (theory and practice are wide apart). Köstlin (II.
50) says: "Gegen die Principien des Entwurfs an sich wandte Luther nichts ein. Der Grund, weshalb er ihn ablehnte, war das Bedürfniss