The Correspondence of Wolfgang Capito : Volume 1: 1507-1523

Wolfgang Capito (1478–1541) was one of the most important figures of the Reformation, a leading churchman who turned from Catholic to Protestant. A professor of theology and advisor to the Archbishop of Mainz, he moved to Strasbourg and worked for two decades toward the reformation of the city, which became, after Wittenberg, the most active centre of the Reformation movement. This volume – the first of three – is a fully annotated translation of Capito's existing correspondence, covering the years 1507–1523. The letters reveal his dialogue with leading humanists and reformers, such as Erasmus and Luther (with whom Capito had a contentious relationship), and reflect the cultural and political milieu of the time. They also offer significant insights into the progress of the Reformation. Erika Rummel's head- and footnotes provide historical context by identifying classical and biblical quotations as well as persons and places. The volume will aid historians of the Reformation by elucidating as yet imperfectly understood aspects of Capito's thought, such as his efforts to promote concord between the reformers, his stand in the Eucharistic controversy, the nature and limitations of his tolerance toward Anabaptists, and his views on the relationship between secular and church governments. preface viii conservative canons at St Thomas and deepened internal divisions between Capito's followers and the Catholic party led by the dean, Nicolaus Wurmser. A second crisis developed in 1524, when many of the reformers took out citizenship and urged others to follow their example (Ep. 208). In December 1524, Capito published a pamphlet arguing in favour of the clergy giving up their privileges and sharing the fi nancial burdens of the laity (Ep. 230). A decree passed by the council in January 1525, making citizenship mandatory for the clergy, created serious diffi culties for Capito at St Thomas. After negotiating in vain for an alternative solution (Epp. 173a, 216a ), a number of Catholic canons at the three collegiate churches of St Thomas, Young and Old St Peter, decided to secede. Wurmser, who was behind this initiative, secretly removed the seal, briefs, and other legal documents and valuables from the vault of St Thomas, with the aim of setting up the chapter elsewhere and branding those left behind as heretics. 2 The splinter group pursued their purpose through legal means, that is, formal protests to the Reichsregiment, through public proclamations, and in practical ways through efforts to collect the rents and fees owed to the chapter. A number of the exiles changed their mind when they realized the serious nature of the undertaking and returned to Strasbourg. The alienated property, hidden for some time in Offenburg, was eventually returned to St Thomas, although the Strasbourg canons were forced to strike a new seal to carry on business in the meantime (Appendix 2). Capito described the whole affair in a reply to the Reichsregiment (Ep. 237) signed by twenty-one canons and vicars of St Thomas, and in a pamphlet (Ep. 246a), depicting the actions of Wurmser's faction as legally and morally wrong. In this affair, Capito was supported by the city council, which took the position that the collegiate churches had been established for the benefi t of the citizens of Strasbourg. The council therefore sent representatives to Offenburg to negotiate the return of the alienated goods and, in March 1528, reached an agreement with the exiles about fi nancial compensation for their lost benefi ces. 3 The dissension at St Thomas may have contributed to Capito's decision to resign his provostship, or at any rate the title, in October 1525 (Epp. 248a-d). He himself cites confl ict of interest as a reason. He had been accused of putting the material interests of the collegiate church before religious considerations. His mounting debts may also have played a role. At fi rst he attempted to sell both his provostship and his canonry to Gervasius Sopher, the \* \* \* \* \* preface ix administrator of St Thomas (Ep. 248a). When this plan did not come to fruition, he handed over the provostship to Lorenz Schenckbecher (Appendix 1c). He retained the right of regress, however, and continued to enjoy most of the usufructs as well as the house associated with the provost's offi ce. According to a contract drawn up by the two men, Schenckbecher was to enjoy the full benefi ts of the offi ce only after Capito's death. When the new provost demanded fi nancial guarantees in case his title was challenged in court by a former claimant, Jacob Abel, 4 Capito threatened to resume the provostship in 1528 (Epp. 367b, c). A mutually satisfactory settlement was reached, however, and the provostship remained in Schenckbecher's hands until 1540. To advance the cause of the Reformation, Capito and his colleagues frequently petitioned the council to pass legislation in support of their cause and, in turn, were invited by the council to account for their teaching. 5 Among the most frequently discussed matters were education 6 and the abolition of the mass. The latter involved lengthy negotiations, begun in April 1525 and brought to a successful conclusion in January 1529. 7 In March 1530 Capito wrote a brief history of the developments in Strasbourg (Ep. 406, published under the council's name), showing the crucial role played by the city's proclamations in advancing the Reformation. The council had mandated the preaching of the gospel, abolished the mass, established schools and, fi nally, taken over the allocation of benefi ces and the stipends associated with them. 8 The Peasants' War of 1525 threatened to bring the reformers into confl ict with the secular authorities, since the rebels combined social and political demands with Reformation slogans. Erasmus Gerber, a prominent leader in the Alsatian uprisings, contacted the Strasbourg reformers for advice in April 1525. 9 Later on, this contact led to claims that the preachers had abetted the revolts (Epp. 244a,246). The testimony of convicted peasant rebels seemed to implicate Capito and his colleagues 10 and obliged them to publish an apologia. 11 \* \* \* \* \* Contents 5 Preface 7 Abbreviations and Short Titles 17 Addenda to Volume 1 21 Letters, 1524–1531. Teil 1 31 Letters, 1524–1531. Teil 2 284 Appendix 523 Table of Correspondents 533 Chronology of Capito’s Life 545 Index 551