Brandenburg, Confessions

BRANDENBURG, CONFESSIONS or CONFESSIONS OF THE MARK (Confessiones marchicæ, i.e., Brennoburgenses): The confessions of the mark Brandenburg during the Reformation. They are three in number: (1) the Confession prepared by order of Johann Sigismund, elector of Brandenburg, 1614, which was intended to reconcile the views of Luther with those of Calvin (see Sigismund, Johann); (2) the Leipsic Colloquy, 1631, i.e., the declarations of the theologians who took part in the Colloquy of Leipsic, 1631; (3) the Declaration of Thorn, 1645 (see Thorn, Conference of).

Bibliography: The text of the three confessions is in J. C. W. Augusti, Corpus librorum symbolicorum, pp. 369 sqq., Elberfeld, 1827 and in H. A. Niemeyer, Collectio confessionum in reformata publicatarum, pp. 642 sqq., Leipsic, 1840. Consult Schaff, Creeds, ii, 554–563.