Lutheranism

===Counter-Reformation and controversies===
[[File:Toleranzbethaus Fresach, copy Hundskirche in der Kreuzen.jpg|thumb|A Hundskirche replica]]
After the death of [[Martin Luther]] in 1546, the [[Schmalkaldic War]] started out as a conflict between two German Lutheran rulers in 1547. Soon, Holy Roman Imperial forces joined the battle and conquered the members of the [[Schmalkaldic League]], oppressing and exiling many German Lutherans as they enforced the terms of the [[Augsburg Interim]]. Religious freedom in some areas was secured for Lutherans through the [[Peace of Passau]] in 1552, and under the legal principle of ''[[Cuius regio, eius religio]]'' (the religion of the ruler was to dictate the religion of those ruled) and the [[Declaratio Ferdinandei]] (limited [[religious tolerance]]) clauses of the [[Peace of Augsburg]] in 1555.<ref>Fuerbringer, L., ''[https://archive.org/details/concordiacyclope009499mbp Concordia Cyclopedia]'' [[Concordia Publishing House]]. 1927. p. 425</ref>

Religious disputes between the [[Crypto-Calvinism|Crypto-Calvinists]], [[Philippists]], [[Sacramentarians]], [[Ubiquitarians]] and [[Gnesio-Lutherans]] raged within Lutheranism during the middle of the 16th century. This finally ended with the resolution of the issues in the ''Formula of Concord''. Large numbers of politically and religiously influential leaders met together, debated, and resolved these topics on the basis of Scripture, resulting in the Formula, which over 8,000 leaders signed. The ''Book of Concord'' replaced earlier, incomplete [[Body of Doctrine|collections of doctrine]], unifying all German Lutherans with identical doctrine and beginning the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy.

In lands where [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] was the state religion, Lutheranism was officially illegal, although enforcement varied. Until the end of the [[Counter-Reformation#Politics|Counter-Reformation]], some Lutherans worshipped secretly, such as at the Hundskirke (which translates as dog church or dog altar), a triangle-shaped [[Mass rock|Communion rock]] in a ditch between crosses in [[Paternion]], Austria. The crowned serpent is possibly an allusion to [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor]], while the dog possibly refers to [[Peter Canisius]]. Another figure interpreted as a snail carrying a church tower is possibly a metaphor for the Protestant church. Also on the rock is the number 1599 and a phrase translating as "thus gets in the world".<ref>This photograph is of a replica of the original Hundskirche stone. [https://books.google.com/books?id=oACQQTZugRgC&pg=PA363 Zeitschrift für Oesterreichische Volkskunde], (Google Books) by Theodor Vernaleken, 1896</ref>