The majority insisted upon leaving particular condemnations for the present, until the articles referred to should come up during the regular course of debate. The protestation of the Weimarians was not entered upon the minutes, but they succeeded in having it received as their personal conviction, by the envoys of the princes. JULIUS VON PFLUG was elected President of the Conference, and called the speakers of both sides together on the 11th of September, to open the discussion. Melanchthon wrote: "According to the custom of orators, he spoke of the evils produced by discord, in his address. Sidonius replied, and I succeeded him. I mentioned some reasons why we were obliged to differ from our opponents. Our friends are all one in their Confession. The Weimarians, and they alone, had demanded some condemnations." But soon violent contentions arose, especially in regard to the source of knowledge. The Catholics insisted upon the continual agreement of the Church, but the Protestants would not suffer any other authority than the Bible and the most ancient confessions. Original Sin elicited a still more excited debate. The cunning Bishop Sidonius of Merseburg made these contentions a desirable excuse for breaking up the conference. He knew the two Protestant parties, and imitated those, as Melanchthon says, who wish to drive the bees from their hives: smoke is blown in for this purpose. "So they are seeking plans to divide us, and to break up the conference. I have observed all along that our opponents neither desire the truth nor union." This was written to Matthesius, September 29th. On the 2d of October, he made the following report to the Elector Augustus: "By the grace of God, our side made a very good beginning. But afterwards the cunning Papists insisted upon knowing whether we were all of one and the same opinion. I replied repeatedly in the public assemblies, that we all agreed in the Confession. But now the Weimarians presented their condemnations, and because they saw that they could not keep pace with the other Protestants, they departed in the beginning of October, declaring that they had been excluded from the Conference. The other Theologians wished to continue, while the Catholics rejoiced at this rupture, and said that they did not know who were the true adherents of the Augsburg Confession. The President Pflug postponed the sessions until the King should decide the matter." He wrote to Matthesius, October 3d: "I very much doubt whether this debate, which has been commenced between us and our opponents, will be continued. Everything seems to be arranged in such a manner on both sides, that the whole matter will be brought to a conclusion. I earnestly long for the society of my family, and would rather repeat prayers with my beloved sons and daughters than continue to contend with these venomous sophists. However, I shall not leave here until we are officially dismissed."