MELANCHTHON
152
MELANCHTHON
fended him, e. g. against the Italian Dominican, burg Confession (confossio A\igustana) in which he
Thomas Kadinus of Piaccnza, and the Sorbonne ia aimed to prove lluit tlif Protestants, in spite of the
Paris (1521). innovations, still bclonycil lo the Cailiulic ('hurch and
But he was not qualified to play the part of a leader had a right to remain within licr lold. I'o this end he
amid the turmoil of a troublous period. The life alleged in defence of Protestant doctrine the Scriptures
which he was fitted for was the quiet existence of the and statements of recognized Catholic authorities,
scholar. He was always of a retiring and t imid dispo- The innovations in question were represented as
sition, temperate, prudent and peace-loving, w'ith a merely a reformation of abuses which had crept into
pious turn of mind and a deeply religious training, the Church. The tenor of the Confession in general
He never completely lost his attachment for the Catho- and its wording in particular, were the work of Me-
lic Church and for many of her ceremonies. His lanchthon. Luther saw its outline and gave it his ap-
limitations first became apparent when, during proval. It received numerous additions and changes
Luther's stay on the Wartburg, 1521, he found himself in at Augsburg, and its final form was determined by
Wittenberg confronted with the task of maintaining common agreement of theologians from all the evan-
order against the Zwickau fanatics, with their wild gelical bodies.
notions as to the establishment of Christ's Kingdom Alelanchthon's desire for peace appears even in this
upon earth, communism, and so forth. What Luther basic document of Protestantism, and he has often
accomplished in a few days on his return had proved been reproached with lackof vigour inhis opposition to
impossible to Jlclanchthon
On the other hand he showed
his ability as an organizer
when he undertook the reor-
ganization of Church affairs in
Saxony which then appeared
to be in a very bad state.
For the visitations ordered by
the Elector, .Melanchthon drew
up the " Instructions for Visit-
ors of the parochial clergy"
(printed, 152S), which work is
remarkable for its practical
sense and simplicity. Here
also appears the difference be-
tween Luther and Melanch-
thon, for Jlelanchthon warns
pastors against reviling pope
or bishop; whereas Luther
remarks: "You must de-
nounce vehemently the Papacy
and its followers, for it is al-
ready doomed by God even
as the devil and his kingdom. "
Melanchthon, it is true,
preached the doctrine that
faith alone justifies and that
" Ciod will forgive sins for the
sake of Christ, and without
the Catholic Church. Luther
himself explained (only, it is
true, after the hopes of ob-
taining for the Confession the
ear of the emperor and of Cath-
olics proved vain), that he had
no intention of showing "ser-
vile submission", and that he
regretted the omission of an
attack on Purgatory, the ven-
eration of the Saints and the
Papacy. The formal merits
of the Confession, its simple,
clear, calm, and terse state-
ment of doctrine won the
unanimous praise of the Evan-
gelical party. His "masterful
clearness and vigorous doc-
trine" were also admired in
the ".\pology" for the Aug.s-
Ijurg Confession, which is more
decided in tone because writ-
ten at a later date (when
Melanchthon himself had de-
termined "to throw aside
moderation") and directed
against the Catholic "Confu-
tatio". On the other hand,
Melanchthon was sharply criti-
Philipp Melanchthon
Lucas Craaach, Royal Gallery, Dresden
works on our part"; but he added: "We must cized for his personal conduct m the Reichstag, for hi
nevertheless do good works, which God has com- apprehensionand concern, his failure totakeafirmand
manded." Later also he invariably sought to pre- dignified attitude against the Catholic party. Hehim-
serve peace as long as might be possible, and no one self oncedeclared, in justification of hiscourse:" I know
took so much to heart as he the break between the that the people decry our moderation ; but it does not
churches. become us to heed the clamour of the multitude. We
While Luther, in the Smalkaldic Articles (1537), must labour for peace and for the future. It will
described the pope as Antichrist and other theologians prove a great blessing for us all if unity be restored in
subscribed to this declaration, Melanchthon wrote: Germany." He feared the overthrow of all order.
"My idea of the pope is this, that if he would give due Hence he made decided concessions to the Catholics
recognition to the Gospel, his supremacy over the at the subsequent conferences and debates on religion,
bishops, which he enjoys by human consent (not by He seems to have been lured by some dream of an
Divine ordinance) should also be acknowledged by us Evangelical-Catholic Church. He thought it possible
for the sake of peace and of the unity of those Chris- to remain within the Catholic Church, even with the
tians who are now, and in the future may be, subject
to him." He had to make a diplomatic plea for the
Reformation at the Reichstag in Speyer (1529). He
hoped that it would be recognized without difficulty
by the emperor and the Catholic party, but instead of
new theology. But he was never a Cryptocatholic,
as has been laid to his charge, and while evincing in
every other way a spirit of conciliation, he held fast to
the "purified doctrine", and repeatedly qualified as
blasphemy the lending of a hand, even in the cause of
this, a resolution was adopted to carry out vigorously peace, to any suppression of the truth
the Edict of Worms (1521) which prohibited all mno- The story that when his mother asked which was
vations. The evangelical element, "a small handful," the better of the two religions, he replied that the
protested against this (whence the name, " Protes- modified one was the more plausible, while the old one
tants"), and Melanchthon felt graveconcemoverthis was the surer, is nothing but a ridiculous invention,
"terrible state of things". .\t a religious conference Hisattempt to bringaboutareconciliation between the
with the Zwinglians in Marburg (autumn of 1529), he two brought him, instead of thanks, only mortifica-
joined hands with Luther in opposing a union w-ith tion and aV)use. From the age of 30 to that of 50,
Zwingli. The latter's views on the Eucharist seemed Melanchthon was at the height of his career as spokes-
to him an "impious doctrine". Melanchthon com- man and advocate of the Reformation, which, as had
posed for the Reichstag of Augsburg (1530) the Augs- formerly been the case in Hesse and Prussia, was in-
