The Emperor being exasperated at the continual objections, raised against the council, departed at last from his usual course of conduct and determined to settle all religious disputes by force of arms. The Elector of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse, immediately adopted proper measures for their own defence. At Worms, the clergy of Cologne, had presented a petition to the Emperor, against the proceedings of their archbishop, in establishing the reformed religion, and he instantly took them into his protection, not only interdicting by his imperial letters any molestation of the Catholícs in the electorate, but summoning the Elector to If ever the presiding genius of Martin Luther were requisite to direct the intricate concerns of the Reformation, the present crisis seemed particularly The gathering tempest to demand his talents. frowned with a portentous aspect upon all Germany; the newly launched vessel in which many of their princes had embarked with a noble and adventurous spirit, and which had hitherto been driven about by so many raging winds, became at this time exposed to a storm of unusual violence, and every voice was lifted up to demand the pilotage of the first, as in many respects, the greatest of the Reformers. It is not easy, therefore, to express or imagine the consternation with which the princes and reformers in general, and his most intimate friend Melancthon in particular, received the intelligence of his death at this alarming period. In consequence of repeated attacks of the stone his constitution had been declining for many months, and early in the morning of the eighteenth of February, 1546, he died at Eisleben, his native place, whither he had gone a second time to settle some existing differences between the counts of Mansfeld. A few hours afterwards, Jonas communicated the melancholy tidings to the Elector of Saxony, and requested his highness to inform his wife, Melancthon, Pomeranus, and Cruciger. In the first journey to Eisleben, a short time before, Melancthon had accompanied him, and must have deeply regretted his absence on the last painful occasion. When he first received the intelligence of his death, he exclaimed, "My Father! my Father! the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!" 2 Kings ii. 12. He was interred at Wittemberg. Pomeranus preached a funeral sermon, and Melancthon pronounced the following oration. "Although amidst this general mourning, my voice is obstructed by deep affliction and tears, yet something I would attempt to say; not to eulogize the dead as the heathen do, but to admonish the living in this vast assembly, and especially to impress just sentiments upon the junior part of the auditory, respecting the government of the church and its dangers, that they may learn what to desire and by what examples to regulate their lives. Wicked and infidel men represent every thing in the present apparent confusion of human affairs as the result of mere chance, but confiding in the numerous and explicit declarations of God himself, we distinguish the church from the promiscuous multitude of mankind, and affirm it is under divine superintendence and protection. To this we constantly look, obeying our lawful governors, and cherishing a pious reverence for those guides and instructors whom we choose. "It will be necessary to advert to these considerations as often as the name of Martin Luther, our most beloved father and teacher is introduced, whom we love and honor, detestable as he appears in the eyes of many wicked men, and whom we know to have been raised up by heaven as a minister of the true gospel, by evidences which, notwithstanding the charges of our opponents, prove that his doctrines were neither seditious nor dispersed abroad with a blind and impetuous zeal. "In this place, and on these occasions, many things are usually said in a panegyrical strain respecting the personal endowments of the deceased; I propose, however, to omit these, and advert chiefly to his ecclesiastical function. Intelligent | consolation could be obtained under a sense of diand pious persons will admit, if he were the means vine displeasure. He illustrated the statements of of promoting useful and necessary truth in the Paul respecting justification by faith, and showed church, we ought to be grateful to the providence the distinction between the law and the gospel, civil of God for raising up such a light, while his labors, and spiritual justification. He pointed out the true faith, perseverance, and other virtues, ought to be principle of prayer and exterminated that heathenduly acknowledged and his memory tenderly che-ish absurdity from the church, that God was not to rished by all worthy men. "The apostle Paul represents Christ as 'having ascended on high to give gifts unto men,' that is, the preaching of the gospel and the Holy Spirit; for the purpose of communicating which, he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers;' Ephesians, iv. 8, 11., selecting them from amongst those who read, study and delight in the sacred writings. Nor are they only called into the Christian service who occupy the more ordinary stations, but others are frequently introduced under the direction of learned men into this holy warfare, and it is both pleasing and profitable to witness the care of God to his church throughout all ages, in sending a continued succession of useful men, that as some fall in the glorious field, others may instantly rush forward to take their places. The first of our race who nobly occupied the foremost ranks, were Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah and Shem. The latter being yet alive and dwelling in the neighborhood of Sodom, when the inhabitants of the earth forgetting the instructions of Noah and Shem, became addicted to idolatry; God raised up a coadjutor of Shem in the person of Abraham, to co-operate in the great work of propagating divine truth. To him succeeded Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, who kindled the light of true religion in Egypt, at that period the most flourishing empire in the world; and to them, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Zacheriah. After them arose Esdras, Onias and the Maccabees; then Simeon, Zacharias, John the Baptist, CHRIST, and his apostles. I am delighted to contemplate this unbroken succession, which affords conspicuous evidence of the presence of God in his church. The apostles were succeeded by a troop, so to speak, of inferior warriors, but nevertheless distinguished of heaven, Polycarp, Irenæus, Gregory of Neocæsarea, Basil, Augustin, Prosper, Maximus, Hugo, Bernard, Taulerus, and others. And although the latter ages present a more barren prospect, God has always preserved a proportion of his servants upon the earth; and now through Martin Luther, a more splendid period of light and truth has appeared. To this enumeration of the most eminent amongst the sons of men who gathered and reformed the church of God, may be added others who may be regarded as the flower of mankind. Solon, Themistocles, Scipio, Augustus, and others, who either established or ruled over mighty empires, were indeed truly great men, but far, far inferior to our illustrious leaders, Ísaiah, John the Baptist, Paul, Augustin and Luther, and it becomes us to study this distinction. What then are those great and important things which Luther has disclosed to our view, and which render his life so remarkable; for many are exclaiming against him as a disturber of the church, and a promoter of inexplicable controversies? I answer, that when the Holy Spirit in his regulation of the church reproves the world for sin, dissensions arise out of the pertinacity of wicked men, and they alone are culpable who refuse to listen to the proclamation of the eternal Father concerning his Son, 'This is my beloved Son, HEAR HIM.' Luther explained the true and important doctrine of penitence, which was involved in the profoundest darkness. He showed in what it consists, and where refuge and be invoked if the mind entertained the least doubt upon an academic question. He admonished men to pray in the exercise of faith and a good conscience to the only Mediator, and Son of God, who is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us, and not to images or deceased saints, according to the shocking practice of the ignorant multitude. He also pointed out other services acceptable to God, was singularly exemplary himself in all the duties of life, and separated the puerilities of human rites and ceremonies which prevent instead of promoting genuine worship, from those services which are essential to obedience. In order that heavenly truth might be transmitted to posterity, he translated the prophetic and apostolic writings into the German language with so much accuracy, that his version of itself places Scripture in a more perspicuous light than most commentaries. But he published also various expositions upon the sacred writings, which in the judgment of Erasmus, by far excelled all others: and as it is recorded respecting those who rebuilt Jerusalem, with one hand they laid the stones and with the other they held the sword,' so while he composed annotations on Scripture replete with heavenly instruction and consoled afflicted consciences by his pious counsels, he was necessitated at the same time to wage incessant war with the adversaries of evangelical truth. When it is recollected that this truth, especially the doctrine of faith and the remission of sins, is not discoverable by the merely human eye, it must be acknowledged he was taught of God, and many of us have witnessed his anxious solicitude to impress the great principle of acceptance by faith. Multitudes of the saints will therefore praise God to all eternity, for the benefits which have accrued to the church by the labors of Luther. To God their gratitude is primarily due, and then they will own themselves much indebted to his labors, although infidels who ridicule the church in general will consider these noble performances as no better than empty trifling or absolute insanity. The true church does not, as some falsely affirm, promote intricate disputations, throw out the apple of contention, and propose the enigmas of the fabled Sphinx; for to those who judge seriously and without prejudice, it is easy from a comparison of opposite opinions, to perceive what are consonant to the statements of heavenly truth and what are otherwise. Christians are no longer in a state of hesitation on the subject of existing controversies, for when God determined to reveal his will and display his character in the sacred writings, it is not to be imagined that such a communication would be ambiguous like the leaves of the ancient Sibyl. ་ "Some, by no means evil-minded persons, however, express a suspicion that Luther manifested too much asperity. I will not affirm, the reverse, but only quote the language of Erasmus, 'God has sent in this latter a violent physician on account of the magnitude of the existing disorders,' fulfilling by such a dispensation the divine message to Jeremiah, 'Behold I have put my words in thy mouth. See I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out and pull down, and to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.' Jeremiah, i. 9, 10. Nor does God govern his church according to the counsels of men, nor choose to employ instruments like theirs to promote his pur poses. But it is usual for inferior minds to dislike | cellent and faithful father; but while it is necessary ather; but while it those of a more ardent character. When Aristides to submit to the will of heaven, let us not allow the observed the mighty affairs which Themistocles by memory of his virtues and his good offices to perish. the impulse of a superior genius undertook and He was an important instrument in the hands of happily accomplished, although he congratulated God of public utility; let us diligently study the the state on the advantage it possessed in such a truth he taught, imitating in our humble situations man, he studied every means to divert his zealous his fear of God, his faith, the intensity of his devomind from its pursuits. I do not deny that ardent tions, the integrity of his ministerial character, his spirits are sometimes betrayed into undue impetu- purity, his careful avoidance of seditious counsel, osity, for no one is totally exempt from the weak- his ardent thirst of knowledge. And as we frenesses incident to human nature, but they often quently meditate upon the pious examples of those merit the praise assigned by the ancient proverb to illustrious guides of the church, Jeremiah, John the Hercules, Cimon and other illustrious characters, Baptist and Paul, whose histories are transmitted 'rough indeed, but distinguished by the best princi- to us, so let us frequently reflect upon the doctrine ples. So in the Christian church, the apostle Paul and course of life which distinguished our departed mentions such as 'war a good warfare, holding friend. Let the present vast assembly now unite faith and a good conscience,' 1 Timothy, i. 18, 19, with me in grateful thanks and fervent supplicaand who are both pleasing to God and estimable tions, saying in the spirit of ardent devotion amongst pious men. Such an one was Luther, who give thanks to thee, Almighty God, the eternal Fawhile he constantly defended the pure doctrines of ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, the author and founChristianity, maintained a conscientious integrity der of thy church, together with thy co-eternal Son of character. No vain licentiousness was ever and the Holy Spirit, wise, good, merciful, just, true, detected in him, no seditious counsels, but on the powerful and sovereign, because thou dost gather a contrary, he often urged the most pacific measures; heritage for thy Son, from amongst the human and never, never did he blend political artifices for race, and dost maintain the ministry of the gospel, the augmentation of power with ecclesiastical af- and hast now reformed thy church by means of fairs. Such wisdom and such virtue, I am persuaded, Luther; we present our ardent supplications that do not result from mere human skill or diligence, thou wouldst henceforth preserve, fix, and impress but the mind must be divinely influenced, especially upon our hearts the doctrines of truth, as Isaiah when it is of the more rough, elevated and ardent prayed for his disciples; and that by thy Holy cast like that of Luther. Spirit thou wouldst enflame our minds with a pure devotion, and direct our feet into the paths of holy obedience!' We "What shall I say of his other virtues? Often have I myself gone to him unawares and found him dissolved in tears and prayers for the church of "As the removal of illustrious men from the Christ. He devoted a certain portion of almost church, is frequently a means of punishing their every day to the solemn reading of the Psalms of survivors, such of us as are entrusted with the office David with which he mingled his own supplications, of tuition, myself personally, and all of us collecamidst sighs and tears; and he has frequently de- tively, entreat you to reflect upon the present calaclared how indignant he felt against those who mities that threaten the whole earth. Yonder, the hastened over devotional exercises through sloth Turks are advancing, here, civil discord threatens, or the pretence of other occupations. On this ac- and there, other adversaries released at last from count, said he, divine wisdom has prescribed some the apprehension of Luther's censures, will proceed formularies of prayer, that our minds may be in- with a perverse ingenuity, and with increased flamed with devotion by reading them; to which, boldness to corrupt the genuine truth. That God in his opinion, reading aloud very much conduced. may avert these evils, let us be more diligent in the When a variety of great and important delibera- regulation of our lives and studies, always retainind tions respecting public dangers have been pending, a deep impression of this sentiment in our minds, we have witnessed his prodigious vigor of mind, that as long as we maintain, hear, obey, and love the his fearless and unshaken courage. Faith was his pure doctrines of the gospel, God will always have sheet anchor, and by the help of God he was re- a church and a dwelling place among us. If,' said solved never to be driven from it. Such was his Jesus Christ, 'a man love me, he will keep my penetration, that he perceived at once what was to words; and my Father will love him, and we will be done in the most perplexing conjunctures; nor come unto him, and make our abode with him." was he as some supposed, negligent of the public John xv. 23. Encouraged by this ample promise, good or disregardful of the wishes of others, but let us be stimulated to inculcate the truth of heaven, he was well acquainted with the interests of the knowing that the church will be the preservation of state, and pre-eminently sagacious in discovering the human race, and the security of established the capacity and dispositions of all about him. governments; and let us constantly elevate our And although he possessed such extraordinary minds to that future and eternal state of being, to acuteness of intellect, he read both ancient and which God himself calls our attention, who has not modern ecclesiastical writings with the utmost avi- given so many witnesses, nor sent his Son into the dity, and histories of every kind, applying the ex-world in vain, but delights in the communication amples they furnished to existing circumstances with remarkable dexterity. The undecaying monuments of his eloquence remain, and in my opinion he equalled any of those who have been most celebrated for their resplendent oratorical powers. "The removal of such a character from amongst us, of one who was endowed with the greatest intellectual capacity, well instructed and long experienced in the knowledge of Christian truth, adorned with numerous excellencies and with virtues of the most heroic cast, chosen by divine Providence to reform the church of God, and cherishing for all of us a truly paternal affection-the removal, I say, of such a man demands and justifies our tears. We resemble orphans bereft of an ex of these magnificent blessings. Amen." Melancthon composed the following tributary lines to the memory of Luther: Occidit omnigena venerandus lande Lutherus LUTHER, illustrious name! is now no more;- A TEACHER firm in faith-nay, rather say The sympathizing heart will naturally linger upon the affecting consideration of Luther's decease. It was the earthly termination of an uninterrupted and unusual intimacy of nearly TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS with Philip Melancthon. To judge of the survivor's feelings requires either a mind of remarkable sensibility, or the experience of a similar loss. This deprivation of Luther's valuable counsels, and friendly reproofs, of his consoling sympathy amidst the trials of life, and of his directing wisdom amidst the peculiar difficulties incident to the circumstances of the age in which they lived, must have inflicted a deep and lasting pang. Their attachment, founded on principle, was so completely mutual, that they were become almost necessary to each other. The agony of separation, therefore, must have been exquisite: fectly agreed, but they were perfectly united. Mutual forbearance admitted the free exercise of an independent mind, and secured the rights of conscience and the purity of principle. Societies have been distracted, families divided, and even empires convulsed, from the existence of differences in religious sentiment or practice, far less considerable than those which subsisted between these eminent friends. They knew each other, and did not allow the whirlwinds of a temporary passion to dissipate feelings founded on the best principles, and cherished by an unreserved intercourse. There were many who at different times endeavored to divide them, by fomenting discord, in order to gain their respective influence and authority to some other party or interest: but they were too confident in each other, and too well persuaded of the magnitude of the cause which claimed their mutual co-operation and incessant efforts, to be cajoled into disagreement. If, therefore, our friendships were formed upon more solid principles of union than they frequently are, it is obvious they would prove more satisfactory, more beneficial and more permanent. In all our religious intercourse, it would be wise to aim at securing the essentials of Christianity, rather than to be solicitous of accomplishing what is notoriously impossible, a perfect agreement in points of "O the soft commerce! O the tender ties, Close twisted with the fibres of the heart! Which, broken, break them, and drain off the soul inferior consideration. The pious Baxter has adOf human joy, and make it pain to liveAnd is it then to live? When such friends part, 'Tis the survivor dies Young's Night Thoughts, 5. mirably remarked, "Were we all bound together by a confession or subscription of the true fundamentals, and those other points that are next to fundamentals only, and there took up our Christianity and unity, yielding to each other a freedom of difI said it was the earthly termination of their in-fering in smaller or more difficult points, or in extimacy, for religious friendship can never, never pressing ourselves in different terms, and so did live end. If the soul of man be immortal, and if, as peaceably and lovingly together, notwithstanding seems more than probable, it will carry with it into such differences, as men that all knew the mysterianother world those principles of action, those modes ousness of divinity, and the imperfection of their of thinking, those characteristic qualities, which own understandings, and that here we know but in constituted each one's individuality and very being part, and therefore shall most certainly err and difupon earth, then the connections of time will be fer in part, what a world of mischief might this perpetuated amidst the raptures of eternity. For course prevent? I oft think on the examples of though distances and separations are incident to Luther and Melancthon. It was not a few things the condition of the present life, it neither com- that they differed in, nor such as would now be acports with our ideas of the benevolence of the counted small, besides the imperious harshness of Deity, nor with the representations of Scripture, Luther's disposition, as Carlosladt could witness, nor indeed with our most ennobling desires and and yet how sweetly and peaceably and lovingly hopes, to suppose these imperfections of our tempo- did they live together, without any considerable ral destiny will attach to our future existence. And breach or disagreement. As Mel. Adamus says of not only will the recollection of past friendship en- them, 'Etsi tempora fuerunt ad distractiones prodear our future intercourse, but the superiority of clivia hominumque levitas dissidiorum cupida taour celestial character, acquired by a nearer and men cum alter alterius vitia nosset, nunquam inter more constant approach to the source of light and eos simultas extitit ex qua animorum alienatio subholiness, will infinitely purify it. Friendship found-secuta sit;'-so that their agreement arose not ed on just principles arises from the perception of moral excellence, associated with any other striking or attractive qualities, besides a consciousness of some natural similarity of taste or character; it must be allowed, therefore, that the increase of what constitutes the principle of mutual attraction, will necessarily produce a proportionate increase of attachment. If moral excellence be now esteemed in its present imperfect degree and degraded state, associated as it is with glaring defects, dwarfish in its growth, irregular in its shape and full of infirmity, unquestionably it will prove hereafter in its maturity and glory, a stronger bond of union. And because every principle and faculty is capable of continual improvement, and will hereafter, under happier circumstances, admit of more rapid increase, and more extensive augmentation, than at present, the friendship of another world may be considered as everlastingly progressive, and, from the constitution of celestial spirits, indissoluble. The conduct of Melancthon and Luther to each other, affords an admirable illustration of the true basis of religious friendship. They were not per hence, that either was free from faults or error, but knowing each other's faults, they did more easily bear them. Certainly if every difference in judgment in matters of religion should seem intolerable or make a breach in affection, then no two men on earth must live together, or tolerate each other, but every man must resolve to live by himself, for no two on earth but differ in one thing or other, except such as take all their faith upon trust, and explicitly believe nothing at all. God hath not made our judgments all of a complexion no more than our faces, nor our knowledge all of a size any more than our bodies; and methinks they that be not resolved to be any thing in religion, should be afraid of making the articles of their faith so numerous, lest they should shortly become heretics themselves, by disagreeing from themselves; and they should be afraid of making too strict laws for those that differ in judgment in controvertible points, lest they should shortly change their judgments, and so make a rod for their own backs; for how know they, in difficult disputable cases, but within this twelve-months, themselves may be of ano ther mind, except they are resolved never to change for fear of incurring the reproach of novelty and mutability; and then they were best resolve to study no more, or ever to be wiser. I would we knew at what age a man must receive this principle against changing his judgment. I am afraid lest at last they should teach it their children, and lest many divines did learn it too young: and if any besides Christ and his apostles must be standard and foundation of our faith, I would we could certainly tell who they are, for I have heard yet of none but the Pope or his general council expressly lay claim to the prerogative of infallibility, and I think there is few that have appeared more fallible." had acquired him a high reputation in every country of Europe, he became at once elevated to an undisputed pre-eminence amongst the leading reformers of the age. Me The zealous efforts of Bucer to unite the Swiss and German churches by an agreement on the subject of the sacrament having been defeated by Luther's determined hostility, his death seemed to furnish a favorable opportunity for the accomplishment of this long-projected reconciliation. lancthon and his followers were known to be extremely solicitous of this union, and were disposed to go to the utmost length which their consciences would permit to extinguish the flame of discord. The high mutual esteem subsisting between Bucer and John Calvin, the celebrated Pastor and Professor of Divinity at Geneva, appeared to facilitate this design. Anxious to promote Bucer and Melancthon's views, Calvin proposed a mode of explaining the subject, which, while it denied the corporeal presence, allowed a divine virtue and efficacy communicated by Christ with the bread and wine of the sacrament to those who partook of it with a lively faith and integrity of heart: but he has been generally censured by Protestants for making unwarrantable concessions for the sake of peace. The fair prospect, however, soon became obscured, in consequence of the occupation of Melancthon in other violent controversies to be mentioned hereafter, which left him no leisure for that co-operation with Calvin which probably might have produced the happiest results; and still more on account of the intemperate zeal of Joachim Westphal, pastor of the church at Hamburg, who both adopted the sentiments and manifested the 100 uncharitable spirit of Luther. The principal points of difference between Melanethon and Luther were three: 1. Melancthon thought that the ancient form of ecclesiastical government might be retained, on condition of not annulling the authority of Scriptural truth; to which Luther could not assent. 2. Melancthon conceived that Luther carried his doctrine respecting justification by faith only to such an extent as to nullify the importance and obligation of good works, so that his statements required explanation. 3. Melancthon appears to have differed from Luther in his opinion respecting the sacrament, particularly in the latter period of his life. He did not believe that the opinions of the Zuinglians ought to occasion a disunion among the reformers; but Luther was decided upon this point to his dying day. Maclaine very unnecessarily corrects Mosheim in his statement of this subject. It is obvious that at first, as Mosheim represents, "Melancthon adopted the sentiments of Luther in relation to the Eucharist," but in consequence of serious examination, his mind became enlightened, so that he admitted the scriptural idea by degrees, and to- The Pope and the Emperor were now resolved to wards the close of his life in his letters to Calvin, accomplish the ruin of the Protestants. The counintimates his persuasion of the erroneous and idola- cil of Trent decreed, that the apocryphal writings trous nature of the doctrine of consubstantiation. should be received as of equal authority with the The character of Melancthon has been misunder- books which the Jews and primitive Christians adstood on this as on other occasions. It has been in-mitted into the sacred canon, that the traditions of timated that an unwarrantable timidity prevented his avowing explicitly his opinions respecting the sacrament. It is true it did arise from his apprehension lest such an avowal should inflame discord and injure the great and general cause of the reformation. But whether this apprehension were well or ill founded, or whether such a policy were justifiable or unjustifiable, and we are by no means prepared to defend it, such was Melancthon's real principle of action, and not any mean timidity or fear of personal danger or suffering. If this concealment for the sake of peace had really involved him in personal suffering instead of shielding him from it, it is due to the greatness of his character and the conscientious scrupulousness of his mind, to believe he would nevertheless have adhered to it. It was not from personal considerations only that Melancthon felt the bitterness of his bereavement in the death of Luther; he was sensible of the public loss, and of the great and daily increasing difficulties of his own situation. Political affairs had never yet assumed so alarming an appearance, and they became almost identified with ecclesiastical ones, owing to the conspicuous part which was acted by the most distinguished of the German princes. Though during the past ten years he had been called to take the lead in most of the public transactions relative to religion, having been employed to write every thing that was to be written, and to do almost every thing that was to be done, yet he had constantly profited by his unreserved familiarity with Luther, with whom he consulted and corresponded on every occasion. Now he was required to act in a great measure alone, and in consequence of his rare merit as a divine and a scholar, which Number 12. the church should be equally regarded with the At length public affairs were brought to such a crisis, that the Emperor and the Protestants were at open war. No decisive superiority was acquired on either side during the autumn of 1546; but Maurice Duke of Saxony, and uncle to John Frederic, by an act of verfidy as strange and unnatural as al |