# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Januar 1860_S11
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Preface to the 1860 Volume.    11

...and slandered Luther to them.*) The honest, guileless Luther had suspected nothing of this. But soon Luther's eyes were to be opened. For when he saw that the Sacramentarians were again coming forward ever more boldly, and that his colleagues were observing a suspicious silence in this matter, he declared that he must once more bear witness to the truth. Melanchthon heard this with trembling. He saw the execution of his plan — to introduce into the Lutheran Church a so-called "moderate" manner of teaching, under which a union with the Swiss would be possible — thereby severely threatened. As early as August 11, 1544, he therefore wrote to Veit Dietrich: "It is also said that he (Luther) will publish I know not what. If the strife over the Lord's Supper is kindled anew, there will be greater and sadder divisions. I have wondered that you wished to show Luther the writings of Bullinger and Bucer. He has enough others who provoke him."**) A day later he wrote to Eut. Musculus of Augsburg: "Just now our Pericles" (by this Melanchthon means Luther! — a title he often gave Luther at this time) "is stirring up internal wars. He thunders against those who speak otherwise than he does concerning the symbols of the body and blood of Christ, and attacks even me from time to time. I therefore do not know what will become of me. Perhaps I, at my age, shall soon have to go into exile."***) He wrote the same thing on August 28 to Bucer, and on the 30th of the same month to Bullinger. So the matter finally became known. Luther therefore resolved to write not only against the Swiss, but at the same time against M[elanchthon]. The Elector, who had also heard of this, now gave Chancellor Brück instructions for negotiations with Luther and Melanchthon. In it, it says: "His Electoral Grace must fear that, should Dr. Martinus in particular, or he, the Elector, lay down his head, the division would then be pursued and carried forward with great force . . His Electoral Grace was also concerned that the students would well notice and grasp this, and thereafter presume also to defend it as right, against the doctrine that has been recognized and acknowledged. But that he should knowingly tolerate such a thing in his university and let it take root, still within his own and Dr. Martin's lifetime, and give room for further future divisions and offenses — that would trouble him for conscience's sake. And although his Electoral Grace had graciously founded the university and was graciously disposed toward it, which also, not least on account of Master Philip Melanchthon, stood in great repute: yet his Electoral Grace would not conceal from both D. Luther and Pomeranus that, rather than tolerate and suffer this division, he intended to bring matters to such a point, even though a small

*) No doubt this year, in which a churchly centennial commemoration of Melanchthon's death-day is planned, will give us occasion often enough to show thoroughly that the later Melanchthon must be carefully distinguished from the earlier one.

**) See Corpus Reformatorum. Vol. V, p. 461.

***) Loc. cit., p. 464.