The Life of Philip MelanchthonLedderhose, Karl Friedrich
History
The Life of Philip Melanchthon
Ledderhose, Karl Friedrich
Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560
As Melanchthon had been so active in the Reformation of the Church and
University in Leipzig, he was now commissioned to visit the Churches in
the Duke's possessions in Thuringia, and also some cities in Meissen. He
discharged this duty, and found a most lamentable state of things. We
will extract some parts of his report. Of the minister at Weissensee he
says, that he was unlearned, frivolous, and led a scandalous life; that
the people asked for a good Pastor, and displayed an affection for the
Gospel. Of the minister of Danstadt he says, that he was a highly
vicious person, and should be deposed at once. The two preachers of
Sangerhaus, although they had adopted the new doctrine, were accused of
adultery. The minister in Freiburg is a venomous blasphemer, sent
thither by Eck, and ought to be deposed forthwith. He also proposed
persons for these vacant places. Myconius should be lent for a time to
Annaberg. He thus discharged his duty in the region which he had been
appointed to visit, in a most earnest and conscientious manner. He also
enjoyed the great satisfaction of hearing that his dearest friend in the
world, Joachim Camerarius, had been called to a Professorship in
Leipzig, in 1541.
He had not long completed his labors in the dominions of the Duke, when
he received a call from the Elector of Brandenburg, JOACHIM II., to come
to Berlin, in order to give his advice in regard to the introduction of
the Reformation in that country.
We have already seen that the Elector had acted as mediator in the
assembly of the princes at Frankfort; so he also wished to introduce a
Church discipline of this character, which was strongly tainted with
Catholicism, although he wished the preaching of the Gospel to remain
free. Melanchthon, who met the Elector about the 12th of October,
induced him to change his Church discipline after the pattern of that of
Nuremberg, although it still retained much that was Catholic. He wrote
to Dietrich, that private masses were abolished, that the priests were
permitted to marry, that the invocation of saints was abolished, that
the preaching of the pure doctrine was enjoined, and that the Lord's
Supper was distributed in both kinds.
CHAPTER XIX.
HELP IN A DANGEROUS ILLNESS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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