The Life of Philip MelanchthonLedderhose, Karl Friedrich
History
The Life of Philip Melanchthon
Ledderhose, Karl Friedrich
Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560
It appeared that the Theologians of Weimar were particularly opposed to
any union or compromise. These held a separate meeting in Weimar,
January, 1556, in which they declared that they would not unite with
those of Wittenberg, until they would pledge themselves unequivocally to
the Augsburg Confession, and would drop all Zwinglianism and Synergism.
They would faithfully abide by Luther's doctrine concerning the Lord's
Supper and free will.
Amsdorf, Schnepf, Strigel, Stolz, Aurifaber, and delegates from the
Palatinate and Wurtemberg, attended this meeting. Melanchthon called
this Synod the _Flacian Synod_, because he well knew that Flacius
exerted a great influence upon it. He expresses his regrets in regard to
this, in a letter to Camerarius, February 7th: "This sad dissension
troubles me so much, that I wish to leave this world; and I see that I
am not far distant from my journey's end."
But something occurred in the summer of the year 1556, which he perhaps
expected least of all. Flacius endeavored to bring about a
reconciliation with his former teacher. He was at that time residing in
Magdeburg, and had prepared a few "mild propositions to bring about a
godly, needful, and peaceful reconciliation between the Theologians of
Wittenberg and Leipzig, and others who have written against them," which
he had sent to Paul Eber, that he might deliver them to Melanchthon. In
the eleventh article he said, "If any persons shall teach and spread
errors which are injurious to religion and conscience, either publicly
or secretly, we will avoid such as a curse, and will not acknowledge
them as brethren, or receive them into fellowship, until they have
condemned and publicly renounced their errors. For such wounds in the
church cannot be healed or endured silently." It was principally owing
to this article that Eber did not present these propositions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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