He was also in favor of using the strongest measures against the Anabaptists, and other fanatics and heretics. Although he did not look upon this in the light of the New Testament, his view rested in a warm zeal for the purity of the Christian Church, which he looked upon as of the utmost importance. It is true, the objection might be raised here that he himself should not have been so inconstant in many doctrines. But this was very agreeable to many in his own days, who became his followers. He thus became the leader of a party, no doubt against his own will. His followers were afterwards called _Philippists_. It does not belong to our task to write the history of this party, and to present its sad destiny. There are still some divines who esteem Melanchthon's faults as his highest perfections, and look upon him as a man far in advance of his own time, or in other words, as a man who occupies their own position. But if these extollers of Melanchthon would take the trouble to examine his writings, and the additional trouble to compare their own amount of faith with that of the Master of Wittenberg, it would not only result to their own disadvantage, but it would be apparent that they are not even worthy to loosen the latchets of his shoes. For the fundamental doctrines of the Divinity of Christ, of the Atonement, Justification by Faith, and the like, were so fully established in his view, that he would not suffer the least doubt in regard to them. How steadfastly he adhered to them, and how faithfully he relied upon his Saviour, is proved by his last illness and death-bed, which no doubt may be regarded as among the most edifying upon record, and which we therefore propose to describe at length. CHAPTER XXXVII. HE DIES.