HELP IN A DANGEROUS ILLNESS.
When he returned, he found the plague raging in Wittenberg. It had
carried off his dear friend and brother-in-law, the jurist SEBALD
MUeNSTERER, together with his wife. He received their children into his
own house; but he himself felt seriously indisposed, and entertained
earnest thoughts of death. On the 26th of October, he wrote to his
beloved Dietrich in Nuremberg, that he was now standing in one of the
climacterical years of human life, the forty-second year, which had
proved the year of death to many; that his strength had failed, partly
because of the sorrows of the soul, and partly on account of his
excessive labors. He continues thus: "Although I might wish to live
somewhat longer, on account of my children, and also on account of my
books, yet I shall follow God with resignation, whenever it pleases him
to call me away from this place. I am very glad that you so kindly offer
your assistance to my son (Philip, then 14 years old), and I commend him
to you; for he will need the kindness of his friends, when I am gone.
His moral character is good, but I cannot praise his temperament; and I
also believe that he does not possess sufficient talent to study."
Although many fled on account of the plague, he was determined to remain
in Wittenberg. "I will bear the present cross, as I have borne many
other things; God will put an end to it." At that time, when he was
very weak, and suffering much from sleeplessness, he made his will,
from which we here present a few extracts, showing his truly Christian
disposition. He began by declaring, that after the manner of the
fathers, he wished to prepare his will, as a Confession for his friends
and children, in order that they might abide by it at all times. "And
first of all do I return thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who was crucified for us, the Creator of all things, that he has
called me to repentance and the knowledge of the Gospel, and beseech
him, for the sake of his Son, whom he has given as a sacrifice for us,
that he would forgive my sins, accept of, and justify me, hear me, and
deliver me from eternal death, as I also confidently trust he will do.
For he has commanded us to believe it; and it is a sin to think our sins
greater than the death of the Son of God. I prefer him before my sins.
But I pray that God would strengthen these beginnings of faith, by the
Holy Ghost, for the sake of his Son, our mediator. I am indeed troubled
concerning my own sins, and the offences of others; but I consider the
death of the Son of God greater, so that Grace is mightier than sin." He
then proceeds to confess his belief in the Apostles' and Nicene Creed,
and the entire system of doctrine which he had so unequivocally declared
in his _Loci Communes_, and the Epistle to the Romans. He warns his
children against the Roman Church, which in many articles teaches the
most corrupt doctrine. "I therefore beg my children to obey me in this,
on account of the divine commandment, that they do not connect
themselves with the Papists." He also particularly warns them against
those frivolous persons who should deny the doctrines of the Son of God,
and of the Holy Ghost, among whom he especially mentions Servetus. He
also defends himself against the suspicions of those who have said that
he leaned to the side of the enemy; he calls God to witness that he
never wished to do so. He never wished to spread any new doctrine, but
adhered to that doctrine which had been brought to light in these latter
days, by Dr. Martin Luther. He therefore thanks this man of God,
"firstly, because I have learned the Gospel from him; and secondly, on
account of his particular kindness towards me, which he has manifested
in many acts of kindness; and I wish that he may be always revered as a
father by the members of my family." Then he also gratefully mentions
the Elector, Chancellor Brueck, his brother George, in Bretten,
Camerarius, and a number of other friends. "I beseech them all kindly to
forgive all my faults, if I have in any respect offended any of them; I
never wished to offend any one wilfully." But the Lord still needed him
for important labors; his health gradually returned, and he could again
attend to his numerous duties. He published one of his best writings,
"On the Soul," about this time. Towards the close of this year, 1539,
Bucer came to Wittenberg on account of a certain matter, which became a
source of much bodily and mental distress to Melanchthon.
The Landgrave, PHILIP of Hesse, had commissioned Bucer to solicit the
opinions of the Wittenberg Theologians in a peculiar and very delicate
matter. It did not refer to the general affairs of the Church, but a
private, domestic affair of the Landgrave. For various reasons his
affections had become alienated from his wife, and he believed that it
would be better for him to form a new matrimonial connection than fall
into sins of the flesh. Bucer brought an elaborate treatise with him,
which justified this double marriage of the Landgrave, and now only
wished that Luther and Melanchthon should also signify their approval
of this step. The two Theologians delivered a "secret Confessor's
advice," on the 10th of December, in which they show that God originally
permitted man to have but one wife, and that this law, although God bore
with its violation in the Old Covenant, was restored in the New
Testament. But an exception should be made in the present case of
necessity, in order to avoid greater evils; yet without making it
public, so that the enemies of the Gospel could not cry out that the
Protestants were like the Anabaptists, who took many wives at once.[19]
With this wished-for advice, Bucer departed; and after the Landgrave had
also obtained a formal consent from his wife to form a second marriage,
he was secretly married to Lady Margaret von der Saale, on the 3d of
March, 1540, at Rothenburg on the Fulda. Melanchthon, who was at the
time in Smalkald attending a convention, was also invited, without being
informed particularly of the character of the occasion. He was much
offended because he was thus obliged to be present at the wedding, and
never forgot this treatment of the Landgrave. But even upon the present
occasion he exhorted him to take better care of pastors and the teachers
of the schools, to avoid the vices of fornication and adultery, and to
remember David's punishment; also, to keep this second marriage secret,
and not permit it to be spoken of publicly.
We have but now mentioned that Melanchthon was in Smalkald. He had gone
thither on the 18th of February, 1540. It was proposed to discuss the
Religious Convention here, which had been called to Spire. The
Theologians had already, in obedience to the Elector's orders, delivered
their opinion, "whether the Evangelical princes should enter into a
worldly peace with the Bishops, and whether they could yield anything to
them in matters of religion." This document was signed by the
Theologians on the first of March. It discussed doctrine, needful
external matters, and external indifferent matters, (adiaphora.) In the
_first_ article of doctrine, it does not depart from the Confession, and
will not yield anything. The _second_ article enumerates among external
needful matters, the abolition of private masses, of the canon of the
mass, of monastic vows, of the celibacy of the priesthood, of the
Invocation of saints, of all magical ceremonies, as, for instance,
herbs, consecration of bells, &c., and required the restoration of the
Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. In this article also it does not
yield anything. The _third_ article speaks of external indifferent
matters, of the power of the Bishops, ordination, reading, singing,
holidays, and other ceremonies, and of possessions. They expressed the
opinion that if Princes and Bishops would accept doctrine and the
needful points, arrangements might be made with them in reference to the
last point. Envoys were sent from Smalkald to the Emperor, who was in
Belgium at this time, to present the peaceful sentiments of the
Protestants to him, and to pray him not to begin war. They returned with
the most peaceful prospects, for the Emperor expressed his intention to
institute further deliberations in regard to the harmony of the
Churches. After Melanchthon had prepared another opinion, concerning the
erroneous doctrines of Sebastian Franck and Caspar Schwenkfeldt, which
was also signed by the Theologians, the Convention adjourned April 15th.
Melanchthon returned by way of Erfurt, and on the 4th of May wrote to
Dietrich that the Emperor did not as yet manifest any hostility,
although he had not promised a certain peace. He, on this occasion,
related that the Count-palatine Frederick had conversed with the Emperor
in Spain, and had advised him to follow more moderate counsels. The
Emperor promised him he would do so. He had not been long in Wittenberg,
when he heard that the Emperor was willing to hold a convention at
Spire. After having written a letter to the Emperor in Torgau, whither
he had been called by the Elector, he departed in the beginning of June
to attend this convention, which, according to the last orders, was to
be held, not in Spire, but in Hagenau, in Alsatia. It is not to be
wondered at, that he should have felt very unwell when he departed from
Wittenberg, after so many exertions, and recent recovery from a severe
illness. Before he departed, he deposited his last will with Cruciger. A
large concourse of students and masters escorted him, and when he was
crossing the bridge over the Elbe, he said: "We have lived upon Synods,
and now we shall die there." With such thoughts of death he departed,
and reached Weimar. Here he was obliged to remain for some time, because
he was not sure whether he should go to Hagenau. Luther, at least, had
written to the Elector beseeching him to see to it, "That each and every
one of the delegates should be earnestly commanded, that they could not
and should not depart from that which has now finally been harmoniously
agreed upon at Smalkald."
Melanchthon, however, was the person whose yielding temper was most
objected to. He was at this time filled with indescribable dread,
because a report reached his ears that the Landgrave intended to publish
the secret advice of the Wittenbergers. He saw very well that its
publication would not only place him in a very doubtful position, but
would also greatly injure the cause of the Gospel. His sorrows almost
consumed him, and he therefore wrote to Luther for consolation and
support in this matter. He faithfully responded to this call. But this
consolation did not help him, and he became seriously ill. But let us
hear the account of old Ratzeberger: "As it now also became known that
the Landgrave had, besides his first wife, also married Lady von der
Saale, and it was apparent that this deed would bring great disgrace and
injury to the Gospel, Master Philip took it very much to heart. For he
saw, if he went to Hagenau, that this would give the Lutherans a very
severe blow. He was particularly grieved by this, because he had always
looked upon this Landgrave, who had caused this great offence, with
particular affection and hope. However, some assert, that he fell into
this distress because he approved of this improper conduct of the
Landgrave through the persuasions of his Court Chaplain, Dionysius, with
which the court was afterwards highly displeased. He therefore became
very sick at Weimar, more on account of sorrow and melancholy than
anything else. His strength failed rapidly, and certain death seemed to
be his only prospect. When he was thus seriously and dangerously ill,
the Elector sent for Luther, who rode day and night from Wittenberg, in
order to see Philip before his death. When he arrived, he to his sorrow
found him as he had already heard. His eyes were already dim, his reason
was gone, he could not speak nor hear, and his countenance was loose and
fallen; having, as Luther said, a Hippocratical countenance. He
recognized no one, and could neither eat nor drink. When Luther,
unrecognized, looked upon him, he was greatly shocked, and said to his
companion, God forbid! how has the devil abused this instrument! and
immediately turned to the window and earnestly prayed to God. Then,
Luther said, God our Lord was obliged to listen to me. For I cast my
burden before his door, and besieged his ear with all his promises that
he would hear prayer, which I could remember in the Bible, so that he
was obliged to hear me, if I was to trust his promises.
He then took Philip by the hand, and said, "Be of good cheer, Philip,
you will not die! Although God has reason enough to take away life, yet
he hath no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but that he should
return from his ways and live. If God again called and received the
greatest sinners who ever lived upon this earth, namely, Adam and Eve,
he will not cast out thee, my Philip, nor suffer thee to perish in sins
and sorrow. Therefore, do not give way to despondency, and do not murder
yourself, but trust in the Lord, who is able to kill and make alive,
wound and bind, scourge and heal again. For Luther fully understood the
troubles of his heart and conscience. When he had thus held and
addressed him, Philip began to draw his breath again, but could not say
anything for a long time. He then turned his face towards Luther, and
began to entreat him for God's sake not to detain him any longer; that
he was now upon a good journey, and that he should suffer him to
proceed, for nothing better could happen to him. Luther replied: "By no
means, Philip; you must serve the Lord still longer." Philip became more
and more animated, and Luther immediately ordered them to prepare some
food, and took it to him himself. But Philip refused to taste it. Luther
forced him, and said: "Do you hear, Philip! you must eat, or I shall
excommunicate you. He was prevailed upon by such language, so that he
began to eat a little, and thus gradually regained strength."
Melanchthon himself said of Luther: "If he had not come I should have
died." The Elector also, who deeply sympathized with his sorrows and
illness, comforted him in the most friendly manner: "Although it
belongeth to God alone, according to his good pleasure, to bestow or
take away courage and comfort, yet you on your part must not fail to lay
aside and forget the causes of your trouble, which, thanks to God! are
not so great in our estimation, that they should afflict you so deeply.
We doubt not but that Almighty God will soon restore your cheerfulness,
and with it your health."
The Elector then requests him, as soon as he should be able to move, to
come to Eisenach, with Luther and Jonas, because he needed them; for
letters and reports were constantly arriving from Hagenau. He gradually
recovered, and, although it was with difficulty, he was able to leave
for Eisenach on the 7th of July. On the 10th of July, Luther wrote
concerning him to Wittenberg: "Master Philip has been restored to life,
as it were from the grave; he looks sickly, yet lively, jests and lives
with us, and eats and drinks in his own room and at table."
Melanchthon himself wrote to Bugenhagen from Eisenach: "I thank you
heartily, best and dearest pastor, that you have comforted me in so
Christian a manner, while I was absent, and visited with terrible
afflictions in body and spirit, and that at home you assisted my wife by
your counsels. I still feel my disease, although it has abated somewhat.
If I should remain alive, I will be able to say that I have been
restored from death to life, by the power of God. This is the testimony
of all who were with me. Oh! that I might thank God rightly, and live
for his glory! I commend myself, and the Church of Christ, to your
prayers. I hope that he also (the Landgrave), who has brought me into
this great trouble, warned by my example, and the writings of our
friends, will be more modest, and not publicly defend a scandalous
affair. I have heard that he promised to listen to the counsels of our
friends." In Eisenach, the Saxon and Hessian Theologians conferred
concerning the double-marriage of the Landgrave. The Hessian
Theologians, among them the court-chaplain, Dionysius Melander, wished
the permission to publish the second marriage, to be granted to their
Prince. An old account relates, that upon this Luther attacked them in
so severe a manner, "that the water ran down their cheeks." The
Wittenbergers insisted that this marriage should be concealed, like the
secrets of the Confessional. On the 24th of July, Melanchthon himself
wrote to the Landgrave, exhorting him to cover the matter, and not to
give cause for its public discussion. He should prevent this, "not only
on account of the evil reports and the offence, but also because it is
no easy matter to defend this business plausibly." The Landgrave took
this to heart, and for a long time bore the disgrace he so richly
deserved. But when he sent forth a pamphlet, written by Bucer, yet
without his name, which endeavored to justify his conduct, Melanchthon
published a very severe reply to it.
At the close of July, he returned to Wittenberg.