SOMETHING MORE OF MELANCHTHON'S MERITS.
The reader has had sufficient evidence in the life of our Reformer, that
he was indeed a learned man, and performed most valuable services in the
church and school. He labored especially to combine science with the
work of the Reformation, and to render the study of the Greek and Latin
writers serviceable to the cause of Christianity. And he proved very
satisfactorily, that these studies can be attended to without
sacrificing true Christianity. Of course, there is a very great
difference between him and those scholars of our own day, who diffuse a
knowledge of heathen authors apart from true Christianity. While the
latter are training up a generation which is filled with heathen ideas,
and but too often lives a heathenish life, Melanchthon trained pupils
who also possessed a thorough knowledge of the ancient languages, but at
the same time loved Christian truth. This "_Teacher of Germany_," as he
was called, would still be able to show the teachers of our modern
youth, that extensive attainments, and true, living Christianity, are
not necessarily opposed to each other, but may be brought to harmonize
with each other in the most beautiful manner. How earnestly he labored
to instil a thorough knowledge into the minds of his pupils, is manifest
from his own words: "To neglect the young in our schools is just like
taking the Spring out of the year. They indeed take away the Spring
from the year who permit the schools to decline, because religion cannot
be maintained without them. And a terrible darkness will fall upon
society, if the study of the sciences should be neglected."
As he himself had attained solid knowledge in his youth, he was also
anxious that his pupils should be well grounded in the various branches
of knowledge. He was therefore not ashamed to instruct young men in the
rudiments of the dead languages. For this purpose he wrote a Greek and a
Latin grammar, which were used in the schools until the beginning of the
last century. He was instrumental in securing cheap editions of the
Greek and Roman authors. But he did not confine himself entirely to the
study of languages; he also devoted himself to other branches of
knowledge, particularly History. He was very anxious to direct greater
attention to German History. A number of excellent scholars were
prepared under Melanchthon's superintendence, one of whom, Valentine
Friedland, called TROTZENDORF, became very distinguished.
We will not enter into the consideration of his services in Philosophy,
the promotion of Eloquence, Ethics, Psychology, Natural Philosophy, and
Astronomy, but shall merely say a few words more of the influence he
exerted upon true _Theology_.
He was mainly instrumental in introducing the knowledge of the Greek
language among the Protestants, and also in encouraging them to study
the Hebrew, because he saw that a knowledge of the original languages
was absolutely essential in order to understand the Holy Scriptures
properly. Besides this, as we have heard before, he wrote critical
expositions of most of the books of the Bible. His Latin comments upon
the Gospel lessons appointed to be read in the Churches, were delivered
before the Hungarians, who did not understand the German language.
CHRISTOPHER PEZEL informs us of their origin: "When the University was
re-established after the war of Smalkald, Philip Melanchthon began to
explain the Gospels for Sundays and festival days, in his own house, for
the sake of a number of Hungarians, who were not able to understand the
German sermons in the churches. As a large number of other persons also
began to attend these lectures or sermons, in which he explained the
principal truths of his text in a familiar conversational manner, he was
obliged to hold them in the public Lecture-Room. As he was very skilful
in instructing youth, and thoroughly supplied with every kind of
learning, he was careful to suit his explanations to the capacities of
his hearers, the greater part of whom were young men, and many of them
boys."
These lectures were very numerously attended. He was in the habit of
beginning to explain the separate verses according to their literal
meaning. He then proceeded to inquire whether his explanation agreed
with the context, and then went on to develop the doctrines of faith. He
laid great stress upon this analogy of Scripture truths. And this alone,
which the ungodly commentators of later times did not recognize, throws
a full light upon exposition. We are already sufficiently well
acquainted with his system of doctrine. Although, as we have seen, he
yielded in some points in an improper manner, he nevertheless adhered to
the substance of divine truth. The Augsburg Confession was his
Confession. Whenever therefore any one attacked the fundamental
doctrines of Christianity, as they are represented in the confessions of
the first centuries, he would become very much excited, and thought that
such persons ought to be punished. Therefore he decidedly approved of
the burning of MICHAEL SERVETUS, who rejected and blasphemed the
doctrine of the Trinity. He acted in the spirit of the Old Testament,
and forgot, that although such persons cannot be regarded as members of
the Christian church, they must be borne with patiently.
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.