The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

of our Apology somewhat more finished in style (retorikoteron) than I
wrote it at Coburg." Speaking of his work he says: "In a short time, I
myself will bring it, or if the Prince will not permit me to come, I will send
it.” By the Apology or Defence is meant the Confession, which was
originally designed to be in the main a defence of the Evangelical
(Lutheran) Confessors, especially in regard to their practical application of
their principles in the correction of abuses. The second part was the one
which at the time of the preparation of the Confession was regarded as the
more difficult, and for the immediate objects contemplated, the more
important. The articles of faith were designed as a preparation for the
second part, and the judgment of Foerstemann and others that by the
"Exordium," Melanchthon meant not the Preface, which there seems to be
evidence was written in German by Brück, and translated into Latin by
Jonas, "but the whole first part of the Confession, is not without much to
render it probable."
If we take Melanchthon's language, in his letter of May 5,
grammatically, it seems to settle it, that the Exordium was the whole first
part, for it is inconceivable that he would desire to come all the way to
Coburg to show Luther merely the Preface, more especially as we know
that the Confession itself was nearly finished at the time. In a letter of the
same date, (May 4th,) to Viet Dietrich, who was with Luther, he says: "I
will shortly run over to you, that I may bring to the Doctor (Luther) the
Apology which is to be offered to the Emperor, that he (Luther) may
examine it."
The Elector’s Letters of May 11th.
For very obvious reasons, Melanchthon could not be spared from
Augsburg at this time even for an hour, to say nothing of the hazards
which might have been incurred by the journey, which his great anxiety
for a personal conference with Luther inclined him to make. But on May
11th, the Elector sent to Luther the Confession, with a letter, in which he
speaks of it as meant to be a careful revision of those very articles of which
Luther was the main author. He says to Luther (Augsburg, May 11th):
"As you