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

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in Melanchthon's own h<strong>and</strong>writing, was given to the Emperor.<br />

Melanchthon’s Letter of May 11th.<br />

With this letter of the Elector was sent a letter from Melanchthon<br />

addressed "to Martin Luther, his most dear father." In it he says: "Our<br />

Apology is sent to you, although it is more properly a Confession, for the<br />

Emperor will have no time for protracted discussion. Nevertheless, I have<br />

said those things which I thought most profitable or fitting. With this<br />

design I have embraced nearly all the articles of faith, for Eck has put forth<br />

the most diabolical sl<strong>and</strong>ers against us, to which I wished to oppose a<br />

remedy. I request you, in accordance with your own spirit, to decide<br />

concerning the whole writing (Pro tuo spiritu de toto scripto statues.) A<br />

question is referred to you, to which I greatly desire an answer from you.<br />

What if the Emperor...should prohibit our ministers from preaching at<br />

Augsburg? I have answered that we should yield to the wish of the<br />

Emperor, in whose city we are guests. But our old man is difficult to<br />

soften." (<strong>The</strong> "old man" is either the Elector John, so called to distinguish<br />

him from his son, John Frederick, or the old Chancellor Brück.)<br />

"Whatever therefore you think, I beg that you will write it in German on<br />

separate paper."<br />

What Luther was to write was his judgment both as to the<br />

Confession <strong>and</strong> the question about preaching, <strong>and</strong> the "separate paper," on<br />

which he was particularly requested to write, must mean separate from that<br />

which held the Confession. One probable reason why Luther was so<br />

particularly requested not, as was very much his wont, to write upon the<br />

margin, was, that this original draft of the Confession might have been<br />

needed for presentation to the Emperor. <strong>The</strong> original of Luther's replies to<br />

the Elector on both points (for to the Elector <strong>and</strong> not to Melanchthon they<br />

were to be made, <strong>and</strong> were made,) still remains. Both are together--neither<br />

is on the margin of anything, but both are written just as Melanchthon<br />

specially requested, "in German," <strong>and</strong> on. "separate paper." 148 It shows<br />

148 Coelestinus, i., p. 40. Luther's Epistol. supplem. Buddei, 93. Salig. Hist. d. Aug. Conf., i. 169.<br />

Cyprian,Beylage xiv. Ex Autographo. Luther's Briefe: De Wette (Lett. 1213) himself compared the original in the

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