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

Melanchthon replied, "As to the dissimilarity of copies, I answer that the
meaning of the things is the same (rerum eandem esse sententiam,)
although some things here and there, in the later edition, are more freed
from harshness, (mitigata) or are more explicit." To this Eck replied: "As
to the variation of copies, I could easily overthrow his reply, and show by
ocular inspection, that not only in words, but in the things themselves,
these copies depart from the Augsburg Confession. For brevity's sake I
defer what I have to say, to the Articles as they come up in the colloquy,
when I will make clear what I have alleged, as in the Tenth Article, etc."
To this Melanchthon said: “We can reply more fitly elsewhere to what has
been urged in regard to copies--and let there be some moderation to
charges of this sort." To this Eck said: "As to the change of copies, I now
purposely pass it by." If Melanchthon consciously made a change of
meaning in the Confession, it is impossible to defend him from the charge
of direct falsehood. For ourselves we do not hesitate for a moment. With all
the mistakes into which Melanchthon fell through his great love of peace,
we regard him as above all suspicion in any point involving Christian
character. If the doctrine of the Variata differs from that of the Confession,
the change was not designed by Melanchthon. We go further and say, that
to accept it as a Canon, that the interpretation of the Variata is to be
conditioned by a belief that Melanchthon designed no changes, will
involve the interpreter in no absurdity. The Variata can be so interpreted as
to be in sufficient harmony with the Unaltered Confession, to leave
Melanchthon's statement credible. Of the changes in the Tenth Article
(the Lord's Supper) we shall speak in another place. The Calvinists and
Crypto-Calvinists acted as if they did not believe Melanchthon's statement
that no alteration of doctrine had been intended. In the Lutheran Church
different views were taken of the matter. Those who believed
Melanchthon's declaration that the changes were purely verbal, the better
to express the very doctrine set forth at Augsburg, either passed them over
without disapproval, or were comparatively lenient in their censure. Every
instance of the seeming toleration of