Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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enjoy the happiness of your society; for I WOULD prefer, and it
would be far better, not only upon this question, but also about
others, to converse personally with yourself; but seeing that it is not
granted to us on earth, I hope that shortly it will come to pass in
the kingdom of God. Adieu, most renowned sir, most distinguished
minister of Christ, and my ever-honored father. The Lord himself
rule and direct you by His own Spirit, that you may persevere even
unto the end, for the common benefit and good of His own
Church.”
Luther was still so excited by his last eucharistic controversy with the
Swiss, and so suspicious, that Melanchthon deemed it inexpedient to lay
the documents before him. f892
“I have not shown your letter to Dr. Martin,” he replied to Calvin,
April 17, 1545, “for he takes many things suspiciously, and does
not like his answers to questions of the kind you have proposed to
him, to be carried round and handed from one to another .... At
present I am looking forward to exile and other sorrows. Farewell!
On the day on which, thirty-eight hundred and forty-six years ago,
Noah entered into the ark, by which God gave testimony of his
purpose never to forsake his Church, even when she quivers under
the shock of the billows of the great sea.”
He gave, however, his own opinion; and this, as well as the opinions of
Bucer and Peter Martyr, and Calvin’s conclusion, were published, as an
appendix to the tracts on avoiding superstition, at Geneva in 1549. f893
Melanchthon substantially agreed with Calvin; he asserts the duty of the
Christian to worship God alone (Matt. 4:10), to flee from idols (1 John
5:21), and to profess Christ openly before men (Matt. 10:33); but he took
a somewhat milder view as regards compliance with mere ceremonies and
non-essentials. Bucer and Peter Martyr agreed with this opinion. The latter
refers to the conduct of the early disciples, who, while holding worship in
private houses, still continued to visit the temple until they were driven out.
We now proceed to Calvin’s controversies with Protestant opponents.
§ 125. CALVIN AND BOLSEC.
I. Actes du procès intenté par Calvin et les autres ministres de Genève
à Jérôme Bolsec de Paris (1551). Printed from the Register of the