They proposed therefore to restore to the bishops their jurisdiction, the maintenance of discipline, and the superintendence of the priests, provided they did not persecute the Evangelical doctrine, and did not oppress the pastors with impious vows and burdens. "We may not," added they, "without strong reasons rend that order by which the bishops are over the priests, and which existed in the Church from the beginning. It is dangerous before the Lord to change the order of governments." Their argument is not founded upon the Bible, as may be seen, but upon ecclesiastical discipline.
The Protestant divines went even farther, and, taking a last step that seemed decisive, they consented to acknowledge the Pope as being (but of human right) supreme bishop of Christendom. "Although the Pope is Anti-christ, we may be under his government, as the Jews were under Pharaoh, and in later days under Caiaphas." We must confess these two comparisons were not flattering to the Pope. "Only," added the doctors, "let the sound doctrine be fully accorded to us."
The chancellor Brück alone appears to have been conscious of the truth: he wrote on the margin with a firm hand: "We cannot acknowledge the Pope, because we say he is Antichrist, and because he claims the primacy of right divine."[764]
Finally, the Protestant theologians consented to agree with Rome as regards indifferent ceremonies, fasts, and forms of worship; and the Elector engaged to put under sequestration the ecclesiastical property already secularized, until the decision of the next council.
PRETENDED CONCORD.
Never was the conservative spirit of Lutheranism more clearly manifested. "We have promised our adversaries to concede to them certain points of church government, that may be granted without wounding the conscience," wrote Melancthon.[765] But he began to be very doubtful whether ecclesiastical concessions would not drag with them doctrinal concessions also. The reform was drifting away......still a few more fathoms, and it was lost. Already disunion, trouble, and affright began to spread among its ranks. Melancthon has become more childish than a child, said one of his friends;[766] and yet he was so excited, that the Chancellor of Lunenburg having made some objections to these unprecedented concessions, the little Master of Arts proudly raised his head, and said with a sharp and harsh tone of voice: "He who dares assert that the means indicated are not christian is a liar and a scoundrel."[767] On which the Chancellor immediately repaid him in his own coin. These expressions cannot, however, detract from Melancthon's reputation for mildness. After so many useless efforts, he was exhausted, irritated, and his words cut the deeper, as they were the less expected from him. He was not the only one demoralized. Brenz appeared clumsy, rude, and uncivil; Chancellor Keller had misled the pious Margrave of Brandenburg, and transformed the courage of this prince into pusillanimity: no other human support remained to the Elector than his chancellor Brück. And even this firm man began to grow alarmed at his isolation.
LUTHER'S LETTERS.
But he was not alone: the most earnest protests were received from without. "If it is true that you are making such concessions," said their affrighted friends to the Saxon divines, "christian liberty is at an end.[768] What is your pretended concord? a thick cloud that you raise in the air to eclipse the sun that was beginning to illumine the Church.[769] Never will the christian people accept conditions so opposed to the Word of God; and your only gain will be furnishing the enemies of the Gospel with a specious pretext to butcher those who remain faithful to it." Among the laymen these convictions were general. "Better die with Jesus Christ," said all Augsburg,[770] "than gain the favour of the whole world without him!"
No one felt so much alarm as Luther at the moment when he saw the glorious edifice that God had raised by his hands on the point of falling to ruin in those of Melancthon. The day on which this news arrived, he wrote five letters,—to the Elector, to Melancthon, to Spalatin, to Jonas, and to Brenz, all equally filled with courage and with faith.
"I learn," said he, "that you have begun a marvellous work, namely, to put Luther and the Pope in harmony; but the Pope is unwilling, and Luther begs to be excused.[771] And if, in despite of them, you succeed in this affair, then after your example I will bring together Christ and Belial.