Winsheim, who delivered his funeral oration, said: "Failing gradually, he ceased to breathe almost without feeling death, and lay like one who is asleep; his face was not distorted, and his features were not changed, as is generally the case with the dead." When the beloved teacher had thus closed his eyes, the tidings of this event spread rapidly through the city. The students, greatly distressed, came to the house in great numbers. It was very easy to see how much they had loved him. The University soon informed the Elector of this sad event. The body was laid out in the study during the same evening. On the morning of the 20th of April, the artist, Lucas Kranach, painted his portrait. All were anxious to behold the beloved body, and permission was given to all during that and the following day.
No one looked upon the beloved countenance, without tears. Some touched his head; others took his hand, and pressed it. Many kissed him, with many tears. The citizens brought their children to look upon him, so that they might be able to say, in future times, what kind of man he was. His body was placed in a leaden coffin, and this again in one of wood, and with other papers, the following was also placed in it: "In this coffin, Philip Melanchthon was buried, who was a professor of the Holy Scriptures, and the good arts, for 42 years. He was an excellent, learned, pleasant, sensible, sincere, pious, and holy man; patient and benevolent towards the poor, the most faithful and diligent assistant of the sainted and revered Doctor Martin Luther, in explaining and establishing the pure doctrine of the divine word, which had been darkened by the fraud of the Roman Popes, the juggling of the monks, and a great number of abuses. He also prepared the Augsburg Confession, which was delivered to the Emperor Charles V., in 1530, after the purification and exposition of the true doctrine had begun in 1517, and a change had also taken place in these churches. And he continued to defend the truth of the heavenly doctrine for 30 years, upon public diets, and privately, as is proved by his writings, which have been published to the world." After this follows a short account of the events of his life, from his birth to his death.
The funeral took place on the 21st of April. Joachim Camerarius, and Dr. Morch, of Leipzig, arrived at nine o'clock in the morning. His great grief would not suffer him to look upon the body of his beloved friend once more. The procession set out in the afternoon. The students came first, and were followed by the body, borne by the professors of philosophy, who were dressed in long black funeral robes. After them came the relatives, the other professors, the city council, strange noblemen and others, students and citizens. The coffin was first taken to the parish church, where it was set down before the altar, on the very spot where Melanchthon had been in the habit of kneeling when priests were ordained. A psalm and several other hymns, were sung here. The Pastor, Paul Eber, then mounted the pulpit, and preached the funeral sermon, from the words in 1 Thess. iv. From the parish Church, the procession moved towards the Electoral Church. There the body was deposited by the side of Luther's grave. Veit Winsheim mounted a pulpit which had been erected near it, and delivered an excellent and moving Latin address. He closed it in the following words: "He has left us, and all his, the churches of these dominions, and the University, in a painful state of anxiety. At the very time when we are tossed about by the ocean-storms, we have lost our pilot, at the very time when we need him most, and could spare him less than ever before. But it is not difficult to understand what God means by taking such men from the world, in order that they may not see the coming distresses. I do not wish to be a prophet of misfortunes; but let us cultivate repentance and patience, so that we may either escape from the wrath of God, or that we may be able to bear his paternal chastisement, if it be necessary. For the death of such men should incite us to piety, to repentance, and more fervent prayer; and also to preserve the inheritance left us by these two men, Luther and Melanchthon; namely, the pure doctrines of truth, with the greatest prudence, diligence, and fidelity. For this is not the time for security and sleep, but for watchfulness. We have all seen what came to pass after Luther's death; let every one reflect for himself, what things are to be expected now." After this, the body was deposited in its resting-place, by the side of Luther. The whole community assisted at these funeral solemnities. There was such a concourse of persons of every condition and age, that Wittenberg had never seen one to exceed it. All were deeply moved, and many tears were shed.[28]
A small plate of metal, in the floor, still marks Melanchthon's resting-place, while another on the wall presents his portrait, and eulogizes the great and ever to be remembered reformer and teacher, not only of Germany, but of entire evangelical Christendom.
The Wittenberg account closes with the following prayer, with which we, too, shall end our narrative:
"And we hereby earnestly and heartily beseech God, that he will be pleased to gather and preserve an everlasting Christian Church among us, and in these lands, and the entire human race, through his dear Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and that he will also preserve us against factions and schisms, and grant us courage and strength to oppose them confidently and successfully. And as human strength and wisdom are too weak to accomplish this, we beseech the Eternal Son of God, that he would abundantly pour out his Holy Spirit by his word, in our hearts and those of all believers, so that we may obtain knowledge and wisdom, and be ruled and guided in all things, in order that his holy Divine name may be praised and glorified by us and the whole Christian Church, here in this world, and forever in the world to come. Amen."
THE END.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This learned scholar, known to the learned by the name of Capnio, was a native of Pforzheim, and successively a teacher of languages at Basle and at Orleans. He was the restorer of letters in Germany, and the author of several treatises on Philosophy.