ther, "I entered upon my lectures on Genesis with no view to their publication, but for the benefit of the students, and that I might keep the minds both of myself and of my audience exercised upon the word of God, and might not spend my old age in sloth and uselessness. I was excited by the words of the Psalm, I will sing unto the Lord while I have any being." He dwells repeatedly on the subsequent inspired writers having drawn so much from the books of Moses, and recommends this to be studiously traced. The book of Genesis he speaks of as a very delightful one, and prays God to raise up persons to do more justice to it than he could do. "I can accomplish no more," he said, as he closed his exposition, "I am infirm: pray that God would grant me a happy dismissal!" He often said that he could wish to end his life with his exposition of the book of Genesis: and he failed little of having his desire, for he is related never again to have entered the lecture-room after he had finished it.2 A. D. 1546. His sermons at Wittemberg, Halle, Eisleben, Sermons. during the last six weeks of his life, have been already mentioned. They were taken down, and are printed among his works.3 on Luther's works. In speaking of the works of Luther, Melanc- Melancthon thon notices four changes of doctrine which had taken place in the church, between the times of the apostles and the reformation. The first he calls the Origenian, in which the church 'Elsewhere he writes: "As the critics say that Homer is the father of all poets, and the fountain, nay the ocean of every kind of learning, wisdom, and eloquence; so is Moses the fountain and father of all the prophets and of all the sacred books, that is of heavenly wisdom and eloquence." Epist. Aurif. ii. 287. 2 Seck. iii. 669–691. VOL. I. 2 M 3 Ib. 691-693. CHAP. was corrupted by philosophy, and which thus led the way to the errors of Pelagius. The next was the Augustinian, " God having raised up the bishop of Hippo to correct the prevailing errors;" and with his doctrine he was satisfied that that of Luther agreed, notwithstanding the dishonest attempts made to prove the contrary. The third was the long reign of ignorance and Rome. The fourth he refers to S. Francis and S. Dominic, who aimed to correct the crying abominations of the times, but, through want of better information, plunged the church in superstition, and substituted the philosophy of Aristotle for the religion of Jesus Christ. All good men, he says, desired à purer doctrine, as well as a reformation of manners: and God graciously raised up Luther to be the instrument of introducing it. He distributes the writings of the great reformer into three classes-didactic, controversial, and expository: the first laying down the true Christian doctrine on all the most material points; the second refuting the numerous errors opposed to it; and the third illustrating and applying the inspired writings, in all the various ways that the circumstances of mankind 'required. And the last class, he says, “even by the confession of enemies, surpassed all other expositions that were extant."-But there was another work of Luther's which stood alone, and which, both in labour and in usefulness, Melancthon thinks "equalled all the rest"—his translation of the sacred scriptures into the German language; which was itself so luminously perspicuous as to supersede the necessity of a commentary, and yet wanted not such an appendage in the brief, but learned annotations, and in the clear arguments of the several parts, which accompanied it. "It was Luther's desire," he finely remarks, in perfect conformity with what we have just heard from the reformer himself, "not to detain men upon his own writings, but to lead them to the original fountain of truth. He wished us to hear the voice of God himself. By that he desired to see true faith produced, and true prayer called forth, that God might be glorified, and numerous souls made heirs of eternal life."1 1 In præf. tom. ii. Luth. Op. Wittemb. A. D. 1546. APPENDIX. IT I. GREGORY PONTANUS. (Page 82.) may be gratifying to the reader to be put in possession of a few additional particulars concerning this excellent person. His father was a man of fortune, and the chief magistrate of a town in the neighbourhood of Wittemberg. He removed to the latter place for the sake of constantly attending the ministry of Luther; in which he took great delight. He had three sons, whom he destined severally to the three learned professions. Gregory had a great taste for literature, and made considerable proficiency in general learning, while he early distinguished himself in his own profession of the law. He studied under Henningus and Jerome Schurff, men of great eminence in their line, the latter of whom has been noticed as Luther's advocate at Worms. He soon began to be consulted by the princes and states, and, when about thirty years of age, was made chancellor by Frederic the Wise. In the year 1520, he accompanied the elector to Cologne, and was present at the conversation between him and Erasmus concerning Luther, which has been related by Dr. Milner. At the same time he had to reply, by the elector's 'Milner, iv. 485. (468.) |