have hitherto practiced in their directions for confession, never- theless we think it would be well if you had written some- thing in which you explained the papists' directions for con- fession and the like, and showed how it differs from this Ordi- nance, so that their foolish talk might be restrained and their abuses refuted, and it might be shown that this Ordinance^ is not at all like their views. This is our pleasure.
775. MELANCHTHON TO LUTHER. Enders, vi, 97. Jena, October 2, 1527.
Greeting. I have read a good part of Erasmus's recently published voltmie On the Free WUl^ It is a long and con- fused discussion, and I see that not many of the common peo- ple will understand it. . . . Even if you intend to answer it, I hope you will not be in a hurry. But I hope you will not undertake a confutation of this work (for they do not readily understand these rivalries of words" unless they are thor- oughly trained in that kind of thing) but set forth your own opinion in a simple way. That would not be hard for you to do, and there would be less danger of bitter words if it were not a battle. I have touched on this same subject in my Colossians,*' and intend to go into it more fully in another writing, at the first opportunity. . . . Philip.
776. LUTHER TO THE ELECTOR JOHN OF SAXONY. DeWete, iii, 211. German. (Wittenberg), October 12, 1527.
Grace and peace in Christ Jesus, serene, highborn Prince, gracious Lord. Our pastor, John Bugenhagen, and I have read over the Visitation Acts and changed but few things in them, as your Grace will find indicated. For the whole thing pleases us greatly, because it is put in the simplest possible way for the common people. That our opponents might boast
^On this Tisitation see Smith, 333, and G. Berhig: AhUn der hursSchsisehtn VUitationen von 1528-^ und J53Sr6. Deutsche Zeitschrift fUr Kirchenrecht, xxi» 3, pp. 386-429, 1 91 2. The Visitation Articles are conveniently found in Kidd,
pp. 202fF.
"The second part of the HyPeraspites.
• Avr/TrdXouf Xdyov^
- Melanchthon's Scholia on the Epistle to the Colossians, published August, 1527.
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