Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/320

* MELANCHTHON. 286 MELANESIANS. His Latin and Greek graminius enjoyed still larger use even in Catliolic schools. Most opportunely for Luther. who had posted his theses the year hi't'orc, Jlelanehthoii was now called to the chair of (Jreck at itlenbery, and in 1518 delivered his" inaugural upon "Keforni in the Studies of Youth." Those who had depre- ciated him for his boyish appearance immediately cliangcd to admiration. The next year Jlelanch- thon took tile hachelor's degree in theology, but modestly doclined the doctorate. Never ordained, never preaching, he reinained, like Calvin, a lay theologian to the end of his days. His lectures were thronged, sometimes, as reported, to the numlier of two thousand, including even princes and noblemen. From his classical studies, he was drawn by Luther's urgency and the prevailing ferment into the field of theology. By his Loci Com- munes, i.e. general outlines of theology, he made in !.)21 his lirst great contribution to the Refor- nialion. From Melanch( lion's architectural and organizing spirit, according to Dorner's view, the truth born in Luther"s heart received its object- ive form and the stamp of validity. Kipially im- portant was the aid he gave to Luther's Bible work, in which the accuracy is his, while its idiomatic force and beauty are Luther's. In 15'26 he became professor of theology in name, as for years he had been in fact. Among the Reformers, llelanclithon was char- acteristicallv the iieacemnker. The Augsburg Confession, presented bj- the Protestants at the Diet in 1530, surprised even the Catholics bj" its moderate tone. The tone was !Melanclithon's, who drafted it from articles drawn up liv Luther. In 15.31 Melanchthon published his Apology — a vin- dication of the Augsburg Confession, and the most learned of the Lutheran symbols. After this date he wrote his name 'Melanthon,' as eas- ier to pronounce. His irenic spirit prompted him to issue a mudified edition of the Confession, the Variatd (1540), generalizing sjiecific statements of the Lutherans object icmable to the Calvinists, ■with the design of removing impediments to the imion of the two parties. But such etTorts only brought bitter trouble upon Melanchthon. He had now reached the limit of his successes, and his remaining jears were darkened by the failure of his efforts for a more ethical theology, and for the union of the Protestant factions. Melanchthon's treatises on ethics, in which Aristotle was his master, became standard text- books. These ethical studies revealed to him defects in his theological masterpiece, the Lnci Commiinex, whi<h he amended bv successive re- visions in 1535 and 1543. They filso occasioned a serious breach between the 'Philippists' and the strict Lutherans, whose extreme, denial of the freedom of the will made Christian ethics impossible. Cries of hcresv arose, which no ex- jilanatiiins could still. Another breach was caused bj- Melanchthon's slow but sure change from the Lutheran conception of the mode of Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper to the Calvinistie. A third ground of odium w-as ife- lanehthon's willingness, for the sake of avoiding civil war, to compromise with the Catholics by securing tolerance of evangelical doctrine,' but re- taining most of till- Roman cercin<mies, as 'adia- phnra' (things indifTerent). In the bitter contro- versy which ensued the Philippists were hoiinded as 'knaves, Samaritans, and Baaliles.' Melanch- thon's relations with Luther were strained, but to the last his gentle spirit held captive that fiery heart, lie looked forward to death as "escaiie from the madness of theologians." His last prajer was "that the churches might be of one mind in Christ." lie died April I'J, 1500. .Mclani-htlion seems from one point of view to have been born before his lime, and has been long in coming to his rights. In a period of fanatical strife, he earnestly strove to bring about Chris- tian unity. But on the honor-roll of the Refor- mation his is conspicuously the historical, ju- dicial, progressive spirit. His one great weak- ness was his consenting with Luther and others to the bigamj- of Philip of Hesse, anil his regret for it threw him into a dangerous illness. De- clining invitations to other German cities, to France, to Denmark, to England, he stood un- flinchingly to his post in stormy Wittenberg, The churches he found it impossible to reconcile now- unite in honoring him. Lacking the dra- matic element which draws the po|)ular heart to Luther, his blending of progress and tolerance, of sw-eetness and light, attracts the cultivated mind. BlBLloGR.PHY. Melanchthon's works, includ- ing his correspondence, fill volumes i.-xxviii. of the Corpus Ifcforinntortim, edited bv Bretschneider and Bindseil (Halle, 1832-50). The Wittenberg' edition of his works was published in 15('i2-G4. His Loci CommiDirs. editeil bj- Plitt ( Erlangen, 1864), was reijdited by Kolde" (Erlangen. 1890). In Gennan consult his Lebcii unil Wirhcn, bv Matthes Altenbnrg (1841; 2d ed. 1841!): his Lchen und Hchriftrn. bv C. Schmidt (Elberfeld, 18til). For biography consult his Life (in Latin) bv his friend Camerarius (Leipzig. 1506), edited bv Xcander in ita Qunttuor lieformn- torum (Berlin, 1846) ; also Krotel's English translation of the Life bv Ledderhose (Philadel- phia, 1855). .J. W. Richards, PhUipp MeUtnch- tlioii (New York, 1808) is botli ]iopular and ac- curate. Vahialde in special ])oints of view are: Ilartfelder, I'hilipp Mrinnehlhoii tils I'rcrceptor (Ivrmaiiiw (Berlin, 1880): Herrlinger, Uie Tlir- oloijie MeUntehlli7,m CSew York, 1890) contain much valuable biograjihical and theolo- gical miittir concerning Melanchthon. MEL'ANE'SIA (XeoLat., from Gk. /uAot, mclds. black + vijaot, ucsos, island). A name ajiplied to that division of Oceanica in which the inhabitants have a dark skin, as distinguished from those of Micronesia and Poljnesia, who are nuich lighter. (See ilELANEsiANS.) It com- prises all the islands Iving between New Guinea and the Fiji Islands, and between the Equator and the Tropic of Cajiricorn (Map: I'.ast Indies, H 4). If includes the following groups: .dniiralty Islands, Bismarck .rchip(dago, S(domon Islands. Santa Cruz. New Hebrides. New Caledonia. Lny- altv Islands, and Fiji Islands. The last are sometimes classed with the Polynesian Islands, while New Guinea is sometimes included in Mel- anesia. For details, see the articles on the .sepa- rate groups. MELANESIANS. The natives of that part of Oceanica known as Melanesia (q.v.). .Some authorities consider them phj-sicallj- and lin- guistically a compound of the woolly-haired black Piipiians. who may Inive been the aborigines of