MELAN 
religious difquifitions with fuch unparalleled fuccefs, that 
it may fafely be affirmed, that the caufe of true Chriftianity 
derived from the learning and genius of Melan&hon 
more fignal advantages, and a more effe&ual lupport, 
than it received from any of the other doctors of the age. 
His love of peace and concord, which was partly owing 
to the fweetnefs of his natural temper, made him defire 
with ardour, that a reformation might be effe&ed without 
producing a fchilin in the church, and that the external 
communion of the contending parties might be preferved 
uninterrupted and entire. This fpirit of mildnefs and 
charity, carried perhaps too far, led him fometimes to 
make conceffions that were neither confident with pru¬ 
dence, nor advantageous to the caufe in which he was en¬ 
gaged. It is however certain, that he gave no quarter 
to thofe more dangerous and momentous errors that 
reigned in the church of Rome; but maintained, on the 
contrary, that their extirpation was eflentially neceffary, 
in order to the reftoration of true religion. In the natu¬ 
ral complexion of this great man there was fomething 
loft, timorous, and yielding. Hence arofe a certain diffi¬ 
dence of himfelf, that made him not only examine things 
with the greateft attention and care, before he refolved 
upon any meafure, but alfo filled him with uneafy appre- 
henfions where there was no danger, and made him fear 
even things, that, in reality, could never happen. And 
yet, on the other hand, when the hour of real danger 
approached, when things bore a formidable afpeft, and 
the caufe of religion was in imminent peril, then this 
timorous man was converted, all at once, into an in¬ 
trepid hero, looked danger in the face with unlhaken 
conftancy, and oppofed his adverfaries with invincible 
fortitude. All this (hows, that the force of truth and 
the power of principle had diminiffied the weaknefles 
and defeats of Melancthon’s natural character without 
entirely removing them. Had his fortitude been more 
uniform and fteady, his defire of reconciling all inte- 
refts and pleafing all parties lefs violent and excef- 
iive, his triumph over the fuperftitions imbibed in his 
infancy (his credulity with refpedt to prodigies and 
dreams, and the pretended fcience of aftrology) more 
complete, he muft defervedly have been confidered as one 
of the greateft. among men.” 
After the death of Luther, Melanfthon was regarded as 
the head of the Lutheran do&ors ; and on points of eru¬ 
dition, both facred and profane, his opinions were fo uni- 
verfally refpefted, that fcarcely any ventured to oppofe 
them. This diftindtion he well merited $ for, though he 
was inferior to that great man in courage and firmnefs of 
mind, he was certainly his equal in piety and virtue, and 
much his fuperior in learning, judgment, meeknefs, and 
humanity. It is true that, on fome points of no inconfi- 
derable moment, Melanfthon’s fentiments differed widely 
from thofe of Luther. He was of opinion, that, for the 
fake of peace and concord, many things might be con¬ 
nived at and tolerated in the church of Rome, which 
Luther confidered as abfolutely infupportable. He alfo 
differed from him in his ideas concerning faith as the 
only caufe of falvation, concerning the neceffity of good 
works to our final happinefs, and man’s natural inca¬ 
pacity of promoting his own converfion. He was inclined 
to think, that the fentiments and expreffions of Luther 
on thefe points required to be fomewhat mitigated, left 
they ffiould give occafion to dangerous abufes, and be 
perverted to the propagation of pernicious errors. Me- 
lan&hon, likewife, entertained different fentiments from 
Luther ontjie lubjeft of the eucharift, and did not confi- 
der his controverfy with the divines of Swifferland as a 
matter of fufficient moment to occafion a breach of 
church-commUnion between them. Indeed, in the latter 
part of his life, there is the moft fatisfadtory evidence 
that his fentiipents on this point correfponded at leaft 
with thofe of Calvin, if not with thofe of Zuinglius ; and 
that nothing but the fear of inflaming the divifions 
which then exifted, or of not being feconded, prevented 
Vol. XV. No. 1022. 
C T H O N. 41 
him from declaring his fentiments openly. Thefe differ¬ 
ences in fentiment from Luther, Melanfthon did not 
conceal during the life of that reformer, though he ad¬ 
vanced them with great circumfpeftion and modelty, 
yielding always to the authority of his colleague, for 
whom he entertained the fincereft friendffiip, and of whom 
alfo he ftood in awe. But, after the death of Luther, he 
avowed his fentiments with the greateft plainnefs and 
freedom ; and by fo doing gave great offence to many. 
His conduct in the affair of the Interim, however, drew 
down on him the heavieft cenfures, and excited againft 
him the moft violent and inveterate oppofition. From 
this time the comfort and tranquillity of his life were 
deftroyed, in confequence of his being involved in per¬ 
petual controverfies, which were carried on with the 
keennefs and animofity that were peculiar to all the de¬ 
bates of a religious nature during that century. He was 
perfecuted alfo by the moft malignant calumny, detrac¬ 
tion, and ingratitude, and even his perfonal fafety was 
threatened. Well, therefore, might he fay, in the prof- 
peft of his laft moments, that one circumitance which 
made him to look upon death as a happinefs, was, that 
he ffiould no longer be expofed to the vexations and rage 
of divines. While he met with this treatment from his 
own countrymen and fellow Proteftants, learned fo¬ 
reigners, and even Catholics, entertained a due refpe£t 
for his exalted merits, as may be illuftrated by a curious 
anecdote which Melchior Adam relates, not to mention 
the encomiums on him which he has quoted fromScaliger 
the elder and Erafmus. According to this ftory, when 
his fon-in-law Sabinus went to Italy for literary improve¬ 
ment, Melamfthon gave him a letter of recommendation 
to the famous cardinal Bembo at Rome, who had been, 
fecretary to pope Leo X. To this letter the cardinal paid 
great regard; for, however he differed from Melan£thon 
in religion, he entertained a great refpedt for his abilities 
and learning, and often fpoke of him in high terms of 
praife. He therefore received Sabinus with great civi¬ 
lity and politenefs, and invited him to his table. In the 
courfe of converfation at dinner, among other queftions 
the cardinal alked Sabinus, “ What falary Melanfthon 
had ? what was the number of his hearers ? and what he 
thought concerning the refurreftion of the dead, and a 
future ftate ?” Whenin reply to the firft Sabinus anlwered, 
that Melanfthon’s falary was not more than three hun¬ 
dred florins a year: ;£ Ungrateful Germany ! ” exclaimed 
the cardinal, “ to hold in fo little eftimation the various 
and extraordinary labours of fo great a man.” Upon 
Sabinus’s Hating, in anlwer to the fecond queltion, that 
Melanfthon had commonly more than fifteen hundred 
hearers: “ I cannot tell how to believe it,” faid the car¬ 
dinal ; “ for I know not of any univerfity, excepting 
that of Paris, where the auditory of any one profeffor is 
fo numerous.” And yet, fays the relator, Melancthon 
had often two thoufand five-hundred perfons at his lec¬ 
tures. To the third queltion Sabinus having anlwered 
that Melandthon’s works lufficiently prove his belief in 
both thofe articles of religion : “ I ffiould have thought 
him a wifer man,” oblerved the cardinal, “ if he had 
not believed any thing about them.” 
The number of the works which Melanfthon pub- 
liffied, confidering how much he was engaged as a public 
man, is truly aftoniffiing. The titles of a great many of 
them are given in the General Biography. They are 
theological, moral, and philofophical; fome, however, 
relate to what is ufually denominated the belles lettres, 
and others are illuftrative of various claffical authors. 
The moft complete edition was publiffied by the author’s 
fon-in-law, Jafper Peucer, in the year 1601, in q-vols. folio, 
MELAN'DRIUM, j. in botany. See Lychnis. 
MELA'NES, or Me'las, in ancient geography, a gulf 
that lay between the Cherfonefe of Thrace to the fouth- 
eaft, and a part of the continent to the north-weft. It is 
now called the Gulf of Megarifla. 
MELA'NI MON'TES,- a chain of mountains placed by 
M Ptolemy 
