Philipp Melanchthon: Band T 18: Texte 5011-5343 (Januar–Oktober 1548)

Although the reestablishment of the University of Wittenberg was progressing, the political situation in the empire had by no means calmed down. After the victory over the Schmalkaldic League, Emperor Charles V attempted to achieve his religious and political goals. By means of the »Interim,« the decree issued at the Diet of Augsburg in June 1548, his goal was to countermand the Reformation in Germany. However Maurice, Elector of Saxony, was able to inform Melanchthon at an early stage about the negotiations. He then wrote several treatises in which he recommended rejecting the Interim. When asked by many clergymen for his advice, he urged them to clearly differentiate between their decisions regarding the Christian doctrine and the politicians’ views. This is the first critical edition of Melanchthon’s infamous letter to Christoph von Carlowitz, the Saxonian diplomat. One of the remarks it contained about Luther created a stir at the Diet of Augsburg, and because of the explosive nature of this utterance this document became the reformer’s most well-known letter.