it from grace or from wrath. _Non est nisi unus modus
agendi Dei cum omnibus creaturis.... Quare eodem modo cum homine volente
et intelligente agit Deus, quemadmodum cum omnibus creaturis reliquis,
lapide et trunco, per solum suum velle et dicere.... Sicut lapides et
trunci sunt in potestate Dei, ita et eodem modo voluntas et intellectus
hominis sunt in voluntate Dei, ut homo nihil prorsus velle et eligere
possit nisi id, quod vult et dicit Deus, sive ex gratia, sive ex ira,
derelinquens eum in manu consilii eius_." (Schlb. 5, 547; Gieseler 3, 2,
230; Frank 4, 259.) This, too, was not embodied in the _Formula of
Concord_, which teaches that, although man before his conversion has no
mode of working anything good in spiritual things, God nevertheless has
a different way of working in rational creatures than in irrational and
that man is not coerced, neither in his sinning nor in his conversion.
(905, 60ff.)

224. Synergistic Predestination.

The connection between the doctrines of conversion and election is most
intimate. A correct presentation of the former naturally leads to a
correct presentation of the latter, and vice versa. Hence Melanchthon,
the father of synergism in conversion, was also the author of a
synergistic predestination. In his first period he speaks of
predestination as Luther did, but, as Frank puts it, "with less of
mysticism conformably to reason, following the same line of thought as
Zwingli (_mit weniger Mystik, auf verstandesmaessige, Zwinglis
Ausfuehrungen aehnliche Weise_." [transcriber: sic on punctuation] (1,
125; _C. R._ 21, 88. 93.) In reality he probably had never fully grasped
the truly religious and evangelical view of Luther, which, indeed, would
account for his later synergistic deviations as well as for the charges
of Stoicism he preferred against Luther. After abandoning his former
doctrine, he, as a rule, was noncommittal as to his exact views on
election. But whenever he ventured an opinion, it savored of synergism.
September 30, 1531, he wrote to Brenz: "But in the entire _Apology_ I
have avoided that long and inexplicable disputation concerning
predestination. Everywhere I speak as though predestination follows our
faith and works. And this I do intentionally, for I do not wish to
perturb consciences with these inexplicable labyrinths. _Sed ego in tota
Apologia fugi illam longam et inexplicabilem disputationem de
praedestinatione. Ubique sic loquor, quasi praedestinatio sequatu