itrinitarians," as they are called in the
Twelfth Article of the _Formula of Concord_ came from the skeptical
circles of Humanists in Italy. Concerning these rationalists and
Epicureans the _Apology_ remarks: "Many [in Italy and elsewhere] even
publicly ridicule all religions, or, if they approve anything, they
approve such things only as are in harmony with human reason, and
regard the rest as fabulous and like the tragedies of the poets." (CONC.
TRIGL., 235, 28; _C. R._ 9, 763.) Pope Leo X was generally regarded as
being one of those who spoke of the profitable "fables concerning
Christ."

According to a letter of warning to the Christians in Antwerp, 1525, a
fanatic (_Rumpelgeist_) there taught: "Every man has the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is our reason and understanding (_ingenium et ratio
naturalis_). Every man believes. There is neither hell nor damnation.
Every one will obtain eternal life. Nature teaches that I should do unto
my neighbor as I would have him do unto me--to desire which is faith.
The Law is not violated by evil lust as long as I do not consent to
lust. Who has not the Holy Ghost has no sin for he has no reason." (E.
53, 344; St. L. 21a 730; Enders 5, 147.)

In his report on the Marburg Colloquy, October 5, 1529, Melanchthon
remarks: "We have heard that some of them [the Strassburgers] speak of
the Deity as the Jews do, as though Christ were not God by nature. (_C.
R._ 1, 1099.) At Marburg, Zwingli remarked that some had spoken
incorrectly concerning the Trinity, and that Haetzer had written a book
against the divinity of Christ, which he, Zwingli, had not permitted to
be published." (1103.)

In a letter of Luther to Bugenhagen, 1532 we read: "Your undertaking [of
publishing a writing of Athanasius concerning the Trinity] is Christian
and wholesome in this our most corrupt time, in which all articles of
faith in general are attacked by the servants of Satan, and the one
concerning the Trinity is in particular beginning to be derided
confidently by some skeptics and Epicureans. These are ably assisted not
only by those Italian grammarians [Humanists] and orators, which they
flatter themselves to be, but also by some Italico-German vipers and
others, or, as you are accustomed to call them, viper-aspides, who sow
their seed here and there in their discourses and writings, and, as Paul
says [2 Tim. 2, 17], eat as doth a canker (_gar sehr um sich fressen_)
and promote godlessness, about which they