lared that his object was not any
triumph or glory for himself, but "only the maintenance of truth and the
rooting out of error," and that nothing was able to remove the offense
given by Melanchthon and the Adiaphorists but a clear confession of the
truth and an unequivocal rejection of error. Melanchthon, however, broke
off the correspondence and continued to nurse his animosity against
Flacius. (Preger 2, 29f.)

269. Lower Saxons Endeavoring to Mediate between Melanchthon and
Flacius.

Despite his experiences with Melanchthon, Flacius did not allow himself
to be discouraged in his efforts to bring about unity and peace.
Embracing an opportunity which a correspondence with the clergy of Lower
Saxony concerning Schwenckfeldt offered him, he requested the Lower
Saxons to mediate between himself and Melanchthon, submitting for this
purpose articles, differing from the _Mild Proposals_ only in expressly
mentioning also the Leipzig Interim. The request was granted, and four
superintendents, accompanied by four ministers, were delegated for the
purpose to Wittenberg. The delegates were: from Luebeck: Valentin
Curtius and Dionysius Schunemann; from Hamburg: Paul von Eitzen and
Westphal; from Lueneburg: F. Henning and Antonius Wippermann; from
Brunswick: Moerlin and Chemnitz. After agreeing, at Brunswick, January
14, 1557, on theses based on those of Flacius, and after conferring with
Flacius in Magdeburg, January 17, 1557 they unexpectedly, January 19,
arrived in Wlttenberg, offering their services as mediators.

Melanchthon received them in a friendly manner, but when, on the
following day, Moerlin read the articles of agreement, he denounced
Flacius and Gallus as having slandered him, and declined to treat with
the Lower Saxons on the basis of the "Flacian theses." On January 21 the
delegation submitted eight new articles. Of these the third read: "All
corruptions which militate against the pure apostolic doctrine and that
of the _Augsburg Confession_ shall be eliminated from the article of
justification, in particular the corruption concerning the necessity of
good works to salvation." Article VII requested Melanchthon to make a
public statement concerning the adiaphora and the necessity of good
works, declaring his agreement with the confession of our Church.
(Preger 2, 37.)

The presentation of these articles had a most unfavorable effect on
Melanchthon. The Saxon mediators report that he was excited to such an
exte