Instructions for the Visitors and the Enchiridion: Volume III in the Complete Works of Philipp Melanchthon

by Philipp Melanchthon, Tim Newcomb (Translator)

This is Volume III in the Complete Works of Philipp Melanchthon. This new American English translation of Luther's 1528 "Unterricht der Visitatoren, an die Pfarrherrn im Kurfürstenthum zu Sachsen" or "Instructions for the Visitors of Parish Pastors in Electoral Saxony", followed by his 1522 Enchiridion. Together these make up his core works on the subject of education, earning him the title given by "Germany's teacher".

The original German texts follow the English translation for easy reference and this edition contains a new 2023 Afterword by the Translator.

Melanchthon’s 1522 Enchiridion sought to teach theology in the family home as a replacement for the state-run religious institutions. Named after Augustine's Enchiridion, which in turn was named after Epictetus' Enchiridion, Melanchthon sought to provide an ethical foundation for Protestantism, which was in disarray. The rampant Antinomianism which rejected all “legalism” and stated there is no moral code to which Christians should adhere to caused a related problem for the reformation. Knowledge of the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament was key to fixing this problem to Melanchthon, so together with Luther they published extensive educational reforms and school material.

The Elector of Saxony saw this sorry state of affairs in Protestant Germany in terms of education, and asked Luther to fix it. Melanchthon took lead, and issued this 1527 Instructions for the Visitors of Parish Pastors in Electoral Saxony , and visited the local churches. A great deal of Melanchthon’s work was in the field of education, leading to his title of "Germany's teacher".

115 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2022

About the author

Philipp Melanchthon (16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560), born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems. He stands next to Luther and Calvin as a reformer, theologian, and molder of Protestantism. Along with Luther, he is the primary founder of Lutheranism.[1] They both denounced what they believed was the exaggerated cult of the saints, asserted justification by faith, and denounced the coercion of the conscience in the sacrament of penance by the Catholic Church, that they believed could not offer certainty of salvation. Melanchthon made the distinction between law and gospel the central formula for Lutheran evangelical insight. By the "law", he meant God's requirements both in Old and New Testament; the "gospel" meant the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.