A Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope

by Philipp Melanchthon

"A Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope" is part of The Fig Classic Series on Reformation Theology. To view more books in our catalog, visit us at fig-books.com.

Genres: Religion

22 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2013

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.

Reviews

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise reason to reject the papacy.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melanchthon provides a short but robust argument against the Pope, in both his position and power. The Pope, to Melanchthon and other Reformers, is the embodiment of the Antichrist, that sin of perdition who lays claim to the position of the Vicar of Christ. There were later Christian confessions that affirmed this understanding (See the WCF and the 1689 LBCF) and yet modern Christians have not only abandoned this understanding but have often worked in the opposite direction through prayers, supplications, and endorsements of the Papacy. One of these positions is Biblical and the other is a modern approach.

[Andrew Silagi]

A polemic of its time, for sure. It was unfortunate how simplistic some of the arguments were; modern theologians and scholars such as Gavin Ortlund and Jordan Cooper have built better ones. I struggled especially with the first scriptural argument laid out here from Luke 22:24-27. Is it fair to say that Jesus is merely condemning a controlling and tyrannical approach to leadership rather than leadership in general? I suppose it is true that he broadly provides this admonition to them all rather than telling only one of them to be a servant leader of the rest. Still, I expected a little more detail in these arguments.

[Wesley and Fernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and short read. I haven’t delved very deeply in Philip Melanchthon’s works, but this was a good start.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like when he calls confirmation “a delusion”

[Dwight]

I would love to see a 1 page summary from each of a Lutheran and a Catholic on how things changed since Trent and where they stand today.