John Calvin prayed to Philip Melanchthon After the Latter's Death

Socrates58 ^ | September 19, 2009

[NYer]

O Philipp Melanchthon! . . . I appeal to you who live in the presence of God with Christ, and wait for us there until we are united with you in the blessed rest . . . I have wished a thousand times that it had been our lot together!

(from online paper, "John Calvin -- True Presbyterian," by Francis Nigel Lee [pdf / html]; his own sources provided: J. Calvin: Clear Explanation of the Holy Supper, in Reid’s Theological Treatises of John Calvin, S.C.M., London, p. 258; see an alternate 1978 printing listed on amazon and this exact excerpt -- and larger context -- from it)

The same thing is found in Tracts Related to the Reformation, Volume 2, translated by Henry Beveridge, Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1849; "True Partaking of the Flesh and Blood of Christ," pp. 496-497):

Thou hast said a hundred times, when weary with labour and oppressed with sadness, thou didst lay thy head familiarly on my bosom, Would, would that I could die on this bosom! . . . Certainly, thou hadst been readier to maintain contests, and stronger to despise obloquy, and set at nought false accusations. . . . I have not indeed forgotten what thou didst write.

Further online documentation: one / two.

John T. McNeill, editor of the 1960 edition of Calvin's Institutes, mentions it as well, in his article, "Calvin as an Ecumenical Churchman," Church History, vol. 57, 1988.

[NYer]

Not sure what happened with the graphic. It was there in the preview but not after posting. Here it is again.

[PetroniusMaximus]

So, do you pray to Philip Melanchthon?

[AnAmericanMother]

Here's the Cranach portrait of Melanchthon, from which the copy on the blog is taken:

Cranach was a heck of a painter, it ought to be a pretty good likeness.

[P-Marlowe]

Does this mean that you are going to become a Calvinist now?

[NYer]

Does this mean that you are going to become a Calvinist now?

Based on what rationale?

[NYer]

So, do you pray to Philip Melanchthon?

No. Do you?

[PetroniusMaximus]

“No. Do you?”

No, but I didn’t post an article seeming to support the practice.

Do you think Calvin’s supposed practice of praying to Melanchthon should be emulated?

[RobbyS]

If I knew him to be a saint in heaven, I would. IAC, I think that Calvin felt a special bound with Phillip. They were very close in doctrine.

[elk]

Was Calvin a legalist?

[Mad Dawg]

Cranach was a heck of a painter, it ought to be a pretty good likeness.

Gosh! Didn't Calvin know that you're only spozed to pray to people who have shiny spangly things around their heads?

[AnAmericanMother]

Saint Bernard, pray for us!

[behzinlea]

Well, that was a fascinating half hour. Not being familiar with Melancthon, I googled the name. I ended up re-familiarizing myself with the Reformation, Martin Luther, the 95 Theses, the Edict of Worms, and Pope Leo X. I also took side trips to visit Nicholas Storch, the Anabaptists, and the Zwickau Prophets, ended up reading about the early reform efforts of Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for his efforts.

Because I worked backwards from Melancthon, I read scarcely a word about Calvin. Now I'll have to pick up that thread and work forward.

[MarkBsnr]

***Gosh! Didn’t Calvin know that you’re only spozed to pray to people who have shiny spangly things around their heads?***

I think that he did. But his adherents have edited that from their Confessions and their Catechisms and have substituted their own doctrines for Calvin’s doctrines which he substituted from the Church. And, let’s face it, when you are your own Pope, you act pretty much as you wish to do, whenever you wish to do it.

Turnabout is fair play, I guess. Calvin’s actual practices seem to be irrelevant, considering the brutal reign that he ruled in Geneva, which his adherents deny without any evidence whatsoever.

[NYer]

You read all of that in only a half hour! I'm jealous :-)

Thank you for posting the journey here for the benefit of others who may be contemplating a similar experience.

[Mad Dawg]

Yeah. Like that. (Where’s the little barrel of brandy?)

[FormerLib]

So Calvin was in need of Reformation too?

Amazing!

[boatbums]

I read your post source and, even though I don't consider myself a “Calvinist” - whatever that is supposed to mean anyway - I don't see this text as an actual prayer to a dead person like you do. It seems to me as though Calvin was wistfully talking to his friend as if he was still there with him. Wishing he could be there in reality to take some of the “heat” off him for their common theology.

It's a stretch to say Calvin taught prayer to or for the dead. Besides all that, no one adheres to the dogma that Calvin or Luther, etc. were infallible like Roman Catholics believe about their Magisteria. It's humorous really that you use this post to say, “See, Calvin, prayed to the dead!”, on the one hand, “So we all are right to pray to our saints.”. But then, on the other hand, you say, “Well, that guy's not one of OUR saints, so Calvin was wrong about that, too.”

Am I judging this too harshly? If so, why did you post this in the first place?

[MarkBsnr]

***So Calvin was in need of Reformation too?***

The good Calvin was in need of a lot of things. Including humility.

[Mad Dawg]

Well, maybe his heart knew better than his mind.