and the world.  We must sin as long as we are in this world; the present life is not an abode of righteousness; however, we look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, says Peter (2.  Ep. 3, 13).  We are satisfied, by the richness of God’s glory, to have come to the knowledge of the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world.  No sin shall wrest us from Him, were we even in one day to commit fornication and manslaughter a thousand times.  Do you think the price paltry and the payment small that has been made for us by this great Lamb?” (15, 2589.)

“Be a sinner, and sin bravely, but believe more bravely still”—­this is the chef d’oeuvre of the muck-rakers in Luther’s life.  The reader has the entire passage which contains the outrageous statement of Luther before him, and will be able to judge the connection in which the words occur.  What caused Luther to write those words?  Did Melanchthon contemplate some crime which he was too timid to perpetrate?  According to the horrified expressions of Catholics that must have been the situation.  Luther, in their view, says to Melanchthon:  Philip, you are a simpleton.  Why scruple about a sin?  You are still confined in the trammels of very narrow-minded moral views.  You must get rid of them.  Have the courage to be wicked, Make a hero of yourself by executing some bold piece of iniquity.  Be an “Uebermensch.”  Sin with brazen unconcern; be a fornicator, a murderer, a liar, a thief, defy every moral statute, —­only do not forget to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  His grace is intended, not for hesitating, craven sinners, but for audacious, spirited, high-minded criminals.

This, we are asked to believe, is the sentiment of the same Luther who in his correspondence with Weller declares that he could not if he would commit a brave sin to spite the devil.  Can the reader induce himself to believe that Luther advised Melanchthon to do what he himself knew was a moral impossibility to himself because of his relation to God?  And again we put the question which we put in connection with the Weller letters:  What brave sin did Melanchthon actually commit upon being thus advised by Luther?

One glance at the context, a calm reflection upon the tenor of this entire passage in the letter to Melanchthon, suffices to convince every unbiased reader that Luther is concerned about Melanchthon as he was about Weller:  he fears his young colleague is becoming a prey to morbid self-incrimination.  It is again a case of “Puppensuenden” being expanded till they seem ethical monstrosities.  But, as the opening words of the paragraph show, Luther had another purpose in writing to Melanchthon as he did.  Melanchthon was a public preacher and expounder of the doctrine of evangelical grace.  He must not preach that doctrine mincingly, haltingly.  Is that possible?  Indeed, it is.  Just as there are preachers afraid to preach the divine Law and to tell men that they are under the curse of God