Editing Philip Melanchthon (section)

==Theological disputes==
[[File:Loci-communes.jpg|thumb|''[[Loci Communes]]'', 1552 edition]]
In the beginning of 1521, Melanchthon defended Luther in his ''Didymi Faventini versus Thomam Placentinum pro M. Luthero oratio'' (Wittenberg, n.d.). He argued that Luther rejected only [[Pope|papal]] and [[ecclesiastic]]al practises which were at variance with Scripture.{{sfn|Richard|1898|p=71}} But while Luther was absent at [[Wartburg Castle]], during the disturbances caused by the [[Zwickau prophets]], Melanchthon wavered.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lindberg |first=Carter |title=The European reformations |date=2021 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-64081-3 |edition=3rd |location=Chichester, United Kingdom Hoboken, New Jersey |pages=86–87}}</ref>

The appearance of Melanchthon's ''[[Loci Communes|Loci communes rerum theologicarum seu hypotyposes theologicae]]'' (Wittenberg and [[Basel]], 1521) was of subsequent importance to the Reformation. Melanchthon discussed the "leading thoughts" of Paul's [[Epistle to the Romans|Letter to the Romans]] and used this platform to present a new doctrine of Christianity; one where faith in God was more important than good deeds. ''Loci communes'' contributed to the gradual rise of the [[Lutheran scholasticism|Lutheran scholastic]] tradition, and the later theologians [[Martin Chemnitz]],{{efn|For an example of this from Chemnitz, see {{harvnb|Chemnitz|2004}}, which is excerpted from his ''Loci Theologici''.}} [[Mathias Haffenreffer]], and [[Leonhard Hutter]] expanded upon it.{{sfn|Jacobs|1899}} Melanchthon continued to lecture on the classics.

On a journey in 1524 to his native town, he encountered the [[papal legate]], [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[Lorenzo Campeggio]], who tried to draw him from Luther's cause.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.vr-elibrary.de/doi/10.13109/9783666550478.79|title=Philip Melanchthon's Last Word to Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio, Papal Legate at the 1530 Diet of Augsburg|first=Timothy J.|last=Wengert|date=24 October 2012|publisher=Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht|pages=79–103|via=CrossRef|doi=10.13109/9783666550478.79|isbn=978-3-525-55047-2 }}</ref> In his ''Unterricht der Visitatorn an die Pfarherrn im Kurfürstentum zu Sachssen'' (1528) Melanchthon presented the evangelical doctrine of salvation as well as regulations for churches and schools.

In 1529, Melanchthon accompanied the [[prince-elector|elector]] to the [[Second Diet of Speyer|Diet of Speyer]]. His hopes of persuading the [[Holy Roman Empire]] to recognize the Reformation were not fulfilled. A friendly attitude towards the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] at the Diet was something he later changed, calling [[Huldrych Zwingli]]'s doctrine of the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]] "an impious [[dogma]]".{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}