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The Contribution of Martin Chemnitz to Our Lutheran Heritage

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The Contribution of Martin Chemnitz to Our Lutheran Heritage The Contribution of Martin Chemnitzto Our Lutheran Heritage By: Mork Hanna [Preparedfor the South Central District of the WisconsinEvangelical Lutheran Synod Friendswood,Texas, October 19, 20041 Sitting in Church History Classone day at the seminary,listening to the namesof the recommendedhistorians, this essayistwas a bit proud of the usedhistory books he had bought over the previous years. They were not all at the top of the list, but most of them were on the list. There were nameslike Grimm, Latourette,Durant and Hausser,and most of their books specifically coveredthe Reformationperiod. There was no needto worry about resourcesin the church history areaof my library. that is, until receiving the assignmentforthis essayon Martin Chemnitz. There was no panic after looking in the first two books and coming up empty. However, after going through the four historianslisted above,anxiety beganto set in. The only notable historian left was Schaff,but in the only mention of Chemnitznanrre,hedemeaned Chemnitz for taking ten yearsto respondto Trent, whereasCalvin was done in three. All thosebooks, and therewas all but nothing about Chemnitz. There was still hope. There were sureto be books on Chemnitz somewhereon the internet. And, as it turned out, there were a bunch. But all of them had the samename, The SecondMortin. And all of them had the sameauthor, J. A. O. Preus. It never got any better. As a secondcareer student at MLC and the Seminary,there was no Germanor Latin in the curriculum, only Greek and Hebrew. And after getting all the translatedbooks !y Chemnitz, the searchfor translatedbooks (or even essays)about Chemnitz kept coming up with that samename, The SecondMartin,by J. A. O. Preus. Needlessto say,the resonrcesforthis paperleft me very dependenton TheSecond Martin,by J. A. O. Preus. To myrelief though,Preus did write athorough biographyof Chemnitz. As aresult of his work and a few essaysavailable, there was more than enoughinformation to fill in the pages. However, ffiy hope is that you will not be offended that the biographicalsketch of Chemnitzthat follows is little more than a book report. My hope is that you will seeon the next ten or so pages that Martin Chemnitzhas left an imprint on our church that is still visible. Our heritageas confessionalLutherans is, to a sizeabledegree, the result of Chemnitz efforts to bring unity and peaceto the LutheranChurch by way of common confessionsknown as corporadoctrinae. Becauseof the limited time and space,this essaywill only cover Chemnitz' biography and his confessionalwork. So as not to needlesslyclutter the essaywith in-text citations,all credit for the biographicalinformation on Chemnitz is given to The SecondMartin, by J. A. O. Preus(only quotesand points of specific interestwill be cited). A Sketch of Chemnitz' Life Martin Chemnitz was born to Paul and Euphemia Kemnitz on the ninth of November 1522in the town of Treuenbrietzenin Brandenburg. He was one of three children, with a sister, Ursala,and a brother,Matthew. Luther was by that time, 38 yearsold, and during that year, left his seclusionat Wartburg and returnedto Wittenberg, respondedto Henry VIII's Defenseof the SevenSacraments, and published his GermanNew Testament. Chemnitz was born at a time of greatchange, much of which would shapehis life and his work. In his autobiography,Chemnitz doesnot mention much about his childhood, exceptthat when Martin was but elevenyears old, his father passedaway. Chemnitzbeganhis educationat Wittenberg at the age of fourteen. However, becauseof financial challenges,his educationalprocess would start and stop on many occasionsuntil, at the age of 26,and after changingschools five times, Chemnitzreceived his Masters of Arts degree. For the following four years,he then took up his study of theology, albeit on a private level. Three of those yearsincluded his time as the librarian at the ducal library in Konigsberg. The financial challengeswere largely due to his father's death,after which the family businesssuffered atthe handsof his brother, Matthew. Afterbeginning his educationat Wittenberg,Martin attendedschools at Magdeburg,Calbe, Frankfurt on the Oder, back to Wittenberg (until SmalcaldWar temporarily closedit), and then to Konigsberg. During most of his schooling,Chemnitz worked his way through, usually as a tutor or teacher. One of his more interesting(as well as substantial)moneymaking endeavors, which, given his careerappears almost like an aberration,was writing astrology for somewealthy, high profile people. Preus even mentionsthat when Chemnitz decidedto leaveKonigsberg, "the duke who had come to rely on his astrologicalworks prevailed on him to stay by offering him the position of librarian at a good salary" Q2). After remaining three years,which he describedas a time when he "was botheredby nothing, and studied [theology] with delight" (ibid), there is no other mention of astrology. Leaving Konigsbergand his three years of independenttheological study, he returnedto Wittenbergonce more, but within a short period of time, found himself on the faculty instead being a student. This lastedroughly one year, upon which Chemnitz accepteda call to be coadjutorin the city of Braunschweigand pastor of Martin Church. Later Chemnitz would acceptthe position of superintendentin Braunschweig,aplace and position at which he would remain until, at age 62, poor health forced him to retire. When he becameSuperintendent, the city council paid for him to travel to Rostock and get his doctorate. Chemnitzmarried when he was 33 years old. He and his wife, Anna, were good Lutherans,having ten children. Six survived to adulthood,two sonsand four daughters. The Influence in Chemnitz' Life Among the many people who had some influence in Chemnitz' life, Joachim Moerlin was, by far, the most prominent. However, some would say that by virrue of Chemnitz teaching Melanchthon'sLoci Communesand incorporatingthem into his own Loci Theologici that Melanchthonwas Chemnitz' primary influence. Looking at the end-productof Chemnitz' theologicalwork might suggestthat both were true, Moerlin (and by extension,Luther) in regardsto theology and Melanchthon,in regardsto methodologyand expressionof thought. Early in his life, Chemnitz' relative, George Schuler(who also went by GeorgeSabinus) seemsto have beeninvolved in Chemnitz' education,as well as employment. Sabinus' father was also Chemnitz' guardianafter his father died. It was through an arrangementby Sabinus that Chemnitzwas introducedto Melanchthon. Sabinus,though well educatedand accomplished in his own right (a professor,rector and noted poet), was the son-in-law of Philip Melanchthon. However, ratherthan any theological influence, Preusnotes a suggestionin an historicaljournal article which insiststhat "Chemnitz was drawn to Sabinusjust becauseof their mutual interestin poetry" (358), which discountsany close connectionto Melanchthon. Sabinuswas a professorat Frankfurt during the time that Chemnitz studiedthere, and a professor(and rector) at Konigsberg while Chemnitzwas there. For a brief period in 1545,during his secondattendance at Wittenberg, Chemnitz got to hear Luther preachand teach. Chemnitz wrote in his autobiography,"During this time I heard Luther lecturing,preaching, and for the last time leading a disputation. But as I was then intent on other studies,I did not hear him with due attention."' It was at this time also, that Chemnitz and Melanchthonbecame acquainted. Melanchthonwas impressedwith Chemnitz andtried to help him get his master'sdegree there at Wittenberg. However, the SmalcaldWar got in the way, and Chemnitz endedup at Konigsberg. When he returnedto study at Wittenberg in 1553,Chemnitzboarded at Melanchthon'shouse. Melanchthon thought enough of Chemnitz to not only recommendhim for a faculty position at the university, he also arrangeda specialclass in which Chemnitz lecturedon the Loci communes.Although his lectureswere popular, after only ayear, Chemnitzleft Wittenbergfor the coadjutorposition in Braunschweig. Preusconvincingly suggeststhat Melanchthon's influenceof Chemnitz would have to be limited to methodologyinsofar as theological differenceswere behind Chemnitz' deparfiire(98-9). As to theologicalinfluence (asidefrom the obvious influence of Luther's writings), JoachimMoerlin seemsto be the one who influencedChemnitzthe most. Chemnitz servedas coadjutorunder Moerlin at Braunschweigfor thirteen years(1554-67). Moerlin was only eight yearsolder than Chemnitz,buthad studiedunder Luther. He attainedhis master'sdegree from Wittenbergin 1537,became Luther's chaplainin 1539,and receivedhis doctoratein 1540(at age26). Moerlin and Chemnitz had met when both were refuting Osiander in Konigsberg. After Moerlin becamesuperintendent at Braunschweig,he arrangedfor Chemnitz to be his coadjutor(not to mention, arrangingChemnitz' marnageless that a year later). They developeda friendship and worked well togetherthroughout Moerlin's time there. Moerlin and Chemnitzwere often at the forefront of many of the controversiesfollowing the Interims, always solidly defendingLuther and the true teachingsof Scripture. Moerlin eventuallytook a call to Prussiain 1567where he died four years later. Chemnitz' Contribution of Unifving the Lutheran Church If the secondMartin had not come, the first Martin would not have stood. J. A. O. Preus in his Translator'sPreface to Chemnitz' Loci Theologici attributedthis saying to the Romanists after Chemnitz' publication of the Examination of the Council of Trent (ECT). Undoubtedly, this could not only apply
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