6048. About Melancthon
Melancthon went out of his prison and spoke with a certain one who had read his writings, and then Englishmen came, and they too spoke with him saying as regards faith alone that they do not know what it is or whether it is anything. They asked him what it was. He said that faith is believing that God sent his Son, Who suffered for our sins. They said that this is merely historical fact. What it is besides this, he said, is that as a result of this faith one has eternal life. They replied, "Does he have eternal life?" And he was unable to make any reply other than that he was going to have it when all are saved. They said that those who are hellish are never saved. Besides this they said that they listen to preachers preaching about faith alone and about justification, and that when they are listening, to their ears it sounds as if it were wisdom because they speak eloquently and ingeniously, but still when they go away they neither know anything of what those people said nor comprehend it.
6048. MELANCTHON.
Melancthon went forth from his prison, and spoke with a certain one who had read his writings; and then came Englishmen, and they also spoke with him, saying, about faith alone, that they do not know what it is, or whether it is anything. They inquired of him what it was. He said that faith is believing that God sent His Son, and [He] suffered for our sin. They said that this is merely a matter of history, What besides? He said, that, by virtue of that faith, they possess eternal life. They asked, in reply, whether he has eternal life; and he could not answer anything, save that he is going to have it when all are saved. They stated that infernals are never saved. They said, besides, that they hear preachers about faith alone, and about justification; and that when they hear, it sounds in their ears as though it might pertain to wisdom, because they speak beautifully and cleverly; but yet, when they go away, they know nothing that the preachers said, nor do they comprehend.
6048. De Melancthone
Exivit Melanchthon e carcere suo, et loquebatur cum quodam, qui legerat ejus scripta, et tunc veniebant Angli, et quoque loquebantur cum illo, dicentes de sola fide, quod non sciant quid sit, num sit aliquid, quaesiverunt illum quid esset, dixit quod fides sit credere quod Deus miserit Filium suum, et passus pro nostris peccatis, dixerunt hoc modo esse historicum, quid praeterea dixit, quod ex illa fide habeant vitam aeternam, responderunt num ille habet vitam aeternam, nec aliquid respondere potuit, quam quod habiturus, cum omnes salvantur; dixerunt quod infernales nusquam salventur, praeterea dixerunt, quod audiant praedicatores de sola fide et de justificatione, et cum audiunt, quod sonet in auribus illorum sicut foret sapientiae, quia concinne et ingeniose loquuntur, sed cum abeunt, usque nihil sciant quid loquuti, et non comprehendunt.