King Philip of Hesse, Part 2 of Holy Priesthood Volume 4

King Philip of Hesse, Part 2 of Holy Priesthood Volume 4

http://ogdenkraut.com/?page_id=126

Pages 154 to 165

The three powerhouses that ramrodded the Reformation were Luther, Melanchthon, and Bucer–the latter being an eminent theologian, friend and advisor to King Philip, the Landgrave. Bucer was “utterly horrified” when he learned that his good friend, Philip, who was one of the most important defenses of the Reformation, was about to commit bigamy. Bucer rushed to Philip’s castle at Melsungen in an attempt to dissuade the Prince from a terrible mistake. Bucer listened to Philip’s arguments–the main one being his desire for a son to inherit the throne, and had scriptural references to justify it. Philip further stated that if the Reformers wouldn’t assist him, he would turn to the Catholic Emperor. Bucer was stunned and took the problem to Luther. This was a matter that would take more than a day for the leading Reformers to solve.