At this point both parties mellowed down. Luther begged pardon for his harsh words, as he
was a man of flesh and blood. Zwingli begged Luther, with tearful eyes, to forgive him his harsh
words, and assured him that there were no men in the world whose friendship he more desired than
that of the Wittenbergers.^868
Jacob Sturm and Bucer spoke in behalf of Strassburg, and vindicated their orthodoxy, which
had been impeached. Luther’s reply was cold, and displeased the audience. He declared to the
Strassburgers, as well as the Swiss, "Your spirit is different from ours."^869
The Conference was ended. A contagious disease, called the English sweat (sudor Anglicus),
which attacked its victims with fever, sweat, thirst, intense pain, and exhaustion, had suddenly
broken out in Marburg as in other parts of Germany, and caused frightful ravages that filled
everybody with alarm. The visitors were anxious to return home. So were the fathers of the Council
of Trent, when the Elector Moritz chased the Emperor through the Tyrol; and in like manner the
fathers of the Vatican Council hurried across the Alps when France declared war against Germany,
and left the Vatican decrees in the hands of Italian infallibilists.
But the Landgrave once more brought the guests together at his table on Sunday night, and
urged upon every one the supreme importance of coming to some understanding.
On Monday morning he arranged another private conference between the Saxon and the
Swiss Reformers. They met for the last time on earth. With tears in his eyes, Zwingli approached
Luther, and held out the hand of brotherhood, but Luther declined it, saying again, "Yours is a
different spirit from ours." Zwingli thought that differences in non-essentials, with unity in essentials,
did not forbid Christian brotherhood. "Let us," he said, "confess our union in all things in which
we agree; and, as for the rest, let us remember that we are brethren. There will never be peace in
the churches if we cannot bear differences on secondary points." Luther deemed the corporal
presence a fundamental article, and construed Zwingli’s liberality into indifference to truth. "I am
astonished," he said, "that you wish to consider me as your brother. It shows clearly that you do
not attach much importance to your doctrine." Melanchthon looked upon the request of the Swiss
as a strange inconsistency.^870 Turning to the Swiss, the Wittenbergers said, "You do not belong to
the communion of the Christian Church. We cannot acknowledge you as brethren." They were
willing, however, to include them in that universal charity which we owe to our enemies.
The Swiss were ready to burst over such an insult, but controlled their temper.
On the same day Luther wrote the following characteristic letter to his wife: —
"Grace and peace in Christ. Dear Lord Keth, I do you to know that our friendly colloquy
in Marburg is at an end, and that we are agreed in almost every point, except that the opposite party
wants to have only bread in the Lord’s Supper, and acknowledge the spiritual presence of Christ
in the same. To-day the Landgrave wants us to come to an agreement, and, if not, to acknowledge
each other as brethren and members of Christ. He labors very zealousy for this end. But we want
no brothership and membership, only peace and good-will. I suppose to-morrow or day after
(^868) As Luther reports the words, "Es sind keine Leut auf Erden, mit denen ich lieber wollt’ eins seyn als mit den Wittenbergern." In
Zwingli’s dialect, "Es werend kine Lüt uff Erden, mit denen ich lieber wöllt’ ins sin, denn mit den Wittenbergern."
(^869) "Ihr habt einen anderen Geist als wir."
(^870) He wrote to Agricola, Oct. 12, 1529 ("Corp. Ref.," I. 1108): "Magnopere contenderunt, ut a nobis fratres appellarentur. Vide eorum
stultitia! Cum damnent nos, cupiunt tamen a nobis fratres haberi! Nos noluimus eis hac in re assentiri."