1. Early Life

Joachim Marlin, who waii an important figure in the controversies following Luther's death, was born at Wittenberg Apr. 5, 1514, and d. at Königsberg May 29, 1571. He studied at Wittenberg under Luther, Melanchthon, Jonas, and Cru- ciger from 1532 to 1536. After a brief residence at Coburg, he returned to Wittenberg and in 1539 became Lu ther's chaplain, declining a call to succeed Polian der at Königsberg. While a true pupil of Luther, Marlin was more influenced by the dogmatics of Melanchthon, though devoid of sympathy with the Philippistic efforts for union with the Reformed. On Sept. 22, 1540, he left Wittenberg to become superintendent at Arnstadt, where, until deposed in Mar., 1543, for his rigid discipline and opposition to union, he displayed great activity, moral ear nestneas, and courage. But neither the appeal of his congregation nor the sympathy of Luther could overcome the hostility of the count of Schwartzburg, and on May 10, 1544, Marlin became superin tendent at Göttingen. Here he was equally firm in insistence on purity of life and doctrine, and wrote his Enchiridion icum (1544), taught rhetoric in the Latin school, and lectured on Eras mus and the Loci of Melanchthon. Marlin's activ ity in Göttingen came to an end with his uncom promising resistance to the union advocated by the Interim

2. Controversy with Osiander

There Marlin became involved in the Osiandrian controversy (see Osiander, Andreas), for it was not in his nature to remain neutral. The break, however, between Marlin and Osiander was gradual. When the hatter defended his view of justification (act. 24, 1550), Marlin remained a silent witness; but Osiander's work on the incarnation and the image of God, and still more his Bericht and Trostschrift, with its savage attack on Melanchthon, led Marlin to complain on Feb. 7, 1551, to Albert of Prussia (q.v.), though he did this so delicately that the duke commissioned him and Aurifaber, Osiander's son-in-law, to assemble the theologians for the conference which was held Feb. 13-17. Here Marlin's sincere desire for peace was evident, but his suspicion of Osiander increased, even though the latter claimed to be in harmony With Luther, denying the truth of Marlin's Anti- logic seu canb aria doctrina inter L4dherum et Osiartdru»t. On Apr. 19 Marlin preached against those who depreciated the merits of Christ, and Osiander rightly took this as directed against himself. The breach was now complete, and after an interchange of recriminations, Marlin was replaced by Stancarus, professor of Hebrew. Before a new colloquy could be held, however, the duke directed (May 8) first Osiander and then his opponents to present their views in writing. Osiander hesitated, and Marlin attacked him ply from the pulpit (May 27). The duke now forced Marlin to defend his tenets in writing, and further roused him and his followers to passionate resistance by appointing Osiander to administer the bishopric of Samlsnd, and by requiring Marlin and others to submit to the decision of the church. The characteristic reply (July 21) was that Marlin and his adherents refused to recognize Osiander's jurisdiction, since he was a heretic, and they appealed to a free synod. Osiander's opponents now continued their attacks and virtually met up a separate church. This was forbidden by the duke (Aug. 12), who sent them Osiander's confession of faith, which was returned unread. The polemics still continued, and Albert in despair sent Osiander's confession to the princes and cities of Germany, urging a synod. Marlin's position was gaining strength in Prussia, and the majority of the opinions of the churches outside Prussia were also favorable to him. The very refusal of the duke to publish these condemnations of Osiander aided Marlin, who, on May 23, 1552, published a polemic defending the doctrine of justification against his opponent, in which he clearly set forth the orthodox Wittenberg position, and emphasized the difference between it and Osiander's teaching. Besides continuing to urge the publication of the opinions just mentioned, Marlin preached a sermon (June, 1552) directed against Osiander, deprecating speculations on the inscrutable eeeenoe of God; and Osiander replied with his impassioned Sch»se.kbier, in which he arraigned Marlin and his friends. The ,controversy increased in pettiness and coarseness, until Albert threatened (July 15, 1552) to depose Marlin, only to receive the respectful but firm reply that Marlin held it his divinely commissioned duty to polemize against Osiander. Meanwhile a second opinion came from W�rttemberg, and from it both Osiander and Marlin claimed the support of Johann Brenz (q.v.), but on Oct. 17, 1552, the weary struggle found its end in the death of Osiander, a defeated man.