Joachim Mörlin (5 April 1514, in Wittenberg, Electorate of Saxony – 29 May 1571, in Königsberg, Duchy of Prussia (now Kaliningrad in Russia) - 1945) was an Evangelical Lutheran theologian and an important figure in the controversies following Martin Luther's (1483-1546) death. He was the older brother of Maximilian Mörlin, another Lutheran theologian and Reformer.
Early life
Mörlin was born at Wittenberg, where his father, Jodok Mörlin, also known as Jodocus Morlinus, was the Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wittenberg. Joachim himself studied at the same University under Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, Justus Jonas, and Casper Cruciger the Elder from 1532 to 1536. After a brief residence at Coburg, he returned to Wittenberg and in 1539 became Luther's chaplain, declining a call to succeed Poliander at Königsberg. While a true pupil of Luther, Mörlin was more influenced by the dogmatics of Melanchthon, though devoid of sympathy with the Philippistic efforts for union with the Reformed.
On 22 September 1540 Joachim left Wittenberg to become superintendent at Arnstadt, where, until deposed in March 1543 for his rigid discipline and opposition to union, he displayed great activity, moral earnestness, and courage. But neither the appeal of his congregation nor the sympathy of Luther could overcome the hostility of the Count of Schwartzburg, Günther XL.
On 10 May 1544 Mörlin became superintendent at Göttingen. Here he was equally firm in insistence on purity of life and doctrine, and wrote his Enchiridion catecheticum (1544), taught rhetoric in the Latin school, and lectured on Erasmus and the Loci of Melanchthon. Mörlin's activity in Göttingen came to an end with his uncompromising resistance to the union advocated by the Interim. On 17 January 1550, after vain protests by both council and congregation to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Eric II, Mörlin was dismissed from office.
Mörlin went to Erfurt, thence to Arnstadt, and finally to Schleusingen, where he lived and preached in the castle of William IV, the Count of Henneberg. Yet even here Mörlin was not altogether safe, and on 25 August 1550 he left Schleusingen, arriving at Königsberg on 13 September. There, since Prussia did not belong constitutionally to the Holy Roman Empire, he could not be molested, and on 27 September 1550 was appointed pastor at the Kneiphöfer Dom and inspector.
Controversy with Osiander
There Mörlin became involved in the Osiandrian controversy, for it was not in his nature to remain neutral. However, the break between Mörlin and Osiander was gradual. When the latter defended his view of justification (act. 24, 1550), Mörlin remained a silent witness; but Osiander's work with on the incarnation and the image of God, and still more his Bericht und Trostschrift, with its savage attack on Melanchthon, led Mörlin to complain, on 7 February 1551, to Albert of Prussia, 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 on 13–17 February. Here Mörlin'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 Mörlin's Antilogia seu contraria doctrina inter Lutherum et Osiandrum. On 19 April Mörlin 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, Mörlin was replaced by Stancarus, professor of Hebrew. Before a new colloquy could be held, however, the duke directed (on 8 May) first Osiander and then his opponents to present their views in writing. Osiander hesitated, and Mörlin attacked him from the pulpit (on 27 May). The duke now forced Mörlin to defend his tenets in writing, and further roused him and his followers to passionate resistance by appointing Osiander to administer the bishopric of Samland, and by requiring Mörlin and others to submit to the decision of the church. The characteristic reply (on 21 July) was that Mörlin 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 (on 12 August), who sent them Osiander's confession of faith, which was returned unread.