"Calmer Heads" Convinced Luther to put 18 Books of Scripture in an Appendix

Here's a new variation on an old myth compliments of the Catholic Answers forum:

Today, 7:53 am

TertiumQuid  Regular Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 803 Religion: Reformed

Re: The New Testament Canons of Martin Luther and of Lutheranism Quote: Originally Posted by spina1953  if Luther had had his way, some 18 books of Scripture would have been tossed out and done away with, but calmer heads prevailed as the main reason Luther choose instead to put them into an appendix with glosses to explain that while they are good to read they are not fit to make doctrine. Quote: Originally Posted by JonNC  I guess I'd like to know who the "cooler heads" belonged to. On the one hand, you tell me Luther thought he had full authority on his own, then you tell me "cooler heads" prevailed upon him to include them. Quote: Originally Posted by spina1953  It was just my understanding of what Luther wanted to do. One reason as to why he had help in translated is due to Luther not being as fluent in Latin and Greek As for cooler heads I read that many of his ardent followers felt that if Luther were to toss out some of the books of Scripture he would lose all that he gained and most of the masses would have rioted. At least that was my understanding of the situation. I will look for those who had the calmer heads. Quote: Originally Posted by JonNC  That shouldn't be hard. There were lots of reformers that had cooler heads than Luther. Quote: Originally Posted by spina1953  Some of the cooler heads were Philip Melanchthon, Luther's right hand man who helped Luther translate as Luther was not very good scholar of Hebrew and Greek, along with Bugenhagen, Cruciger, Jutus Jonas, and Aurogallus who also helped Luther translate the OT as well as the NT. There were no people advising to Luther not remove books from the Bible but rather place them in an index. There are variations on this myth. Most often, the myth is that Melanchthon stopped Luther from removing books from the New Testament. The funny part about this is usually Melanchthon is seen as this meek and mild scholar who cowered in Luther’s shadow. In regard to the canon though, Melanchthon was somehow able to control Luther. Recently I came across someone asserting Luther threw books out of the Bible and after his death church elders put them back in. That the collective "calmer heads" of Melancthon, Bugenhagen, Cruciger, Jonas, and Aurogallus prevailed on Luther to put 18 books in an appendix is a new variation on this myth.  If there is any documentation of this, even someone just saying it in a book somewhere or on a website, I'd certainly like to see it.