,louis1 ,class of #aihj ,historical ,introductions to the ,symbolical ,books of the ,evangelical ,lutheran ,church by ,f4 ,bente ,i4 ,the ,book of ,concord1 or ,the ,concordia4 #a4 ,general and ,particular ,symbols4 ,book of ,concord1 or ,concordia1 is the title of the ,lutheran corpus doctrinae1 i4e41 of the symbols recognized and published under that name by the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the word symbol1 sumbolon1 is derived from the verb sumballein1 to compare two things for the purpose of perceiving their relation and association4 ,sumbolon thus developed the meaning of tessara1 or sign1 token1 badge1 banner1 watchword1 parole1 countersign1 confession1 creed4 ,a ,christian symbol1 therefore1 is a mark by which ,christians are known4 ,and since ,christianity is essentially the belief in the truths of the ,gospel1 its symbol is of necessity a confession of ,christian doctrine4 ,the ,church1 accordingly1 has from the beginning defined and regarded its symbols as a rule of faith or a rule of truth4 ,says ,augustine3 ,symbolum est regula fidei brevis et grandis3 brevis numero verborum1 grandis pondere sententiarum4 ,a symbol is a rule of faith1 both brief and grand3 brief1 as to the number of words1 grand1 as to the weight of its thoughts4 ,cyprian was the first who applied the term symbol to the baptismal confession1 because1 he said1 it distinguished the ,christians from non-,christians4 ,already at the beginning of the fourth century the ,apostles' ,creed was universally called symbol1 and in the ,middle ,ages this name was applied also to the ,nicene and the ,athanasian ,creeds4 ,in the ,introduction to the ,book of ,concord the ,lutheran confessors designate the ,augsburg ,confession as the symbol of our faith1 and in the ,epitome of the ,formula of ,concord1 as our symbol of this time4 ,symbols may be divided into the following classes3 #a4 ,ecumenical symbols1 which1 at least in the past1 have been accepted by all ,christendom1 and are still formally acknowledged by most of the evangelical ,churches2 #b4 particular symbols1 adopted by the various denominations of divided ,christendom2 #c4 private symbols1 such as have been formulated and published by individuals1 for example1 ,luther's ,confession of the ,lord's ,supper of #aebh4 ,the publication of private confessions does not necessarily involve an impropriety2 for according to ,matt4 #aj1 #cb #cc and #a ,pet4 #c1 #ae not only the ,church as a whole1 but individual ,christians as well are privileged and in duty bound to confess the ,christian truth over against its public assailants4 ,self-evidently1 only such are symbols of particular churches as have been approved and adopted by them4 ,the symbols of the ,church1 says the ,formula of ,concord1 should not be based on private writings1 but on such books as have been composed1 approved1 and received in the name of the churches which pledge themselves to one doctrine and religion4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #hea1 #b47 ,not being formally and explicitly adopted by all ,christians1 the specifically ,lutheran confessions also are generally regarded as particular symbols4 ,inasmuch1 however1 as they are in complete agreement with ,holy ,scripture1 and in this respect differ from all other particular symbols1 the ,lutheran confessions are truly ecumenical and catholic in character4 ,they contain the truths believed universally by true ,christians everywhere1 explicitly by all consistent ,christians1 implicitly even by inconsistent and erring ,christians4 ,christian truth1 being one and the same the world over is none other than that which is found in the ,lutheran confessions4 #b4 ,the ,german ,book of ,concord4 ,the printing of the official ,german edition of the ,book of ,concord was begun in #aegh under the editorship of ,jacob ,andreae4 ,the #beth of ,june1 #aehj1 however1 the fiftieth anniversary of the presentation of the ,augsburg ,confession to ,emperor ,charles ,v1 was chosen as the date for its official publication at ,dresden and its promulgation to the general public4 ,following are the contents of one of the five ,dresden folio copies which we have compared3 #a4 ,the title-page1 concluding with the words1 ,mit ,churf4 ,g4 zu ,sachsen ,befreiung4 ,dresden ,,mdlxxx4 #b4 ,the preface1 as adopted and signed by the estates at ,jueterbock in #aegi1 which supplanted the explanation1 originally planned1 of the theologians against the various attacks made upon the ,formula of ,concord4 #c4 ,the three ,ecumenical ,symbols4 #d4 ,the ,augsburg ,confession of #aecj4 #e4 ,the ,apology of #aecj4 #f4 ,the ,smalcald ,articles of #aecg1 with the appendix1 ,concerning the ,power and ,supremacy of the ,pope4 #g4 ,luther's ,small ,catechism1 omitting the ,booklets of ,marriage and ,baptism1 found in some copies4 #h4 ,luther's ,large ,catechism4 #i4 ,the ,formula of ,concord1 with separate title-pages for the ,epitome and the ,solida ,declaratio1 both dated #aehj4 #aj4 ,the signatures of the theologians1 etc41 amounting to about #h1jjj4 #aa4 ,the ,catalogus ,testimoniorum1 with the superscription ,appendix 7found in some copies only74 ,the ,preface is followed by a ,privilegium signed by ,elector ,august and guaranteeing to ,matthes ,stoeckel and ,gimel ,bergen the sole right of publication1 a document not found in the other copies we compared4 ,the ,formula of ,concord is followed by a twelve-page index of the doctrines treated in the ,book of ,concord1 and the list of signatures1 by a page containing the trade-mark of the printer4 ,the center of this page features a cut inscribed1 ,matthes ,stoeckel ,gimel ,bergen #aegi4 ,the cut is headed by ,ps4 #i1 #a4 #b3 ,ich danke dem ,herrn von ganzem ,herzen und erzaehle all deine ,wunder4 ,ich freue mich und bin froehlich in dir und lobe deinen ,namen1 du ,allerhoechster4 ,i thank the ,lord with all my heart and proclaim all ,thy wonders4 ,i am glad and rejoice in ,thee1 and praise ,thy name1 ,thou ,most ,high4 ,under the cut are the words3 ,gedruckt zu ,dresden durch ,matthes ,stoeckel4 ,anno #aehj4 ,printed by ,matthes ,stoeckel1 ,dresden1 #aehj4 ,in a letter dated ,november #g1 #aehj1 ,martin ,chemnitz speaks of two ,dresden folio editions of the ,german ,book of ,concord1 while ,feuerlinus1 in #ageb1 counts seven ,dresden editions4 ,as a matter of fact1 the ,dresden folio copies differ from one another1 both as to typography and contents4 ,following are the chief differences of the latter kind3 #a4 ,only some copies have the liturgical ,forms of ,baptism and of ,marriage appended to the ,small ,catechism4 #b4 ,the ,catalogus is not entitled ,appendix in all copies1 because it was not regarded as a part of the confession proper4 #c4 ,in some copies the passage from the ,augsburg ,confession1 quoted in ,art4 #b1 #bi of the ,solida ,declaratio1 is taken1 not from the ,mainz ,manuscript1 but from the quarto edition of #aeca1 which already contained some alterations4 #d4 ,some copies are dated #aehj1 while others bear the date #aegi or #aeha4 ,dr4 ,kolde gives it as his opinion that in spite of all these and other 7chiefly typographical7 differences they are nevertheless all copies of one and the same edition1 with changes only in individual sheets4 7,historische ,einleitung in die ,symbolischen ,buecher der ev4-luth4 ,kirche1 p4 #gj47 ,dr4 ,tschackert inclines to the same view1 saying3 ,such copies of this edition as have been preserved exhibit1 in places1 typographical differences4 ,this1 according to ,polycarp ,leyser's ,kurzer und gegruendeter ,bericht1 ,dresden1 #aeig 7,kolde1 #gj71 is due to the fact that the manuscript was rushed through the press and sent in separate sheets to the interested estates1 and that1 while the forms were in press1 changes were made on the basis of the criticisms sent in from time to time1 yet not equally1 so that some copies differ in certain sheets and insertions4 7,die ,entstehung der luth4 und der ref4 ,kirchenlehre1 #aiaj1 p4 #fba47 ,however1 while this hypothesis explains a number of the variations in the ,dresden folio copies1 it does not account for all of them especially not for those of a typographical nature4 ,in one of the five copies which we compared1 the title-page1 radically differing from the others1 reads as follows3 ,formula ,concordiae4 ,das ist3 ,christliche1 ,heilsame ,reine ,vergleichunge1 in welcher die ,goettliche ,leer von den vornembsten ,artikeln vnserer wahrhafftigen ,religion1 aus heiliger ,schrift in kurtze bekanntnues oder ,symbola vnd ,leerhafte ,schrifften13 welche allbereit vor dieser zeit von den ,kirchen ,gottes ,augspurgischer ,confession1 angenommen vnd approbiert31 verfasset4 ,sampt bestendiger1 in ,gottes wort wolgegruendeter1 richtiger1 endlicher widerholung1 erklerung und entscheidung deren ,streit1 welche vnter etlichen ,theologen1 so sich zu ermelter ,confession bekant1 fuergefallen4 ,alles nach inhalt der heiligen ,schrifft1 als der einigen ,richtschnur der ,goettlichen wahrheit1 vnd nach anleitung obgemeldter in der ,kirchen ,gottes1 approbierten ,schrifften4 ,auff gnedigsten1 gnedigen1 auch guetigsten beuehl1 verordnung und einwilligung nach beschriebener ,christlichen ,churfuersten1 ,fuersten vnd ,stende des heiligen ,roemischen ,reichs ,deutscher ,nation1 ,augspurgischer ,confession1 derselben ,landen1 ,kirchen1 ,schulen vnd ,nachkommen zum trost vnd besten in ,druck vorfertiget4 ,m4 ,d4 ,,lxxix4 7,formula of ,concord1 that is1 ,christian1 wholesome1 pure agreement1 in which the divine doctrine of the chief articles of our true religion have been drawn up from the ,holy ,scripture in short confessions or symbols and doctrinal writings1 which have already before this time been accepted and approved by the ,churches of ,god of the ,augsburg ,confession1 together with a firm1 ,scripturally well-founded1 correct1 final repetition1 explanation and decision of those controversies which have arisen among some theologians who have subscribed to said ,confession1 all of which has been drawn up according to the contents of ,holy ,scripture1 the sole norm of divine ,truth1 and according to the analogy of the above-named writings which have the approval of the ,churches of ,god4 ,published by the most gracious1 kind1 and benevolent command1 order1 and assent of the subscribed ,christian ,electors1 princes1 and estates of the ,holy ,roman ,empire1 of the ,german nation1 of the ,augsburg ,confession1 for the comfort and benefit of said lands churches1 schools1 and posterity4 #aegi47 ,apart from the above title this copy differs from the others we examined in various ways ,everywhere 7at four different places7 it bears the date #aegi1 which1 on the chief title-page1 however1 seems to have been entered in ink at a later date4 ,also the place of publication1 evidently ,dresden1 is not indicated4 ,two variations are found in the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord1 one an omission1 the other an addition4 ,the signatures of the princes and estates to the ,preface are omitted4 ,material and formal differences are found also on the pages containing the subscriptions of the theologians to the ,formula of ,concord2 and the ,catalogus is lacking entirely4 ,the typography everywhere1 especially in the portions printed in ,roman type1 exhibits many variations and divergences from our other four copies1 which1 in turn1 are also characterized by numerous typographical and other variations4 ,the copy of which1 above1 we have given the contents is dated throughout #aehj4 ,our third copy bears the same date #aehj1 excepting on the title-page of the ,solida ,declaratio1 which has #aegi4 ,in both of these copies the typography of the signatures to the ,book of ,concord is practically alike4 ,in our fourth copy the date #aehj is found on the title-page of the ,concordia1 the ,catalogus1 and the appended ,saxon ,church ,order1 which covers #dcc pages1 while the title-pages of the ,epitome and the ,declaratio and the page carrying the printer's imprint are all dated #aegi4 ,in this copy the typography of the signatures closely resembles that of the copy dated everywhere #aegi4 ,in our fifth ,dresden folio copy1 the title-page of the ,book of ,concord and the ,catalogus are dated #aehj1 while the title-pages of the ,epitome and ,solida ,declaratio are dated #aegi4 ,this is also the only copy in which the ,catalogus is printed under the special heading ,appendix4 ,in view of these facts1 especially the variation of the ,roman type in all copies1 ,kolde's hypothesis will hardly be regarded as firmly established4 ,even if we eliminate the copy which is everywhere dated #aegi1 the variations in our four remaining ,dresden folio copies cannot be explained satisfactorily without assuming either several editions or at least several different compositions for the same edition1 or perhaps for the two editions mentioned by ,chemnitz4 ,feuerlinus distinguishes seven ,dresden editions of the ,book of ,concord--one1 printed for the greater part in #aegh1 the second1 third1 and fourth in #aehj1 the fifth in #aeha1 the sixth also in #aeha1 but in quarto1 and the seventh in #aeih1 in folio4 7,bibliotheca ,symbolica1 #ageb1 p4 #i47 ,a copy like the one referred to above1 which is everywhere dated #aegi1 does not seem to have come to the notice of ,feuerlinus4 ,in the copy of the ,tuebingen folio edition which is before us1 the ,index follows the ,preface4 ,the appendices of the ,small ,catechism are omitted1 likewise the superscription ,appendix of the ,catalogus4 ,our copy of the ,heidelberg folio edition of #aehb omits the ,catalogus and adds the ,apology of the ,book of ,concord of #aehc1 as also the ,refutation of the ,bremen ,pastors of the same year4 ,a copy of the ,magdeburg quarto edition lying before us has the year #aehj on the title-pages of the ,book of ,concord1 the ,epitome1 the ,declaratio1 and the ,catalogus4 ,the ,preface is followed by three pages1 on which ,joachim ,frederick guarantees to ,thomas ,frantzen ,buchvorlegern 7,thomas ,frantzen1 publishers7 the sole right of publication for a period of five years1 and prohibits the introduction of other copies1 excepting only those of the ,dresden folio edition of #aehj4 ,luther's ,booklets of ,marriage and of ,baptism are appended to the ,small ,catechism1 and to the ,large ,catechism is added ,eine kurze ,vermahnung zu der ,beicht1 ,a ,brief ,exhortation to ,confession4 7,none of the ,dresden folio copies we compared contain these appendices1 nor are they found in the ,latin editions of #aehj and #aehd47 ,the index is followed by a page of corrected misprints4 ,the last page has the following imprint3 ,gedruckt zu ,magdeburg durch ,johann ,meiszner und ,joachim ,walden ,erben1 ,anno #aehj1 ,printed at ,magdeburg by ,john ,meissner's and ,joachim ,walden's heirs4 ,in the year #aehj4 #c4 ,the ,latin ,concordia4 ,even before the close of #aehj1 ,selneccer published a ,latin ,concordia containing a translation of the ,formula of ,concord begun by ,lucas ,osiander in #aegh and completed by ,jacob ,heerbrand4 ,it was a private undertaking and1 owing to its numerous and partly offensive mistakes1 found no recognition4 ,thus1 for instance1 the passage of the ,tractatus ,de ,potestate et ,primatu ,papae in sec4 #bd3 ,christ gives the highest and final judgment to the church1 was rendered as follows3 ,et ,christus summum et ultimum ferculum apponit ecclesiae4 7p4 #cag47 ,besides1 ,selneccer had embodied in his ,concordia the objectionable text of the ,augsburg ,confession found in the octavo edition of #aeca1 which ,melanchthon had altered extensively4 ,the necessary revision of the ,latin text was made at the convention in ,quedlinburg during ,december1 #aehb1 and ,january1 #aehc1 ,chemnitz giving material assistance4 ,the revised edition1 which constitutes the ,latin textus receptus of the ,formula of ,concord1 was published at ,leipzig in #aehd4 ,aside from many corrections1 this edition contains the translation of the ,formula of ,concord as already corrected by ,selneccer in #aehb for his special ,latin-,german edition1 and afterwards thoroughly revised by ,chemnitz4 ,the texts of the ,augsburg ,confession and the ,apology follow the editio princeps of #aeca4 ,the #h1jjj signatures1 embodied also in the ,latin edition of #aehj1 were omitted1 lest any one might complain that his name was appended to a book which he had neither seen nor approved4 ,in keeping herewith1 the words in the title of the ,book of ,concord3 et nomina sua huic libro subscripserunt--and have subscribed their names to this book1 which ,mueller retained in his edition1 were eliminated4 ,the title-page concludes as in the edition of #aehj1 the word denuo only being added and the date correspondingly changed4 ,on the last two pages of this edition of #aehd ,selneccer refers to the edition of #aehj as follows3 ,antea publicatus est liber ,christianae ,concordiae1 ,latine1 sed privato et festinato instituto1 ,before this the ,book of ,concord has been published in ,latin1 but as a private and hasty undertaking4 ,in the edition of #aehd1 the text of the ,small ,catechism is adorned with #bc ,biblical illustrations4 ,among the later noteworthy editions of the ,book of ,concord are the following3 ,tuebingen #aeii2 ,leipzig1 #afjc1 #afbb2 ,stuttgart #affj1 #afha4 ,editions furnished with introductions or annotations or both3 ,h4 ,pipping1 #agjc2 ,s4,j4 ,baumgarten1 #agdg2 ,j4,w4 ,schoepff1 ,part ,i1 #ahbf1 ,part ,,ii1 #ahbg2 ,f4,a4 ,koethe1 #ahcj2 ,j4,a4 ,detzer1 #ahcj2 ,f4,w4 ,bodemann1 #ahdc4 ,in ,america the entire ,book of ,concord was printed in ,german by ,h4 ,ludwig1 of ,new ,york1 in #ahdh1 and by the ,concordia ,publishing ,house of ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo41 in #ahhj4 ,in ,leipzig1 ,latin editions appeared in the years #afjb1 #afjf1 #afab1 #afah1 #afbf1 #afed1 #affi1 #afgg4 ,adam ,rechenberg's edition with an appendix in three parts and new indices 7cum appendice tripartita et novis indicibus7 saw five editions--#afgh1 #afih1 #agab1 #agbe1 #agdb4 ,we mention also the edition of ,pfaffius1 #agcj2 ,tittmann1 #ahag2 ,h4,a4,g4 ,meyer1 #ahcj1 containing a good preface2 ,karl ,hase1 in his editions of #ahbg1 #ahcg1 and #ahde1 was the first to number the paragraphs4 ,reineccius prepared a ,german-,latin edition in #agjh4 ,this was followed in #agej by the ,german-,latin edition of ,johann ,georg ,walch4 ,mueller's well-known ,german-,latin ,concordia saw eleven editions between #ahdg and #aiab4 ,since #aijg it appears with historical introductions by ,th4 ,kolde4 #d4 ,english ,translations4 ,all of the ,lutheran symbols have been translated into the ,english language repeatedly4 ,in #aecf ,richard ,tavener prepared the first translation of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,cranmer published1 in #aedh1 ,a ,short ,instruction into the ,christian ,religion1 essentially a translation of the ,ansbach-,nuernberg ,sermons on the ,catechism4 ,in #ahcd a translation of the ,german text of the ,augsburg ,confession with ,preliminary ,observations was published at ,newmarket1 ,va41 by ,charles ,henkel1 ,prof4 ,schmidt of the ,seminary at ,columbus ,o41 assisting in this work4 ,the ,introduction to the ,newmarket ,book of ,concord assigns ,henkel's translation of the ,augsburg ,confession to the year #ahca4 ,our copy1 however1 which does not claim to be a second edition1 is dated #ahcd4 ,in his ,popular ,theology of #ahcd1 ,s4,s4 ,schmucker offered a translation of the ,latin text1 mutilated in the interest of his ,american ,lutheranism4 ,hazelius followed him with a translation in #ahda4 ,in #ahdh1 ,ludwig1 of ,new ,york1 issued a translation of the ,german text of the ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession1 as well as of the ,introduction1 prepared by ,c4,h4 ,schott1 together with the ,ecumenical ,symbols1 also with introductions4 ,the title-page of our copy lists the price of the book at #ab #a_/b cents4 ,c4,p4 ,krauth's translation of the ,augsburg ,confession appeared in #ahfh4 ,the first complete translation of the ,german text of the entire ,book of ,concord was published in #ahea by the publishing house of ,solomon ,d4 ,henkel ,bros41 at ,newmarket1 ,va4 ,in this translation1 however1 greater stress was laid on literary style than upon an exact reproduction of the original4 ,ambrose and ,socrates ,henkel prepared the translation of the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 the ,appendix1 and the ,articles of ,visitation4 ,the ,small ,catechism was offered in the translation prepared by ,david ,henkel in #ahbg4 ,the ,large ,catechism was translated by ,j4 ,stirewalt2 the ,epitome1 by ,h4 ,wetzel2 the ,declaratio1 by ,j4,r4 ,moser4 ,the second1 improved edition of #ahed contained a translation of the ,augsburg ,confession by ,c4 ,philip ,krauth1 the ,apology was translated by ,w4,f4 ,lehmann1 the ,smalcald ,articles by ,w4,m4 ,reynolds1 the two ,catechisms by ,j4,g4 ,morris1 and the ,formula of ,concord together with the ,catalogus by ,c4,f4 ,schaeffer4 ,in both editions the historical introductions present a reproduction of the material in ,j4,t4 ,mueller's ,book of ,concord4 ,in #ahhb a new ,english translation of the entire ,book of ,concord1 together with introductions and other confessional material1 appeared in two volumes1 edited by ,dr4 ,h4,e4 ,jacobs4 ,the first volume of this edition embraces the confessional writings of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,it contains ,c4,p4 ,krauth's translation of the ,augsburg ,confession as revised for ,schaff's ,creeds of ,christendom4 ,jacobs translated the ,apology 7from the ,latin1 with insertions1 in brackets1 of translations from the ,german text71 the ,smalcald ,articles 7from the ,german71 the ,tractatus 7from the ,latin71 and the ,formula of ,concord4 ,the translation of the ,small ,catechism was prepared by a committee of the ,ministerium of ,pennsylvania4 ,the ,large ,catechism was done into ,english by ,a4 ,martin4 ,a reprint of this edition appeared in #aiaa1 entitled ,people's ,edition1 in which the ,augsburg ,confession is presented in a translation prepared by a committee of the ,general ,council1 the ,general ,synod1 the ,united ,synod in the ,south1 and the ,ohio ,synod4 ,the second volume of ,jacobs's edition of the ,book of ,concord embodies historical introductions to the ,lutheran symbols1 translations of the ,marburg ,articles1 the ,schwabach ,articles1 the ,torgau ,articles1 the ,altered ,augsburg ,confession of #aedj and #aedb1 ,zwingli's ,ratio ,fidei1 the ,tetrapolitana1 the ,romish ,confutatio1 ,melanchthon's ,opinion of #aecj1 ,luther's ,sermon on the ,descent into ,hell of #aecc1 the ,wittenberg ,concordia1 the ,leipzig ,interim the ,catalogus ,testimoniorum1 the ,articles of ,visitation1 and the ,decretum ,upsaliense of #aeic4 ,the ,principles of ,faith and ,church ,polity of the ,general ,council and an index complete this volume4 ,a ,norwegian and a ,swedish translation of the ,book of ,concord have also been published in ,america4 #e4 ,corpora ,doctrinae ,supplanted by ,book of ,concord4 ,more than twenty different ,lutheran collections of symbols or corpora doctrinae 7a term first employed by ,melanchthon71 most of them bulky1 had appeared after the death of ,luther and before the adoption of the ,formula of ,concord1 by which quite a number of them were supplanted4 ,from the signatures to its ,preface it appears that the entire ,book of ,concord was adopted by #c electors1 #bj princes1 #bd counts1 #d barons1 and #ce imperial cities4 ,and the list of signatures appended to the ,formula of ,concord contains about #h1jjj names of theologians1 preachers1 and schoolteachers4 ,about two-thirds of the ,german territories which professed adherence to the ,augsburg ,confession adopted and introduced the ,book of ,concord as their corpus doctrinae4 7,compare ,historical ,introduction to the ,formula of ,concord47 ,among the corpora doctrinae which were gradually superseded by the ,book of ,concord are the following3 #a4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,philippicum1 or ,misnicum1 or ,wittenbergense of #aefj1 containing besides the ,three ,ecumenical ,symbols1 the following works of ,melanchthon3 ,variata1 ,apologia1 ,repetitio ,augustanae ,confessionis1 ,loci1 ,examen ,ordinandorum of #aeeb1 ,responsio ad ,articulos ,bavaricae ,inquisitionis1 ,refutatio ,serveti4 ,melanchthon1 shortly before his death1 wrote the preface for the ,latin as well as the ,german edition of this ,corpus4 #b4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,pomeranicum of #aefd which adds ,luther's ,catechisms1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 and three other works of ,luther to the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,philippicum1 which had been adopted #aefa4 #c4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,prutenicum1 or ,borussicum1 of ,prussia1 #aefg1 containing the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 and ,repetition of the ,sum and ,content of the ,true1 ,universal ,christian ,doctrine of the ,church1 written by ,moerlin and ,chemnitz4 #d4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,thuringicum in ,ducal ,saxony1 of #aegj1 containing the ,three ,ecumenical ,symbols1 ,luther's ,catechisms1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 the ,confession of the ,landed ,estates in ,thuringia 7drawn up by ,justus ,menius in #aedi71 and the ,prince of ,saxony's ,book of ,confutation 7,konfutationsbuch7 of #aeeh4 #e4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,brandenburgicum of #aegb1 containing the ,augsburg ,confession according to the ,mainz ,manuscript1 ,luther's ,small ,catechism1 ,explanation of the ,augsburg ,confession drawn from the postils and doctrinal writings of the faithful man of ,god ,dr4 ,luther by ,andreas ,musculus1 and a ,church ,agenda4 #f4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,wilhelminum of ,lueneburg1 #aegf1 containing the ,three ,ecumenical ,symbols1 the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 ,luther's ,catechisms1 ,formulae ,caute ,loquendi 7,forms of ,speaking ,cautiously7 by ,dr4 ,urbanus ,regius1 and ,formulae ,recte ,sentiendi de ,praecipuis ,horum ,temporum ,controversiis 7,forms of ,thinking ,correctly concerning the ,chief ,controversies of ,these ,times7 by ,martin ,chemnitz4 #g4 ,corpus ,doctrinae ,iulium of ,duke ,julius of ,braunschweig-,wolfenbuettel1 #aegf1 containing the documents of the ,wilhelminum1 with the sole addition of the ,short ,report of ,some ,prominent ,articles of ,doctrine1 from the ,church ,order of ,duke ,julius1 of #aefi4 #h4 ,the ,hamburg ,book of ,confession of #aefj1 which was also adopted by ,luebeck and ,lueneburg1 and contained a confession against the ,interim drawn up by ,aepinus in #aedh1 and also four declarations concerning ,adiaphorism1 ,osiandrism1 ,majorism1 and the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper1 drawn up since #aedi4 #i4 ,the ,confessional ,book of ,braunschweig1 adopted in #aefc and reaffirmed in #aegj1 containing1 ,the ,braunschweig ,church ,order of #aebh1 the ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology thereof1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 ,explanation1 etc41 drawn up at ,lueneburg in #aefa against the ,crypto-,calvinists4 #aj4 ,the ,church ,order of the city of ,goettingen #aefh1 containing the ,church ,order of ,goettingen of #aeca1 ,luther's ,small ,catechism1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 the ,augsburg ,confession1 and the ,apology4 7,tschackert1 l4c41 #fac;f42 ,feuerlinus1 l4c41 #a;f47 #f4 ,subscription to ,confessions4 ,the position accorded the symbols in the ,lutheran ,church is clearly defined by the ,book of ,concord itself4 ,according to it ,holy ,scripture alone is to be regarded as the sole rule and norm by which absolutely all doctrines and teachers are to be judged4 ,the object of the ,augustana1 as stated in its ,preface1 was to show what manner of doctrine has been set forth1 in our lands and churches from the ,holy ,scripture and the pure ,word of ,god4 ,and in its ,conclusion the ,lutheran confessors declare3 ,nothing has been received on our part against ,scripture or the ,church ,catholic1 and we are ready1 ,god willing1 to present ampler information according to the ,scriptures4 ,iuxta ,scripturam--such are the closing words of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,the ,lutheran ,church knows of no other principle4 ,in the ,formula of ,concord we read3 ,other writings1 however1 of ancient or modern teachers1 whatever name they bear1 must not be regarded as equal to the ,holy ,scriptures1 but all of them together be subjected to them1 and should not be received otherwise or further than as witnesses1 which are to show in what manner after the time of the apostles1 and at what places1 this doctrine of the prophets and apostles was preserved4 7#ggg1 #b47 ,in the ,conclusion of the ,catalog of ,testimonies we read3 ,the true saving faith is to be founded upon no church-teachers1 old or new1 but only and alone upon ,god's ,word1 which is comprised in the ,scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles1 as unquestionable witnesses of divine truth4 7#aadi47 ,the ,lutheran symbols1 therefore1 are not intended to supplant the ,scriptures1 nor do they do so4 ,they do1 however1 set forth what has been at all times the unanimous understanding of the pure ,christian doctrine adhered to by sincere and loyal ,lutherans everywhere2 and1 at the same time1 they show convincingly from the ,scriptures that our forefathers did indeed manfully confess nothing but ,god's eternal truth1 which every ,christian is in duty bound to1 and consistently always will1 believe1 teach1 and confess4 ,the manner also in which ,lutherans pledge themselves confessionally appears from these symbols4 ,the ,augsburg ,confession was endorsed by the princes and estates as follows3 ,the above articles we desire to present in accordance with the edict of ,your ,imperial ,majesty1 in order to exhibit our ,confession and let men see a summary of the doctrine of our teachers4 7#ie1 #f47 ,in the preamble to the signatures of #aecg the ,lutheran preachers unanimously confess3 ,we have reread the articles of the ,confession presented to the ,emperor in the ,assembly at ,augsburg1 and by the favor of ,god all the preachers who have been present in this ,assembly at ,smalcald harmoniously declare that they believe and teach in their churches according to the articles of the ,confession and ,apology4 7#ebi47 ,john ,brenz declares that he had read and reread1 time and again1 the ,confession1 the ,apology1 etc41 and judged that all these agree with ,holy ,scripture1 and with the belief of the true and genuine catholic ,church 7haec omnia convenire cum ,sacra ,scriptura et cum sententia verae kai gnesies catholicae ecclesiae74 7#ebi47 ,another subscription--to the ,smalcald ,articles--reads3 ,i1 ,conrad ,figenbotz1 for the glory of ,god subscribe that ,i have thus believed and am still preaching and firmly believing as above4 7#ejc1 #ac47 ,brixius writes in a similar vein3 ,i 444 subscribe to the ,articles of the reverend ,father ,martin ,luther1 and confess that hitherto ,i have thus believed and taught1 and by the ,spirit of ,christ ,i shall continue thus to believe and teach4 7#ejc1 #bg47 ,in the ,preface to the ,thorough ,declaration of the ,formula of ,concord the ,lutheran confessors declare3 ,to this ,christian ,augsburg ,confession1 so thoroughly grounded in ,god's ,word1 we herewith pledge ourselves again from our inmost hearts4 ,we abide by its simple1 clear1 and unadulterated meaning as the words convey it1 and regard the said ,confession as a pure ,christian symbol1 with which at the present time true ,christians ought to be found next to ,god's ,word4444 ,we intend also1 by the grace of the ,almighty1 faithfully to abide until our end by this ,christian ,confession1 mentioned several times1 as it was delivered in the year #aecj to the ,emperor ,charles ,v2 and it is our purpose1 neither in this nor in any other writing1 to recede in the least from that oft-cited ,confession1 nor to propose another or new confession4 7#hdg1 #d4 #e47 ,again3 ,we confess also the ,first1 ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession as our symbol for this time 7not because it was composed by our theologians1 but because it has been taken from ,god's ,word and is founded firmly and well therein71 precisely in the form in which it was committed to writing in the year #aecj1 and presented to the ,emperor ,charles ,v at ,augsburg4 7#hea1 #e47 ,in like manner the remaining ,lutheran symbols were adopted4 7#heb4 #ggg47 ,other books1 the ,formula of ,concord declares1 are accounted useful1 as far as 7wofern1 quatenus7 they are consistent with the ,scriptures and the symbols4 7#hee1 #aj47 ,the symbols1 however1 are accepted that we may have a unanimously received1 definite1 common form of doctrine1 which all our ,evangelical churches together and in common confess1 from and according to which1 because 7cum1 weil7 it has been derived from ,god's ,word1 all other writings should be judged and adjusted1 as to how far 7wiefern1 quatenus7 they are to be approved and accepted4 7#hee1 #aj47 ,after its adoption by the ,lutheran electors1 princes1 and estates1 the ,formula of ,concord1 and with it the entire ,book of ,concord1 was1 as stated1 solemnly subscribed by about #h1jjj theologians1 pastors1 and teachers1 the pledge reading as follows3 ,since now1 in the sight of ,god and of all ,christendom1 we wish to testify to those now living and those who shall come after us that this declaration herewith presented concerning all the controverted articles aforementioned and explained1 and no other1 is our faith1 doctrine1 and confession in which we are also willing1 by ,god's grace to appear with intrepid hearts before the judgment-seat of ,jesus ,christ1 and give an account of it2 and that we will neither privately nor publicly speak or write anything contrary to it1 but1 by the help of ,god's grace1 intend to abide thereby3 therefore1 after mature deliberation1 we have1 in ,god's fear and with the invocation of ,his name1 attached our signatures with our own hands4 7#aajc1 #dj47 ,furthermore1 in the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord the princes and estates declare that many churches and schools had received the ,augsburg ,confession as a symbol of the present time in regard to the chief articles of faith1 especially those involved in controversy with the ,romanists and various corruptions of the heavenly doctrine4 7#g47 ,they solemnly protest that it never entered their minds either to introduce1 furnish a cover for1 and establish any false doctrine1 or in the least even to recede from the ,confession presented in the year #aecj at ,augsburg4 7#ae47 ,they declare3 ,this ,confession also1 by the help of ,god1 we will retain to our last breath when we shall go forth from this life to the heavenly fatherland1 to appear with joyful and undaunted mind and with a pure conscience before the tribunal of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 7#ae47 ,therefore we also have determined not to depart even a finger's breadth either from the subjects themselves or from the phrases which are found in them 7vel a rebus ipsis vel a phrasibus1 quae in illa habentur1 discedere71 but1 the ,spirit of the ,lord aiding us1 to persevere constantly1 with the greatest harmony1 in this godly agreement1 and we intend to examine all controversies according to this true norm and declaration of the pure doctrine4 7#bc47 #g4 ,pledging of ,ministers to the ,confessions4 ,such being the attitude of the ,lutherans towards their symbols1 and such their evaluation of pure doctrine1 it was self-evident that the public teachers of their churches should be pledged to the confessions4 ,in ,december #aebi1 ,h4 ,winckel1 of ,goettingen1 drew up a form in which the candidate for ordination declares3 ,i believe and hold also of the most sacred ,sacrament 444 as one ought to believe concerning it according to the contents of the ,bible1 and as ,doctor ,martin ,luther writes and confesses concerning it especially in his ,confession 7of the ,lord's ,supper1 #aebh74 ,the ,goettingen ,church ,order of #aecj1 however1 did not as yet embody a vow of ordination4 ,the first pledges to the symbols were demanded by the ,university of ,wittenberg in #aecc from candidates for the degree of ,doctor of ,divinity4 ,in #aece this pledge was required also of the candidates for ordination4 ,the oath provided that the candidate must faithfully teach the ,gospel without corruption1 steadfastly defend the ,ecumenical ,symbols1 remain in agreement with the ,augsburg ,confession1 and before deciding difficult controversies consult older teachers of the ,church of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,even before #aedi the candidates for philosophical degrees were also pledged by oath to the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,in #aece1 at the ,diet of ,smalcald1 it was agreed that new members entering the ,smalcald ,league should promise to provide for such teaching and preaching as was in harmony with the ,word of ,god and the pure teaching of our ,augsburg ,confession4 ,according to the ,pomeranian ,church ,order which ,bugenhagen drew up in #aece1 pastors were pledged to the ,augsburg ,confession and the ,apology thereof4 ,capito1 ,bucer1 and all others who took part in the ,wittenberg ,concord of #aecf1 promised1 over their signatures1 to believe and to teach in all articles according to the ,confession and the ,apology4 7,corpus ,reformatorum1 opp4 ,melanthonis1 #c1 #gf47 ,in #aedj1 at ,goettingen1 ,john ,wigand promised to accept the ,augsburg ,confession and its ,apology1 and to abide by them all his life4 ,and1 he continued1 if ,i should be found to do otherwise or be convicted of teaching and confessing contrary to such ,confession and ,apology1 then let me1 by this signature1 be condemned and deposed from this divine ministry4 ,this do ,i swear1 so help me ,god4 ,also at ,goettingen1 ,veit ,pflugmacher vowed1 in #aeda1 that he would preach the ,gospel in its truth and purity according to the ,augsburg ,confession and the contents of the postils of ,anton ,corvinus4 ,he added3 ,should ,i be found to do otherwise and not living up to what has been set forth above1 then shall ,i by such act have deposed myself from office4 ,this do ,i swear2 so help me ,god4 ,in #aeej and #aeeb1 ,andrew ,osiander attacked the oath of confession which was in vogue at ,wittenberg1 claiming it to be an entanglement in oath-bound duties after the manner of the ,papists4 ,what else1 said he1 does this oath accomplish than to sever those who swear it from the ,holy ,scriptures and bind them to ,philip's doctrine8 ,parents may therefore well consider what they do by sending their sons to ,wittenberg to become ,masters and ,doctors4 ,money is there taken from them1 and they are made ,masters and ,doctors4 ,but while the parents think that their son is an excellent man1 well versed in the ,scriptures and able to silence enthusiasts and heretics1 he is1 in reality1 a poor captive1 entangled and embarrassed by oath-bound duties4 ,for he has abjured the ,word of ,god and has taken an oath on ,philip's doctrine4 ,replying to this fanatical charge in #aeec1 ,melanchthon emphasized the fact that the doctrinal pledges demanded at ,wittenberg had been introduced chiefly by ,luther1 for the purpose of maintaining the true doctrine4 ,for1 said ,melanchthon1 many enthusiasts were roaming about at that time1 each1 in turn1 spreading new silly nonsense1 e4g41 the ,anabaptists1 ,servetus1 ,campanus1 ,schwenckfeld1 and others4 ,and such tormenting spirits are not lacking at any time 7,et non desunt tales furiae ullo tempore74 ,a doctrinal pledge1 ,melanchthon furthermore explained1 was necessary in order correctly to acknowledge ,god and call upon ,him to preserve harmony in the ,church1 and to bridle the audacity of such as invent new doctrines4 7,c4,r4 #ab1 #e47 ,,ii4 ,the ,three ,ecumenical or ,universal ,symbols4 #h4 ,ecumenical ,symbols4 ,the ,ecumenical 7general1 universal7 ,symbols were embodied in the ,book of ,concord primarily for apologetic reasons4 ,carpzov writes3 ,the sole reason why our ,church appealed to these symbols was to declare her agreement with the ancient ,church in so far as the faith of the latter was laid down in these symbols1 to refute also the calumniations and the accusations of the opponents1 and to evince the fact that she preaches no new doctrine and in no wise deviates from the ,church ,catholic4 7,isagoge1 #cg47 ,for like reasons ,article ,i of the ,augsburg ,confession declares its adherence to the ,nicene ,creed1 and the first part of the ,smalcald ,articles1 to the ,apostles' and ,athanasian ,creeds4 ,the oath introduced by ,luther in #aece1 and required of the candidates for the degree of ,doctor of ,divinity1 also contained a pledge on the ,ecumenical ,symbols4 ,in #aech ,luther published a tract entitled1 ,the ,three ,symbols or ,confessions of the ,faith of ,christ ,unanimously ,used in the ,church1 containing the ,apostles' ,creed1 the ,athanasian ,creed1 and the ,te ,deum of ,ambrose and ,augustine4 ,to these was appended the ,nicene ,creed4 ,in the opening sentences of this tract1 ,luther remarks3 ,whereas ,i have previously taught and written quite a bit concerning faith1 showing both what faith is and what faith does1 and have also published my ,confession #aebh1 setting forth both what ,i believe and what position ,i intend to maintain2 and whereas the devil continues to seek new intrigues against me1 ,i have decided1 by way of supererogation1 to publish conjointly1 in the ,german tongue1 the three so-called ,symbols1 or ,confessions1 which have hitherto been received1 read1 and chanted throughout the ,church4 ,i would thereby reaffirm the fact that ,i side with the true ,christian ,church1 which has adhered to these ,symbols1 or ,confessions1 to the present day1 and not with the false1 vainglorious church1 which in reality is the worst enemy of the true ,church1 having introduced much idolatry beside these beautiful confessions4 7,st4 ,l4 #aj1 #iic2 ,erl4 #bc1 #beb47 ,luther's translation of the ,ecumenical ,symbols1 together with the captions which appeared in his tract1 were embodied in the ,book of ,concord4 ,the superscription1 ,tria ,symbola ,catholica seu ,oecumenica1 occurs for the first time in ,selneccer's edition of the ,book of ,concord of #aehj4 ,before this1 #aege1 he had written3 ,quot sunt ,symbola fidei ,christianae in ,ecclesia8 ,tria sunt praecipua quae nominantur oecumenica1 sive universalia et authentica1 id est1 habentia auctoritatem et non indigentia demonstratione aut probatione1 videlicet ,symbolum ,apostolicum1 ,nicaenum et ,athanasianum4 7,schmauk1 ,confessional ,principle1 #hcd47 #i4 ,the ,apostles' ,creed4 ,the foundation of the ,apostles' ,creed was1 in a way1 laid by ,christ ,himself when ,he commissioned ,his disciples1 saying1 ,matt4 #bh1 #ai4 #bj3 ,go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost3 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you4 ,the formula of ,baptism here prescribed1 ,in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost1 briefly indicates what ,christ wants ,christians to be taught1 to believe1 and to confess4 ,and the ,apostles' ,creed1 both as to its form and contents1 is evidently but an amplification of the trinitarian formula of ,baptism4 ,theo4 ,zahn remarks3 ,it has been said1 and not without a good basis either1 that ,christ ,himself has ordained the baptismal confession4 ,for the profession of the ,triune ,god made by the candidates for ,baptism is indeed the echo of ,his missionary and baptismal command reechoing through all lands and times in many thousand voices4 7,skizzen aus dem ,leben der ,kirche1 #beb47 ,but when and by whom was the formula of ,baptism thus amplified8--,during the ,medieval ,ages the ,apostles' ,creed was commonly known as ,the ,twelve ,articles1 because it was generally believed that the twelve apostles1 assembled in joint session before they were separated1 soon after ,pentecost drafted this ,creed1 each contributing a clause4 ,but1 though retained in the ,catechismus ,romanus1 this is a legend which originated in ,italy or ,gaul in the sixth or seventh 7according to ,zahn1 toward the end of the fourth7 century and was unknown before this date4 ,yet1 though it may seem more probable that the ,apostles' ,creed was the result of a silent growth and very gradual formation corresponding to the ever-changing environments and needs of the ,christian congregations1 especially over against the heretics1 there is no sufficient reason why the apostles themselves should not have been instrumental in its formulation1 nor why1 with the exception of a number of minor later additions its original form should not have been essentially what it is to-day4 ,nathanael confessed3 ,rabbi1 ,thou art the ,son of ,god2 ,thou art the ,king of ,israel1 ,john #a1 #di1 the apostles confessed3 ,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god1 ,matt4 #af1 #af2 ,peter confessed3 ,we believe and are sure that ,thou art that ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god1 ,john #f1 #fi2 ,thomas confessed3 ,my ,lord and my ,god1 ,john #bj1 #bh4 ,these and similar confessions of the truth concerning ,himself were not merely approved of1 but solicited and demanded by1 ,christ4 ,for ,he declares most solemnly3 ,whosoever therefore shall confess ,me before men1 him will ,i confess also before ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,but whosoever shall deny ,me before men1 him will ,i also deny before ,my ,father which is in heaven1 ,matt4 #aj1 #cb4 #cc4 ,the same duty of confessing their faith1 i4e41 the truths concerning ,christ1 is enjoined upon all ,christians by the ,apostle ,paul when he writes3 ,if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the ,lord ,jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that ,god hath raised ,him from the dead1 thou shalt be saved1 ,rom4 #aj1 #i4 ,in the light of these and similar passages1 the trinitarian baptismal formula prescribed by ,christ evidently required from the candidate for ,baptism a definite statement of what he believed concerning the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost1 especially concerning ,jesus ,christ the ,savior4 ,and that such a confession of faith was in vogue even in the days of the apostles appears from the ,bible itself4 ,of ,timothy it is said that he had professed a good profession before many witnesses1 #a ,tim4 #f1 #ab4 ,heb4 #d1 #ad we read3 ,let us hold fast our profession4 ,heb4 #aj1 #bc3 ,let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering4 ,jude urges the ,christians that they should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints1 and build up themselves on their most holy faith1 ,jude #c4 #bj4 ,compare also #a ,cor4 #ae1 #c4 #d2 #a ,tim4 #c1 #af2 ,titus #a1 #ac2 #c1 #d-g4 #aj4 ,apostles' ,creed and ,early ,christian ,writers4 ,the ,christian writers of the first three centuries1 furthermore1 furnish ample proof for the following facts3 that from the very beginning of the ,christian ,church the candidates for ,baptism everywhere were required to make a confession of their faith2 that from the beginning there was existing in all the ,christian congregations a formulated confession which they called the rule of faith1 the rule of truth1 etc42 that this rule was identical with the confession required of the candidates for ,baptism2 that it was declared to be of apostolic origin2 that the summaries and explanations of this rule of truth1 given by these writers1 tally with the contents and in part1 also with the phraseology of the ,apostles' ,creed2 that the scattered ,christian congregations1 then still autonomous1 regarded the adoption of this rule1 of faith as the only necessary condition of ,christian unity and fellowship4 ,the manner in which ,clement1 ,ignatius1 ,polycarp1 ,justin1 ,aristides1 and other early ,christian writers present the ,christian truth frequently reminds us of the ,apostles' ,creed and suggests its existence4 ,thus ,justin ,martyr1 who died #afe1 says in his first ,apology1 which was written about #adj3 ,our teacher of these things is ,jesus ,christ1 who also was born for this purpose and was crucified under ,pontius ,pilate1 procurator of ,judea1 that we reasonably worship ,him1 having learned that ,he is the ,son of the true ,god ,himself1 and holding ,him in the second place1 and the prophetic ,spirit in the third4 ,eternal praise to the ,father of all1 through the name of the ,son and of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,similar strains1 sounding like echoes of the ,second ,article1 may be found in the ,epistles to the ,trallians and to the ,christians at ,smyrna written by ,ignatius1 the famous martyr and bishop of ,antioch1 who died #ajg4 ,irenaeus1 who died #ahi1 remarks3 ,every ,christian who retains immovable in himself the rule of the truth which he received through ,baptism 7ho ton kanona tes altheias akline en eauto katechon1 hon dia tou baptismatos eilephe7 is able to see through the deceit of all heresies4 ,irenaeus here identifies the baptismal confession with what he calls the rule of truth1 kanon tes eiltheias i4e41 the truth which is the rule for everything claiming to be ,christian4 ,apparently1 this rule of truth was the sum of doctrines which every ,christian received and confessed at his baptism4 ,the very phrase rule of truth implies that it was a concise and definite formulation of the chief ,christian truths4 ,for canon1 rule1 was the term employed by the ancient ,church to designate such brief sentences as were adopted by synods for the practise of the ,church4 ,and this rule of truth is declared by ,irenaeus to be the old tradition1 the old tradition of the apostles3 he te apo ton apostolon en te ekklesia paradosis4 7,zahn1 l4c41 #cgi;f47 ,irenaeus was the pupil of ,polycarp the ,martyr2 and what he had learned from him1 ,polycarp had received from the ,apostle ,john4 ,polycarp1 says ,irenaeus1 taught the things which he had learned from the apostles1 and which the ,church has handed down1 and which alone are true4 ,according to ,irenaeus1 then1 the rule of truth received and confessed by every ,christian at his baptism was transmitted by the apostles4 ,the contents of this rule of truth received from the apostles are repeatedly set forth by ,irenaeus4 ,in his ,contra ,haereses 7,i1 #aj1 #a7 one of these summaries reads as follows3 ,the ,church dispersed through the whole world1 to the ends of the earth has received from the apostles and their disciples the faith in one ,god1 the ,father ,almighty1 who has made heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are in them1 and in one ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 who became incarnate for our salvation2 and in the ,holy ,spirit1 who has proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations1 and the advents1 and the birth from a virgin1 and the passion1 and the resurrection from the dead1 and the bodily assumption into heaven of the beloved ,christ ,jesus our ,lord1 and ,his manifestation from heaven in the glory of the ,father4 ,it thus appears that the rule of truth as ,irenaeus knew it1 the formulated sum of doctrines mediated by ,baptism1 which he1 in accordance with the testimony of his teacher ,polycarp1 believed to have been received from the apostles1 at least approaches our present ,apostolic ,creed4 #aa4 ,tertullian and ,cyprian on ,apostles' ,creed4 ,a similar result is obtained from the writings of ,tertullian1 ,cyprian1 ,novatian1 ,origen and others4 ,when we step into the water of ,baptism1 says ,tertullian1 who died about #bbj1 we confess the ,christian faith according to the words of its law1 i4e41 according to the law of faith or the rule of faith4 ,tertullian1 therefore1 identifies the confession to which the candidates for ,baptism were pledged with the brief formulation of the chief ,christian doctrines which he variously designates as the law of faith1 the rule of faith1 frequently also as tessara1 watchword and sacramentum1 a term then signifying the military oath of allegiance4 ,this ,law or ,rule of ,faith was1 according to ,tertullian1 the confession adopted by ,christians everywhere1 which distinguished them from unbelievers and heretics4 ,the unity of the congregations1 the granting of the greeting of peace1 of the name brother1 and of mutual hospitality1--these and similar ,christian rights and privileges1 says ,tertullian1 depend on no other condition than the similar tradition of the same oath of allegiance1 i4e41 the adoption of the same baptismal rule of faith4 7,zahn1 #bej47 ,at the same time ,tertullian most emphatically claims1 that this rule of faith was established by the apostles1 aye1 by ,christ ,himself1 inasmuch as ,he had commanded to baptize in the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 7,zahn1 #beb47 ,in his book ,adversus ,praxeam1 ,tertullian concludes an epitome which he gives of the rule of faith as follows3 ,that this rule has come down from the beginning of the ,gospel1 even before the earlier heretics1 and so1 of course before the ,praxeas of yesterday1 is proved both by the lateness of all heretics and by the novelty of this ,praxeas of yesterday4 7,schaff1 ,creeds of ,christendom1 #b1 #ah47 ,the following form is taken from ,tertullian's ,de ,virginibus ,velandis3 ,for the rule of faith is altogether one1 alone 7sola71 immovable1 and irreformable1 namely1 believing in one ,god omnipotent the ,maker of the world1 and in ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 born of the ,virgin ,mary1 crucified under ,pontius ,pilate1 raised from the dead the third day1 received into the heavens1 sitting now at the right hand of the ,father who shall come to judge the living and the dead1 also through the resurrection of the flesh4 ,cyprian the ,martyr1 bishop of ,carthage1 who died #beg1 and who was the first one to apply the term symbolum to the baptismal creed1 in his ,epistle to ,magnus and to ,januarius1 as well as to other ,numidian bishops1 gives the following as the answer of the candidate for ,baptism to the question1 ,do you believe83 ,i believe in ,god the ,father1 in ,his ,son ,christ1 in the ,holy ,spirit4 ,i believe the remission of sins1 and the life eternal through the holy ,church4 #ab4 ,variations of the ,apostles' ,creed4 ,while there can be no reasonable doubt either that the ,christian churches from the very beginning were in possession of a definite and formulated symbol1 or that this symbol was an amplification of the trinitarian formula of ,baptism1 yet we are unable to ascertain with any degree of certainty what its exact original wording was4 ,there has not been found in the early ,christian writers a single passage recording the precise form of the baptismal confession or the rule of truth and faith as used in the earliest churches4 ,this lack of contemporal written records is accounted for by the fact that the early ,christians and ,christian churches refused on principle to impart and transmit their confession in any other manner than by word of mouth4 ,such was their attitude1 not because they believed in keeping their creed secret1 but because they viewed the exclusively oral method of impartation as the most appropriate in a matter which they regarded as an affair of deepest concern of their hearts4 ,it is universally admitted1 even by those who believe that the apostles were instrumental in formulating the early ,christian ,creed1 that the wording of it was not absolutely identical in all ,christian congregations1 and that in the course of time various changes and additions were made4 ,tradition1 says ,tertullian with respect to the baptismal confession1 received from the apostles1 has enlarged it1 custom has confirmed it1 faith observes and preserves it4 7,zahn1 #beb4 #cha47 ,when1 therefore1 ,tertullian and other ancient writers declare that the rule of faith received from the apostles is altogether one1 immovable1 and irreformable1 they do not at all mean to say that the phraseology of this symbol was alike everywhere1 and that in this respect no changes whatever had been made1 nor that any clauses had been added4 ,such variations1 additions1 and alterations1 however1 involved a doctrinal change of the confession no more than the ,apology of the ,augsburg ,confession implies a doctrinal departure from this symbol4 ,it remained the same ,apostolic ,creed1 the changes and additions merely bringing out more fully and clearly its true1 original meaning4 ,and this is the sense in which ,tertullian and others emphasize that the rule of faith is one1 immovable1 and irreformable4 ,the oldest known form of the ,apostles' ,creed1 according to ,a4 ,harnack1 is the one used in the church at ,rome1 even prior to #aej ,a4,d4 ,it was1 however1 as late as #ccg or #cch1 when this ,creed1 which1 as the church at ,rome claimed1 was brought thither by ,peter himself1 was for the first time quoted as a whole by ,bishop ,marcellus of ,ancyra in a letter to ,bishop ,julius of ,rome1 for the purpose of vindicating his orthodoxy4 ,during the long period intervening1 some changes1 however1 may have been1 and probably were1 made also in this ,old ,roman ,symbol1 which reads as follows3-- ,pisteuo eis theon patera pantokratora2 kai eis ,christon ,iesoun ton huion autou ton monogene1 ton kupion hemon1 ton gennethenta ek pneumatos hagiou kai ,marias tes parthenou1 ton epi ,pontiou ,pilatou staurothenta kai taphenta1 te trite hemera anastanta ek ton nekron1 anabanta eis tous ouranous1 kathemenon en dexia tou patros1 hothen erchetai krinai zontas kai nekrous2 kai eis pneuma hagion1 hagian ekklesian aphesin hamartion1 sapkos anastasin4 7,herzog1 ,r4 ,e4 #a1 #gdd47 #ac4 ,present ,form of ,creed and ,its ,contents4 ,the complete form of the present textus receptus of the ,apostles' ,creed1 evidently the result of a comparison and combination of the various preexisting forms of this symbol1 may be traced to the end of the fifth century and is first found in a sermon by ,caesarius of ,arles in ,france1 about #ejj4--;,in his translation1 ,luther substituted ,christian for catholic in the ,third ,article4 ,he regarded the two expressions as equivalent in substance1 as appears from the ,smalcald ,articles1 where he identifies these terms1 saying3 ,sic enim orant pueri3 ,credo sanctam ecclesiam catholicam sive ,christianam4 7#dgb1 #e2 #dih1 #c47 ,the form1 ,i believe a holy ,christian ,church1 however1 is met with even before ,luther's time4 7,carpzov1 ,isagoge1 #df47--;,in the ,greek version the received form of the ,apostles' ,creed reads as follows3-- ,pisteuo eis theon patera1 pantokratora1 poieten ouranou kai ges4 ,kai eis ,iesoun ,christon1 huion autou ton monogene1 ton kurion hemon1 ton sullephthenta ek pneumatos hagiou1 gennethenta ek ,marias tes parthenou1 pathonta epi ,pontiou ,pilatou1 staurothenta1 thanonta1 kai taphenta1 anastanta apo ton nekron1 anelthonta eis tous ouranous1 kathezomenon en dexia theou patros pantodunamou1 ekeithen erchomenon krinai zontas kai nekrous4 ,pisteuo eis to pneuma to hagion1 hagian ekklesian1 hagion koinonian1 aphesin hamartion sarkos anastasin1 zoen aionion1 ,amen4 ,as to its contents1 the ,apostles' ,creed is a positive statement of the essential facts of ,christianity4 ,the ,second ,article1 says ,zahn1 is a compend of the ,evangelical history1 including even external details4 7#bfd47 ,yet some of the clauses of this ,creed were probably inserted in opposition to prevailing1 notably ,gnostic1 heresies of the first centuries4 ,it was the first ,christian symbol and1 as ,tertullian and others declare1 the bond of unity and fellowship of the early ,christian congregations everywhere4 ,it must not1 however1 be regarded as inspired1 much less as superior even to the ,holy ,scriptures2 for1 as stated above1 it cannot even1 in any of its existing forms1 be traced to the apostles4 ,hence it must be subjected to1 and tested and judged by1 the ,holy ,scriptures1 the inspired ,word of ,god and the only infallible rule and norm of all doctrines1 teachers1 and symbols4 ,in accordance herewith the ,lutheran ,church receives the ,apostles' ,creed1 as also the two other ecumenical confessions1 not as per se divine and authoritative1 but because its doctrine is taken from1 and well grounded in1 the prophetic and apostolic writings of the ,old and ,new ,testaments4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #hea1 #d47 #ad4 ,the ,nicene ,creed4 ,in the year #cbe ,emperor ,constantine the ,great convened the ,first ,ecumenical ,council at ,nicaea1 in ,bithynia1 for the purpose of settling the controversy precipitated by the teaching of ,arius1 who denied the true divinity of ,christ4 ,the council was attended by #cah bishops and their assistants1 among whom the young deacon ,athanasius of ,alexandria gained special prominence as a theologian of great eloquence1 acumen1 and learning4 ,the most valiant champion against the ,arians1 as he was called1 ,athanasius turned the tide of victory in favor of the ,homoousians1 who believed that the essence of the ,father and of the ,son is identical4 ,the discussions were based upon the symbol of ,eusebius of ,caesarea1 which by changes and the insertion of ,homoousian phrases 7such as ek tes ousias tou patrous2 gennetheis1 ou poietheis2 homoousios to patri7 was amended into an unequivocal clean-cut1 anti-,arian confession4 ,two ,egyptian bishops who refused to sign the symbol were banished1 together with ,arius1 to ,illyria4 ,the text of the original ,nicene ,creed reads as follows3-- ,pisteuomen eis hena theon1 patera pantokratora1 panton oraton te kai aoraton poieten4 ,kai eis hena kurion ,iesoun ,christon1 ton huion tou theou1 gennethenta ek tou patros monogene1 toutestin ek tes ousias tou patros1 theon ek theou1 phos ek photos1 theon alethinon ek theou alethinou1 gennethenta1 ou poiethenta1 homoousion to patri1 di' ou ta panta egeneto1 ta te en to ourano kaita epi tes ges2 ton di' hemas tous anthropous kai dia ten hemeteran soterian katelthonta kai sarkothenta kai enanthropesanta1 pathonta1 kai anastanta te trite hemera1 kai anelthonta eis tous ouranous1 kai erchomenon palin krinai zontas kai nekrous4 ,kai eis to pneuma to hagion4 ,tous de legontas1 hoti pote hote ouk en1 kai hoti ex ouk onton egeneto1 en ex heteras hupostaseos e ousias phaskontas einai1 e ktiston1 e alloioton1 e trepton ton huion tou theou1 toutous anathematizei he katholike kai apostolike ekklesia4 7,mansi1 ,amplissima ,collectio1 #b1 #ffe sq47 #ae4 ,niceno-,constantinopolitan ,creed4 ,in order to suppress ,arianism1 which still continued to flourish1 ,emperor ,theodosius convened the ,second ,ecumenical ,council1 in #cha at ,constantinople4 ,the bishops here assembled1 #aej in number1 resolved that the faith of the ,nicene ,fathers must ever remain firm and unchanged1 and that its opponents1 the ,eunomians1 ,anomoeans1 ,arians1 ,eudoxians1 ,semi-,arians1 ,sabellians1 ,marcellians1 ,photinians1 and ,apollinarians1 must be rejected4 ,at this council also ,macedonius was condemned1 who taught that the ,holy ,spirit is not ,god3 elege gar auto me einai theon1 alla tes theontos tou patros allotrion4 7,mansi1 #c1 #efh4 #eff4 #egc4 #egg4 #fjj47 ,by omissions1 alterations1 and additions 7in particular concerning the ,holy ,spirit7 this council gave to the ,nicene ,creed its present form4 ,hence it is also known as the ,niceno-,constantinopolitan ,creed4 ,the ,third ,ecumenical ,council1 which assembled at ,toledo1 ,spain1 in #ehi1 inserted the word ,filioque1 an addition which the ,greek ,church has never sanctioned1 and which later contributed towards bringing about the great ,eastern ,schism4 ,a4 ,harnack considers the ,constantinopolitanum 7,c,panum71 the creed adopted at ,constantinople1 to be the baptismal confession of the ,church of ,jerusalem1 which1 he says1 was revised between #cfb and #cgc and amplified by the ,nicene formulas and a rule of faith concerning the ,holy ,ghost4 7,herzog1 ,r4 ,e41 #aa1 #ai;f47 ,following is the text of the ,c,panum according to ,mansi3 ,pisteuomen eis hena theon patera1 pantokratora1 poieten ouranou kai ges1 oratwn te pantwn kai aoratwn4 ,kai eis hena kurion ,iesoun ,christon ton huion tou theou ton monogene1 ton ek tou patros gennethenta pro panton ton aionon1 phos ek photos1 theon alethinon ek theou alethinou1 gennethevta1 ou poiethenta1 homoousion to patri1 di' ou ta panta egeneto1 ton di' hemas tous anthropous kai dia ten hemeteran soterian katelthovnta ek tov ouranon1 kai sarkothenta ek pneumatos hagiou kai ,marias tes parthenou1 kai enanthropesanta1 staurothenta te huper hemon epi ,pontiou ,pilatou1 kai pathonta1 kai taphenta1 kai anastanta te trite hemera kata tas gpaphas1 kai anelthonta eis tous ouranous1 kai kathezomenon ek dexion tou patros1 kai palin erchomenon meta doxes krinai zontas kai nekrous2 ou tes basileias ouk estai telos4 ,kai eis pneuma to hagion1 to kurion1 to zoopoion1 to ek tou patros ekporeuomenon1 to sun patri kai huio sumproskunoumenon kai sundoxazovmenon1 to lalesan dia ton propheton1 eis mian hagian katholiken kai apostoliken ekklesian4 ,homologoumen hen baptisma eis aphesin hamartion2 prosdokomen anastasin nekron1 kai zwen tou mellontos aionos4 ,amen4 7#c1 #efe47 #af4 ,the ,athanasian ,creed4 ,from its opening word this ,creed is also called ,symbolum ,quicunque4 ,roman tradition has it that ,athanasius1 who died #cgc1 made this confession before ,pope ,julius when the latter summoned him to submit himself to him the ,pope1 as to the ecumenical bishop and ,supreme arbiter of matters ecclesiastical 7ut ei1 seu episcopo oecumica et supremo rerum ecclesiasticarum arbitro1 sese submitteret74 ,however1 ,athanasius is not even the author of this confession1 as appears from the following facts3 #a4 ,the ,creed was originally written in ,latin4 #b4 ,it is mentioned neither by ,athanasius himself nor by his ,greek eulogists4 #c4 ,it was unknown to the ,greek ,church till about #abjj1 and has never been accorded official recognition by this ,church nor its orthodox sister churches4 #d4 ,it presupposes the post-,athanasian ,trinitarian and ,christological controversies4--,up to the present day it has been impossible to reach a final verdict concerning the author of the ,quicunque and the time and place of its origin4 ,koellner's ,symbolik allocates it to ,gaul4 ,loofs inclines to the same opinion and ventures the conjecture that the source of this symbol must be sought in ,southern ,gaul between #dej and #fjj4 7,herzog1 ,r4 ,e41 #b1 #agg47 ,gieseler and others look to ,spain for its origin4 ,paragraphs #a1 #b1 and #dj of the ,athanasian ,creed have given offense not only to theologians who advocate an undogmatic ,christianity1 but to many thoughtless ,christians as well4 ,loofs declares3 ,the ,quicunque is unevangelical and cannot be received because its very first sentence confounds fides with expositio fidei4 7,h41 ,r4 ,e41 #b1 #aid47 ,however1 the charge is gratuitous1 since the ,athanasian ,creed deals with the most fundamental ,christian truths3 concerning the ,trinity1 the divinity of ,christ1 and ,his work of redemption1 without the knowledge of which saving faith is impossible4 ,the paragraphs in question merely express the clear doctrine of such passages of the ,scriptures as ,acts #d1 #ab3 ,neither is there salvation in any other1 for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved2 ,john #h1 #ba3 ,if ye believe not that ,i am ,he1 ye shall die in your sins2 ,john #ad1 #f3 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,i am the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life2 no man cometh unto the ,father but by ,me4 ,in complete agreement with the impugned statements of the ,athanasian ,creed1 the ,apology of the ,augsburg ,confession closes its article ,of ,god as follows3 ,therefore we do freely conclude that they are all idolatrous1 blasphemers1 and outside of the ,church of ,christ who hold or teach otherwise4 7#ajc7 ,in the early part of the ,middle ,ages the ,quicunque had already received a place in the order of public worship4 ,the ,council of ,vavre resolved1 #acfh3 ,proinde ,symbolum ,apostolorum silenter et secrete dicitur quotidie in ,completorio et in ,prima1 quia fuit editum tempore1 quo nondum erat fides catholica propalata4 ,alia autem duo publice in diebus ,dominicis et festivis1 quando maior ad ecclesiam congregatur populus1 decantantur1 quia fuere edita tempore fidei propalatae4 ,symbolum quidem ,nicaenum post evangelium cantatur in ,missa quasi evangelicae fidei expositio4 ,symbolum ,athanasii de mane solum cantatur in ,prima1 quia fuit editum tempore quo maxime fuerunt depulsa et detecta nox atra et tenebrae haeresium et errorum4 7,mansi1 #bf1 #dhg47 ,luther says3 ,the first symbol1 that of the apostles1 is indeed the best of all1 because it contains a concise1 correct and splendid presentation of the articles of faith and is easily learned by children and the common people4 ,the second1 the ,athanasian ,creed1 is longer 444 and practically amounts to an apology of the first symbol4 ,i do not know of any more important document of the ,new ,testament ,church since the days of the apostles than the ,athanasian ,creed4 7,st4 ,l4 #aj1 #iid2 #f1 #aegf2 ,e4 #bc1 #bec47 #ag4 ,luther on ,ecumenical ,creeds4 ,the central theme of the ,three ,ecumenical ,symbols is ,christ's person and work1 the paramount importance of which ,luther extols as follows in his tract of #aech3 ,in all the histories of the entire ,christendom ,i have found and experienced that all who had and held the chief article concerning ,jesus ,christ correctly remained safe and sound in the true ,christian faith4 ,and even though they erred and sinned in other points1 they nevertheless were finally preserved4 ,for it has been decreed1 says ,paul1 ,col4 #b1 #i1 that in ,christ should dwell all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily1 or personally1 so that he who does not find or receive ,god in ,christ shall never have nor find ,him anywhere outside of ,christ1 even though he ascend above heaven1 descend below hell1 or go beyond the world4 ,on the other hand1 ,i have also observed that all errors1 heresies1 idolatries1 offenses1 abuses1 and ungodliness within the ,church originally resulted from the fact that this article of faith concerning ,jesus ,christ was despised or lost4 ,and viewed clearly and rightly1 all heresies militate against the precious article of ,jesus ,christ1 as ,simeon says concerning ,him1 ,luke #b1 #cd1 that ,he is set for the falling and the rising of many in ,israel and for a sign which is spoken against2 and long before this1 ,isaiah1 chapter #h1 #ad1 spoke of ,him as 'a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense4' ,and we in the ,papacy1 the last and greatest of saints1 what have we done8 ,we have confessed that ,he ,christ is ,god and man2 but that ,he is our ,savior1 who died and rose for us1 etc41 this we have denied and persecuted with might and main 7those who taught this74 ,and even now those who claim to be the best ,christians and boast that they are the ,holy ,church1 who burn the others and wade in innocent blood1 regard as the best doctrine that which teaches that we obtain grace and salvation through our own works4 ,christ is to be accorded no other honor with regard to our salvation than that ,he made the beginning1 while we are the heroes who complete it with our merit4 ,luther continues3 ,this is the way the devil goes to work4 ,he attacks ,christ with three storm-columns4 ,one will not suffer ,him to be ,god2 the other will not suffer ,him to be man1 the third denies that ,he has merited salvation for us4 ,each of the three endeavors to destroy ,christ4 ,for what does it avail that you confess ,him to be ,god if you do not also believe that ,he is man8 ,for then you have not the entire and the true ,christ1 but a phantom of the devil4 ,what does it avail you to confess that ,he is true man if you do not also believe that ,he is true ,god8 ,what does it avail you to confess that ,he is ,god and man if you do not also believe that whatever ,he became and whatever ,he did was done for you8 ,surely1 all three parts must be believed1 namely1 that ,he is ,god1 also1 that ,he is man1 and that ,he became such a man for us1 that is1 as the first symbol says3 conceived by the ,holy ,ghost born of the ,virgin ,mary1 suffered1 was crucified1 died1 and rose again1 etc4 ,if one small part is lacking1 then all parts are lacking4 ,for faith shall and must be complete in every particular4 ,while it may indeed be weak and subject to afflictions1 yet it must be entire and not false4 ,weakness of faith does not work the harm but false faith--that is eternal death4 7,st4 ,l4 #aj1 #iih2 ,e4 #bc1 #beh47 ,concerning the mystery involved in the doctrine of the ,holy ,trinity1 the chief topic of the ,ecumenical ,creeds1 ,luther remarks in the same tract3 ,now1 to be sure1 we ,christians are not so utterly devoid of all reason and sense as the ,jews consider us1 who take us to be nothing but crazy geese and ducks1 unable to perceive or notice what folly it is to believe that ,god is man1 and that in one ,godhead there are three distinct persons4 ,no1 praise ,god1 we perceive indeed that this doctrine cannot and will not be received by reason4 ,nor are we in need of any sublime ,jewish reasoning to demonstrate this to us4 ,we believe it knowingly and willingly4 ,we confess and also experience that1 where the ,holy ,spirit does not1 surpassing reason1 shine into the heart1 it is impossible to grasp1 or to believe1 and abide by1 such article2 moreover1 there must remain in it the heart a ,jewish1 proud1 and supercilious reason deriding and ridiculing such article1 and thus setting up itself as judge and master of the ,divine ,being whom it has never seen nor is able to see and hence does not know what it is passing judgment on1 nor whereof it thinks or speaks4 ,for ,god dwells in a 'light which no man can approach unto1' #a ,tim4 #f1 #af4 ,he must come to us1 yet hidden in the lantern1 and as it is written1 ,john #a1 #ah3 ',no man hath seen ,god at any time2 the only-begotten ,son1 which is in the bosom of the ,father1 ,he hath declared ,him1' and as ,moses said before this1 ,ex4 #cc3 ',there shall no man see ,me ,god and live4' 7,st4 ,l4 #aj1 #ajjg2 ,e4 #bc1 #efh47 ,,iii4 ,the ,augsburg ,confession4 #ah4 ,diet ,proclaimed by ,emperor4 ,january #ba1 #aecj1 ,emperor ,charles ,v proclaimed a diet to convene at ,augsburg on the #hth of ,april4 ,the manifesto proceeded from ,bologna1 where1 three days later1 the ,emperor was crowned by ,pope ,clement ,,vii4 ,the proclamation1 after referring to the ,turkish invasion and the action to be taken with reference to this great peril1 continues as follows3 ,the diet is to consider furthermore what might and ought to be done and resolved upon regarding the division and separation in the holy faith and the ,christian religion2 and that this may proceed the better and more salubriously1 the ,emperor urged to allay divisions1 to cease hostility1 to surrender past errors to our ,savior1 and to display diligence in hearing1 understanding1 and considering with love and kindness the opinions and views of everybody1 in order to reduce them to one single ,christian truth and agreement1 to put aside whatever has not been properly explained or done by either party1 so that we all may adopt and hold one single and true religion2 and may all live in one communion1 church1 and unity1 even as we all live and do battle under one ,christ4 ,in his invitation to attend the diet1 the ,emperor at the same time urged the ,elector of ,saxony by all means to appear early enough 7the ,elector reached ,augsburg on ,may #b while the ,emperor did not arrive before ,june #af71 lest the others who arrived in time be compelled to wait with disgust1 heavy expenses and detrimental delay such as had frequently occurred in the past4 ,the ,emperor added the warning3 ,in case the ,elector should not appear1 the diet would proceed as if he had been present and assented to its resolutions4 7,foerstemann1 ,urkundenbuch1 #a1 #g f47 ,march #aa the proclamation reached ,elector ,john at ,torgau4 ,on the #adth ,chancellor ,brueck advised the ,elector to have the opinion on which our party has hitherto stood and to which they have adhered1 in the controverted points1 properly drawn up in writing1 with a thorough confirmation thereof from the divine ,scriptures4 ,on the same day the ,elector commissioned ,luther1 ,jonas1 ,bugenhagen1 and ,melanchthon to prepare a document treating especially of those articles on account of which said division1 both in faith and in other outward church customs and ceremonies1 continues4 7#dc47 ,at ,wittenberg the theologians at once set to work1 and the result was presented at ,torgau ,march #bg by ,melanchthon4 ,on ,april #d the ,elector and his theologians set out from ,torgau1 arriving at ,coburg on the #aeth1 where they rested for eight days4 ,on the #bc;d of ,april the ,elector left for ,augsburg1 while ,luther1 who was still under the ban of both the ,pope and the ,emperor1 remained at the fortress ,ebernburg4 ,nevertheless he continued in close touch with the confessors1 as appears from his numerous letters written to ,augsburg1 seventy all told about twenty of which were addressed to ,melanchthon4 #ai4 ,apology ,original ,plan of ,lutherans4 ,the documents which the ,wittenberg theologians delivered at ,torgau treated the following subjects3 ,human ,doctrines and ,ordinances1 ,marriage of ,priests1 ,both ,kinds1 ,mass1 ,confession1 ,power of ,bishops1 ,ordination1 ,monastic ,vows1 ,invocation of the ,saints1 ,german ,singing1 ,faith and ,works1 ,office of the ,keys 7,papacy71 ,ban1 ,marriage1 and ,private ,mass4 ,accordingly1 the original intention of the ,lutherans was not to enter upon1 and present for discussion at ,augsburg1 such doctrines as were not in controversy 7,of ,god1 etc471 but merely to treat of the abuses and immediately related doctrines1 especially of ,faith and ,good ,works4 7#ff ff47 ,they evidently regarded it as their chief object and duty to justify before the ,emperor and the estates both ,luther and his protectors1 the electors of ,saxony4 ,this is borne out also by the original ,introduction to the contemplated ,apology1 concerning which we read in the prefatory remarks to the so-called ,torgau ,articles mentioned above3 ,to this end of justifying the ,elector's peaceable frame of mind it will be advantageous to begin the projected ,apology with a lengthy rhetorical introduction4 7#fh2 ,c4 ,r41 #bf1 #aga47 ,this introduction1 later on replaced by another1 was composed by ,melanchthon at ,coburg and polished by him during the first days at ,augsburg4 ,may #d he remarks in a letter to ,luther3 ,i have shaped the ,exordium of our ,apology somewhat more rhetorical 7hretorikoteron7 than ,i had written it at ,coburg4 7,c4 ,r41 #b1 #dj2 ,luther1 ,st4 ,l4 #af1 #feb47 ,in this introduction ,melanchthon explains3 ,next to ,god the ,elector builds his hope on the ,emperor1 who had always striven for peace1 and was even now prepared to adjust the religious controversy in mildness4 ,as to the ,elector and his brother ,frederick1 they had ever been attached to the ,christian religion1 had proved faithful to the ,emperor1 and had constantly cultivated peace4 ,their present position was due to the fact that commandments of men had been preached instead of faith in ,christ4 ,not ,luther1 but ,luther's opponents1 had begun the strife4 ,it was for conscience' sake that the ,elector had not proceeded against ,luther4 ,besides1 such action would only have made matters worse1 since ,luther had resisted the ,sacramentarians and the ,anabaptists4 ,equally unfounded were also the accusations that the ,evangelicals had abolished all order as well as all ceremonies1 and had undermined the authority of the bishops4 ,if only the bishops would tolerate the ,gospel and do away with the gross abuses1 they would suffer no loss of power1 honor1 and prestige4 ,in concluding ,melanchthon emphatically protests3 ,never has a reformation been undertaken so utterly without any violence as this in ,saxony2 for it is a public fact that our men have prevailed with such as were already in arms to make peace4 7,kolde1 l4c41 #ac47 ,the document1 accordingly1 as originally planned for presentation at ,augsburg1 was to be a defense of ,luther and his ,elector4 ,in keeping herewith it was in the beginning consistently designated ,apology4 #bj4 ,transformation of ,apology into ,confession ,due to ,eck's ,slanders4 ,this plan1 however1 was modified when the ,lutherans1 after reaching ,augsburg1 heard of and read the #djd ,propositions published by ,dr4 ,john ,eck1 in which ,luther was classified with ,zwingli1 ,oecolampadius1 ,carlstadt1 ,pirkheimer1 ,hubmaier1 and ,denk1 and was charged with every conceivable heresy4 ,in a letter of ,march #ad1 accompanying the copy of his ,propositions which ,eck sent to the ,emperor1 he refers to ,luther as the domestic enemy of the ,church 7hostis ecclesiae domesticus71 who has fallen into every ,scylla and ,charybdis of iniquity2 who speaks of the ,pope as the ,antichrist and of the ,church as the harlot2 who has praise for none but heretics and schismatics2 whom the ,church has to thank for the ,iconoclasts1 ,sacramentarians1 ,new ,hussites1 ,anabaptists1 ,new ,epicureans1 who teach that the soul is mortal1 and the ,cerinthians2 who rehashes all the old heresies condemned more than a thousand years ago1 etc4 7,plitt1 ,einleitung in die ,augustana1 #a1 #ebg ff47 ,such and similar slanders had been disseminated by the ,papists before this1 and they continued to do so even after the ,lutherans1 at ,augsburg1 had made a public confession of their faith and had most emphatically disavowed all ancient and modern heresies4 ,thus ,cochlaeus asserted in his attack on the ,apology1 published #aecd1 that ,lutheranism was a concoction of all the old condemned heresies1 that ,luther taught fifteen errors against the article of ,god1 and ,melanchthon nine against the ,nicene ,creed1 etc4 ,luther1 he declared1 had attacked the doctrine of the ,trinity in a coarser fashion than ,arius4 7,salig1 ,historie d4 ,augsb4 ,konf41 #a1 #cgg47 ,these calumniations caused the ,lutherans to remodel and expand the defense originally planned into a document which should not merely justify the changes made by them with regard to customs and ceremonies1 but also present as fully as possible the doctrinal articles which they held over against ancient and modern heresies1 falsely imputed to them4 ,thus to some extent it is due to the scurrility of ,eck that the contemplated ,apology was transformed into an all-embracing ,confession1 a term employed by ,melanchthon himself4 ,in a letter to ,luther1 dated ,may #aa1 #aecj1 he wrote3 ,our ,apology is being sent to you--though it is rather a ,confession4 ,mittitur tibi apologia nostra1 quamquam verius confessio est4 ,i included in the ,confession almost all articles of faith1 because ,eck published most diabolical lies against us1 quia ,eckius edidit diabolikontatas diabolas contra nos4 ,against these it was my purpose to provide an antidote4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #de2 ,luther1 ,st4 ,l4 #af1 #fed47 ,this is in accord also with ,melanchthon's account in his ,preface of ,september #bi1 #aeei to the ,german ,corpus ,doctrinae 7,philippicum71 stating3 ,some papal scribblers had disseminated pasquinades at the diet at ,augsburg1 #aecj1 which reviled our churches with horrible lies1 charging that they taught many condemned errors1 and were like the ,anabaptists1 erring and rebellious4 ,answer had to be made to ,his ,imperial ,majesty1 and in order to refute the pasquinades1 it was decided to include all articles of ,christian doctrine in proper succession1 that every one might see how unjustly our churches were slandered in the lying papal writings4 444 ,finally1 this ,confession was1 as ,god directed and guided1 drawn up by me in the manner indicated1 and the venerable ,doctor ,martin ,luther was pleased with it4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ibi47 ,the original plan1 however1 was not entirely abandoned1 but merely extended by adding a defense also against the various heresies with which the ,lutherans were publicly charged4 ,this was done in an objective presentation of the principal doctrines held by the ,lutherans1 for which the ,marburg and ,schwabach ,articles served as models and guides4 #ba4 ,marburg1 ,schwabach1 and ,torgau ,articles4 ,the material from which ,melanchthon constructed the ,augsburg ,confession is1 in the last analysis1 none other than the ,reformation truths which ,luther had proclaimed since #aeag with ever-increasing clarity and force4 ,in particular1 he was guided by1 and based his labor on1 the ,marburg ,articles1 the ,schwabach ,articles1 and the so-called ,torgau ,articles4 ,the ,marburg ,articles1 fifteen in number1 had been drawn up by ,luther1 in #aebi1 at the ,colloquy of ,marburg1 whence he departed ,october #f1 about six months before the ,diet at ,augsburg4 7,luther1 ,st4 ,l41 #ag1 #aach f47 ,the seventeen ,schwabach ,articles were composed by ,luther1 ,melanchthon1 ,jonas1 ,brenz and ,agricola1 and presented to the ,convention at ,smalcald about the middle of ,october1 #aebi4 ,according to recent researches the ,schwabach ,articles antedated the ,marburg ,articles and formed the basis for them4 7,luther1 ,weimar ,ed41 #cj1 #c1 #ig1 #ajg47 ,in #aecj ,luther published these ,articles1 remarking3 ,it is true that ,i helped to draw up such articles2 for they were not composed by me alone4 ,this public statement discredits the opinion of v4 ,schubert published in #aijh according to which ,melanchthon is the sole author of the ,schwabach ,articles1 ,luther's contribution and participation being negligible4 ,the ,schwabach ,articles constitute the seventeen basic articles of the first part of the ,augsburg ,confession4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #fch4 #fdh4 #efd2 ,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #adf f47 ,the so-called ,torgau ,articles are the documents referred to above1 touching chiefly upon the abuses4 ,pursuant to the order of the ,elector1 they were prepared by ,luther and his assistants1 ,melanchthon1 ,bugenhagen1 and possibly also ,jonas4 ,they are called ,torgau ,articles because the order for drafting them came from ,torgau 7,march #ad71 and because they were presented to the ,elector at ,torgau4 7,foerstemann1 #a1 #ff2 ,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #aga2 ,st4 ,l4 #af1 #fch47 ,with reference to these articles ,luther wrote 7,march #ad7 to ,jonas1 who was then still conducting the visitation3 ,the ,prince has written to us1 that is1 to you1 ,pomeranus1 ,philip1 and myself1 in a letter addressed to us in common1 that we should come together set aside all other business1 and finish before next ,sunday whatever is necessary for the next diet on ,april #h4 ,for ,emperor ,charles himself will be present at ,augsburg to settle all things in a friendly way1 as he writes in his bull4 ,therefore1 although you are absent1 we three shall do what we can today and tomorrow2 still1 in order to comply with the will of the ,prince1 it will be incumbent upon you to turn your work over to your companions and be present with us here on the morrow4 ,for things are in a hurry4 ,festinata enim sunt omnia4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #fch47 ,melanchthon also wrote to ,jonas on the #aeth of ,march3 ,luther is summoning you by order of the ,prince2 you will therefore come as soon as it is at all possible4 ,the ,diet1 according to the proclamation1 will convene at ,augsburg4 ,and the ,emperor graciously promises that he will investigate the matter1 and correct the errors on both sides4 ,may ,christ stand by us6 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bh2 ,foerstemann1 #a1 #de47 ,it was to these articles 7,torgau ,articles7 that the ,elector referred when he wrote to ,luther from ,augsburg on the #aath of ,may3 ,after you and others of our learned men at ,wittenberg1 at our gracious desire and demand1 have drafted the articles which are in religious controversy1 we do not wish to conceal from you that ,master ,philip ,melanchthon has now at this place perused them further and drawn them up in one form4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #dg47 #bb4 ,luther's ,spokesman at ,augsburg4 ,the material1 therefore1 out of which ,melanchthon1 who in #aecj was still in full accord with ,luther doctrinally1 framed the fundamental symbol of the ,lutheran ,church were the thoughts and1 in a large measure1 the very words of ,luther4 ,melanchthon gave to the ,augsburg ,confession its form and its irenic note1 its entire doctrinal content1 however must be conceded to be iuxta sententiam ,lutheri1 according to the teaching of ,luther1 as ,melanchthon himself declared particularly with respect to the article of the ,lord's ,supper4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #adb47 ,on the #bgth of ,june1 two days after the presentation of the ,confession1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,luther3 ,we have hitherto followed your authority1 tuam secuti hactenus auctoritatem1 and now1 says ,melanchthon1 ,luther should also let him know how much could be yielded to the opponents4 7#b1 #adf47 ,accordingly1 in the opinion of ,melanchthon1 ,luther1 though absent1 was the head of the ,evangelicals also at ,augsburg4 ,in his answer ,luther does not deny this1 but only demands of ,melanchthon to consider the cause of the ,gospel as his own4 ,for1 says he1 it is indeed my affair1 and1 to tell the truth1 my affair more so than that of all of you4 ,yet they should not speak of authority4 ,in this matter1 he continues1 ,i will not be or be called your author authority2 and though this might be correctly explained1 ,i do not want this word4 ,if it is not your affair at the same time and in the same measure1 ,i do not desire that it be called mine and be imposed upon you4 ,if it is mine alone1 ,i shall direct it myself4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #ijf4 #ijc4 ,enders1 ,luthers ,briefwechsel1 #h1 #dc47 ,luther1 then1 was the prime mover also at ,augsburg4 ,without him there would have been no ,evangelical cause1 no ,diet of ,augsburg1 no ,evangelical confessors1 no ,augsburg ,confession4 ,and this is what ,luther really meant when he said3 ,confessio ,augustana mea2 the ,augsburg ,confession is mine4 7,walch #bb1 #aecb47 ,he did not in the least thereby intend to deprive ,melanchthon of any credit properly due him with reference to the ,confession4 ,moreover1 in a letter written to ,nicolaus ,hausmann on ,july #f1 #aecj1 ,luther refers to the ,augustana as our confession1 which our ,philip prepared2 quam ,philippus noster paravit4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #hhb2 ,enders #h1 #hj47 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 the day of ,augsburg1 even as the day of ,worms1 was the day of ,luther and of the ,evangelical truth once more restored to light by ,luther4 ,at ,augsburg1 too1 ,melanchthon was not the real author and moving spirit1 but the instrument and mouthpiece of ,luther1 out of whose spirit the doctrine there confessed had proceeded4 7,see ,formula of ,concord #ihc1 #cb--cd47 ,only blindness born of false religious interests 7indifferentism1 unionism1 etc47 can speak of ,melanchthon's theological independence at ,augsburg or of any doctrinal disagreement between the ,augsburg ,confession and the teaching of ,luther4 ,that1 at the ,diet1 he was led1 and wished to be led1 by ,luther is admitted by ,melanchthon himself4 ,in the letter of ,june #bg1 referred to above1 he said3 ,the matters1 as you ,luther know1 have been considered before1 though in the combat it always turns out otherwise than expected4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #hii2 ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #adf47 ,on the #cast of ,august he wrote to his friend ,camerarius3 ,hitherto we have yielded nothing to our opponents1 except what ,luther judged should be done1 since the matter was considered well and carefully before the ,diet2 re bene ac diligenter deliberata ante conventum4 7#b1 #ccd47 ,very pertinently ,e4 ,t4 ,nitzsch said of ,melanchthon 7#ahee73 ,with the son of the miner1 who was destined to bring good ore out of the deep shaft1 there was associated the son of an armorer1 who was well qualified to follow his leader and to forge shields1 helmets1 armor1 and swords for this great work4 ,this applies also to the ,augsburg ,confession1 in which ,melanchthon merely shaped the material long before produced by ,luther from the divine shafts of ,god's ,word4 ,replying to ,koeller1 ,rueckert1 and ,heppe1 who contend that the authorship of the ,augsburg ,confession must in every way be ascribed to ,melanchthon1 ,philip ,schaff writes as follows3 ,this is true as far as the spirit which ,luther called 'pussyfooting1' ,leisetreten and the literary composition are concerned2 but as to the doctrines ,luther had a right to say1 ',the ,catechism1 the ,exposition of the ,ten ,commandments1 and the ,augsburg ,confession are mine4' 7,creeds #a1 #bbi47 #bc4 ,drafting the ,confession4 ,may #aa the ,confession was so far completed that the ,elector was able to submit it to ,luther for the purpose of getting his opinion on it4 ,according to ,melanchthon's letter of the same date1 the document contained almost all articles of faith1 omnes fere articulos fedei4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #de47 ,this agrees with the account written by ,melanchthon shortly before his death1 in which he states that in the ,augsburg ,confession he had presented the sum of our ,church's doctrine1 and that in so doing he had arrogated nothing to himself2 for in the presence of the princes1 etc41 each individual sentence had been discussed4 ,thereupon1 says ,melanchthon1 the entire ,confession was sent also to ,luther1 who informed the princes that he had read it and approved it4 ,the princes and other honest and learned men still living will remember that such was the case4 ,missa est denique et ,luthero tota forma ,confessionis1 qui ,principibus scripsit1 se hanc ,confessionem et legisse et probare4 ,haec ita acta esse1 ,principes et alii honesti et docti viri adhuc superstites meminerint4 7#i1 #ajeb47 ,as early as ,may #ae ,luther returned the ,confession with the remark3 ,i have read ,master ,philip's ,apology4 ,i am well pleased with it1 and know nothing to improve or to change in it2 neither would this be proper1 since ,i cannot step so gently and softly4 ,christ1 our ,lord1 grant that it may produce much and great fruit which1 indeed1 we hope and pray for4 ,amen4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #feg47 ,luther is said to have added these words to the ,tenth ,article3 ,and they condemn those who teach otherwise1 et improbant secus docentes4 7,enders1 #g1 #ccf47 ,up to the time of its presentation the ,augsburg ,confession was diligently improved1 polished1 perfected1 and partly recast4 ,additions were inserted and several articles added4 ,nor was this done secretly and without ,luther's knowledge4 ,may #bb ,melanchthon wrote to ,luther3 ,daily we change much in the ,apology4 ,i have eliminated the article ,on ,vows1 since it was too brief1 and substituted a fuller explanation4 ,now ,i am also treating of the ,power of the ,keys4 ,i would like to have you read the articles of faith4 ,if you find no shortcoming in them1 we shall manage to treat the remainder4 ,for one must always make some changes in them and adapt oneself to conditions4 ,subinde enim mutandi sunt atque ad occasiones accommodandi4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #fj2 ,luther1 #af1 #fhi47 ,improvements suggested by ,regius and ,brenz were also adopted4 7,zoeckler1 ,die ,a4 ,k41 #ah47 ,even ,brueck is said to have made some improvements4 ,may #bd the ,nuernberg delegates wrote to their ,council3 ,the ,saxon ,plan ,apology has been returned by ,doctor ,luther4 ,but ,doctor ,brueck1 the old chancellor1 still has some changes to make at the beginning and the end4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #fb47 ,the expression beginning and end 7hinten und vorne71 according to ,tschackert1 is tantamount to all over 7ueberall74 ,however1 even before #ahfg ,plitt wrote it had long ago been recognized that this expression refers to the ,introduction and the ,conclusion of the ,confession1 which were written by ,brueck4 7,aug4 #b1 #aa47 ,bretschneider is of the same opinion4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #fb47 ,june #c the ,nuernberg delegates wrote3 ,herewith we transmit to ,your ,excellencies a copy of the ,saxon ,plan ,confession in ,latin1 together with the ,introduction or ,preamble4 ,at the end1 however1 there are lacking one or two articles #bj and #ba and the ,conclusion1 in which the ,saxon theologians are still engaged4 ,when that is completed1 it shall be sent to ,your ,excellencies4 ,meanwhile ,your ,excellencies may cause your learned men and preachers to study it and deliberate upon it4 ,when this ,plan ,confession is drawn up in ,german1 it shall not be withheld from ,your ,excellencies4 ,the ,saxons1 however1 distinctly desire that1 for the present1 ,your ,excellencies keep this ,plan or document secret1 and that you permit no copy to be given to any one until it has been delivered to ,his ,imperial ,majesty4 ,they have reasons of their own for making this request4 444 ,and if ,your ,excellencies' pastors and learned men should decide to make changes or improvements in this ,plan or in the one previously submitted1 these1 too1 ,your ,excellencies are asked to transmit to us4 7#b1 #hc47 ,june #bf ,melanchthon wrote to ,camerarius3 ,daily ,i changed and recast much2 and ,i would have changed still more if our advisers 7sumphradmones7 had permitted us to do so4 7#b1 #adj47 #bd4 ,public ,reading of the ,confession4 ,june #ae1 after long negotiations1 a number of other estates were permitted to join the adherents of the ,saxon ,confession4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aje47 ,as a result1 ,melanchthon's ,introduction1 containing a defense of the ,saxon ,electors1 without mentioning the other ,lutheran estates1 no longer fitted in with the changed conditions4 ,accordingly1 it was supplanted by the ,preface composed by ,brueck1 and translated into ,latin by ,justus ,jonas1 whose acknowledged elegant ,latin and ,german style qualified him for such services4 ,at the last deliberation1 on ,june #bc1 the ,confession was signed4 ,and on ,june #be1 at #c ,p4,m41 the ever-memorable meeting of the ,diet took place at which the ,augustana was read by ,chancellor ,beyer in ,german1 and both manuscripts were handed over4 ,the ,emperor kept the ,latin copy for himself1 and gave the ,german copy to the ,imperial ,chancellor1 the ,elector and ,archbishop ,albrecht1 to be preserved in the ,imperial ,archives at ,mainz4 ,both texts1 therefore1 the ,latin as well as the ,german1 have equal authority1 although the ,german text has the additional distinction and prestige of having been publicly read at the ,diet4 ,as to where and how the ,lutheran heroes confessed their faith1 ,kolde writes as follows3 ,the place where they assembled on ,saturday1 ,june #be1 at #c ,p4,m41 was not the courtroom1 where the meetings of the ,diet were ordinarily conducted1 but1 as the ,imperial ,herald1 ,caspar ,sturm1 reports1 the ',pfalz1' the large front room1 i4e41 the ,chapter-room of the bishop's palace1 where the ,emperor lived4 ,the two ,saxon chancellors1 ,dr4 ,greg4 ,brueck and ,dr4 ,chr4 ,beyer1 the one with the ,latin and the other with the ,german copy of the ,confession1 stepped into the middle of the hall1 while as many of the ,evangelically minded estates as had the courage publicly to espouse the ,evangelical cause arose from their seats4 ,caspar ,sturm reports3 ',als aber die gemeldeten ,commissarii und ,botschaften der oesterreichischen ,lande ihre ,werbung und ,botschaft vollendet und abgetreten1 sind darauf von ,stund' an ,kurfuerst von ,sachsen naemlich ,herzog ,johannes1 ,markgraf ,joerg von ,brandenburg1 ,herzog ,ernst samt seinem ,bruder ,franzisko1 beide ,herzoege zu ,braunschweig und ,lueneburg1 ,landgraf ,philipp von ,hessen1 ,graf ,wolf von ,anhalt usw4 von ihrer ,session auf2 und gegen ,kaiserliche ,majestaet gestanden4' ,the ,emperor desired to hear the ,latin text4 ,but when ,elector ,john had called attention to the fact that the meeting was held on ,german soil1 and expressed the hope that the ,emperor would permit the reading to proceed in ,german1 it was granted4 ,hereupon ,dr4 ,beyer read the ,confession4 ,the reading lasted about two hours2 but he read with a voice so clear and plain that the multitude1 which could not gain access to the hall1 understood every word in the courtyard4 7#ai f47 ,the public reading of the ,confession exercised a tremendous influence in every direction4 ,even before the ,diet adjourned1 ,heilbronn1 ,kempten1 ,windsheim1 ,weissenburg and ,frankfurt on the ,main professed their adherence to it4 ,others had received the first impulse which subsequently induced them to side with the ,evangelicals4 ,brenz has it that the ,emperor fell asleep during the reading4 ,however1 this can have been only temporarily or apparently1 since ,spalatin and ,jonas assure us that the ,emperor1 like the other princes and ,king ,ferdinand1 listened attentively4 ,their report reads3 ,satis attentus erat ,caesar1 ,the ,emperor was attentive enough4 ,duke ,william of ,bavaria declared3 ,never before has this matter and doctrine been presented to me in this manner4 ,and when ,eck assured him that he would undertake to refute the ,lutheran doctrine with the ,fathers1 but not with the ,scriptures1 the ,duke responded1 ,then the ,lutherans1 ,i understand1 sit in the ,scriptures and we of the ,pope's ,church beside the ,scriptures6 ,so hoer' ich wohl1 die ,lutherischen sitzen in der ,schrift und wir ,pontificii daneben6 ,the ,archbishop of ,salzburg declared that he1 too desired a reformation1 but the unbearable thing about it was that one lone monk wanted to reform them all4 ,in private conversation1 ,bishop ,stadion of ,augsburg exclaimed1 ,what has been read to us is the truth1 the pure truth1 and we cannot deny it4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #hhb2 ,plitt1 ,apologie1 #ah47 ,father ,aegidius1 the ,emperor's confessor1 said to ,melanchthon1 ,you have a theology which a person can understand only if he prays much4 ,campegius is reported to have said that for his part he might well permit such teaching2 but it would be a precedent of no little consequence1 as the same permission would then have to be given other nations and kingdoms1 which could not be tolerated4 7,zoeckler1 ,a4 ,k41 #bd47 #be4 ,luther's ,mild ,criticism4 ,june #bf ,melanchthon sent a copy of the ,confession1 as publicly read1 to ,luther1 who adhering to his opinion of ,may #ae1 praised it yet not without adding a grain of gentle criticism4 ,june #bi he wrote to ,melanchthon3 ,i have received your ,apology and can not understand what you may mean when you ask what and how much should be yielded to the ,papists4 444 ,as far as ,i am concerned too much has already been yielded 7plus satis cessum est7 in this ,apology2 and if they reject it1 ,i see nothing that might be yielded beyond what has been done1 unless ,i see the proofs they proffer1 and clearer ,bible-passages than ,i have hitherto seen4 444 ,as ,i have always written--,i am prepared to yield everything to them if we are but given the liberty to teach the ,gospel4 ,i cannot yield anything that militates against the ,gospel4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #ijb2 ,enders1 #h1 #db4 #de47 ,the clearest expression of ,luther's criticism is found in a letter to ,jonas1 dated ,july #ba1 #aecj4 ,here we read3 ,now ,i see the purpose of those questions on the part of the ,papists whether you had any further articles to present4 ,the devil still lives1 and he has noticed very well that your ,apology steps softly1 and that it has veiled the articles of ,purgatory1 the ,adoration of the ,saints1 and especially that of the ,antichrist1 the ,pope4 ,another reading of this passage of ,luther3 ,apologiam vestram1 die ,leisetreterin1 dissimulasse1 is severer even than the one quoted3 ,apologiam vestram leise treten et dissimulasse4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #bcbc1 ,enders1 #h1 #acc47 ,brenz regarded the ,confession as written very courteously and modestly1 valde de civiliter et modeste4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #abe47 ,the ,nuernberg delegates had also received the impression that the ,confession1 while saying what was necessary1 was very reserved and discreet4 ,they reported to their ,council3 ,said instruction ,confession1 as far as the articles of faith are concerned1 is substantially like that which we have previously sent to ,your ,excellencies1 only that it has been improved in some parts1 and throughout made as mild as possible 7allenthalben aufs glimpflichste gemacht71 yet1 according to our view1 without omitting anything necessary4 7#b1 #abi47 ,at ,smalcald1 in #aecg1 the theologians were ordered by the ,princes and ,estates to look over the ,confession1 to make no changes pertaining to its contents or substance1 nor those of the ,concord of #aecf1 but merely to enlarge upon matters regarding the ,papacy1 which1 for certain reasons1 was previously omitted at the ,diet of ,augsburg in submissive deference to ,his ,imperial ,majesty4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #big47 ,indirectly ,melanchthon himself admits the correctness of ,luther's criticism4 ,true1 when after the presentation of the ,confession he thought of the angry ,papists1 he trembled fearing that he had written too severely4 ,june #bf he wrote to his most intimate friend1 ,camerarius3 ,far from thinking that ,i have written milder than was proper1 ,i rather strongly fear 7mirum in modum7 that some have taken offense at our freedom4 ,for ,valdes1 the ,emperor's secretary1 saw it before its presentation and gave it as his opinion that from beginning to end it was sharper than the opponents would be able to endure4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #adj47 ,on the same day he wrote to ,luther3 ,according to my judgment1 the ,confession is severe enough4 ,for you will see that ,i have depicted the monks sufficiently4 7#ada47 ,in two letters to ,camerarius1 however1 written on ,may #ba and ,june #ai1 respectively1 hence before the efforts at toning down the ,confession were completed1 ,melanchthon expressed the opinion that the ,confession could not have been written in terms more gentle and mild1 mitior et lenior4 7#b1 #eg47 ,no doubt1 ,melanchthon also had in mind his far-reaching irenics at ,augsburg1 when he wrote in the ,preface to the ,apology of the ,augsburg ,confession3 ,it has always been my custom in these controversies to retain1 so far as ,i was at all able1 the form of the customarily received doctrine1 in order that at some time concord might the more readily be effected4 ,nor1 indeed1 am ,i now departing far from this custom1 although ,i could justly lead away the men of this age still farther from the opinions of the adversaries4 7#aja1 #aa47 ,evidently1 ,melanchthon means to emphasize that in the ,augustana he had been conservative criticizing only when compelled to do so for conscience' sake4 #bf4 ,luther ,praising ,confession and ,confessors4 ,luther's criticism did not in the least dampen his joy over the glorious victory at ,augsburg nor lessen his praise of the splendid confession there made4 ,in the above-mentioned letter of ,june #bg he identifies himself fully and entirely with the ,augustana and demands that ,melanchthon1 too1 consider it an expression of his own faith1 and not merely of ,luther's faith4 ,july #c he wrote to ,melanchthon3 ,yesterday ,i reread carefully your entire ,apology1 and it pleases me extremely 7vehementer74 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #iac2 ,enders1 #h1 #gi47 ,july #f he wrote a letter to ,cordatus in which he speaks of the ,augustana as altogether a most beautiful confession1 plane pulcherrima confessio4 ,at the same time he expresses his great delight over the victory won at ,augsburg1 applying to the ,confession ,ps4 #aai1 #df3 ,i will speak of ,thy testimonies also before kings1 and will not be ashamed1--a text which ever since has remained the motto1 appearing on all of its subsequent manuscripts and printed copies4 ,luther said3 ,i rejoice beyond measure that ,i lived to see the hour in which ,christ was publicly glorified by such great confessors of ,his1 in so great an assembly1 through this in every respect most beautiful ,confession4 ,and the word has been fulfilled ,ps4 #aai1 #df3 ',i will speak of ,thy testimonies also before kings2' and the other word will also be fulfilled3 ',i was not confounded4' ,for1 ',whosoever confesses ,me before men' 7so speaks ,he who lies not71 'him will ,i also confess before ,my ,father which is in heaven4' 7#af1 #iae2 ,e4 #h1 #hc47 ,july #i ,luther wrote to ,jonas ,christ was loudly proclaimed by means of the public and glorious ,confession 7publica et gloriosa confessione7 and confessed in the open 7am ,lichte7 and in their the ,papists' faces1 so that they cannot boast that we fled1 had been afraid1 or had concealed our faith4 ,i only regret that ,i was not able to be present when this splendid ,confession was made 7in hac pulchra confessione74 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #ibh2 ,e4 #h1 #id47 ,on the same day1 ,july #i1 ,luther wrote to the ,elector3 ,i know and consider well that our ,lord ,christ ,himself comforts the heart of ,your ,electoral ,grace better than ,i or any one else is able to do4 ,this is shown1 too1 and proved before our eyes by the facts1 for the opponents think that they made a shrewd move by having ,his ,imperial ,majesty prohibit preaching4 ,but the poor deluded people do not see that1 through the written ,confession presented to them1 more has been preached than otherwise perhaps ten preachers could have done4 ,is it not keen wisdom and great wit that ,magister ,eisleben and others must keep silence8 ,but in lieu thereof the ,elector of ,saxony1 together with other princes and lords1 arises with the written ,confession and preaches freely before ,his ,imperial ,majesty and the entire realm1 under their noses so that they must hear and cannot gainsay4 ,i think that thus the order prohibiting preaching was a success indeed4 ,they will not permit their servants to hear the ministers1 but must themselves hear something far worse 7as they regard it7 from such great lords1 and keep their peace4 ,indeed1 ,christ is not silent at the ,diet2 and though they be furious1 still they must hear more by listening to the ,confession than they would have heard in a year from the preachers4 ,thus is fulfilled what ,paul says3 ,god's ,word will nevertheless have free course4 ,if it is prohibited in the pulpit1 it must be heard in the palaces4 ,if poor preachers dare not speak it1 then mighty princes and lords proclaim it4 ,in brief1 if everything keeps silence1 the very stones will cry out1 says ,christ ,himself4 7#af1 #hae47 ,september #ae1 at the close of the ,diet1 ,luther wrote to ,melanchthon3 ,you have confessed ,christ1 offered peace1 obeyed the ,emperor1 endured reproach1 been sated with slander1 and have not recompensed evil for evil2 in sum you have performed the holy work of ,god1 as becomes saints1 in a worthy manner4 444 ,i shall canonize you 7canonizabo vos7 as faithful members of ,christ4 7#af1 #bcai2 ,e4 #h1 #bei47 #bg4 ,manuscripts and ,editions of ,augustana4 ,as far as the text of the ,augsburg ,confession is concerned1 both of the original manuscripts are lost to us4 ,evidently they have become a prey to ,romish rage and enmity4 ,eck was given permission to examine the ,german copy in #aedj1 and possibly at that time already it was not returned to ,mainz4 ,it may have been taken to ,trent for the discussions at the ,council1 and thence carried to ,rome4 ,the ,latin original was deposited in the ,imperial ,archives at ,brussels1 where it was seen and perused by ,lindanus in #aefb4 ,february #ah1 #aefi1 however1 ,philip ,,ii instructed ,duke ,alva to bring the manuscript to ,spain1 lest the ,protestants regard it as a ,koran1 and in order that such a damned work might forever be destroyed2 porque se hunda para siempre tan malvada obra4 ,the keeper of the ,brussels archives himself testifies that the manuscript was delivered to ,alva4 ,there is1 however1 no lack of other manuscripts of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,up to the present time no less than #ci have been found4 ,of these1 five ,german and four ,latin copies contain also the signatures4 ,the five ,german copies are in verbal agreement almost throughout1 and therefore probably offer the text as read and presented at ,augsburg4 ,the printing of the ,confession had been expressly prohibited by the ,emperor4 ,june #bf ,melanchthon wrote to ,veit ,dietrich3 ,our ,confession has been presented to the ,emperor4 ,he ordered that it be not printed4 ,you will therefore see that it is not made public4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #adb47 ,however1 even during the sessions of the ,diet a number of printed editions six in ,german and one in ,latin1 were issued by irresponsible parties4 ,but since these were full of errors1 and since1 furthermore1 the ,romanists asserted with increasing boldness and challenge that the ,confession of the ,lutherans had been refuted1 by the ,roman ,confutation1 from the ,scriptures and the ,fathers1 ,melanchthon1 in #aecj1 had a correct edition printed1 which was issued1 together with the ,apology1 in ,may1 #aeca4 ,this quarto edition 7,beide1 ,deutsch ,und ,lateinisch ,ps4 #aai7 is regarded as the editio princeps4 ,for years this edition was also considered the authentic edition of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,its ,latin text was embodied #aehd in the ,book of ,concord as the textus receptus4 ,but when attention was drawn to the changes in the ,german text of this edition 7also the ,latin text had been subjected to minor alterations71 the ,mainz ,manuscript was substituted in the ,german ,book of ,concord1 as its ,preface explains4 7#ad47 ,this manuscript1 however contains no original signatures and was erroneously considered the identical document presented to the ,emperor1 of which it was probably but a copy4 ,in his ,introduction to the ,symbolical ,books1 ,j4 ,t4 ,mueller expresses the following opinion concerning the ,mainz ,manuscript3 ,to say the least1 one cannot deny that its text1 as a rule1 agrees with that of the best manuscripts1 and that its mistakes can easily be corrected according to them and the editio princeps1 so that we have no reason to surrender the text received by the ,church and to accept another in place thereof1 of which we cannot prove either that it is any closer to the original4 7#gh47 ,tschackert1 who devoted much study to the manuscripts of the ,augsburg ,confession1 writes3 ,the ,saxon theologians acted in good faith1 and the ,mainz copy is still certainly better than ,melanchthon's original imprint the editio princeps yet1 when compared with the complete and--because synchronous with the originally presented copy--reliable manuscripts of the signers of the ,confession1 the ,mainz ,manuscript proves to be defective in quite a number of places4 7,l4c4 #fba f47 ,however1 even ,tschackert's minute comparison shows that the ,mainz ,manuscript deviates from the original presented to the ,emperor only in unimportant and purely formal points4 ,for example1 in sec4 #bj of the ,preface the words3 ,papst das ,generalkonzilium zu halten nicht geweigert1 so waere ,e4 ,k4 ,m4 gnaediges ,erbieten1 zu fordern und zu handeln1 dass der are omitted4 ,art4 #bg sec4 #dh we are to read3 dass die erdichteten geistlichen ,orden ,staende sind christlicher ,vollkommenheit instead of3 dass die erdichteten geistlichen ,ordensstaende sind christliche ,vollkommenheit4 ,art4 #bg1 sec4 #fa reads1 die ,uebermass der ,werke1 instead of1 die ,uebermasswerke1 by the way1 an excellent expression1 which should again be given currency in the ,german4 ,the conclusion of sec4 #b has ,leichpredigten instead of ,beipredigten4 ,according to the manuscripts1 also the ,mainz ,manuscript1 the correct reading of sec4 #ab of the ,preface is as follows3 ,wo aber bei unsern ,herrn1 ,freunden und besonders den ,kurfuersten1 ,fuersten und ,staenden des andern ,teils die ,handlung dermassen1 wie ,e4 ,k4 ,m4 ,ausschreiben vermag 7bequeme ,handlung unter uns selbst in ,lieb und ,guetigkeit7 nicht verfangen noch erspriesslich sein wollte etc4 ,the words1 bequeme ,handlung unter uns selbst in ,lieb' und ,guetigkeit1 are quoted from the imperial proclamation4 7,foerstemann1 #g1 #cgh2 ,plitt1 #b1 #ab47 ,originally only the last seven articles concerning the abuses had separate titles1 the doctrinal articles being merely numbered1 as in the ,marburg and ,schwabach ,articles1 which ,melanchthon had before him at ,augsburg4 7,luther1 ,weimar #cj1 #c1 #hf4 #afj47 ,nor are the present captions of the doctrinal articles found in the original ,german and ,latin editions of the ,book of ,concord1 ,article ,,xx forming a solitary exception2 for in the ,german 7in the ,latin ,concordia1 too1 it bears no title7 it is superscribed3 ,vom ,glauben und guten ,werken1 ,of ,faith and ,good ,works4 ,this is probably due to the fact that ,article ,,xx was taken from the so-called ,torgau ,articles and1 with its superscription there1 placed among the doctrinal articles4 ,in the ,german edition of #aehj the word ,schluss is omitted where the ,latin has ,epilogus4 ,as to the translations1 even before the ,confession was presented to the ,emperor1 it had been rendered into ,french4 7,this translation was published by ,foerstemann1 #a1 #ceg47 ,the ,emperor had it translated for his own use into both ,italian and ,french4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aee2 ,luther1 ,st4 ,l41 #af1 #hhd47 ,since then the ,augustana has been done into ,hebrew1 ,greek1 ,spanish1 ,portuguese1 ,belgian1 ,slavic1 ,danish1 ,swedish1 ,english1 and many other languages4 ,as to the ,english translations1 see page #f4 tr4 note3 numbered section #d1 above #bh4 ,signatures of ,augsburg ,confession4 ,concerning the signatures of the ,augustana1 ,tschackert writes as follows3 ,the names of the signers are most reliably determined from the best manuscript copies of the original of the ,confession1 which have been preserved to us4 ,there we find the signatures of eight princes and two free cities1 to wit1 ,elector ,john of ,saxony1 ,margrave ,george of ,brandenburg-,ansbach1 ,duke ,ernest of ,braunschweig-,lueneburg1 ,landgrave ,philip of ,hesse1 then ,john ,frederick1 the ,electoral ,prince of ,saxony1 ,ernest's brother ,francis of ,braunschweig-,lueneburg1 ,prince ,wolfgang of ,anhalt1 ,count ,albrecht of ,mansfeld1 and the cities ,nuernberg and ,reutlingen4 7,l4c4 #bhe2 see also ,luther's letter of ,july #f1 #aecj1 ,st4 ,l4 #af1 #hhb47 ,camerarius1 in his ,life of ,melanchthon1 relates that ,melanchthon desired to have the ,confession drawn up in the name of the theologians only1 but that his plan did not prevail because it was believed that the signatures of the princes would lend prestige and splendor to the act of presenting this confession of faith4 ,besides1 this plan of ,melanchthon's was excluded by the ,emperor's proclamation4 ,although ,philip of ,hesse1 in the interest of a union with the ,swiss1 had zealously1 but in vain1 endeavored to secure for the article concerning the ,lord's ,supper a milder form still1 in the end1 he did not refuse to sign4 ,regius wrote to ,luther1 ,may #ba1 that he had discussed the entire cause of the ,gospel with the ,landgrave1 who had invited him to dinner1 and talked with him for two hours on the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the ,prince had presented all the arguments of the ,sacramentarians and desired to hear ,regius refute them4 ,but while the ,landgrave did not side with ,zwingli 7non sentit cum ,zwinglio71 yet he desired with all his heart an agreement of the theologians1 as far as piety would permit 7exoptat doctorum hominum concordiam1 quantum sinit pietas74 ,he was far less inclined to dissension than rumor had it before his arrival4 ,he would hardly despise the wise counsel of ,melanchthon and others4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #abe2 see also ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #ei1 where the text reads1 nam sentit cum ,zwinglio instead of1 non sentit cum ,zwinglio47 ,accordingly1 the mind of the ,landgrave was not outright ,zwinglian1 but unionistic4 ,he regarded the followers of ,zwingli as weak brethren who must be borne with1 and to whom ,christian fellowship should not be refused4 ,this also explains how the ,landgrave could sign the ,augustana1 and yet continue his endeavors to bring about a union4 ,may #bb ,melanchthon wrote to ,luther3 ,the ,macedonian ,philip of ,hesse now contemplates signing our formula of speech1 and it appears as if he can be drawn back to our side2 still1 a letter from you will be necessary4 ,therefore ,i beg you most urgently that you write him1 admonishing him not to burden his conscience with a godless doctrine4 ,still the ,landgrave did not change his position in the next few weeks4 ,june #be1 however1 ,melanchthon reported to ,luther3 ,the ,landgrave approves our ,confession and has signed it4 ,you will1 ,i hope accomplish much if you seek to strengthen him by writing him a letter4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #fj4 #ib4 #if4 #aja4 #ajc4 #abf2 ,luther ,st4 ,l41 #af1 #fhi2 #ba;a1 #adii47 ,at ,augsburg1 whither also ,zwingli had sent his ,fidei ,ratio1 the ,south-,german imperial cities 7,strassburg1 ,constance1 ,memmingen1 ,lindau7 presented the so-called ,confessio ,tetrapolitana1 prepared by ,bucer and ,capito1 which declares that the ,sacraments are holy types1 and that in the ,lord's ,supper the true body and the true blood of ,christ are truly eaten and drunk as meat and drink for the souls which are thereby nourished unto eternal life4 ,however1 in #aecb these cities1 too1 signed the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,thus the seed which ,luther sowed had grown wonderfully4 ,june #be1 #aecj1 is properly regarded as the real birthday of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,from this day on she stands before all the world as a body united by a public confession and separate from the ,roman ,church4 ,the lone1 but courageous confessor of ,worms saw himself surrounded with a stately host of true ,christian heroes1 who were not afraid to place their names under his ,confession1 although they knew that it might cost them goods and blood1 life and limb4 ,when the ,emperor1 after entering ,augsburg1 stubbornly demanded that the ,lutherans cease preaching1 ,margrave ,george of ,brandenburg finally declared3 ,rather than deny my ,god and suffer the ,word of ,god to be taken from me1 ,i will kneel down and have my head struck off4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aae47 ,that characterizes the pious and heroic frame of mind of all who signed the ,augustana in #aecj ,in a letter1 of ,june #ah1 to ,luther1 ,jonas relates how the ,catholic princes and estates knelt down to receive the blessing of ,campegius when the latter entered the city1 but that the ,elector remained standing and declared3 ,to ,god alone shall knees be bowed2 ,in ,deo flectenda sunt genua4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #ace47 ,when ,melanchthon called the ,elector's attention to the possible consequences of his signing the ,augsburg ,confession1 the latter answered that he would do what was right1 without concerning himself about his electoral dignity2 he would confess his ,lord1 whose cross he prized higher than all the power of the world4 ,brenz wrote3 ,our princes are most steadfast in confessing the ,gospel1 and surely1 when ,i consider their great steadfastness1 there comes over me no small feeling of shame because we poor beggars theologians are filled with fear of the ,imperial ,majesty4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #abe47 ,luther praises ,elector ,john for having suffered a bitter death at the ,diet of ,augsburg4 ,there1 says ,luther1 he had to swallow all kinds of nasty soups and poison with which the devil served him2 at ,augsburg he publicly1 before all the world1 confessed ,christ's death and resurrection1 and hazarded property and people1 yea1 his own body and life2 and because of the confession which he made we shall honor him as a ,christian4 7,st4 ,l4 #ab1 #bjgh f47 ,and not only the ,lutheran ,church1 but all ,protestant ,christendom1 aye1 the entire world has every reason to revere and hold sacred the memory of the heroes who boldly affixed their names to the ,confession of #aecj4 #bi4 ,tributes to ,confession of ,augsburg4 ,from the moment of its presentation to the present day1 men have not tired of praising the ,augsburg ,confession1 which has been called ,confessio augusta1 ,confessio augustissima1 the ,evangelischer ,augapfel1 etc4 ,they have admired its systematic plan1 its completeness1 comprehensiveness1 and arrangement2 its balance of mildness and firmness2 its racy vigor1 freshness1 and directness2 its beauty of composition1 the like of which can not be found in the entire literature of the ,reformation period4 ,spalatin exclaims3 ,a ,confession1 the like of which was never made1 not only in a thousand years1 but as long as the world has been standing6 ,sartorius3 ,a confession of the eternal truth1 of true ecumenical ,christianity1 and of all fundamental articles of the ,christian faith6 ,from the ,diet of ,augsburg1 which is the birthday of the ,evangelical ,church ,federation1 down to the great ,peace ,congress of ,muenster and ,osnabrueck1 this ,confession stands as the towering standard in the entire history of those profoundly troublous times1 gathering the ,protestants about itself in ever closer ranks1 and1 when assaulted by the enemies of ,evangelical truth with increasing fury1 is defended by its friends in severe fighting1 with loss of goods and blood1 and always finally victoriously holds the field4 ,under the protection of this banner the ,evangelical ,lutheran ,church in ,germany has been built up on firm and unassailable foundations3 under the same protection the ,reformed ,church in ,germany has found shelter4 ,but the banner was carried still farther2 for all ,swedes1 ,danes1 ,norwegians1 and ,prussians have sworn allegiance to it1 and the ,esthonians1 ,latts1 ,finns1 as well as all ,lutherans of ,russia1 ,france1 and other lands recognize therein the palladium of their faith and rights4 ,no other ,protestant confession has ever been so honored4 7,guericke1 ,kg41 #c1 #aaf f47 ,vilmar says in praise of the ,confession3 ,whoever has once felt a gentle breath of the bracing mountain air which is wafted from this mighty mountain of faith the ,augsburg ,confession no longer seeks to pit against its firm and quiet dignity his own uncertain1 immature1 and wavering thoughts nor to direct the vain and childish puff of his mouth against that breath of ,god in order to give it a different direction4 7,theol4 d4 ,tatsachen1 #gf47 ,in his ,introduction to the ,symbolical ,books1 ,j4 ,t4 ,mueller says3 ,luther called the ,diet of ,augsburg 'the last trumpet before ,judgment ,day2' hence we may well call the confession there made the blast of that trumpet1 which1 indeed1 has gone forth into all lands1 even as the ,gospel of ,god which it proclaims in its purity4 7#gh47 ,the highest praise1 however1 is given the ,augsburg ,confession by the ,church which was born with it1 when1 e4g41 in the ,formula of ,concord1 the ,lutherans designate it as the symbol of our time1 and glory in it as the ,confession1 which1 though frowned upon and assailed by its opponents1 down to this day has remained unrefuted and unoverthrown 7bis auf diesen ,tag unwiderlegt und unumgestossen geblieben74 7#ggg1 #d2 #hdg1 #c47 ,,iv4 ,melanchthon's ,alterations of the ,augsburg ,confession4 #cj4 ,changes ,unwarranted4 ,melanchthon continued uninterruptedly to polish and correct the ,augsburg ,confession till immediately before its presentation on ,june #be1 #aecj4 ,while1 indeed he cannot be censured for doing this1 it was though originally not so intended by ,melanchthon1 an act of presumption to continue to alter the document after it had been adopted1 signed1 and publicly presented4 ,even the editio princeps of #aeca is no longer in literal agreement with the original manuscripts4 ,for this reason the ,german text embodied in the ,book of ,concord is not the one contained in the editio princeps1 but that of the ,mainz ,manuscript1 which1 as stated1 was erroneously believed to be the identical ,german copy presented to the ,emperor4 ,the ,latin text of the editio princeps1 embodied in the ,book of ,concord1 had likewise undergone some1 though unessential1 changes4 ,these alterations became much more extensive in the ,latin octavo edition of #aeca and in the ,german revision of #aecc4 ,the ,variata of #aedj and #aedb1 however1 capped the climax as far as changes are concerned1 some of them being very questionable also doctrinally4 ,in their ,approbation of the ,concordia ,germanico-,latina1 edited by ,reineccius1 #agjh1 the ,leipzig theologians remark pertinently3 ,melanchthon found it impossible to leave a book as it once was4 ,witness his ,loci of #aeba1 which he remodeled three times--#aece1 #aedb1 and #aedh4 ,however1 the ,loci were his own private work while the ,augustana was the property and confession of the ,church4 ,tschackert is right when he comments as follows3 ,to-day it is regarded as an almost incomprehensible trait of ,melanchthon's character that immediately after the ,diet and all his lifetime he regarded the ,confession as a private production of his pen1 and made changes in it as often as he had it printed1 while he1 more so than others1 could but evaluate it as a state-paper of the ,evangelical estates1 which1 having been read and delivered in solemn session1 represented an important document of ,german history1 both secular and ecclesiastical4 ,in extenuation it is said that ,melanchthon made these changes in pedagogical interests1 namely1 in order to clarify terms or to explain them more definitely2 furthermore1 that for decades the ,evangelical estates and theologians did not take offense at ,melanchthon's changes4 ,both may be true4 ,but this does not change the fact that the chief editor of the ,confession did not appreciate the world-historical significance of this state-paper of the ,evangelical estates4 7,l4c4 #bhh47 ,nor can it be denied that ,melanchthon made these changes1 not merely in pedagogical interests1 but1 at least a number of them1 also in the interest of his deviating dogmatic views and in deference to ,philip of ,hesse1 who favored a union with the ,swiss4 ,nor can ,melanchthon be fully cleared of dissimulation in this matter4 ,the revised ,apology of #aedj1 for example1 he openly designated on the titlepage as diligently revised1 diligenter recognita2 but in the case of the ,augsburg ,confession of #aedj and #aedb he in no way indicated that it was a changed and augmented edition4 ,as yet it has not been definitely ascertained when and where the terms ,variata and ,invariata originated4 ,at the princes' diet of ,naumburg1 in #aefa1 the ,variata was designated as the amended edition4 ,the ,reuss ,confession of #aefg contains the term unaltered ,augsburg ,confession4 ,in its ,epitome as well as in its ,thorough ,declaration the ,formula of ,concord speaks of the ,first ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession--,augustana illa prima et non mutata ,confessio4 7#ggg1 #d2 #hea1 #e47 ,the ,preface to the ,formula of ,concord repeatedly speaks of the ,variata of #aedj as the other edition of the ,augsburg ,confession--altera ,augustanae ,confessionis editio4 7#ac f47 #ca4 ,detrimental ,consequences of ,alterations4 ,the changes made in the ,augsburg ,confession brought great distress1 heavy cares1 and bitter struggles upon the ,lutheran ,church both from within and without4 ,church history records the manifold and sinister ways in which they were exploited by the ,reformed as well as the ,papists2 especially by the latter 7the ,jesuits7 at the religious colloquies beginning #aedj1 until far into the time of the ,thirty ,years' ,war1 in order to deprive the ,lutherans of the blessings guaranteed by the religious ,peace of ,augsburg1 #aeee4 7,salig1 ,gesch4 d4 ,a4 ,k41 #a1 #ggj ff42 ,lehre und ,wehre #aiai1 #bah ff47 ,on ,melanchthon's alterations of the ,augsburg ,confession the ,romanists1 as the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord explains1 based the reproach and slander that the ,lutherans themselves did not know which is the true and genuine ,augsburg ,confession4 7#ae47 ,decrying the ,lutherans1 they boldly declared that not two preachers are found who agree in each and every article of the ,augsburg ,confession1 but that they are rent asunder and separated from one another to such an extent that they themselves no longer know what is the ,augsburg ,confession and its proper sense4 7#ajie47 ,in spite of the express declaration of the ,lutherans at ,naumburg1 #aefa1 that they were minded to abide by the original ,augsburg ,confession as presented to ,emperor ,charles ,v at ,augsburg1 #aecj1 the ,papists and the ,reformed did not cease their calumniations1 but continued to interpret their declarations to mean1 as though we the ,lutherans were so uncertain concerning our religion1 and so often had transfused it from one formula to another1 that it was no longer clear to us or our theologians what is the ,confession once offered to the ,emperor at ,augsburg4 7#aa47 ,as a result of the numerous and1 in part radical changes made by ,melanchthon in the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,reformed also1 in the course of time more and more1 laid claim to the ,variata and appealed to it over against the loyal ,lutherans4 ,in particular1 they regarded and interpreted the alteration which ,melanchthon had made in ,article ,x1 ,of the ,lord's ,supper1 as a correction of the original ,augustana in deference to the views of ,calvinism4 ,calvin declared that he 7#aeci at ,strassburg7 had signed the ,augustana in the sense in which its author ,melanchthon explains it 7sicut eam auctor ipse interpretatur74 ,and whenever the ,reformed1 who were regarded as confessionally related to the ,augsburg ,confession 7,confessioni ,augustanae addicti71 and as such shared in the blessings of the ,peace of ,augsburg 7#aeee7 and the ,peace of ,westphalia 7#afdh71 adopted1 and appealed to1 the ,augustana1 they interpreted it according to the ,variata4 ,referring to this abuse on the part of the ,reformed and ,crypto-,calvinists1 the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord remarks3 ,to these disadvantages the slanders of the ,romanists there is also added that1 under the pretext of the ,augsburg ,confession ,variata of #aedj1 the teaching conflicting with the institution of the ,holy ,supper of the body and blood of ,christ and also other corruptions were introduced here and there into the churches and schools4 7#aa4 #ag47--,thus the changes made in the ,augsburg ,confession did much harm to the ,lutheran cause4 ,melanchthon belongs to the class of men that have greatly benefited our ,church1 but have also seriously harmed it4 ,these fictions of the adversaries1 says the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord concerning the slanders based on ,melanchthon's changes have deterred and alienated many good men from our churches1 schools1 doctrine1 faith1 and confession4 7#aa47 #cb4 ,attitude toward ,variata4 ,john ,eck was the first who1 in #aeda1 at the religious colloquy of ,worms1 publicly protested against the ,variata4 ,but since it was apparent that most of the changes were intended merely as reenforcements of the ,lutheran position against the ,papists1 and ,melanchthon also declared that he had made no changes in the matter and substance or in the sense1 i4e41 in the doctrine itself1 the ,lutherans at that time1 as the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord shows1 attached no further importance to the matter4 ,the freedom with which in those days formal alterations were made even in public documents1 and the guilelessness with which such changes were received1 appears1 for example1 from the translation of the ,apology by ,justus ,jonas4 ,however1 not all ,lutherans even at that time were able to view ,melanchthon's changes without apprehension and indifference4 ,among these was ,elector ,john ,frederick1 who declared that he considered the ,augustana to be the confession of those who had signed it1 and not the private property of ,melanchthon4 ,in his admonition to ,brueck of ,may #e1 #aecg1 he says3 ,thus ,master ,philip also is said to have arrogated to himself the privilege of changing in some points the ,confession of ,your ,electoral ,grace and the other princes and estates1 made before ,his ,imperial ,majesty at ,augsburg1 to soften it and to print it elsewhere a reprint of the changed ,latin octavo edition of #aeca had been published #aece at ,augsburg and another at ,hagenau without the previous knowledge and approval of ,your ,electoral ,grace and of the other estates which1 in the opinion of ,your ,electoral ,grace1 he should justly have refrained from1 since the ,confession belongs primarily to ,your ,electoral ,grace and the other estates2 and from it the alterations made ,your ,electoral ,grace and the other related estates might be charged that they are not certain of their doctrine and are also unstable4 ,besides1 it is giving an offense to the people4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #cfe47 ,luther1 too1 is said to have remonstrated with ,melanchthon for having altered the ,confession4 ,in his ,introduction to the ,augsburg ,confession 7,koenigsberg1 #aegg7 ,wigand reports3 ,i heard from ,mr4 ,george ,rorarius that ,dr4 ,luther said to ,philip1 ',philip1 ,philip1 you are not doing right in changing ,augustanam ,confessionem so often for it is not your1 but the ,church's book4' ,yet it is improbable that this should have occurred between #aecg and #aedb1 for in #aedj the ,variata followed1 which was changed still more in #aedb1 without arousing any public protest whatever4 ,after ,luther's death1 however1 when ,melanchthon's doctrinal deviations became apparent1 and the ,melanchthonians and the loyal ,lutherans became more and more opposed to one another1 the ,variata was rejected with increasing determination by the latter as the party-symbol of the ,philippists4 ,in #aefj ,flacius asserted at ,weimar that the ,variata differed essentially from the ,augustana4 ,in the ,reuss-,schoenburg ,confession of #aefg the ,variata was unqualifiedly condemned2 for here we read3 ,we confess the old1 true1 unaltered ,augsburg ,confession1 which later was changed1 mutilated1 misinterpreted1 and falsified 444 by the ,adiaphorists in many places both as regards the words and the substance 7nach den ,worten und sonst in den ,haendeln71 which thus became a buskin1 ,bundschuh1 pantoffle1 and a ,polish boot1 fitting both legs equally well suiting ,lutherans as well as ,reformed or a cloak and a changeling 7,wechselbalg71 by means of which ,adiaphorists1 ,sacramentarians1 ,antinomians1 new teachers of works1 and the like hide1 adorn1 defend1 and establish their errors and falsifications under the cover and name of the ,augsburg ,confession1 pretending to be likewise confessors of the ,augsburg ,confession1 for the sole purpose of enjoying with us under its shadow1 against rain and hail1 the common peace of the ,empire1 and selling1 furthering1 and spreading their errors under the semblance of friends so much the more easily and safely4 7,kolde1 ,einleitung1 #cj47 ,in a sermon delivered at ,wittenberg1 ,jacob ,andreae also opposed the ,variata very zealously4 ,thus the conditions without as well as within the ,lutheran ,church were such that a public declaration on the part of the genuine ,lutherans as to their attitude toward the alterations of ,melanchthon1 notably in the ,variata of #aedj1 became increasingly imperative4 ,especially the continued slanders1 intrigues1 and threats of the ,papists necessitated such a declaration4 ,as early as #aeee1 when the ,peace of ,augsburg was concluded1 the ,romanists attempted to limit its provisions to the adherents of the ,augustana of #aecj4 ,at the religious colloquy of ,worms1 in #aeeg1 the ,jesuit ,canisius1 distinguishing between a pure and a falsified ,augustana1 demanded that the adherents of the latter be condemned1 and excluded from the discussions4 #cc4 ,alterations in ,editions of #aeca1 #aecc1 #aedj4 ,as to the alterations themselves1 the ,latin text of the editio princeps of the ,augsburg ,confession of #aeca received the following additions3 sec4 #c in ,article #ac1 sec4 #h in ,article #ah1 and sec4 #bf in ,article #bf4 ,accordingly1 these passages do not occur in the ,german text of the ,book of ,concord4 ,originally sec4 #b in the conclusion of ,article #ba read3 ,tota dissensio est de paucis quibusdam abusibus1 and sec4 #c in ,article #bd3 ,nam ad hoc praecipue opus est ceremoniis1 ut doceant imperitos4 ,the additions made to ,articles #ac and #ah are also found in the ,german text of the editio princeps4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #bgi4 #efd47 ,in the ,approbation of the ,leipzig theologians mentioned above we read3 ,the octavo edition of the ,augustana and the ,apology printed #aeca by ,george ,rauh1 according to the unanimous testimony of our theologians1 cannot be tolerated1 owing to the many additions and other changes originating from ,philip ,melanchthon4 ,for if one compares the #bjth ,article of the ,augsburg ,confession as well as the last articles on the ,abuses3 ',of ,monastic ,vows' and ',of ,ecclesiastical ,authority1' it will readily be seen what great additions 7laciniae7 have been patched onto this ,wittenberg octavo edition of #aeca4 ,the same thing has also been done with the ,apology1 especially in the article ',of ,justification and ,good ,works1' where often entire successive pages may be found which do not occur in the genuine copies4 ,furthermore1 in the declaration regarding the article ',of the ,lord's ,supper1' where ,paul's words1 that the bread is a communion of the body of ,christ1 etc41 as well as the testimony of ,theophylact concerning the presence of the body of ,christ in the ,supper have been omitted4 ,likewise in the defense of the articles ',of ,repentance1' ',of ,confession and ,satisfaction1' ',of ,human ,traditions1' ',of the ,marriage of ,priests1' and ',of ,ecclesiastical ,power1' where1 again1 entire pages have been added4 7,l4c4 #h1 #ac2 ,c4 ,r4 #bg1 #dcg47 ,in the ,german edition of the ,augsburg ,confession of #aecc it was especially ,articles #d1 #e1 #f1 #ab1 #ac1 #ae1 and #bj that were remodeled4 ,these alterations1 however1 involve no doctrinal changes1 with the possible exception of ,article #e1 where the words where and when ,he will are expunged4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #gbh47 ,as to the ,variata of #aedj1 however1 the extent of the #ba doctrinal articles was here almost doubled1 and quite a number of material alterations were made4 ,chief among the latter are the following3 ,in ,article #e the words1 ubi et quando visum est ,deo1 are omitted4 ,in the #ajth ,article the rejection of the ,reformed doctrine is deleted1 and the following is substituted for the article proper3 ,de coena ,domini docent1 quod cum pane et vino vere exhibeantur corpus et sanguis ,christi vescentibus in ,coena ,domini4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #ceg47 ,the following sentences have also given offense3 ,et cum hoc modo consolamur nos promissione seu ,evangelio et erigimus nos fide1 certo consequimur remissionem peccatorum1 et simul datur nobis ,spiritus ,sanctus4 ,cum ,evangelium audimus aut cogitamus aut sacramenta tractamus et fide nos consolamur simul est efficax ,spiritus ,sanctus4 7#ced47 ,for the words of the #ahth ,article3 sed haec fit in cordibus1 cum per ,verbum ,spiritus ,sanctus concipitur1 the ,variata substitutes3 ,et ,christus dicit3 ,sine me nihil potestis facere4 ,efficitur autem spiritualis iustitia in nobis1 cum audiuvamur a ,spiritu ,sancto4 ,porro ,spiritum ,sanctum concipimus1 cum ,verbo ,dei assentimur1 ut nos fide in terroribus consolemur4 7#cfb47 ,toward the end of the same article we read3 ,quamquam enim externa opera aliquo modo potest efficere humana natura per sese1 444 verum timorem1 veram fiduciam1 patientiam1 castitatem non potest efficere1 nisi ,spiritus ,sanctus gubernet et adiuvet corda nostra4 7#cfc47 ,in the #aith ,article the phrase non adiuvante ,deo is erased1 which1 by the way1 indicates that ,melanchthon regarded these words as equivalent to those of the ,german text3 so ,gott die ,hand abgetan1 for else he would have weakened the text against his own interests4 7#cfc47 ,to the #bjth ,article ,melanchthon added the sentence3 ,debet autem ad haec dona ,dei accedere exercitatio nostra1 quae et conservat ea et meretur incrementum1 iuxta illud3 ,habenti dabitur4 ,et ,augustinus praeclare dixit3 ,dilectio meretur incrementum dilectionis1 cum videlicet exercetur4 7#caa47 #cd4 ,alterations ,render ,confession ,ambiguous4 ,true in making all these changes1 ,melanchthon did not introduce any direct heresy into the ,variata4 ,he did1 however1 in the interest of his irenic and unionistic policy and dogmatic vacillations1 render ambiguous and weaken the clear sense of the ,augustana4 ,by his changes he opened the door and cleared the way1 as it were1 for his deviations in the direction of ,synergism1 ,calvinism 7,lord's ,supper71 and ,romanism 7good works are necessary to salvation74 ,nor was ,melanchthon a man who did not know what he was doing when he made alterations4 ,whenever he weakened and trimmed the doctrines he had once confessed1 whether in his ,loci or in the ,augustana1 he did so in order to satisfy definite interests of his own1 interests self-evidently not subservient to1 but conflicting with1 the clear expression and bold confession of the old ,lutheran truth4 ,kolde1 referring in particular to the changes made in the #ajth ,article1 says3 ,it should never have been denied that these alterations involved real changes4 ,the motives which actuated ,melanchthon cannot be definitely ascertained1 neither from his own expressions nor from contemporary remarks of his circle of acquaintances ,as late as #aege ,selneccer reports that ,philip of ,hesse had asked ,melanchthon to erase the improbatio of the #ajth ,article1 because then also the ,swiss would accept the ,augustana as their confession4 ,a comparison with the ,wittenberg ,concord of ,may1 #aecf 7cum pane et vino vere et substantialiter adesse--that the body and blood of ,christ are really and substantially present with the bread and wine1 ,c4 ,r4 #c1 #ge7 justifies the assumption that by using the form3 cum pane et vino vere exhibeantur1 he endeavored to take into account the existing agreement with the ,south ,germans 7,oberlaender74 ,however1 when1 at the same time1 he omits the words3 vere et substantialiter adesse1 and the improbatio1 it cannot1 in view of his gradually changed conception of the ,lord's ,supper1 be doubted that he sought to leave open for himself and others the possibility of associating also with the ,swiss4 7#be47 ,an adequate answer to the question what prompted ,melanchthon to make his alterations will embrace also the following points3 #a4 ,melanchthon's mania for changing and remodeling in general4 #b4 ,his desire1 especially after the breach between the ,lutherans and the ,papists seemed incurable1 to meet and satisfy the criticism that the ,augustana was too mild1 and to reenforce the ,lutheran position over against the ,papists4 #c4 ,melanchthon's doctrinal deviations1 especially in ,reformed and synergistic directions4 #ce4 ,variata ,disowned by ,lutheran ,church4 ,it cannot be denied that during ,luther's life and for quite a time after his death the ,variata was used by ,lutherans without any public opposition and recognized as the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,martin ,chemnitz1 in his ,iudicum de ,controversiis quibusdam circa quosdam ,augustanae ,confessionis ,articulos--,decision concerning ,certain ,controversies about ,some ,articles of the ,augsburg ,confession1 printed #aeig1 says that the edition of #aedj was employed at the religious colloquies with the previous knowledge and approval of ,luther2 in fact1 that it was drawn up especially for the ,colloquy at ,hagenau1 which the opponents 7,cochlaeus at ,worms1 ,pighius at ,regensburg7 had taken amiss4 ,graviter tulerant1 says ,chemnitz1 multis articulis pleniori declaratione plusculum lucis accessisse1 unde videbant veras sententias magis illustrari et ,thaidis ,babyloniae turpitudinem manifestius denudare--,they took it amiss that more light had been shed on many articles by a fuller explanation1 whence they perceived the true statements to be more fully illustrated and the shame of the ,babylonian ,thais to be more fully disclosed4 7,mueller1 ,einleitung1 #gb47 ,furthermore1 it is equally certain that on the part of the ,lutheran princes1 the ,variata was employed without any sinister intentions whatever1 and without the slightest thought of deviating even in the least from the doctrine of the original ,augustana1 as has been falsely asserted by ,heppe1 ,weber1 and others4 ,wherever the ,variata was adopted by ,lutheran princes and theologians1 it was never for the purpose of weakening the doctrine of the ,augsburg ,confession in any point4 ,moreover1 the sole reason always was to accentuate and present more clearly the contrast between themselves and the ,papists2 and1 generally speaking1 the ,variata did serve this purpose4 ,true1 ,melanchthon at the same time1 no doubt planned to prepare the way for his doctrinal innovations2 but wherever such was the case he kept it strictly to himself4 ,the complete guilelessness and good faith in which the ,lutheran princes and theologians employed the ,variata1 and permitted its use appears from the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord4 ,for here they state3 ,therefore we have decided in this writing to testify publicly1 and to inform all1 that we wished neither then nor now in any way to defend1 or excuse or to approve1 as agreeing with the ,gospel-doctrine1 false and godless doctrines and opinions which may be concealed under certain coverings of words in the ,variata4 ,we1 indeed1 never received the latter edition of #aedj in a sense differing in any part from the former which was presented at ,augsburg4 ,neither do we judge that other useful writings of ,dr4 ,philip ,melanchthon1 or of ,brenz1 ,urban ,regius1 ,pomeranus1 etc41 should be rejected and condemned1 as far as in all things1 they agree with the norm which has been set forth in the ,book of ,concord4 7#ag47 ,accordingly1 when the ,variata was boldly exploited by the ,romanists to circulate all manner of slanders about the ,lutherans2 when it also became increasingly evident that the ,reformed and ,crypto-,calvinists employed the ,variata as a cover for their false doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper2 when1 furthermore within the ,lutheran ,church the suspicion gradually grew into conviction that ,melanchthon1 by his alterations had indeed intended to foist doctrinal deviations upon the ,lutheran ,church2 and when1 finally1 a close scrutiny of the ,variata had unmistakably revealed the fact that it actually did deviate from the original document not only in extent1 but also with regard to intent1 not merely formally1 but materially as well1--all loyal ,lutheran princes and theologians regarded it as self-evident that they unanimously and solemnly declare their exclusive adherence to the ,augsburg ,confession as presented to ,emperor ,charles at ,augsburg1 and abandon the ,variata without delay4 ,at ,naumburg1 in #aefa1 the ,lutheran princes therefore1 after some vacillation1 declared that they would adhere to the original ,augsburg ,confession and its genuine ,christian declaration and norm1 the ,smalcald ,articles4 ,frederick ,,iii of the ,palatinate alone withdrew1 and before long joined the ,calvinists by introducing the ,heidelberg ,catechism1 thus revealing the spuriousness of his own ,lutheranism4 ,it was due especially to the ,crypto-,calvinists in ,electoral ,saxony and to the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,philippicum that the ,variata retained a temporary and local authority1 until it was finally and generally disowned by the ,lutheran ,church and excluded from its symbols by the adoption of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,for here our ,church pledges adherence to the ,first1 ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession1 delivered to the ,emperor ,charles ,v at ,augsburg in the year #aecj1 in the great ,diet4 7#ggg1 #d2 #hdg1 #e2 #hea1 #e47 ,and in the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord the princes and estates declare3 ,accordingly1 in order that no persons may permit themselves to be disturbed by the charges of our adversaries spun out of their own minds1 by which they boast that not even we are certain which is the true and genuine ,augsburg ,confession1 but that both those who are now among the living and posterity may be clearly and firmly taught and informed what that godly ,confession is which we and the churches and schools of our realms at all times professed and embraced1 we emphatically testify that next to the pure and immutable truth of ,god's ,word we wish to embrace the first ,augsburg ,confession alone which was presented to the ,emperor ,charles ,v1 in the year #aecj1 at the famous ,diet of ,augsburg1 this alone 7we say71 and no other4 7#ae47 ,at the same time the princes furthermore protest that also the adoption of the ,formula of ,concord did not make any change in this respect4 ,for doctrinally the ,formula of ,concord was not1 nor was it intended to be1 a new or different confession1 i4e41 different from the one presented to ,emperor ,charles ,v4 7#bj47 ,v4 ,the ,pontifical ,confutation of the ,augsburg ,confession4 #cf4 ,papal ,party ,refusing ,conciliation4 ,at the ,diet of ,augsburg1 convened in order to restore the disturbed religious peace1 the ,lutherans were the first to take a step towards reconciliation by delivering their ,confession1 ,june #be1 #aecj4 ,in accordance with the manifesto of ,emperor ,charles1 they now expected that the papal party would also present its view and opinion1 in order that the discussions might thereupon proceed in love and kindness1 as the ,emperor put it4 ,in the ,preface to their ,confession the ,lutherans declared3 ,in obedience to ,your ,imperial ,majesty's wishes1 we offer1 in this matter of religion the ,confession of our preachers and of ourselves1 showing what manner of doctrine from the ,holy ,scriptures and the pure ,word of ,god has been up to this time set forth in our lands1 dukedoms1 dominions and cities1 and taught in our churches4 ,and if the other ,electors1 ,princes1 and ,estates of the ,empire will1 according to the said imperial proposition1 present similar writings1 to wit1 in ,latin and ,german1 giving their opinions in this matter of religion1 we1 with the ,princes and friends aforesaid1 here before ,your ,imperial ,majesty1 our most clement ,lord1 are prepared to confer amicably concerning all possible ways and means1 in order that we may come together1 as far as this may be honorably done1 and1 the matter between us on both sides being peacefully discussed without offensive strife1 the dissension1 by ,god's help1 may be done away and brought back to one true accordant religion2 for as we all are under one ,christ and do battle under ,him1 we ought to confess the one ,christ1 after the tenor of ,your ,imperial ,majesty's edict1 and everything ought to be conducted according to the truth of ,god2 and this is what1 with most fervent prayers1 we entreat of ,god4 7#ci1 #h47 ,the ,lutherans did not believe that the manifesto of the ,emperor could be construed in any other way than that both parties would be treated as equals at the ,diet4 ,not merely as a matter of good policy1 but bona fide1 as honest ,germans and true ,christians1 they clung tenaciously to the words of the ,emperor1 according to which the ,romanists1 too1 were to be regarded as a party summoned for the trial1 the ,emperor being the judge4 ,the ,lutherans simply refused to take the word of the ,emperor at anything less than par1 or to doubt his good will and the sincerity of his promise4 ,the fact that from the very beginning his actions were in apparent contravention of the manifesto was attributed by the ,lutherans to the sinister influence of such bitter1 baiting1 and unscrupulous theologians as ,eck1 ,cochlaeus1 and ,faber1 who1 they claimed1 endeavored to poison and incite the guileless heart of the ,emperor4 ,thus the ,lutherans would not and could not believe that ,charles had deceived them1--a simple trust1 which1 however1 stubborn facts finally compelled them to abandon4 ,the ,romanists1 on the other hand1 boasting before the ,emperor that they had remained with the true ,christian faith1 the holy ,gospel1 the ,catholic ,church1 the bull of the ,pope1 and the ,edict of ,worms1 refused with equal tenacity to be treated as a party summoned for trial4 ,june #be1 #aecj1 ,elector ,john wrote to ,luther3 ,thus we and the other princes and estates who are related to us in this matter had to consent to submit our opinion and confession of faith4 ,our opponents1 however1 as we are told1 declined to present theirs and decided to show to the ,emperor that they adhered to the ,edict of ,worms and to the faith which their fathers had bequeathed to and bestowed upon them1 and which they intended to adhere to even now2 if1 however the ,pope or1 in his place1 the ,legate1 together with ,his ,imperial ,majesty1 would point out1 and expect them to adopt1 a different and new faith1 they would humbly hear the ,emperor's opinion4 7,luther1 ,st4 ,l4 #af1 #geh47 ,thus presupposing what they were summoned to prove at ,augsburg1 namely1 that the doctrine of the ,pope was identical with the old ,christian faith1 the ,romanists declared a presentation of their views unnecessary4 ,the ,lutherans1 they maintained1 were convicted apostates and rebels against ,pope and ,church1 against ,emperor and realm2 sentence was not first to be pronounced upon them1 but had been pronounced long ago1 the ,diet's duty merely being to confirm and execute it2 hence1 there was nothing else to be done by the ,emperor than to attend to his office as warden and protector of the ,church1 and1 together with the princes and estates1 to proceed against the heretics with drastic measures4 ,also in the later discussions1 conducted with a view of effecting a reconciliation1 the ,romanists refused to relinquish this position4 ,from beginning to end they acted as the accusers1 judges1 and henchmen of the ,lutherans4 ,nor was anything else to be expected1 since1 unlike the ,lutherans1 they considered not ,god's ,word1 but the ,pope the supreme arbiter in religious matters4 ,thus from the very outset1 the gulf between the two parties was such that it could not be bridged4 ,common ground was lacking4 ,on the one side conscience1 bound by the ,word of ,god6 ,on the other1 blind subjection to human1 papal authority6 ,also ,romanists realized that this fundamental and irreconcilable difference was bound to render futile all discussions4 ,it was not merely his own disgust which the papal historian expressed when he concluded his report on the prolonged discussions at ,augsburg3 ,thus the time was wasted with vain discussions4 7,plitt1 ,apologie1 #dc47 #cg4 ,further ,success ,not ,hoped for by ,luther4 ,luther regarded the public reading of the ,confession as an unparalleled triumph of his cause4 ,further results1 such as a union with the ,romanists1 he did not expect4 ,on ,july #i1 #aecj1 he wrote to ,jonas3 ,quid sperem de ,caesare1 quantumvis optimo1 sed obsesso8 ,what can ,i hope of the ,emperor1 even the best1 when he is obsessed by the papal theologians8 ,the most ,luther hoped for was mutual political toleration4 ,in the letter quoted he continues3 ,but they the ,papists must expect a sad1 and we a happy issue4 ,not indeed1 that there ever will be unity of doctrine2 for who can hope that ,belial will be united with ,christ8 ,excepting that perhaps marriage of priests and the two kinds of the ,sacrament be permitted 7here too however1 this adverb 'perhaps' is required1 and perhaps too much 'perhaps'74 ,but this ,i wish and earnestly hope for1 that1 the difference in doctrine being set aside1 a political union may be made4 ,if by the blessing of ,christ this takes place1 enough and more than enough has been done and accomplished at this ,diet4 444 ,now1 if we obtain also the third thing1 that we adjourn with worldly peace secured1 then we shall have clearly defeated ,satan in this year4 7,enders1 #h1 #ie2 ,st4 ,l4 #af #ibg4 #afff47 ,july #ba1 #aecj1 ,luther wrote in a similar vein to ,jonas3 ,the fact that these frogs the papal theologians who wrote the ,confutation with their croakings coaxitatibus pasquinades against ,luther1 instead of answers to the ,augustana have free access to the ,emperor chagrins me very much in this great work in the most important matters4 444 ,but this happens to prove that ,i am a true prophet2 for ,i have always said that we work and hope in vain for a union in doctrine2 it would be enough if we could obtain worldly peace4 7#af1 #ibg4 #bcbd47 ,august #be1 when the prolonged discussions of reconciliation were nearing their end1 he wrote to ,melanchthon3 ,in sum1 it does not please me at all that unity of doctrine is to be discussed1 since this is utterly impossible1 unless the ,pope would abolish his entire popery4 ,it would have sufficed if we had presented to them the reasons for our faith and desired peace4 ,but how can we hope that we shall win them over to accept the truth8 ,we have come to hear whether they approve our doctrine or not1 permitting them to remain what they are1 only inquiring whether they acknowledge our doctrine to be correct or condemn it4 ,if they condemn it1 what does it avail to discuss the question of unity any longer with avowed enemies8 ,if they acknowledge it to be right1 what necessity is there of retaining the old abuses8 7#af1 #adjd47 ,though willing to yield to the ,catholic party in all other matters1 ,luther refused to compromise the divine truth in any point or in any way4 ,for this reason he also insisted that the ,emperor should not be recognized as judge and arbiter without qualification1 but only with the proviso that his decision would not conflict with the clear ,word of ,god4 ,according to ,luther1 everybody1 ,pope and ,emperor included1 must submit to the authority of the ,scriptures4 ,in a letter of ,july #i1 #aecj he wrote to the ,elector3 ,in the first place2 ,should ,his ,imperial ,majesty desire that the ,imperial ,majesty be permitted to decide these matters1 since it was not ,his ,majesty's purpose to enter into lengthy discussions1 ,i think ,your ,electoral ,grace might answer that ,his ,imperial ,majesty's manifesto promises that he would graciously listen to these matters4 ,if such was not intended1 the manifesto would have been needless1 for ,his ,imperial ,majesty might have rendered his decision just as well in ,spain without summoning ,your ,electoral ,grace to ,augsburg at such great labor and expense4 444 ,in the second place3 ,should ,his ,imperial ,majesty insist that the ,imperial ,majesty be permitted to decide these matters ,your ,electoral ,grace may cheerfully answer ,yes1 the ,imperial ,majesty shall decide these matters1 and ,your ,electoral ,grace would accept and suffer everything1 provided only that ,his ,imperial ,majesty make no decision against the clear ,scriptures1 or ,god's ,word4 ,for ,your ,electoral ,grace cannot put the ,emperor above ,god1 nor accept his verdict in opposition to ,god's ,word4 7#af1 #hae47 #ch4 ,papal ,peace ,sought by ,emperor4 ,by their obstinate refusal to regard themselves as a party summoned1 the ,romanists from the outset1 made it impossible for the ,emperor to maintain the role of an impartial judge1 which1 probably1 he had never really intended to be4 ,at any rate1 though earnestly desirous of religious peace1 his actions throughout the ,diet do not reveal a single serious effort at redeeming his promise and putting his beautiful words into practise4 ,being bound to the ,pope and the papal party both religiously and politically1 ,charles did not require of the ,romanists a fulfilment of the obligations imposed upon them by his manifesto4 ,all the concessions were to be made by the ,lutherans4 ,revoca6--that was the first and only word which ,rome had hitherto spoken to ,luther4 ,revoke and submit yourselves6--that1 in the last analysis1 was also the demand of the ,emperor at ,augsburg with respect to the ,lutheran princes1 both when he spoke in tones friendly and gentle and when he uttered severe and threatening words4 ,charles1 it is true1 desired peace1 but a ,roman peace1 a peace effected by universal blind submission to the ,pope2 not a peace by mutual understanding and concessions2 least of all a peace by political religious tolerance1 such as ,luther desired1 and which in our days is generally regarded as the outstanding feature of modern civilization1 notably of ,americanism4 ,to force the ,lutherans into submission and obedience to the ,pope1 that was the real object of the ,emperor4 ,and the political situation demanded that this be accomplished by peaceable and gentle means--if possible4 ,self-evidently1 in his endeavors to establish a ,papal ,peace1 the ,emperor1 who was haunted and tormented by the fear that all efforts might prove futile1 was zealously seconded1 encouraged1 and prodded on by the papal theologians4 ,to bring about a religious peace1 such as the ,emperor contemplated1 this1 they flattered ,charles1 would be an ever-memorable achievement1 truly worthy of the ,emperor3 for the eyes of all ,christendom were upon him1 and he had staked his honor upon the success of this glorious undertaking4 ,june #c the ,father ,confessor of the ,emperor1 ,garsia1 then at ,rome1 wrote to ,charles3 ,at present there is nothing so important in this life as that ,your ,majesty emerge victorious in the ,german affair4 ,in ,italy you will be accounted the best prince on earth if ,god should vouchsafe this grace unto us that the heresies which have arisen in that nation be cured by your hand4 7,plitt1 #d47 ,june #f ,garsia wrote3 ,gracious ,lord6 ,after the letters from the legate ,campegius1 concerning the return of ,christian ,,ii to the ,roman ,church1 the disagreement between ,philip of ,hesse and the ,elector1 etc4 had been read at to-day's ,consistorial ,meeting1 almost all the cardinals said that ,your ,majesty was the angel sent from heaven to restore ,christendom4 ,god knows how much ,i rejoiced1 and although the sun burned fiercely when ,i returned to my home1 how patiently ,i bore it6 ,i was not sensitive to it from sheer joy at hearing such sweet words about my master from those who a year ago had maligned him4 ,my chief comfort1 however1 was to behold that they were right2 for it seems as if ,god were performing miracles by ,your ,majesty1 and to judge by the beginning you have made in curing this ailment1 it is evident that we may expect the issue to prove far more favorable than our sins merit4 7,,ii4 #fg47 #ci4 ,compulsion ,advocated by ,theologians4 ,all ,romanists1 the ,emperor included1 were of the opinion that the ,protestants must be brought back to the papal fold4 ,but they differed somewhat as to the means of accomplishing this purpose4 ,some demanded that force be resorted to forthwith1 while others counseled that leniency be tried first4 ,campegius advised kindness at the beginning1 and greater severity only in dealing with certain individuals1 but that sharper measures and1 finally1 force of arms ought to follow4 ,at ,rome force was viewed as the true rhubarb for healing the breach1 especially among the common people4 ,july #ah ,garsia wrote to the ,emperor3 ,if you are determined to bring ,germany back to the fold1 ,i know of no other or better means than by presents and flattery to persuade those who are most eminent in science or in the empire to return to our faith4 ,once that is done1 you must1 in dealing with the remaining common people1 first of all publish your imperial edicts and ,christian admonitions4 ,if they will not obey these1 then the true rhubarb to cure them is force4 ,this alone cured ,spain's rebellion against its king4 ,and force is what will also cure ,germany's unfaithfulness to ,god1 unless1 indeed1 divine grace should not attend ,your ,majesty in the usual measure4 ,god would learn in this matter whether you are a faithful son of ,his1 and should ,he so find1 then ,i promise you that among all creatures you will find no power sufficiently strong to resist you4 ,all will but serve the purpose of enabling you to obtain the crown of this world4 7#db47 ,among the open advocates of force were ,cochlaeus1 ,eck1 ,faber1 and the theologians and monks who flocked to ,augsburg in large numbers about the time the ,augsburg ,confession was read4 ,they all considered it their prime duty to rouse the passions of the ,emperor1 as well as of the ,catholic princes and estates1 and to incite them against the ,lutherans4 ,their enmity was primarily directed against the ,augustana1 whose objective and moderate tone had gained many friends even among the ,catholics1 and which had indirectly branded ,eck and his compeers as detractors and calumniators4 ,for had not ,duke ,william of ,bavaria1 after the reading of the ,confession1 rebuked ,eck1 in the presence of the ,elector of ,saxony1 for having misrepresented the ,lutheran doctrine to him8 ,the moderation of the ,augustana1 said these ,romanists1 was nothing but the cunning of serpents1 deception and misrepresentation1 especially on the part of the wily ,melanchthon1 for the true ,luther was portrayed in the #djd theses of ,eck4 ,cochlaeus wrote that the ,lutherans were slyly hiding their ungodly doctrines in order to deceive the ,emperor3 astute occultari in illorum ,confessione prava eorum dogmata1 de quibus ibi tacendo dissimulabant1 ut in hypocrisi loquentes ,maiestati ,tuae aliisque principibus imponerent4 7,laemmer1 ,vortridentinische ,theologie1 #ci47 ,thus the malice and fanaticism of the papal theologians and the monks rose in proportion as friendliness was shown the ,lutherans by ,catholic princes and the ,emperor4 ,they feared that every approach toward the ,lutherans would jeopardize the pax ,pontificia4 ,the fanaticism of the papal theologians is frequently referred to by the ,lutherans4 ,june #bf ,melanchthon wrote to ,luther3 ,sophists and monks are daily streaming into the city1 in order to inflame the hatred of the ,emperor against us4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #ada47 ,june #bg3 ,our ,confession was presented last ,saturday4 ,the opponents are now deliberating upon how to answer2 they flock together1 take great pains1 and incite the princes1 who already have been sufficiently aroused4 ,eck vehemently demands of the ,archbishop of ,mainz that the matter be not debated1 since it has already been condemned4 7#add47 ,june #bi ,jonas wrote to ,luther3 ,faber is goaded on by furies and ,eck is not a whit more sensible4 ,both insist in every manner imaginable that the affair ought to be managed by force and must not be heard4 7#aed47 ,melanchthon1 ,july #h3 ,by chance ,eck and ,cochlaeus came to the legate ,campegius1 with whom ,melanchthon was deliberating4 ,i heard them say1 distinctly enough1 ,i believe1 that the opponents are merely deliberating upon how to suppress us by force4 7#age47 ,july #ae3 ,repeatedly have ,i been with certain enemies who belong to that herd of ,eck4 ,words fail me to describe the bitter1 ,pharisaical hatred ,i noticed there4 ,they do nothing1 they plan nothing else than how they may incite the princes against us1 and supply the ,emperor with impious weapons4 7#aig47 ,the implacable theologians also succeeded in fanaticizing some of the princes and bishops1 who gradually became more and more opposed to any kind of settlement by mutual understanding4 7#age47 ,the chief exponent of force was ,cochlaeus4 ,in his ,expostulatio1 which appeared at ,augsburg in ,may1 #aecj1 he argued that not only according to papal1 but according to imperial law as well1 which the ,evangelicals also acknowledged1 and according to the ,scriptures1 heretics might1 aye1 must be punished with death4 ,the treatise concludes as follows3 ,thus it is established that obdurate heretics may be executed by every form of law4 ,we1 however1 much prefer to have them return to the ,church1 be converted1 healed and live1 and we beseech them to do so4 ,constat igitur1 haereticos pertinaces omni iure interimi posse4 ,nos tamen longe magis optamus et precamur1 ut redeuntes ad ecclesiam convertantur1 sanentur et vivant4 7,plitt1 #a1 #e47 ,naturally ,eck1 too1 was prominent among those who counseled the employment of compulsory measures2 indeed1 he could not await the hour when the order would be given to proceed against the heretics with fire and sword4 ,he lamented1 in bitter terms1 the fact that the ,emperor had not made use of stern measures as soon as he arrived in ,germany4 ,for now1 said he1 procrastination and the conciliatory demeanor of the ,evangelicals1 especially of ,melanchthon and ,brueck1 had made it impossible to rouse the ,emperor to such a degree as the exigency of the case demanded4 7,plitt1 #fc47 ,luther wrote3 ,for that shameless gab and bloodthirsty sophist1 ,doctor ,eck1 one of their chief advisers1 publicly declared in the presence of our people that if the ,emperor had followed the resolution made at ,bononia1 and1 immediately on entering ,germany1 had courageously attacked the ,lutherans with the sword1 and beheaded one after another1 the matter would have been easily settled4 ,but all this was prevented when he permitted the ,elector of ,saxony to speak and be heard through his chancellor4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #afcf47 #dj4 ,emperor ,employs ,mildness4 ,while a number of the ,catholic estates1 incited by the theologians1 were also in favor of immediately resorting to brutal force1 the ,emperor1 for political reasons1 considered it more advisable to employ kindness4 ,lauding the extreme affability and leniency of ,charles1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,luther1 ,january #be3 ,the ,emperor greets our ,prince very kindly2 and ,i would that our people1 in turn1 were more complaisant towards him4 ,i would ask you to admonish our ,junior ,prince by letter in this matter4 ,the ,emperor's court has no one milder than himself4 ,all others harbor a most cruel hatred against us4 ,caesar satis benigne salutat nostrum principem2 ac velim vicissim nostros erga ipsum officiosiores esse4 ,ea de re utinam iuniorem principem nostrum litteris admonueris4 ,nihil ipso ,caesare mitius habet ipsius aula4 ,reliquii omnes crudelissime nos oderunt4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #abe47 ,the reading of the ,augustana strengthened this friendly attitude of ,charles4 ,both its content and its conciliatory tone1 which was not at all in harmony with the picture of the ,lutherans as sketched by ,eck1 caused him to be more kindly disposed toward ,protestantism1 and nourished his hope that religious peace might be attained by peaceable means4 ,other ,catholic dignitaries and princes had been impressed in the same manner4 ,july #f ,luther wrote to ,hausmann3 ,many bishops are inclined to peace and despise the sophists1 ,eck and ,faber4 ,one bishop ,stadion of ,augsburg is said to have declared in a private conversation1 ',this the ,confession of the ,lutherans is the pure truth1 we cannot deny it1' ,the ,bishop of ,mainz is being praised very much for his endeavors in the interest of peace4 ,likewise ,duke ,henry of ,brunswick who extended a friendly invitation to ,philip to dine with him1 and admitted that he was not able to disprove the articles treating of both kinds1 the marriage of priests1 and the distinction of meats4 ,our men boast that1 of the entire ,diet1 no one is milder than the ,emperor himself4 ,such is the beginning4 ,the ,emperor treats our ,elector not only graciously1 but most respectfully4 ,so ,philip writes4 ,it is remarkable how all are aglow with love and good will toward the ,emperor4 ,it may happen1 if ,god so wills1 that1 as the first ,emperor ,charles at ,worms was very hostile1 so this last ,emperor ,charles at ,augsburg will be very friendly4 ,only let us pray2 for the power of prayer is clearly perceived4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #hhb47 ,the ,emperor's optimism was1 no doubt1 due to the fact that1 unlike his theologians1 he did not perceive and realize the impassable gulf fixed between ,lutheranism and the ,papacy1 as appeared also from the ,augustana1 in which1 however1 the ,emperor mistook moderation of tone for surrender of substance4 #da4 ,augustana ,submitted to ,catholic ,party4 ,full of hope the ,emperor1 on ,june #bf1 immediately after its public presentation1 submitted the ,lutheran ,confession to the ,catholic estates for deliberation4 ,these1 too1 though not in the least inclined to abandon their arrogant attitude1 seem to have given themselves over to the delusion that the ,lutherans could now be brought to recede from their position4 ,accordingly1 their answer 7,responsum7 of ,june #bg1 couched in conciliatory language1 recommended as the humble opinion of the electors and estates that the ,imperial ,roman ,majesty would submit this great and important matter to a number of highly learned1 sensible1 honest1 conciliating1 and not spiteful persons1 to deliberate on1 and to consider1 the writing the ,augustana1 as far as necessary1 enumerating1 on the one hand1 whatsoever therein was found to be in conformity and harmony with the ,gospel1 ,god's ,word1 and the holy ,christian ,church1 but1 on the other hand1 refuting with the true foundation of the ,gospel and the ,holy ,scripture and its doctrine1 and bringing into true ,christian understanding1 such matters as were found to be against1 and out of harmony with1 the ,gospel1 the ,word of ,god1 and the ,christian ,church4 7,laemmer1 #cb47 ,they recommended1 however1 that in this entire matter ,campegius be consulted1 and for that purpose be furnished with a copy of the ,lutheran ,confession4 ,the ,romanists furthermore resolved that the ,lutherans be asked whether they had any additional points to present1 and1 if so1 to do this immediately4 ,the ,lutherans1 considering this a snare1 declared1 on ,july #aj1 that in their ,confession they had made it a special point to present the chief articles which it is necessary to believe in order to be saved1 but had not enumerated all abuses1 desiring to emphasize such only as burdened the consciences1 lest the paramount questions be obscured2 that they would let this all that was enumerated in their ,confession suffice1 and have included other points of doctrine and abuses which were not mentioned1 that they would not fail to give an answer from the ,word of ,god in case their opponents should attack the ,confession or present anything new4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #af4 ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aha47 ,no doubt1 the ,papists felt that the ,lutherans really should have testified directly also against the ,papacy1 etc4 ,this1 too1 was the interpretation which ,luther put on the inquiry of the ,romanists4 ,july #ba1 #aecj1 he wrote to ,jonas3 ,but now ,i see what the questions aimed at whether you had other articles to present4 ,for ,satan still lives and has noticed very well that your ,apology ,augustana steps softly and has passed by the articles concerning purgatory1 the adoration of the saints1 and especially ,antichrist1 the ,pope4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #bcbc1 ,enders1 #h1 #acc47 ,july #e the ,emperor accepted the opinion of the estates and appointed the confutators4 ,at the same time he declared with reference to the ,lutherans that he was the judge of the content of their writing 7,augustana72 that1 in case they should not be satisfied with his verdict1 the final decision must remain with the ,council1 but that meanwhile the ,edict of ,worms would be enforced everywhere4 7,laemmer1 #cd2 ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #age47 ,thus the ,emperor1 in unmistakable terms1 indicated that the ,roman ,confutation would bring his own final verdict1 which no further discussions could modify1 and that he would compel the ,lutherans by force to observe the ,edict of ,worms if they refused to submit willingly4 ,the ,catholic estates endorsed the ,emperor's declaration1 but added the petition that1 after the ,confutation had been read1 the ,lutherans be asked in all kindness to return and that1 in case this remained fruitless1 an attempt be made to bring about an agreement to be reached by a committee appointed by both parties4 ,evidently1 the estates as well as the ,emperor expected the ,lutherans to yield and surrender4 ,still1 for the present1 they were willing and preferred to attain this end by mild and gentle means4 #db4 ,rabid ,theologians ,appointed as ,confutators4 ,campegius1 to whom the entire matter was entrusted1 manipulated things in such a manner that the result was the very opposite of what the ,emperor and estates had resolved upon4 ,to be sure he made it appear as though he were entirely neutral leaving everything to the discretion of the ,german princes4 ,he knew also how to hide his real sentiments from the ,lutherans4 ,jonas1 for example reports that in his address of ,june #bd ,campegius had said nothing harsh or hateful 7nihil acerbe1 nihil odiose7 against the ,lutherans4 ,spalatin reports3 ,some one besought the ,legate and ,cardinal ,campegius to assist in obtaining peace for the cause of the ,gospel4 ,to this he responded3 ,since the papal power was suspicious to us the matter rested with the ,emperor and the ,german princes4 ,whatever they did would stand4 7,koellner1 ,symbolik1 #djc47 ,thus ,campegius created the impression of absolute neutrality while in reality he was at the same time busy with secret intrigues against the ,lutherans4 ,among the ,confutators 7,brueck mentions #ai1 ,spalatin #bj1 others #bb1 still others #bd71 selected by ,campegius and appointed by the ,emperor1 were such rabid abusive and inveterate enemies of ,luther as ,eck1 ,faber1 ,cochlaeus1 ,wimpina1 ,colli 7author of a slanderous tract against ,luther's marriage71 ,dietenberger etc4 ,the first three are repeatedly designated as the true authors of the ,confutation4 ,in his ,replica ad ,bucerum1 ,eck boasts3 ,of all the theologians at ,augsburg ,i was chosen unanimously to prepare the answer to the ,saxon ,confession1 and ,i obeyed4 ,augustae ab omnibus theologis fui delectus unanimiter1 qui responsum pararem contra confessionem ,saxonicam1 et parui4 7,koellner1 #djg47 ,july #aj ,brenz wrote to ,myconius3 ,their leader 7antesignanus7 is that good man ,eck4 ,the rest are #bc in number4 ,one might call them an ,iliad ,homer's ,iliad consists of #bd books of sophists4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #ahj47 ,melanchthon1 too1 repeatedly designates ,eck and ,faber as the authors of the ,confutation4 ,july #ad he wrote to ,luther3 ,with his legerdemain 7commanipulatione7 ,eck presented to the ,emperor the ,confutation of our ,confession4 7#aic47 ,august #f3 ,this ,confutation is the most nonsensical of all the nonsensical books of ,faber4 7#bec47 ,august #h1 to ,myconius3 ,eck and ,faber have worked for six entire weeks in producing the ,confutation of our ,confession4 7#bfj47 ,hence also such allusions in ,melanchthon's letters as confutatio ,fabrilis1 ,fabriliter scripta1 and in the ,apology3 ,nullus ,faber ,fabrilius cogitare quidquam posset1 quam hae ineptiae excogitatae sunt ad eludendum ius naturae4 7#cff1 #aj47 ,brueck was right when he said that some of the ,confutators were purely partial1 and altogether suspicious characters4 7,koellner1 #daa47 #dc4 ,confutation ,prepared4 ,the resolution which the ,catholic estates passed ,june #bg was to the effect that the imperial answer to the ,lutheran ,confession be made by sober and not spiteful men of learning4 ,the ,emperor's ,prolog to the ,confutation1 accordingly1 designated the confutators as certain learned1 valiant1 sensible1 sober1 and honorable men of many nations4 7,c4 ,r4 #bg1 #ahi47 ,at the same time they were told to couch their answer in winning1 convincing1 moderate1 and earnest terms4 ,the imperial instruction read3 ,to this end it is indeed good and needful that said document the ,augustana be carefully considered and diligently studied by learned1 wise1 and sober persons1 in order that they the ,lutherans be shown in all kindness 7durch gute ,wege7 where they err1 and be admonished to return to the good way1 likewise1 to grant them whatsoever may be serviceable and adapted to our holy ,christian faith2 and to set forth the errors1 moderately and politely1 with such good and holy arguments as the matter calls for1 to defend and prove everything with suitable evangelical declarations and admonitions1 proceeding from ,christian and neighborly love2 and at the same time to mingle therewith earnestness and severity with such moderation as may be likely to win the five electors and princes1 and not to destroy their hope or to harden them still more4 7,koellner1 #djc7 ,however1 inspired by ,campegius and goaded on by blind hatred1 the ,confutators employed their commission for the purpose of casting suspicion on the ,lutherans and inciting the ,emperor against them4 ,they disregarded the imperial admonition for moderation1 and instead of an objective answer to the ,augustana1 they produced a long-winded pasquinade against ,luther and the ,evangelical preachers1 a fit companion piece to the #djd theses of ,eck--a general accusation against the ,protestants1 a slanderous anthology of garbled quotations from ,luther1 ,melanchthon1 and other ,evangelical preachers4 ,the insinuation lurking in the document everywhere was that the ,confession of the ,lutheran princes was in glaring contradiction to the real doctrine of their pastors4 ,the sinister scheme of the ,romanists1 as the ,elector in #aecf reminded the ,lutheran theologians1 was to bring the princes in opposition to their preachers4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #adh47 ,the mildness and moderation of the ,augustana1 they openly declared1 was nothing but subtle cunning of the smooth and wily ,melanchthon1 who sought to hide the true state of affairs4 ,in a book which ,cochlaeus published against the ,apology in #aecd he said that the open attacks of ,luther were far more tolerable than the serpentine cunning and hypocrisy of ,melanchthon 7instar draconis insidiantis fraudes intendens71 as manifested in particular by his demeanor toward ,campegius at ,augsburg in #aecj4 7,laemmer1 #ef2 ,salig1 #a1 #cgf47 ,thus the ,roman ,confutators disregarded their commission to refute the ,augustana1 and substituted a caricature of ,luther and his doctrines designed to irritate the ,emperor4 #dd4 ,a ,bulky1 ,scurrilous ,document4 ,the ,confutation1 compiled by ,eck and ,faber from various contributions of the ,confutators1 was ready by the #hth of ,july1 and was presented to the ,emperor on the #abth or #acth4 ,the ,german translation was prepared by the ,bavarian ,chancellor1 ,leonhard von ,eck4 ,july #aj ,brenz had written3 ,it is reported that they are preparing wagonloads of commentaries against our ,confession4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #ahj47 ,spalatin reports that the ,confutators delivered to the ,emperor a pile of books against ,doctor ,martin with most scurrilous titles4 ,the chief document was entitled3 ,catholic and1 as it were1 ,extemporaneous ,response concerning ,certain ,articles ,presented in ,these ,days at the ,diet to the ,imperial ,majesty by the ,illustrious ,elector of ,saxony and ,certain ,other ,princes as well as ,two ,cities4 ,catholica et quasi extemporanea ,responsio super nonnullis articulis ,caesareae ,maiestati hisce diebus in dieta imperiali ,augustensi per ,illustrem ,electorem ,saxoniae et alios quosdam ,principes et duas ,civitates oblatis4 ,it was supplemented by nine other treatises on all manner of alleged contradictions and heresies of ,luther and ,anabaptistic as well as other fruits of his teaching4 7,laemmer1 #cg1 ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aig47 ,the pasquinade with its supplements comprised no less than #cea folios1 #bhj of which were devoted to the answer proper4 ,cochlaeus also designates it as very severe and extended1 acrior extensiorque4 ,july #ad ,melanchthon reported he had heard from friends that the ,confutation was long and filled with scurrilities4 7#aic4 #bah47 ,july #ae3 ,i am sending you ,luther a list of the treatises which our opponents have presented to the ,emperor1 from which you will see that the ,confutation is supplemented by antilogs and other treatises in order to stir up against us the most gentle heart of the ,emperor4 ,such are the stratagems these slanderers 7sycophantae7 devise4 7#aig47 ,the effect of the ,confutation on the ,emperor1 however1 was not at all what its authors desired and anticipated4 ,disgusted with the miserable bulky botch1 the ,emperor convened the estates on ,july #ae1 and they resolved to return the bungling document to the theologians for revision4 ,tone1 method1 plan1 everything displeased the ,emperor and estates to such an extent that they expunged almost one-third of it4 ,intentionally they ignored the nine supplements and demanded that reflections on ,luther be eliminated from the document entirely2 moreover1 that the theologians confine themselves to a refutation of the ,augustana4 7,laemmer1 #ci47 ,cochlaeus writes3 ,since the ,catholic princes all desired peace and concord1 they deemed it necessary to answer in a milder tone1 and to omit all reference to what the ,lutheran preachers had formerly taught and written otherwise than their ,confession stated4 7,koellner1 #djf47 ,in a letter to ,brueck he declared that such coarse extracts and articles with which the first draft of the ,confutation charged ,luther should not be mentioned in the reply to the ,confession1 lest any one be put to shame or defamed publicly4 7,laemmer1 #ci47 ,in his ,annals1 ,spalatin reports3 ,at first there were perhaps #bhj folios4 ,but ,his ,imperial ,majesty is said to have weeded out many folios and condensed the ,confutation to such an extent that not more than twelve folios remained4 ,this is said to have hurt and angered ,eck severely4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;a1 #aeci47 ,in a letter to ,veit ,dietrich1 dated ,july #cj1 ,melanchthon remarks sarcastically3 ,recently ,eck complained to one of his friends that the ,emperor had deleted almost the third part of his treatise1 and ,i suspect that the chief ornaments of the book were rooted out1 that is1 the glaring lies and the most stupid tricks1 insignia mendacia et sycophantiae stolidissimae4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bda47 ,brenz regarded this as an evidence of the extent to which the ,augustana had perturbed the opponents1 leaving them utterly helpless4 ,july #ae he wrote to ,isemann3 ,meanwhile nothing new has taken place in our midst1 except that ,i heard that the confession of the sophists was to-day returned by the ,emperor to its authors1 the sophists1 and this for the reason that it was so confused1 jumbled1 vehement1 bloodthirsty1 and cruel 7confusa1 incordita1 violenta1 sanguinolenta et crudelis7 that he was ashamed to have it read before the ,imperial ,senate4444 ,we experience daily that we have so bewildered1 stunned1 and confused them that they know not where to begin or to end4 7#aih47 ,pussyfooting 7,leisetreten76--such was the slogan at ,augsburg2 and in this ,melanchthon was nowhere equaled4 ,privately also ,cochlaeus elaborated a milder answer to the ,lutheran ,confession4 ,but even the friends who had induced him to undertake this task considered his effort too harsh to be presented to the ,emperor4 ,the first1 rejected draft of the ,confutation has been lost1 with the sole exception of the second article1 preserved by ,cochlaeus4 ,on the difference between this draft and the one finally adopted1 ,plitt comments as follows3 ,the ,confutation as read simply adopted the first article of the ,confession ,augustana as in complete agreement with the ,roman ,church4 ,the original draft also approved this article's appeal to the ,council of ,nicaea1 but added that now the ,emperor should admonish the confessing estates to accept everything else taught by the ,catholic ,church1 even though it was not verbally contained in the ,scriptures1 as1 for example1 the ,mass1 ,quadragesimal fasting1 the invocation of the saints1 etc42 for the wording of the doctrine of the ,trinity could be found in the ,scriptures just as little as that of the points mentioned1 furthermore1 that he also call upon them to acknowledge said ,synod of ,nicaea in all its parts1 hence also to retain the hierarchical degrees with their powers2 that he admonish them to compel their preachers and teachers to retract everything which they had said and written against that ,synod1 especially ,luther and ,melanchthon1 its public defamers4 ,refusal of such retraction would invalidate their appeal to that ,synod and prove it to be nothing but a means of deception4 ,finally they were to be admonished not to believe their teachers in anything which was against the declarations of the ,church catholic4 ,such was the form in which the first draft of the ,confutation was couched4 ,everywhere the tendency was apparent to magnify the differences1 make invidious inferences1 cast suspicion on their opponents1 and place them in a bad light with the ,emperor and the majority4 ,this was not the case in the answer which was finally read4 7#cg47 #de4 ,confutation ,adopted and ,read4 ,only after repeated revisions in which ,campegius and the imperial counselors ,valdes and ,granvella took part was an agreement reached regarding the form of the ,confutation4 ,july #cj the ,emperor received the fourth revision and on ,august #a he presented it to the bishops1 princes1 and estates for their opinion4 ,there still remained offensive passages which had to be eliminated4 ,a fifth revision was necessary before the approval of the ,emperor and the estates was forthcoming4 ,a ,prolog and an ,epilog were added according to which the ,confutation is drawn up in the name of the ,emperor4 ,thus the original volume was boiled down to a comparatively small document4 ,but to speak with ,kolde1 even in its final form the ,confutation is still rather an accusation against the ,evangelicals1 and an effort to retain all the medieval church customs than a refutation of the ,augustana4 7#cd47 ,august #f ,jonas wrote to ,luther3 ,the chaplain ,john ,henkel of ,queen ,maria informed us that they had five times changed their ,confutation1 casting and recasting1 minting and reminting it1 and still there finally was produced nothing but an uncouth and confused conglomeration and a hodgepodge1 as when a cook pours different soups into one pot4 ,at first they patched together an enormous volume1 as ,faber is known to be a verbose compiler2 the book grew by reason of the multitude of its lies and scurrilities4 ,however1 at the first revision the ,emperor eliminated the third part of the book1 so that barely twelve or sixteen folios remained1 which were read4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;a1 #aeci47 ,on ,august #c1 #aecj1 in the same hall in which the ,augsburg ,confession had been submitted thirty-eight days before1 in the presence of all the estates of the empire1 the ,augustanae ,confessionis ,responsio1 immediately called ,confutatio ,pontificia by the ,protestants1 was read in the ,german language by ,alexander ,schweiss1 the ,imperial ,secretary4 ,however1 the reading1 too1 proved to be a discreditable affair4 ,owing to the great haste in which the ,german copy had been prepared1 an entire portion had been omitted2 the result was that the conclusion of ,article #bd as well as ,articles #be and #bf were not presented4 ,furthermore1 ,schweiss1 overlooking the lines of erasure1 read a part which had been stricken1 containing a very bold deliverance on the sacrifice of the ,mass1 in which they labored to prove from the ,hebrew1 ,greek1 and ,latin that the word facite in the institution of the ,sacrament was synonymous with sacrifice4 7,kolde1 #cd47 ,august #f1 #aecj1 ,jonas wrote to ,luther3 ,the opponents presented their ,confutation to the ,emperor on ,july #cj1 and on the #c;d of ,august it was read in the presence of the ,emperor and the estates1 together with a ,prolog and an ,epilog of the ,emperor4 ,the reading also consumed two entire hours1 but with an incredible aversion1 weariness1 and disgust on the part of some of the more sensible hearers1 who complained that they were almost driven out by this utterly cold1 threadbare songlet 7cantilena71 being extremely chagrined that the ears of the ,emperor should be molested with such a lengthy array of worthless things masquerading under the name of ,catholic doctrines4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;a1 #aeci47 ,august #d ,brenz wrote to ,isemann3 ,the ,emperor maintains neutrality2 for he slept both when the ,augustana and when the ,confutation was read4 ,imperator neutralem sese gerit2 nam cum nostra confessio legeretur obdormivit2 rursus cum adversariorum responsio legeretur1 iterum obdormivit in media negotii actione4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bde47 ,the ,confutation was neither published1 nor was a copy of it delivered to the ,lutherans4 ,apparently the ,romanists1 notably the ,emperor and the estates1 were ashamed of the document4 ,true1 ,cochlaeus reports that toward the close of the ,diet ,charles authorized him and ,eck to publish it1 but that this was not done1 because ,duke ,george and the ,emperor left ,augsburg shortly after1 and the printer also moved away4 7,koellner1 #dad47 ,all subsequent pleading and imploring1 however1 on the part of ,eck and others1 to induce the ,emperor to publish the ,confutation fell on deaf ears4 ,evidently ,charles no longer took any interest in a document that had so shamefully shattered his fond ambition of reconciling the religious parties4 ,what appeared in print1 early in #aeca1 was merely an extract prepared by ,cochlaeus1 entitled1 ,summary of the ,imperial ,answer1 etc4 ,the first ,latin edition of the ,confutation appeared as late as #aegc2 the first ,german edition1 in #ahjh4 ,all previous ,german impressions 7also the edition of #aehd7 are translations of the ,latin edition of #aegc4 7,c4 ,r4 #bg1 #be4 #hb47 ,concerning the ,german text of the ,confutation ,kolde remarks3 ,since changes were made even after it had been read1 we have even less definite knowledge1 respecting details1 as to what was read than in the case of the ,augustana4 7#ce47 ,one may therefore also speak of a ,confutatio ,variata4 ,the doctrine of the ,confutation does not differ essentially from that which was later on affirmed by the ,council of ,trent 7#aede-aefc74 ,however1 says ,kolde1 being written by the ,german leaders of the ,catholic party under the eye of the ,papal ,legate1 and approved by the ,emperor1 the ,german bishops1 and the ,roman-minded princes1 it the ,confutation must be reckoned among the historically most important documents of the ,roman ,catholic faith of that day4 #df4 ,confutation ,denounced by ,lutherans4 ,in the opinion of the ,lutherans1 the final draft of the ,confutation1 too1 was a miserable makeshift4 ,true1 its tone was moderate1 and1 with few exceptions1 personal defamations were omitted4 ,the arrangement of subjects was essentially the same as in the ,augustana4 ,still it was not what it pretended to be4 ,it was no serious attempt at refuting the ,lutheran ,confession1 but rather an accumulation of ,bible-texts1 arbitrarily expounded1 in support of false doctrines and scholastic theories4 ,these efforts led to exegetical feats that made the ,confutators butts of scorn and derision4 ,at any rate1 the ,lutherans were charged with having failed1 at the public reading1 to control their risibilities sufficiently4 ,cochlaeus complains3 ,during the reading many of the ,lutherans indulged in unseemly laughter4 ,quando recitata fuit1 multi e ,lutheranis inepte cachinnabantur4 7,koellner1 #daa47 ,if this did not actually occur1 it was not because the ,confutators had given them no cause for hilarity4 ,altogether childish and silly--such is ,melanchthon's verdict on many of their exegetical pranks4 ,august #f he wrote letter after letter to ,luther1 expressing his contempt for the document4 ,after hearing that ,confutation1 says ,melanchthon1 all good people seem to have been more firmly established on our part1 and the opponents1 if there be among them some who are more reasonable1 are said to be disgusted 7stomachari7 that such absurdities were forced upon the ,emperor1 the best of princes4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #beb47 ,again3 ,although the ,emperor's verdict was very stern and terrible1 still1 the ,confutation being a composition so very puerile1 a most remarkable congratulation followed its reading4 ,no book of ,faber's is so childish but that this ,confutation is still more childish4 7#bec47 ,in another letter he remarked that1 according to the ,confutation1 in which the doctrine of justification by faith was rejected1 the opponents had no knowledge of religion whatever4 7#bec47 ,august #d ,brenz wrote to ,isemann3 ,all things were written in the fashion of ,cochlaeus1 ,faber1 and ,eck4 ,truly a most stupid comment1 so that ,i am ashamed of the ,roman name1 because in their whole ,church they can find no men able to answer us heretics at least in a manner wise and accomplished4 ,sed omnia conscripta erant ,cochleice et ,fabriliter et ,eccianice4 ,commentum sane stupidissimum1 ut pudeat me ,romani nominis1 quod in sua religione non conquirant viros1 qui saltem prudenter et ornate nobis haereticis responderent4 7#bde47 ,august #ae ,luther answered3 ,we received all of your letters1 and ,i praise ,god that he made the ,confutation of the adversaries so awkward and foolish a thing4 ,however1 courage to the end6 ,verum frisch hindurch6 7,enders1 #h1 #aij47 #dg4 ,luther on the ,confutation4 ,derision increased when the ,papists declined to publish the ,confutation1 or even to deliver a copy of it to the ,lutherans for further inspection4 ,this refusal was universally interpreted as an admission1 on the part of the ,romanists1 of a guilty conscience and of being ashamed themselves of the document4 ,in his ,warning to ,my ,beloved ,germans1 which appeared early in #aeca1 ,luther wrote as follows3 ,but ,i am quite ready to believe that extraordinary wisdom prompted them the ,papists at ,augsburg to keep this rebuttal of theirs and that splendid booklet ,confutation to themselves1 because their own conscience tells them very plainly that it is a corrupt1 wicked1 and frigid thing1 of which they would have to be ashamed if it were published and suffered itself to be seen in the light or to endure an answer4 ,for ,i very well know these highly learned doctors who have cooked and brewed over it for six weeks1 though with the ignorant they may be able to give the matter a good semblance4 ,but when it is put on paper1 it has neither hands nor feet1 but lies there in a disorderly mass1 as if a drunkard had spewed it up1 as may be seen1 in particular1 in the writings of ,doctor ,schmid and ,doctor ,eck4 ,for there is neither rhyme nor rhythm in whatsoever they are compelled to put into writing4 ,hence they are more sedulous to shout and prattle4 ,thus ,i have also learned that when our ,confession was read1 many of our opponents were astonished and confessed that it was the pure truth1 which they could not refute from the ,scriptures4 ,on the other hand1 when their rebuttal was read1 they hung their heads1 and showed by their gestures that they considered it a mean and useless makeshift as compared with our ,confession4 ,our people1 however1 and many other pious hearts were greatly delighted and mightily strengthened when they heard that with all the strength and art which our opponents were then called upon to display1 they were capable of producing nothing but this flimsy rebuttal1 which now1 praise ,god6 a woman1 a child1 a layman1 a peasant are fully able to refute with good arguments taken from the ,scriptures1 the ,word of ,truth4 ,and that is also the true and ultimate reason why they refused to deliver to the ,lutherans a copy of their refutation4 ,those fugitive evil consciences were filled with horror at themselves1 and dared not await the answer of ,truth4 ,and it is quite evident that they were confident1 and that they had the ,diet called together in the conviction that our people would never have the boldness to appear1 but if the ,emperor should only be brought to ,germany in person1 every one would be frightened and say to them3 ,mercy1 dear lords1 what would you have us do8 ,when they were disappointed in this1 and the ,elector of ,saxony was the very first to appear on the scene1 good ,lord1 how their breeches began to--6 ,how all their confidence was confounded6 ,what gathering together1 secret consultations1 and whisperings resulted6 444 ,the final sum and substance of it all was to devise ways and means 7since our men were the first joyously and cheerfully to appear7 how to keep them from being heard block the reading of the ,augustana4 ,when also this scheme of theirs was defeated1 they finally succeeded in gaining the glory that they did not dare to hand over their futile rebuttal nor to give us an opportunity to reply to it6 444 ,but some one might say3 ,the ,emperor was willing to deliver the answer to our party provided they would promise not to have it published nor its contents divulged4 ,that is true1 for such a pledge was expected of our men4 ,here1 however1 every one may grasp and feel 7even though he is able neither to see nor hear7 what manner of people they are who will not and dare not permit their matter to come to the light4 ,if it is so precious a thing and so well founded in the ,scriptures as they bellow and boast1 why1 then1 does it shun the light8 ,what benefit can there be in hiding from us and every one else such public matters as must nevertheless be taught and held among them8 ,but if it is unfounded and futile1 why1 then1 did they in the first resolution of the ,diet1 have the ,elector of ,brandenburg proclaim and publish in writing that our ,confession had been refuted by the ,confutation with the ,scriptures and stanch arguments8 ,if that were true1 and if their own consciences did not give them the lie1 they would not merely have allowed such precious and well-founded ,refutation to be read1 but would have furnished us with a written copy1 saying3 ,there you have it1 we defy any one to answer it6 as we did and still do with our ,confession4 444 ,what the ,elector of ,brandenburg said in the resolution read at the ,diet1 that our ,confession was refuted with the ,scriptures and with sound arguments1 is not the truth1 but a lie4 444 ,for this well-founded refutation ,confutation has as yet not come to light1 but is perhaps sleeping with the old ,tannhaeuser on ,mount ,venus 7,venusberg74 7,st4 ,l4 #ae1 #afce47 ,,vi4 ,the ,apology of the ,augsburg ,confession4 #dh4 ,emperor ,demands ,adoption of ,confutation4 ,the ,confutation was written in the name of the ,emperor4 ,this is indicated by the title3 ,roman ,imperial ,confutation1 ,roemisch-,kaiserliche ,konfutation4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #ahi47 ,and according to his declaration of ,july #e1 demanding that the ,lutherans acknowledge him as judge1 the ,emperor1 immediately before the reading1 announced3 ,the ,confutation contained his faith and his verdict on the ,confession of the ,lutherans2 he demanded that they accept it2 should they refuse to do so1 he would prove himself the warden and protector of the ,church4 ,in the ,epilog the ,emperor gave expression to the following thoughts3 ,from this ,confutation he saw that the ,evangelicals in many articles agree with the ,universal and also the ,roman ,church1 and reject and condemn many wicked teachings current among the common people of the ,german nation4 ,he therefore did not doubt that1 having heard his answer to their ,confession1 they would square themselves also in the remaining points1 and return to what1 by common consent1 had hitherto been held by all true believers4 ,should they fail to heed his admonition1 they must consider that he would be compelled to reveal and demean himself in this matter in such manner as by reason of his office1 according to his conscience1 behooved the supreme warden and protector of the ,holy ,christian ,church4 7#bg1 #bbh47 ,immediately after the reading1 ,frederick1 ,duke of the ,palatinate1 declared in the name of the ,emperor that the ,confutation was the ,emperor's answer to the ,lutherans1 the verdict he rendered against their ,confession2 and they were now called upon to relinquish the articles of their ,confession that were refuted in the ,confutation1 and to return to the ,roman ,church in unity of faith4 7,see the reports of ,brenz1 ,melanchthon1 and the delegates from ,nuernberg1 ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bde4 #bej4 #bec47 ,thus the ,emperor1 who had promised to have the deliberations carried on in love and kindness1 demanded blind submission1 and closed his demand with a threat4 ,his manifesto was ,protestant2 his actions remained ,papistical4 ,in the estimation of the ,romanists1 the ,emperor1 by condescending to an extended reply to the ,lutheran ,confession1 had done more than his duty1 and much more than they had considered expedient4 ,now they rejoiced1 believing that everything they wished for had been accomplished1 and that there was no other way open for the ,lutherans than to submit1 voluntarily or by compulsion4 ,naturally the attitude of the ,emperor was a great disappointment to the ,lutherans1 and it caused much alarm and fear among them4 ,from the very beginning they had declared themselves ready in the interest of peace1 to do whatever they could with ,god and conscience4 ,and this remained their position to the very last4 ,they dreaded war1 and were determined to leave no stone unturned towards avoiding this calamity4 ,in this interest even ,philip of ,hesse was prepared to go to the very limits of possibility4 ,melanchthon wrote3 ,the ,landgrave deports himself with much restraint4 ,he has openly declared to me that in order to preserve peace1 he would accept even sterner conditions1 as long as he did not thereby disgrace the ,gospel4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bed47 ,but a denial of ,god1 conscience1 and the ,gospel was precisely what the ,emperor expected4 ,hence the ,lutherans refer to his demands as cruel1 impossible of fulfilment1 and as a breach of promise4 ,outraged by the ,emperor's procedure1 and fearing for his own safety1 the ,landgrave secretly left the ,diet on ,august #f4 ,war seemed inevitable to many4 ,the reading of the ,confutation had shattered the last hopes of the ,lutherans for a peaceful settlement4 ,they said so to each other1 and wrote it to those at home1 though not all of them in the lachrymose tone of the vacillating ,melanchthon1 who1 filled with a thousand fears was temporarily more qualified for depriving others of their courage than for inspiring courage4 7,plitt1 #bd47 #di4 ,sustained by ,luther4 ,in these days of severe trials and sore distress the ,lutherans were sustained by the comforting letters of ,luther and the bracing consciousness that it was the divine truth itself which they advocated4 ,and the reading of the ,confutation had marvelously strengthened this conviction4 ,brueck reports an eyewitness of the reading of the ,augustana as saying3 ,the greater portion among them the ,papists is not so ignorant as not to have seen long ago that they are in error4 7,plitt1 #ah47 ,because of this conviction there was1 as ,melanchthon reported1 a marvelous congratulation among the ,lutherans after the reading of the ,confutation4 ,we stand for the divine truth1 which ,god cannot but lead to victory1 while our opponents are condemned by their own consciences1 --such was the buoying conviction of the ,lutherans4 ,and in this the powerful letters of ,luther strengthened the confessors at ,augsburg4 ,he wrote3 ,this is the nature of our ,christian doctrine1 that it must be held and grasped as certain and that every one must think and be convinced3 ,the doctrine is true and sure indeed and cannot fail4 ,but whoever falls to reasoning and begins to waver within himself1 saying3 ,my dear friend1 do you believe that it is true1 etc48 such a heart will never be a true ,christian4 7,plitt1 #ab47 ,concerning the spiritual support which the confessors at ,augsburg1 notably ,melanchthon1 received from ,luther1 ,plitt remarks3 ,what ,luther did during his solitary stay in the ,castle at ,coburg cannot be rated high enough4 ,his ideal deportment during these days1 so trying for the ,church1 is an example which at all times ,evangelical ,christians may look up to1 in order to learn from him and to emulate him4 ,what he wrote to his followers in order to comfort and encourage them1 can and must at all times refresh and buoy up those who are concerned about the course of the ,church4 7#bd47 ,june #cj ,veit ,dietrich who shared ,luther's solitude at ,coburg1 wrote to ,melanchthon3 ,my dear ,philip1 you do not know how concerned ,i am for your welfare1 and ,i beseech you for ,christ's sake not to regard as vain the ,doctor's ,luther's letters to you4 ,i cannot sufficiently admire that man's unique constancy1 joy1 confidence1 and hope in these days of most sore distress4 ,and daily he nourishes them by diligent contemplation of the ,word of ,god4 ,not a day passes in which he does not spend in prayer at least three hours1 such as are most precious for study4 ,on one occasion ,i chanced to hear him pray4 ,good ,lord1 what a spirit1 what faith spoke out of his words6 ,he prayed with such reverence that one could see he was speaking with ,god1 and withal with such faith and such confidence as is shown by one who is speaking with his father and friend4 ,i know1 said he1 that ,thou art our ,father and our ,god4 ,therefore ,i am certain that ,thou wilt confound those who persecute ,thy children4 ,if ,thou dost not do it1 the danger is ,thine as well as ours4 ,for the entire matter is ,thine own4 ,we were compelled to take hold of it2 mayest ,thou therefore also protect it1 etc4 ,standing at a distance1 ,i heard him praying in this manner with a loud voice4 ,then my heart1 too1 burned mightily within me1 when he spoke so familiarly1 so earnestly1 and reverently with ,god1 and in his prayer insisted on the promises in the ,psalms1 as one who was certain that everything he prayed for would be done4 ,hence ,i do not doubt that his prayer will prove a great help in the desperately bad affair of this ,diet4 ,and you1 my teacher1 would do far better to imitate our father1 the ,doctor1 also in this point4 ,for with your miserable cares and your weakling tears you will accomplish nothing1 but prepare a sad destruction for yourself and us all1 who take pleasure in1 and are benefited by nothing more than your welfare4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aeh;f42 ,st4 ,l4 #ae1 #ibi;f47 #ej4 ,copy of ,confutation ,refused to ,lutherans4 ,since the ,confutation1 in the manner indicated1 had been presented as the ,emperor's final verdict upon the ,augsburg ,confession the ,lutherans were compelled to declare themselves4 ,accordingly1 ,chancellor ,brueck at once responded to the demand for submission made through the ,palatinate after the reading of the ,confutation1 saying3 ,the importance of this matter1 which concerned their salvation1 required that the ,confutation be delivered to the ,lutherans for careful inspection and examination to enable them to arrive at a decision in the matter4 ,the delegates from ,nuernberg reported1 in substance3 ,after the ,confutation was read1 ,doctor ,brueck answered3 ,whereas1 according to their ,confession1 the ,lutherans were willing to do and yield everything that could be so done with a good conscience1 whereas1 furthermore1 according to the ,confutation1 some of their the ,lutherans' articles were approved1 others entirely rejected1 still others partly admitted to be right and partly repudiated2 and whereas the ,confutation was a somewhat lengthy document3 therefore the ,electors1 princes1 and cities deemed it necessary to scan these articles more closely1 the more so1 because many writings were adduced in them that made it necessary to show to what intent1 and if at all they were rightly quoted1 and accordingly requested the ,emperor1 since he had promised to hear both parties1 to submit the ,confutation for their inspection4 ,the ,emperor answered3 ,as it was now late and grown dark1 and since the matter was important1 he would consider their request and reply to it later4 ,hereupon1 according to the ,nuernberg delegates1 the chancellor pleaded again and most earnestly that ,his ,imperial ,majesty would consider this important and great affair as a gracious and ,christian emperor ought to do1 and not deny their prayer and petition1 but deliver to them the document which had been read4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bea47 ,now1 although the ,romanists were in no way minded and disposed to submit the ,confutation to the ,lutherans1 they nevertheless did not consider it wise to refuse their petition outright and bluntly2 for they realized that this would redound to the glory neither of themselves nor of their document4 ,the fanatical theologians1 putting little faith in that sorry fabrication of their own1 and shunning the light1 at first succeeded in having a resolution passed declaring the entire matter settled with the mere reading4 ,however in order to save their faces and to avoid the appearance of having refused the ,confutation as well as the scorn and ridicule on that account 7as the ,emperor naively put it71 and lest any one say that ,his ,imperial ,majesty had not1 in accordance with his manifesto1 first dealt kindly with the ,lutherans1 the estates resolved on ,august #d to grant their request4 ,at the same time1 however1 they added conditions which the ,lutherans regarded as dangerous1 insinuating and impossible1 hence rendering the ,catholic offer illusory and unacceptable4 ,august #e the ,emperor communicated the resolutions adopted by the ,catholic estates to the ,lutherans4 ,according to a report of the ,nuernberg delegates the negotiations proceeded as follows3 ,the ,emperor declared that the ,confutation would be forwarded to the ,lutherans1 but with the understanding that they must come to an agreement with the ,catholic princes and estates2 furthermore that they spare ,his ,imperial ,majesty with their refutations and make no further reply and1 above all1 that they keep this and other writings to themselves1 nor let them pass out of their hands1 for instance1 by printing them or in any other way4 ,hereupon ,brueck1 in the name of the ,lutherans1 thanked the ,emperor1 at the same time voicing the request that1 considering their dire necessity1 ,his ,imperial ,majesty would permit his ,elector and princes to make answer to the ,confutation4 ,duke ,frederick responded3 ,the ,emperor was inclined to grant them permission to reply1 but desired the answer to be as profitable and brief as possible1 also expected them to come to an agreement with the ,catholics1 and finally required a solemn promise that they would not permit the document to pass out of their hands4 ,brueck answered guardedly3 ,the ,lutherans would gladly come to an agreement as far as it was possible for them to do so with ,god and their conscience2 and as to their answer and the preservation of the document1 they would be found irreprehensible4 ,the ,emperor now declared3 ,the document should be delivered to the ,lutherans in case they would promise to keep it to themselves and not allow it to fall into other hands2 otherwise ,his ,imperial ,majesty was not minded to confer with them any longer4 ,brueck asked for time to consider the matter1 and was given till evening4 ,in his response he declined the ,emperor's offer1 at the same time indicating that an answer to the ,confutation would be forthcoming nevertheless4 ,the ,lutherans1 he said1 felt constrained to relinquish their petition1 because the condition that the document be kept in their hands had been stressed in such a manner that they could not but fear the worst interpretation if it would nevertheless leak out without their knowledge and consent2 still1 they offered to answer the ,confutation1 since they had noted the most important points while it was read2 in this case1 however1 they asked that it be not charged to them if anything should be overlooked2 at the same time they besought the ,emperor to consider this action of theirs as compelled by dire necessity1 and in no other light4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bee;ff47 ,in the ,preface to the ,apology1 ,melanchthon says3 ,this a copy of the ,confutation our princes could not obtain1 except on the most perilous conditions1 which it was impossible for them to accept4 7#ii47 #ea4 ,lutherans on ,roman ,duplicity and ,perfidy4 ,the duplicity and perfidy of the ,emperor and the ,romanists in their dealings with the ,lutherans was characterized by ,chancellor ,brueck as follows3 ,the tactics of the opponents in offering a copy of the ,confutation were those of the fox when he invited the stork to be his guest and served him food in a broad1 shallow pan1 so that he could not take the food with his long bill4 ,in like manner they treated the five electors and princes1 as well as the related cities1 when they offered to accede to their request and submit a copy to them1 but upon conditions which they could not accept without greatly violating their honor4 7,koellner1 #dai47 ,over against the ,emperor's demand of blind submission and his threat of violence1 the ,lutherans appealed to their pure ,confession1 based on the ,holy ,scriptures1 to their good conscience1 bound in the ,word of ,god1 and to the plain wording of the imperial manifesto1 which had promised discussions in love and kindness4 ,in an ,answer of ,august #i1 e4g41 they declared3 ,the articles of the ,augustana which we have presented are drawn from the ,scriptures1 and it is impossible for us to relinquish them with a good conscience and peace of heart1 unless we find a refutation founded on ,god's ,word and truth1 on which we may rest our conscience in peace and certainty4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #ahe47 ,in the ,preface to the ,apology1 ,melanchthon comments as follows on the demand of the ,romanists3 ,afterwards1 negotiations for peace were begun1 in which it was apparent that our princes declined no burden1 however grievous1 which could be assumed without offense to conscience4 ,but the adversaries obstinately demanded that we should approve certain manifest abuses and errors2 and as we could not do this1 ,his ,imperial ,majesty again demanded that our princes should assent to the ,confutation4 ,this our princes refused to do4 ,for how could they1 in a matter pertaining to religion1 assent to a writing which they had not been able to examine1 especially as they had heard that some articles were condemned in which it was impossible for them1 without grievous sin1 to approve the opinions of the adversaries8 7#ii47 ,self-evidently the ,lutherans also protested publicly that the procedure of the ,romanists was in contravention of the proclamation of the ,emperor as well as of his declaration on ,june #bj1 according to which both parties were to deliver their opinions in writing for the purpose of mutual friendly discussion4 ,in the ,answer of ,august #i1 referred to above they said3 ,we understand ,his ,imperial ,majesty's answer to mean nothing else than that1 after each party had presented its meaning and opinion1 such should here be discussed among us in love and kindness4 ,hence1 they said1 it was in violation of this agreement to withhold the ,confutation1 lest it be answered4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #ahd;f47 ,luther expressed the same conviction1 saying3 ,all the world was awaiting a gracious diet1 as the manifesto proclaimed and pretended1 and yet1 sad to say1 it was not so conducted4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #afcf47 ,that the ,romanists themselves fully realized that the charges of the ,lutherans were well founded1 appears from the subterfuges to which they resorted in order to justify their violence and duplicity1 notably their refusal to let them examine the ,confutation4 ,in a declaration of ,august #aa they stated that the imperial laws expressly forbid1 on pain of loss of life and limb1 to dispute or argue 7gruppeln7 about the articles of faith in any manner whatever1 and that in the past the edicts of the ,emperor in this matter of faith had been despised1 scorned1 ridiculed1 and derided by the ,lutherans4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #aij47 ,such were the miserable arguments with which the ,romanists defended their treachery4 ,luther certainly hit the nail on the head when he wrote that the ,romanists refused to deliver the ,confutation because their consciences felt very well that it was a corrupt1 futile1 and frigid affair1 of which they would have to be ashamed in case it should become public and show itself in the light1 or endure an answer4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #afce47 #eb4 ,original ,draft of ,apology4 ,august #e the ,lutherans had declared to the ,emperor that they would not remain indebted for an answer to the ,confutation1 even though a copy of it was refused them4 ,they knew the cunning ,romanists1 and had prepared for every emergency4 ,melanchthon1 who1 according to a letter addressed to ,luther 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bed71 was not present at the reading of the ,confutation1 writes in the ,preface to the ,apology3 ,during the reading some of us had taken down the chief points of the topics and arguments4 7#aja47 ,among these was ,camerarius4 ,august #d the ,nuernberg delegates reported to their senate that the ,confutation comprising more than fifty pages1 had been publicly read on ,august #c1 at #b ,p4,m41 and that the ,lutherans had ,john ,kammermeister record the substance of all the articles2 this he has diligently done in shorthand on his tablet as far as he was able1 and more than all of us were able to understand and remember1 as ,your ,excellency may perceive from the enclosed copy4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bej47 ,on the basis of these notes the council of ,nuernberg had a theological and a legal opinion drawn up1 and a copy of the former 7,osiander's refutation of the ,confutation7 was delivered to ,melanchthon on ,august #ah by the ,nuernberg delegates4 ,osiander specially stressed the point that the demand of the ,romanists to submit to the decision of the ,church in matters of faith must be rejected1 that1 on the contrary1 everything must be subordinated to the ,holy ,scriptures4 7,plitt1 #hg47 ,in drawing up the ,apology1 however1 ,melanchthon made little1 if any1 use of ,osiander's work4 ,such1 at least1 is the inference ,kolde draws from ,melanchthon's words to ,camerarius1 ,september #bj3 ,your citizens of ,nuernberg have sent us a book on the same subject answer to the ,confutation1 which ,i hope before long to discuss with you orally4 7#chc47 ,there can be little doubt that ,melanchthon privately entertained the idea of writing the ,apology immediately after the reading of the ,confutation4 ,the commission1 however1 to do this was not given until later2 and most of the work was probably done in ,september4 ,for ,august #ai the ,nuernberg delegates reported that their opinion had been given to ,melanchthon1 who as yet1 however1 had not received orders to write anything in reply to the ,confutation1 unless he is privately engaged in such undertaking4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bhi47 ,at ,augsburg the execution of the resolution to frame an answer to the ,confutation had been sidetracked for the time being1 by the peace parleys between the ,lutherans and the ,catholics1 which began soon after the ,confutation was read and continued through ,august4 ,but when these miscarried1 the ,evangelical estates1 on the #bith of ,august1 took official action regarding the preparation of an ,apology4 ,of the meeting in which the matter was discussed the ,nuernberg delegates report3 ,it was furthermore resolved3 ',since we have recently declared before ,his ,majesty that1 in case ,his ,majesty refused to deliver to us the ,confutation of our ,confession without restrictions the aforementioned conditions we nevertheless could not refrain from writing a reply to it1 as far as the articles had been noted down during the reading1 and from delivering it to ,his ,imperial ,majesty3 we therefore ought to prepare ourselves in this matter1 in order to make use of it in case of necessity1' ,in this we1 the delegates of the cities1 also acquiesced4 444 ,i1 ,baumgaertner1 also said3 ,in case such a work as was under discussion should be drawn up1 we had some opinions the theological and the legal opinions of the city of ,nuernberg1 which might be of service in this matter1 and which we would gladly submit4 ,hereupon it was ordered that ,dr4 ,brueck and other ,saxons be commissioned to draft the writing4 7#cba47 ,the assumption1 therefore1 that ,melanchthon was the sole author of the first draft of the ,apology is erroneous4 ,in the ,preface to the ,apology he writes3 ,they had1 however1 commanded me and some others to prepare an ,apology of the ,confession1 in which the reasons why we could not accept the ,confutation should be set forth to ,his ,imperial ,majesty1 and the objections made by the adversaries be refuted4 7#aja47 ,in the same ,preface he says that he had originally drawn up the ,apology at ,augsburg1 taking counsel with others4 7#aja47 ,however1 we do not know who1 besides ,brueck1 these others were4 #ec4 ,apology ,presented1 ,but ,acceptance ,refused4 ,by ,september #bj ,melanchthon had finished his work4 ,for on the same day he wrote to ,camerarius3 ,the verdict decision of the ,diet on our affair has not yet been rendered4 444 ,our ,prince thought of leaving yesterday1 and again to-day4 ,the ,emperor however1 kept him here by the promise that he would render his decision within three days4 444 ,owing to the statements of evil-minded people1 ,i am now remaining at home and have in these days written the ,apology of our ,confession1 which1 if necessary1 shall also be delivered2 for it will be opposed to the ,confutation of the other party1 which you heard when it was read4 ,i have written it sharply and more vehemently 7than the ,confession74 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #chc47 ,before long1 a good opportunity also for delivering this ,apology presented itself4 ,it was at the meeting of the ,diet on ,september #bb when the draft of a final resolution 7,abschied7 was read to the estates4 ,according to this decision1 the ,emperor offered to give the ,evangelicals time till ,april #ae1 #aeca1 to consider whether or not they would unite with the ,christian ,church1 the ,holy ,father1 and ,his ,majesty in the other articles1 provided however1 that in the mean time nothing be printed and absolutely no further innovations be made4 ,the imperial decision also declared emphatically that the ,lutheran ,confession had been refuted by the ,confutation4 ,the verdict claimed the ,emperor had1 in the presence of the other electors1 princes1 and estates of the holy empire1 graciously heard the opinion and confession of the ,evangelical princes1 had given it due and thorough consideration1 and had refuted and disproved it with sound arguments from the holy gospels and the ,scriptures4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #dge47 ,self-evidently1 the ,lutherans could not let this ,roman boast pass by in silence4 ,accordingly1 in the name of the ,elector1 ,brueck arose to voice their objections1 and1 while apologizing for its deficiencies1 presented the ,apology4 ,in his protest1 ,brueck dwelt especially on the offensive words of the imperial decision which claimed that the ,augustana was refuted by the ,confutation4 ,he called attention to the fact that the ,lutherans had been offered a copy only under impossible conditions2 that they had nevertheless1 on the basis of what was heard during the reading1 drawn up a counter-plea1 or reply2 this he was now holding in his hands1 and he requested that it be read publicly2 from it every one might learn with what strong1 irrefutable reasons of ,holy ,scripture the ,augustana was fortified4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #dgi47 ,duke ,frederick took the ,apology1 but returned it on signal from the ,emperor1 into whose ear ,king ,ferdinand had been whispering4 ,sleidan relates3 ,cumque hucusce tr4 note3 sic perventum esset1 ,pontanus apologiam ,caesari defert2 eam ubi ,fridericus ,palatinus accepit1 subnuente ,caesare1 cui ,ferdinandus aliquid ad aures insusurraverat1 reddit4 ,a similar report is found in the annals of ,spalatin4 7,koellner1 #dbb47 ,by refusing to accept the ,apology1 the ,emperor and the ,romanists de facto broke off negotiations with the ,lutherans2 and the breach remained1 and became permanent4 ,september #bc the ,elector left ,augsburg4 ,by the time the second imperial decision was rendered1 ,november #ai1 all the ,evangelical princes had left the ,diet4 ,the second verdict dictated by the intolerant spirit of the papal theologians1 was more vehement than the first4 ,confusing ,lutherans1 ,zwinglians1 and ,anabaptists1 ,charles emphasized the execution of the ,edict of ,worms2 sanctioned all dogmas and abuses which the ,evangelicals had attacked2 confirmed the spiritual jurisdiction of the bishops2 demanded the restoration of all abolished rites identified himself with the ,confutation2 and repeated the assertion that the ,lutheran ,confession had been refuted from the ,scriptures4 7,foerstemann1 #b1 #hci;f42 ,laemmer1 #di47 ,in his ,gloss on the ,alleged ,imperial ,edict of #aeca1 ,luther dilates as follows on the ,roman assertion of having refuted the ,augustana from the ,scriptures3 ,in the first place concerning their boasting that our ,confession was refuted from the holy gospels1 this is so manifest a lie that they themselves well know it to be an abominable falsehood4 ,with this rouge they wanted to tint their faces and to defame us1 since they noticed very well that their affair was leaky1 leprous1 and filthy1 and despite such deficiency nevertheless was to be honored4 ,their heart thought3 ,ours is an evil cause1 this we know very well1 but we shall say the ,lutherans were refuted2 that's enough4 ,who will compel us to prove such a false statement8 ,for if they had not felt that their boasting was lying1 pure and simple1 they would not only gladly1 and without offering any objections1 have surrendered their refutation as was so earnestly desired1 but would also have made use of all printing-presses to publish it1 and heralded it with all trumpets and drums1 so that such defiance would have arisen that the very sun would not have been able to shine on account of it4 ,but now1 since they so shamefully withheld their answer and still more shamefully hide and secrete it1 by this action their evil conscience bears witness to the fact that they lie like reprobates when they boast that our ,confession has been refuted1 and that by such lies they seek not the truth1 but our dishonor and a cover for their shame4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #affh47 #ed4 ,apology ,recast by ,melanchthon4 ,owing to the fact that ,melanchthon1 immediately after the presentation of the ,apology1 resolved to revise and recast it1 the original draft was forced into the background4 ,it remained unknown for a long time and was published for the first time forty-seven years after the ,diet4 ,chytraeus embodied it in his ,historia ,augustanae ,confessionis1 #aegh1 with the caption1 ,prima ,delineatio ,caesari ,carolo ,die #bb4 ,septembris ,oblata1 sed ,non ,recepta--,the ,first ,draft which was ,offered to ,emperor ,charles on ,september #bb1 but ,not ,accepted4 ,the ,german and ,latin texts are found in ,corp4 ,ref4 #bg1 #bge;ff4 and #cbb4 ,following is the ,latin title3 ,apologia ,confessionis1 #aecj4 ,ps4 #aai3 ,principes persecuti sunt me gratis4 ,the ,german title runs3 ,antwort der ,widerlegung auf unser ,bekenntnis uebergeben4 7#bde4 #cgh47 ,plitt says of the original ,apology3 ,it was well qualified to be presented to the ,emperor1 and1 in form also1 far surpassed the ,confutation of the ,papists4 ,still the ,evangelical ,church suffered no harm when the ,emperor declined to accept it4 ,the opportunity for revision which was thus offered and fully exploited by ,melanchthon1 who was never able to satisfy himself1 resulted in a great improvement4 ,the ,apology as it appeared the following year is much riper1 sharper in its rebuttal1 and stronger in its argumentation4 7#hh47 ,the draft of the ,apology presented at ,augsburg concluded as follows3 ,if the ,confutation had been forwarded to us for inspection we would perhaps have been able to give a more adequate answer on these and additional points4 7,c4 ,r4 #bg1 #cgh47 ,when1 therefore1 the ,emperor had refused to accept it1 ,melanchthon determined to revise1 reenforce1 and augment the document4 ,september #bc he left ,augsburg in the company of the ,elector2 and already while en route he began the work4 ,in his ,history of the ,augsburg ,confession1 #agcj1 ,salig remarks3 ,still the loss of the first copy of the ,apology does not seem to be so great1 since we now possess the ,apology in a more carefully elaborated form4 ,for while the ,diet was still in session1 and also after the theologians had returned home1 ,melanchthon was constantly engaged upon it1 casting it into an entirely different mold1 and making it much more extensive than it was before4 ,when the theologians had returned to ,saxony from the ,diet1 ,melanchthon1 in ,spalatin's house at ,altenburg1 even worked at it on ,sunday1 so that ,luther plucked the pen from his hand1 saying that on this day he must rest from such work4 7#a1 #cgg47 ,however1 since the first draft was presented to the ,emperor on ,september #bb1 and ,melanchthon1 together with the ,elector1 left ,augsburg on the following day1 it is evident that he could not have busied himself very much with the revision of the ,apology at ,augsburg4 ,and that ,luther1 in the ,altenburg incident1 should have put especial stress on the ,sunday1 for this neither ,salig nor those who follow him 7e4g41 ,schaff1 ,creeds1 #a1 #bdc7 offer any evidence4 ,in his ,seventeen ,sermons on the ,life of ,luther1 ,mathesius gives the following version of the incident3 ,when ,luther1 returning home with his companions from ,coburg1 was visiting ,spalatin1 and ,philip1 constantly engrossed in thoughts concerning the ,apology1 was writing during the meal1 he arose and took the pen away from him saying3 ',god can be honored not alone by work1 but also by rest and recreation2 for that reason ,he has given the ,third ,commandment and commanded the ,sabbath4' 7#bdc47 ,this report of ,mathesius certainly offers no ground for a ,puritanic explanation of the incident in ,spalatin's home4 ,originally ,melanchthon does not seem to have contemplated a revision on a very large scale4 ,in the ,preface1 which was printed first1 he merely remarks that he made some additions 7quaedam adieci7 to the ,apology drawn up at ,augsburg4 7#aja47 ,evidently1 at the time when he wrote this1 he had no estimate of the proportions the work1 which grew under his hands1 would finally assume4 ,before long also he obtained a complete copy of the ,confutation4 ,it was probably sent to him from ,nuernberg1 whose delegate had been able to send a copy home on ,august #bh1 #aecj4 7,kolde1 #cg47 ,says ,melanchthon in the ,preface to the ,apology3 ,i have recently seen the ,confutation1 and have noticed how cunningly and slanderously it was written1 so that on some points it could deceive even the cautious4 7#aja47 ,eck clamored that the ,confutation had gotten into ,melanchthon's hands in a furtive and fraudulent manner1 furtim et fraudulenter ad manus ,melanchthonis eandem pervenisse4 7,koellner1 #dbf47 ,the possession of the document enabled ,melanchthon to deal in a reliable manner with all questions involved1 and spurred him on to do most careful and thorough work4 #ee4 ,completion of ,apology ,delayed4 ,owing to the fact that ,melanchthon spent much more time and labor on the work than he had anticipated and originally planned1 the publication of the ,apology was unexpectedly delayed4 ,october #a1 #aecj1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,camerarius3 ,concerning the word 'liturgy' in the ,apology ,i ask you again and again carefully to search out for me its etymology as well as examples of its meaning4 ,november #ab1 to ,dietrich3 ,i shall describe them the forms of the ,greek mass to ,osiander as soon as ,i have completed the ,apology1 which ,i am now having printed and am endeavoring to polish4 ,in it ,i shall fully explain the most important controversies1 which1 ,i hope1 will prove profitable4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #dch47 ,in a similar strain he wrote to ,camerarius1 ,november #ah4 7#ddj47 ,january #a1 #aeca1 again to ,camerarius3 ,in the ,apology ,i experience much trouble with the article of ,justification1 which ,i seek to explain profitably4 7#dgj47 ,february1 #aeca1 to ,brenz3 ,i am at work on the ,apology4 ,it will appear considerably augmented and better founded4 ,for this article1 in which we teach that men are justified by faith and not by love1 is treated exhaustively4 7#dhd47 ,march #g1 to ,camerarius3 ,my ,apology is not yet completed4 ,it grows in the writing4 7#dhf47 ,likewise in ,march1 to ,baumgaertner3 ,i have not yet completed the ,apology1 as ,i was hindered1 not only by illness1 but also by many other matters1 which interrupted me1 concerning the syncretism ,bucer is stirring up4 7#dhe47 ,march #ag1 to ,camerarius3 ,my ,apology is making slower progress than the matter calls for4 7#dhh47 ,toward the end of ,march1 to ,baumgaertner3 ,the ,apology is still in press2 for ,i am revising it entirely and extending it4 7#dib47 ,april #g1 to ,jonas3 ,in the ,apology ,i have completed the article on ,marriage1 in which the opponents are charged with many real crimes4 7#dic47 ,april #h1 to ,brenz3 ,we have almost finished the ,apology4 ,i hope it will please you and other good people4 7#did47 ,april #aa1 to ,camerarius3 ,my ,apology will appear one of these days4 ,i shall also see that you receive it4 ,at times ,i have spoken somewhat vehemently1 as ,i see that the opponents despise every mention of peace4 7#die47 ,finally1 in the middle of ,april1 to ,bucer3 ,my ,apology has appeared1 in which1 in my opinion1 ,i have treated the articles of ,justification1 ,repentance1 and several others in such a manner that our opponents will find themselves heavily burdened4 ,i have said little of the ,eucharist4 7#dih47 ,these letters show that ,melanchthon took particular pains with the article of ,justification1 which was expanded more than tenfold4 ,january #ca1 he was still hard at work on this article4 ,kolde says3 ,this was due to the fact that he suppressed five and one-half sheets preserved by ,veit ,dietrich treating this subject because they were not satisfactory to him1 and while he at first treated ,articles #d to #f together1 he now included also ,article #bj1 recasting anew the entire question of the nature of justification and the relation of faith and good works4 ,illness and important business1 such as the negotiations with ,bucer on the ,lord's ,supper1 brought new delays4 ,he also found it necessary to be more explicit than he had contemplated4 ,thus it came about that the work could first appear1 together with the ,augustana1 end of ,april1 or1 at the latest1 beginning of ,may4 7#cg7 ,according to the resolution of the ,diet1 the ,lutherans were to have decided by ,april #ae1 #aeca1 whether they would accept the ,confutation or not4 ,the answer of the ,lutherans was the appearance1 on the bookstalls1 of the ,augustana and the ,apology1 and a few days prior1 of ,luther's ,remarks on the ,alleged ,imperial ,edict1 ,glossen auf das vermeinte kaiserliche ,edikt4 #ef4 ,german ,translation by ,jonas4 ,the ,apology was written in ,latin4 ,the editio princeps in quarto of #aeca contained the ,german and the ,latin texts of the ,augsburg ,confession1 and the ,latin text of the ,apology4 ,from the very beginning1 however1 a ,german translation was1 if not begun1 at least planned4 ,but1 though announced on the title-page of the quarto edition just referred to1 it appeared six months later1 in the fall of #aeca4 ,it was the work of ,justus ,jonas4 ,the title of the edition of #aeca reads3 ,apologie der ,konfession1 aus dem ,latein verdeutscht durch ,justus ,jonas1 ,wittenberg4 ,apology of the ,confession done into ,german from the ,latin by ,justus ,jonas1 ,wittenberg4 ,for a time ,luther also thought of writing a ,german ,apology4 ,april #h1 #aeca1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,brenz3 ,lutherus nunc instituit apologiam ,germanicam4 ,luther is now preparing a ,german ,apology4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #did4 #eja47 ,it is1 however1 hardly possible that ,luther was contemplating a translation4 ,koellner comments on ,melanchthon's words3 ,one can understand them to mean that ,luther is working on the ,german ,apology4 ,instituit1 however1 seems to indicate an independent work rather than a translation4 ,koestlin is of the opinion that ,luther thought of writing an ,apology of his own1 because he was not entirely satisfied with ,melanchthon's4 7,martin ,luther #b1 #chb47 ,however1 if this view is correct1 it certainly cannot apply to ,melanchthon's revised ,apology1 to which ,luther in #aecc expressly confessed himself1 but to the first draft at ,augsburg1 in which1 e4g41 the #ajth ,article seems to endorse the concomitance doctrine4 7,lehre und ,wehre #aiah1 #che47 ,at all events1 ,luther changed his plan when ,jonas began the translation of the new ,apology4 ,the translation of ,jonas is not a literal reproduction of the ,latin original1 but a version with numerous independent amplifications4 ,also ,melanchthon had a share in this work4 ,in a letter of ,september #bf1 #aeca1 he says3 ,they are still printing the ,german ,apology1 the improvements of which cost me no little labor4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #edb47 ,the deviations from the ,latin original therefore must perhaps be traced to ,melanchthon rather than to ,jonas4 ,some of them are due to the fact that the translation was based in part not on the text of the editio princeps1 but on the altered ,latin octavo edition1 copies of which ,melanchthon was able to send to his friends as early as ,september #ad4 ,see1 for example the #ajth ,article1 where the ,german text follows the octavo edition in omitting the quotation from ,theophylact4 ,the ,german text appeared also in a separate edition1 as we learn from the letter of the printer ,rhau to ,stephen ,roth of ,november #cj1 #aeca3 ,i shall send you a ,german ,apology1 most beautifully bound4 7,kolde1 #ci47 ,german translations adhering strictly to the text of the editio princeps are of a much later date4 #eg4 ,alterations of ,apology4 ,melanchthon1 who was forever changing and improving1 naturally could not leave the ,apology as it read in the first edition4 ,this applies to both the ,german and the ,latin text4 ,he was thinking of the ,latin octavo edition when he wrote to ,brenz1 ,june #g1 #aeca3 ,the ,apology is now being printed1 and ,i am at pains to make some points in the article of ,justification clearer4 ,it is an extremely great matter1 in which we must proceed carefully that ,christ's honor may be magnified4 7#b1 #ejd47 ,the same edition he had in mind when he wrote to ,myconius1 ,june #ad1 #aeca3 ,my ,apology is now in press1 and ,i am endeavoring to present the article of ,justification even more clearly2 for there are some things in the solution of the arguments which are not satisfactory to me4 7#ejf47 ,accordingly1 this octavo edition1 of which ,melanchthon was able to send a copy to ,margrave ,george on ,september #ad1 revealed important alterations3 partly improvements1 partly expansions1 partly deletions4 ,the changes in the #ajth ,article1 already referred to1 especially the omission of the quotation from ,theophylact1 attracted most attention4 ,the succeeding ,latin editions likewise revealed minor changes4 ,the ,apology accompanying the ,altered ,augsburg ,confession of #aedj1 was designated by ,melanchthon himself as diligenter recognita1 diligently revised4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #ceg4 #dai47 ,concerning the ,german ,apology1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,camerarius on ,january #a1 #aecc3 ,i have more carefully treated the ,german ,apology and the article of ,justification1 and would ask you to examine it4 ,if you have seen my ,romans ,commentary on the ,epistle to the ,romans1 you will be able to notice how exactly and methodically ,i am endeavoring to explain this matter4 ,i also hope that intelligent men will approve it4 ,for ,i have done this in order to explain necessary matters and to cut off all manner of questions1 partly false1 partly useless4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #fbd47 ,about the same time he wrote to ,spalatin3 ,two articles ,i have recast entirely3 ,of ,original ,sin and ,of ,righteousness4 ,i ask you to examine them1 and hope that they will profit pious consciences4 ,for in my humble opinion ,i have most clearly presented the doctrine of ,righteousness and ask you to write me your opinion4 7#fbe47 ,kolde says of this second revision of the ,german text of #aecc3 ,this edition1 which ,melanchthon described as 'diligently amended1' is much sharper in its tone against the ,romanists than the first and reveals quite extensive changes4 ,indeed1 entire articles have been remodeled1 such as those ,of ,justification and ,good ,works1 ,of ,repentance4 ,of the ,mass1 and also the statements on ,christian perfection4 7#da47 ,these alterations in the ,latin and ,german texts of the ,apology1 however1 do not involve changes in doctrine1 at least not in the same degree as in the case of the ,augustana ,variata of #aedj4 ,self-evidently1 it was the text of the first edition of the ,german as well as the ,latin ,apology that was embodied in the ,book of ,concord4 #eh4 ,purpose1 ,arrangement1 and ,character of ,apology4 ,the aim of the ,apology was to show why the ,lutherans do not accept the ,confutation1 and to puncture the papal boast that the ,augustana had been refuted with the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,in its ,preface we read3 ,afterwards a certain decree was published by the ,emperor1 in which the adversaries boast that they have refuted our ,confession from the ,scriptures4 ,you have now1 therefore1 reader1 our ,apology1 from which you will understand not only what the adversaries have judged 7for we have reported in good faith71 but also that they have condemned several articles contrary to the manifest ,scripture of the ,holy ,ghost1 so far are they from overthrowing our propositions by means of the ,scriptures4 7#aja47 ,the ,apology is1 on the one hand1 a refutation of the ,confutation and1 on the other hand1 a defense and elaboration of the ,augustana1 presenting theological proofs for the correctness of its teachings4 ,hence constant reference is made to the ,augsburg ,confession as well as the ,confutation2 and scholastic theology is discussed as well4 ,on this account also the sequence of the articles1 on the whole1 agrees with that of the ,augustana and the ,confutation4 ,however1 articles treating of related doctrines are collected into one1 e4g41 ,articles #d1 #e1 #f1 and #bj4 ,articles to which the ,romanists assented are but briefly touched upon4 ,only a few of them have been elaborated somewhat e4g41 ,of the ,adoration of the ,saints1 ,of ,baptism1 ,of the ,lord's ,supper1 ,of ,repentance1 ,of ,civil ,government4 ,the fourteen articles1 however1 which the ,confutation rejected are discussed extensively1 and furnished also with titles1 in the editio princeps as well as in the ,book of ,concord of #aehj and #aehd4 ,in ,mueller's edition of the ,symbolical ,books all articles of the ,apology are for the first time supplied with numbers and captions corresponding with the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,in the ,apology1 just as in the ,augsburg ,confession1 everything springs from1 and is regulated by1 the fundamental ,lutheran principle of ,law and ,gospel1 sin and grace1 faith and justification4 ,not only is the doctrine of justification set forth thoroughly and comfortingly in a particular article1 but throughout the discussions it remains the dominant note1 its heavenly strain returning again and again as the motif in the grand symphony of divine truths--a strain with which the ,apology also breathes1 as it were1 its last1 departing breath4 ,for in its ,conclusion we read3 ,if all the scandals which1 according to the ,papists1 resulted from ,luther's teaching be brought together1 still the one article concerning the remission of sins 7that for ,christ's sake1 through faith1 we freely obtain the remission of sins7 brings so much good as to hide all evils4 ,and this1 in the beginning of the ,reformation1 gained for ,luther not only our favor1 but also that of many who are now contending against us4 7#dea47 ,in ,kolde's opinion1 the ,apology is a companion volume1 as it were1 to ,melanchthon's ,loci ,communes1 and a theological dissertation rather than a confession4 ,however1 theological thoroughness and erudition do not conflict with the nature of a confession as long as it is not mere cold intellectual reflection and abstraction1 but the warm1 living1 and immediate language of the believing heart4 ,with all its thoroughness and erudition the ,apology is truly edifying1 especially the ,german version4 ,one cannot read without being touched in his inmost heart1 without sensing and feeling something of the heart-beat of the ,lutheran confessors4 ,jacobs1 who translated the ,apology into ,english1 remarks3 ,to one charged with the cure of souls the frequent reading of the ,apology is invaluable2 in many 7we may say1 in most7 parts it is a book of practical religion4 7,the ,book of ,concord #b1 #da47 ,the ,apology does not offer all manner of theories of idle minds1 but living testimonies of what faith1 while struggling hotly with the devil and languishing in the fear of death and the terrors of sin and the ,law found and experienced in the sweet ,gospel as restored by ,luther4 ,in reading the ,apology1 one can tell from the words employed how ,melanchthon lived1 moved1 and fairly reveled in this blessed truth which in opposition to all heathen work-righteousness teaches terrified hearts to rely solely and alone on grace4 ,in his ,history of ,lutheranism 7#b1 #bjf7 ,seckendorf declares that no one can be truly called a theologian of our ,church who has not diligently and repeatedly read the ,apology or familiarized himself with it4 7,salig1 #a1 #cge47 #ei4 ,moderate ,tone of ,apology4 ,the tone of the ,apology is much sharper than that of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,the situation had changed2 hence the manner of dealing with the opposition also changed4 ,the ,romanists had fully revealed themselves as implacable enemies1 who absolutely refused a peace on the basis of truth and justice4 ,in the ,conclusion of the ,apology we read3 ,but as to the want of unity and dissension in the ,church1 it is well known how these matters first happened and who caused the division namely1 the sellers of indulgences1 who shamefully preached intolerable lies1 and afterwards condemned ,luther for not approving of those lies1 and besides1 they again and again excited more controversies1 so that ,luther was induced to attack many other errors4 ,but since our opponents would not tolerate the truth1 and dared to promote manifest errors by force it is easy to judge who is guilty of the schism4 ,surely1 all the world1 all wisdom1 all power ought to yield to ,christ and his holy ,word4 ,but the devil is the enemy of ,god1 and therefore rouses all his might against ,christ to extinguish and suppress the ,word of ,god4 ,therefore the devil with his members1 setting himself against the ,word of ,god1 is the cause of the schism and want of unity4 ,for we have most zealously sought peace1 and still most eagerly desire it1 provided only we are not forced to blaspheme and deny ,christ4 ,for ,god1 the discerner of all men's hearts1 is our witness that we do not delight and have no joy in this awful disunion4 ,on the other hand1 our adversaries have so far not been willing to conclude peace without stipulating that we must abandon the saving doctrine of the forgiveness of sin by ,christ without our merit1 though ,christ would be most foully blasphemed thereby4 7#dea47 ,such being the attitude of the ,romanists1 there was no longer any reason for ,melanchthon to have any special consideration for these implacable opponents of the ,lutherans and hardened enemies of the ,gospel1 of the truth1 and of religious liberty and peace4 ,reconciliation with ,rome was out of the question4 ,hence he could yield more freely to his impulse here than in the ,augustana2 for when this ,confession was written an agreement was not considered impossible4 ,in a letter of ,july #ae1 #aecj1 informing ,luther of the pasquinades delivered to the ,emperor1 ,melanchthon declared3 ,if an answer will become necessary1 ,i shall certainly remunerate these wretched1 bloody men4 ,si continget1 ut respondendum sit1 ego profecto remunerabor istos nefarios viros sanguinum4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aig47 ,and when about to conclude the ,apology1 he wrote to ,brenz1 ,april #h1 #aeca3 ,i have entirely laid aside the mildness which ,i formerly exercised toward the opponents4 ,since they will not employ me as a peacemaker1 but would rather have me as their enemy1 ,i shall do what the matter requires1 and faithfully defend our cause4 7#did47 ,but while ,melanchthon castigates the papal theologians1 he spares and even defends the ,emperor4 ,in ,luther's ,remarks on the ,alleged ,imperial ,edict1 of #aeca1 we read3 ,i1 ,martin ,luther1 ,doctor of the ,sacred ,scriptures and pastor of the ,christians at ,wittenberg1 in publishing these ,remarks1 wish it to be distinctly understood that anything ,i am writing in this booklet against the alleged imperial edict or command is not to be viewed as written against his ,imperial ,majesty or any higher power1 either of spiritual or civil estate4444 ,i do not mean the pious ,emperor nor the pious lords1 but the traitors and reprobates 7be they princes or bishops71 and especially that fellow whom ,st4 ,paul calls ,god's opponent 7,i should say ,god's vicar71 the arch-knave1 ,pope ,clement1 and his servant ,campegius1 and the like1 who plan to carry out their desperate1 nefarious roguery under the imperial name1 or1 as ,solomon says1 at court4 7#af1 #afff47 ,luther then continues to condemn the ,diet in unqualified terms4 ,what a disgraceful ,diet1 says he1 the like of which was never held and never heard of1 and nevermore shall be held or heard of1 on account of his disgraceful action6 ,it cannot but remain an eternal blot on all princes and the entire empire1 and makes all ,germans blush before ,god and all the world4 ,but he continues exonerating and excusing the ,emperor3 ,let no one tremble on account of this edict which they so shamefully invent and publish in the name of the pious ,emperor4 ,and should they not publish their lies in the name of a pious ,emperor1 when their entire blasphemous1 abominable affair was begun and maintained for over six hundred years in the name of ,god and the ,holy ,church8 7#af1 #afcd47 ,in a similar manner ,melanchthon1 too1 treats the ,emperor4 ,he calls him optimum imperatorem1 and speaks of the ,emperor's most gentle disposition1 mansuetissimum ,caesaris pectus1 which ,eck and his party were seeking to incite to bloodshed4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #aig47 ,in the ,preface he says3 ,and now ,i have written with the greatest moderation possible2 and if any expression appears too severe1 ,i must say here beforehand that ,i am contending with the theologians and monks who wrote the ,confutation1 and not with the ,emperor or the princes1 whom ,i hold in due esteem4 7#aja47 ,in ,article #bc ,melanchthon even rises to the apostrophe3 ,and these their lusts they ask you to defend with your chaste right hand1 ,emperor ,charles 7whom even certain ancient predictions name as the king of modest face2 for the saying appears concerning you3 ',one modest in face shall reign everywhere'74 7#cfc47 ,the ,confutators1 however1 the avowed enemies of truth and peace1 were spared no longer4 ,upon them ,melanchthon now pours out the lye of bitter scorn4 ,he excoriates them as desperate sophists1 who maliciously interpret the holy ,gospel according to their dreams1 and as coarse1 sluggish1 inexperienced theologians4 ,he denounces them as men who for the greater part do not know whereof they speak1 and who dare to destroy this doctrine of faith with fire and sword1 etc4 ,occasionally ,melanchthon even loses his dignified composure4 ,article #f we read3 ,quis docuit illos asinos hanc dialecticam8 ,article #i3 ,videant isti asini4 ,in his book of #aecd against the ,apology1 ,cochlaeus complains that the youthful ,melanchthon called old priests asses1 sycophants1 windbags1 godless sophists1 worthless hypocrites1 etc4 ,in the margin he had written3 ,fierce and vicious he is1 a barking dog toward those who are absent1 but to those who were present at ,augsburg1 ,philip was more gentle than a pup4 ,ferox et mordax est1 latrator in absentes1 praesentes erat ,augustae omni catello blandior ,philippus4 7,salig1 #a1 #cgg47 ,on this score1 however1 ,cochlaeus and his papal compeers had no reason to complain1 for they had proved to be past masters in vilifying and slandering the ,lutherans1 as well as implacable enemies1 satisfied with nothing short of their blood and utter destruction4 ,as a sample of their scurrility ,w4 ,walther quotes the following from a book written by ,duke ,george of ,saxony3 ,er ,luther ist gewiss mit dem ,teufel besessen1 mit der ganzen ,legion1 welche ,christus von den ,besessenen austrieb und erlaubte ihnen1 in die ,schweine zu fahren4 ,diese ,legion hat dem ,luther seinen ,moenchschaedel hirnwuetig und wirbelsuechtig gemacht4 ,du unruhiger1 treuloser und meineidiger ,kuttenbube6 ,du bist allein der groesste1 groebste ,esel und ,narr1 du verfluchter ,apostat6 ,hieraus kann maenniglich abnehmen die ,verraeterei und ,falschheit deines blutduerstigen ,herzens1 rachgierigen ,gemuets und teuflischen ,willens1 so du1 ,luther1 gegen deinen ,naechsten tobend1 als ein toerichter ,hund mit offenem ,maul ohne ,unterlass wagest4 ,du treuloser ,bube und teuflischer ,moench6 ,du deklarierter ,mameluck and verdammter ,zwiedarm1 deren neun einen ,pickharden gelten4 ,ich sage vornehmlich1 dass du selbst der aller unverstaendigste ,bacchant und zehneckichte ,cornut und ,bestia bist4 ,du meineidiger1 treuloser und ehrenblosser ,fleischboesewicht6 ,pfui dich nun1 du sakrilegischer1 der ausgelaufenen ,moenche und ,nonnen1 der abfaelligen ,pfaffen und aller ,abtruennigen ,hurenwirt6 ,ei1 ,doktor ,schandluther6 ,mein ,doktor ,erzesel1 ich will dir's prophezeit haben1 der allmaechtige ,gott wird dir kuerzlich die ,schanze brechen und deiner boshaftigsten1 groebsten ,eselheit ,feierabend geben4 ,du ,sauboze1 ,doktor ,sautrog6 ,doktor ,eselsohr6 ,doktor ,filzhut6 ,zweiundsiebzig ,teufel sollen dich lebendig in den ,abgrund der ,hoelle fuehren4 ,ich will machen1 dass du als ein ,hoellenhund sollst ,feuer ausspruehen und dich endlich selbst verbrennen4 ,ich will dich dem wuetenigen ,teufel und seiner ,hurenmutter mit einem blutigen ,kopf in den ,abgrund der ,hoelle schicken4 7,luthers ,charakter1 #adh47 ,despite the occasional asperity referred to1 the ,apology1 as a whole1 is written with modesty and moderation4 ,melanchthon sought to keep the track as clear as possible for a future understanding4 ,in the interest of unity1 which he never lost sight of entirely1 he was conservative and not disposed needlessly to widen the existing gulf4 ,in the ,preface to the ,apology he declares3 ,it has always been my custom in these controversies to retain1 so far as ,i was at all able1 the form of the customarily received doctrine1 in order that at some time concord could be reached the more readily4 ,nor1 indeed1 am ,i now departing far from this custom1 although ,i could justly lead away the men of this age still farther from the opinions of the adversaries4 7#aja47 ,this irenic feature is perhaps most prominent in the #ajth ,article1 ,of the ,lord's ,supper1 where ,melanchthon1 in order to satisfy the opponents as to the orthodoxy of the ,lutherans in the doctrine of the ,real ,presence1 emphasizes the agreement in such a manner that he has been misunderstood as endorsing also the ,romish doctrine of ,transubstantiation4 #fj4 ,symbolical ,authority of ,apology4 ,the great importance ascribed to the ,apology appears both from its numerous reprints and the strenuous endeavors of the opponents to oppose it with books1 which1 however1 no one was willing to print4 ,the reception accorded it by the ,lutherans is described in a letter which ,lazarus ,spengler sent to ,veit ,dietrich ,may #ag3 ,we have received the ,apology with the greatest joy and in good hope that it will be productive of much profit among our posterity4 ,brenz declares it worthy of the canon worthy of symbolical authority3 ,apologiam1 me iudice1 canone dignam 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #eaj71 a phrase which ,luther had previously applied to ,melanchthon's ,loci4 ,the joy of the ,lutherans was equaled only by the consternation of their enemies4 ,the appearance of the ,apology surprised and perturbed them4 ,they keenly felt that they were again discredited in the public opinion and had been outwitted by the ,lutherans4 ,on ,november #ai ,albert of ,mayence sent a copy of the ,apology to the ,emperor in order to show him how the ,catholic religion was being destroyed while the ,confutation remained unpublished4 ,cochlaeus complained that to judge from letters received1 the ,apology found approval even in ,rome1 whereas no printer could be found for ,catholic replies to the ,apology4 ,he wrote3 ,meantime1 while we keep silence1 they flaunt the ,apology and other writings1 and not only insult us1 but cause our people and cities to doubt and to grow unstable in the faith4 7,kolde1 #dj47 ,the ,apology1 as revised and published by ,melanchthon1 was a private work4 ,his name1 therefore1 appeared on the title-page of the edition of #aeca1 which was not the case with respect to the ,confession and ,apology presented at ,augsburg4 ,the latter were official documents1 drawn up by order of the ,lutheran princes and estates1 while the revised ,apology was an undertaking for which ,melanchthon had received no commission4 ,accordingly1 as he was not justified in publishing a work of his own under the name of the princes1 there was nothing else for him to do than to affix his own signature4 ,in the ,preface to the ,apology he says3 ,as it passed through the press1 ,i made some additions4 ,therefore ,i give my name1 so that no one can complain that the book has been published anonymously4 7#ajj47 ,melanchthon did not wish to make any one beside himself responsible for the contents of the revised ,apology4 ,before long1 however1 the ,apology received official recognition4 ,at ,schweinfurt1 #aecb1 in opposition to the ,papists1 the ,lutherans appealed to the ,augustana and ,apology as the confession of their faith1 designating the latter as the defense and explanation of the ,confession4 ,and when the ,papists advanced the claim that the ,lutherans had gone farther in the ,apology than in the ,augustana1 and1 ,april #aa1 #aecb1 demanded that they abide by the ,augustana1 refrain from making the ,apology their confession1 and accordingly substitute ,assertion for the title ,apology1 the ,lutherans1 considering the ,apology to be the adequate expression of their faith1 insisted on the original title4 ,april #ag they declared3 ,this book was called ,apology because it was presented to ,caesar after the ,confession2 nor could they suffer its doctrine and the ,word of ,god to be bound and limited1 or their preachers restricted to teach nothing else than the letter of the ,augsburg ,confession1 thus making it impossible for them to rebuke freely and most fully all doctrinal errors1 abuses1 sins1 and crimes4 ,nominatum fuisse ,apologiam scriptum illud1 quod ,caesari post ,confessionem exhibitum sit1 neque se pati posse1 ut doctrina sua et ,verbum ,dei congustetur1 imminuatur et concionatores astringantur1 ut nihil aliud praedicent quam ad litteram ,augustanae ,confessionis1 neque libere et plenissime adversus omnes errores doctrinae1 abusus1 peccata et crimina dicere possint4 ,hereupon the ,romanists1 on ,april #bb1 demanded that at least a qualifying explanation be added to the title ,apology4 ,brueck answered on the #bc;d3 ,it is not possible to omit this word4 ,the ,apology is the correlate of the ,confession4 ,still the princes and their associates do not wish any articles taught other than those which have so far begun to be discussed4 ,omitti istud verbum non posse2 ,apologiam esse correlatum ,confessionis2 nolle tamen ,principes et socios1 ut alii articuli docerentur quam huiusque tractari coepti sint4 7,koellner1 #dcj47 ,in his ,letter of ,comfort1 #aecc1 to the ,leipzig ,lutherans banished by ,duke ,george1 ,luther says3 ,there is our ,confession and ,apology4444 ,adhere to our ,confession and ,apology4 7#aj1 #aief47 ,membership in the ,smalcald ,league was conditioned on accepting the ,apology as well as the ,augustana4 ,both were also subscribed to in the ,wittenberg ,concord of #aecf4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #gf47 ,in #aecg1 at ,smalcald1 the ,apology 7together with the ,augustana and the ,appendix ,concerning the ,primacy of the ,pope7 was1 by order of the ,evangelical estates1 subscribed by all of the theologians present1 and thereby solemnly declared a confession of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,in #aeci ,denmark reckoned the ,apology among the books which pastors were required to adopt4 ,in #aedj it was presented together with the ,augustana at ,worms4 ,it was also received into the various corpora doctrinae4 ,the ,formula of ,concord adopts the ,apology1 saying3 ,we unanimously confess this ,apology also1 because not only is the said ,augsburg ,confession explained in it as much as is necessary and guarded against the slanders of the adversaries1 but also proved by clear1 irrefutable testimonies of ,holy ,scripture4 7#hec1 #f47 ,,vii4 ,smalcald ,articles and ,tract concerning ,power and ,primacy of ,pope4 #fa4 ,general ,council ,demanded by ,lutherans4 ,in order to settle the religious controversy between themselves and the ,papists1 the ,lutherans1 from the very beginning1 asked for a general council4 ,in the course of years this demand became increasingly frequent and insistent4 ,it was solemnly renewed in the ,preface of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,the ,emperor had repeatedly promised to summon a council4 ,at ,augsburg he renewed the promise of convening it within a year4 ,the ,roman ,curia1 however1 dissastisfied with the arrangements made at the ,diet1 found ways and means of delaying it4 ,in #aecb1 the ,emperor proceeded to ,bologna1 where he negotiated with ,clement ,,vii concerning the matter1 as appears from the imperial and papal proclamations of ,january #h and #aj1 #aecc1 respectively4 ,as a result1 the ,pope1 in #aecc1 sent ,hugo ,rangon1 bishop of ,resz1 to ,germany1 to propose that the council be held at ,placentia1 ,bologna1 or ,mantua4 ,clement1 however1 was not sincere in making this offer4 ,in reality he was opposed to holding a council4 ,such were probably also the real sentiments of his successor1 ,paul ,,iii4 ,but when the ,emperor who1 in the interest of his sweeping world policy1 was anxious to dispose of the religious controversy1 renewed his pressure1 ,paul finally found himself compelled to yield4 ,june #d #aecf1 he issued a bull convoking a general council to meet at ,mantua1 ,may #h1 #aecg4 ,nothing1 however1 was said about the principles according to which it was to be formed and by which it should be governed in transacting its business4 ,self-evidently1 then1 the rules of the former councils were to be applied4 ,its declared purpose was the peace of the ,church through the extinction of heresy4 ,in the ,bull ,concerning the ,reforms of the ,roman ,court1 which the ,pope issued ,september #bc1 he expressly declared that the purpose of the council would be the utter extirpation of the poisonous1 pestilential ,lutheran heresy4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #aiad47 ,thus the question confronting the ,protestants was1 whether they could risk to appear at such a council1 and ought to do so1 or whether 7and how7 they should decline to attend4 ,luther1 indeed1 still desired a council4 ,but after #aecj he no longer put any confidence in a council convened by the ,pope1 although1 for his person1 he did not refuse to attend even such a council4 ,this appears also from his conversation1 ,november #g1 #aece1 with the papal legate ,peter ,paul ,vergerius 7born #adig2 accused of ,lutheranism #aedf2 deprived of his bishopric #aedi2 defending ,protestantism after #aeej2 employed by ,duke ,christoph of ,wuerttemberg #aeec2 died #aefd47 ,koestlin writes3 ,luther relates how he had told the legate3 ',even if you do call a council1 you will not treat of salutary doctrine1 saving faith1 etc41 but of useless matters1 such as laws concerning meats1 the length of priest's garments1 exercises of monks1 etc4' ,while he was thus dilating1 says ,luther1 the legate1 holding his head in his hand1 turned to a near-by companion and said3 ',he strikes the nail on the head1' ,the further utterances of ,luther3 ',we do not need a council for ourselves and our adherents1 for we already have the firm ,evangelical doctrine and order2 ,christendom1 however1 needs it1 in order that those whom error still holds captive may be able to distinguish between error and truth1' appeared utterly intolerable to ,vergerius1 as he himself relates4 ,he regarded them as unheard-of arrogance4 ,by way of answer1 he asked1 whether1 indeed the ,christian men assembled from all parts of the world1 upon whom1 without doubt1 the ,holy ,spirit descends1 must only decide what ,luther approved of4 ,boldly and angrily interrupting him ,luther said3 ',yes1 ,i will come to the council and lose my head if ,i shall not defend my doctrine against all the world2' furthermore he exclaimed3 ',this wrath of my mouth is not my wrath1 but the wrath of ,god4' ,vergerius rejoiced to hear that ,luther was perfectly willing to come to the council2 for1 so he wrote to ,rome1 he thought that nothing more was needed to break the courage of the heretics than the certain prospect of a council1 and at the same time he believed that in ,luther's assent he heard the decision of his master1 the ,elector1 also4 ,luther declared that it was immaterial to him where the council would meet1 at ,mantua1 ,verona1 or at any other place4 ,vergerius continued3 ',are you willing to come to ,bologna8' ,luther3 ',to whom does ,bologna belong8' ,vergerius3 ',to the ,pope4' ,luther3 ',good ,lord1 has this town1 too1 been grabbed by the ,pope8 ,very well1 ,i shall come to you there4' ,vergerius3 ',the ,pope will probably not refuse to come to you at ,wittenberg either1' ,luther3 ',very well1 let him come2 we shall look for him with pleasure4' ,vergerius3 ',do you expect him to come with an army or without weapons8' ,luther3 ',as he pleases1 in whatsoever manner he may come1 we shall expect him and shall receive him4'--,luther and ,bugenhagen remained with ,vergerius until he departed with his train of attendants4 ,after mounting1 he said once more to ,luther3 ',see that you be prepared for the council4' ,luther answered3 ',yes1 sir1 with this my neck and head4' 7,martin ,luther #b1 #chb sq47 #fb4 ,luther's ,views ,regarding the ,council4 ,what ,luther's attitude toward a general council was in #aecg is expressed in the ,preface to the ,smalcald ,articles as follows3 ,but to return to the subject4 ,i verily desire to see a truly ,christian council1 in order that many matters and persons might be helped4 ,not that we need it1 for our churches are now through ,god's grace1 so enlightened and equipped with the pure ,word and right use of the ,sacraments1 with knowledge of the various callings and of right works that we on our part ask for no council1 and on such points have nothing better to hope or expect from a council4 ,but we see in the bishoprics everywhere so many parishes vacant and desolate that one's heart would break1 and yet neither the bishops nor canons care how the poor people live or die1 for whom nevertheless ,christ has died1 and who are not permitted to hear ,him speak with them as the true ,shepherd with ,his sheep4 ,this causes me to shudder and fear that at some time he may send a council of angels upon ,germany utterly destroying us1 like ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 because we so wantonly mock ,him with the council4 7#deg47 ,from a popish council ,luther expected nothing but condemnation of the truth and its confessors4 ,at the same time he was convinced that the ,pope would never permit a truly free1 ,christian council to assemble4 ,he had found him out and knew that the ,pope would see all ,christendom perish and all souls damned rather than suffer either himself or his adherents to be reformed even a little1 and his tyranny to be limited4 7#dee7 ,for with them conscience is nothing1 but money1 honors1 power1 are everything4 7#dee4 #dgg47 ,the ,second ,part of his ,articles ,luther concludes as follows3 ,in these four articles they will have enough to condemn in the council4 ,for they cannot and will not concede to us even the least point in one of these articles4 ,of this we should be certain1 and animate ourselves with the hope that ,christ1 our ,lord1 has attacked ,his adversary1 and ,he will press the attack home both by ,his ,spirit and coming4 ,amen4 ,for in the council we will stand not before the ,emperor or the political magistrate1 as at ,augsburg 7where the ,emperor published a most gracious edict1 and caused matters to be heard kindly71 but before the ,pope and devil himself1 who intends to listen to nothing1 but merely to condemn1 to murder1 and to force us to idolatry4 ,therefore we ought not here to kiss his feet or to say1 ',thou art my gracious lord1' but as the angel in ,zechariah #c1 #b said to ,satan1 ,the ,lord rebuke thee1 ,o ,satan4 7#dge47 ,hence his ,preface also concludes with the plaint and prayer3 ,o ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 do ,thou ,thyself convoke a council1 and deliver ,thy servants by ,thy glorious advent6 ,the ,pope and his adherents are done for1 they will have none of ,thee4 ,do ,thou1 then1 help us1 who are poor and needy1 who sigh to ,thee1 and beseech ,thee earnestly1 according to the grace which ,thou hast given us1 through ,thy ,holy ,ghost1 who liveth and reigneth with ,thee and the ,father1 blessed forever4 ,amen4 7#dei47 #fc4 ,elector ,opposed to ,hearing ,papal ,legate4 ,from the very beginning1 ,elector ,john ,frederick was opposed to a council4 ,and the question which particularly engaged his attention was1 whether the ,lutherans should receive and hear the papal legate who would deliver the invitation4 ,accordingly1 on ,july #bd1 the ,elector came to ,wittenberg and through ,brueck delivered four 7five7 articles to the local theologians and jurists for consideration with instructions to submit their answer in writing4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #aai47 ,august #a1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,jonas3 ,recently the ,prince was here and demanded an opinion from all theologians and jurists4444 ,it is rumored that a cardinal-legate will come to ,germany to announce the council4 ,the ,prince is therefore inquiring what to answer1 and under what condition the synod might be permitted4 7#ajf47 ,the articles which ,brueck presented dealt mainly with the questions3 whether1 in view of the fact that the ,pope is a party to the issue and his authority to convene a council is questioned1 the legate should be heard1 especially if the ,emperor did not send a messenger along with him1 whether one would not already submit himself to the ,pope by hearing the legate2 whether one ought not to protest1 because the ,pope alone had summoned the council2 and what should be done in case the legate would summon the ,elector as a party1 and not for consultation1 like the other estates4 7#aai;f47 ,in the preparation of their answer1 the ,elector desired the ,wittenberg scholars to take into careful consideration also his own view of the matter1 which he persistently defended as the only correct one4 ,for this purpose he transmitted to them an opinion of his own on ,brueck's articles referred to in the preceding paragraph4 ,in it he maintained that the papal invitation must be declined1 because acceptance involved the recognition of the ,pope as the head of the ,church and of the council4 ,according to the ,elector the proper course for the ,lutheran confederates would be to inform the legate1 immediately on his arrival in ,germany1 that they would never submit to the authority which the ,pope had arrogated to himself in his proclamation1 since the power he assumed was neither more nor less than abominable tyranny2 that they could not consider the ,pope as differing from1 or give him greater honor than1 any other ordinary bishop2 that1 besides1 they must regard the ,pope as their greatest enemy and opponent2 that he had arranged for the council with the sinister object of maintaining his antichristian power and suppressing the holy ,gospel1 that there was no need of hearing the legate any further1 since the ,pope1 who was sufficiently informed as to their teaching1 cared neither for ,scripture nor for law and justice1 and merely wished to be their judge and lord2 that1 in public print1 they would unmask the roguery of the ,pope1 and show that he had no authority whatever to convoke a council1 but1 at the same time1 declare their willingness to take part in1 and submit their doctrine to1 a free1 common1 ,christian1 and impartial council1 which would judge according to the ,scriptures4 ,nor did the ,elector fail to stress the point that1 by attending at ,mantua1 the ,lutherans would de facto waive their former demand that the council must be held on ,german soil4 7#ii;ff47 #fd4 ,elector ,imbued with ,luther's ,spirit4 ,evidently1 the ,elector had no desire of engaging once more in diplomatic jugglery1 such as had been indulged in at ,augsburg4 ,and at ,smalcald1 despite the opposing advice of the theologians1 his views prevailed1 to the sorrow of ,melanchthon1 as appears from the latter's complaint to ,camerarius1 ,march #a1 #afcg4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bic47 ,the ,elector was thoroughly imbued with the spirit of ,luther1 who never felt more antagonistic toward ,rome than at ,smalcald1 although1 as shown above1 he was personally willing to appear at the council1 even if held at ,mantua4 ,this spirit of bold defiance appears from the articles which ,luther wrote for the convention1 notably from the article on the ,papacy and on the ,mass4 ,in the latter he declares3 ,as ,campegius said at ,augsburg that he would be torn to pieces before he would relinquish the ,mass1 so1 by the help of ,god1 ,i1 too1 would suffer myself to be reduced to ashes before ,i would allow a hireling of the ,mass1 be he good or bad1 to be made equal to ,christ ,jesus1 my ,lord and ,savior1 or to be exalted above ,him4 ,thus we are and remain eternally separated and opposed to one another4 ,they feel well enough that when the ,mass falls1 the ,papacy lies in ruins4 ,before they will permit this to occur1 they will put us all to death if they can4 7#dfe47 ,in the ,pope1 ,luther had recognized the ,antichrist2 and the idea of treating1 seeking an agreement1 and making a compromise with the enemy of his ,savior1 was intolerable to him4 ,at ,smalcald1 while suffering excruciating pain1 he declared1 ,i shall die as the enemy of all enemies of my ,lord ,christ4 ,when seated in the wagon1 and ready to leave ,smalcald1 he made the sign of the cross over those who stood about him and said3 ,may the ,lord fill you with ,his blessing and with hatred against the ,pope6 ,believing that his end was not far removed1 he had chosen as his epitaph3 ,living1 ,i was thy pest2 dying1 ,i shall be thy death1 ,o ,pope6 ,pestis eram vivus1 moriens ero mors tua1 ,papa6 ,the same spirit of bold defiance and determination not to compromise the divine truth in any way animated the ,elector and practically all of the princes and theologians at ,smalcald1 with1 perhaps1 the sole exception of ,melanchthon4 ,koestlin writes3 ,meanwhile the allies at ,smalcald displayed no lack of 'hatred against the ,pope4' ,his letters1 delivered by the legate1 were returned unopened4 ,they decidedly refused to take part in the council1 and that in spite of the opinion of their theologians1 whose reasons ,melanchthon again ardently defended4 ,for1 as they declared in an explanation to all ,christian rulers1 they could not submit to a council which1 according to the papal proclamation1 was convoked to eradicate the ,lutheran heresy1 would consist only of bishops1 who were bound to the ,pope by an oath1 have as its presiding officer the ,pope1 who himself was a party to the matter1 and would not decide freely according to the ,word of ,god1 but according to human and papal decrees4 ,and from the legal standpoint they could hardly act differently4 ,theologians like ,luther could have appeared even before such a council in order to give bold testimony before it4 ,princes1 however1 the representatives of the law and protectors of the ,church1 dared not even create the appearance of acknowledging its legality4 7#b1 #djb47 #fe4 ,opinion of ,theologians4 ,august #f the ,wittenberg professors assembled to deliberate on ,brueck's articles and the views of the ,elector4 ,the opinion resolved upon was drawn up by ,melanchthon4 ,its contents may be summarized as follows3 ,the ,lutherans must not reject the papal invitation before hearing whether the legate comes with a citation or an invitation4 ,in case they were invited like the rest of the princes to take part in the deliberations1 and not cited as a party1 this would mean a concession on the part of the ,pope1 inasmuch as he thereby consented that the opinion of our gracious ,lord the ,elector should be heard and have weight1 like that of the other estates4 ,furthermore1 by such invitation the ,pope would indicate that he did not consider these princes to be heretics4 ,if the legate were rebuffed the ,romanists would proceed against the ,lutherans as obstinate sinners 7contumaces7 and condemn them unheard1 which1 as is well known1 would please the enemies best4 ,the ,lutherans would then also be slandered before the ,emperor as despisers of ,his ,majesty and of the council4 ,nor did the mere hearing of the legate involve an acknowledgment of the papal authority4 ,for with such invitation to attend the council the ,pope does not issue a command1 nor summon any one to appear before his tribunal1 but before another judge1 namely1 the ,council1 the ,pope being in this matter merely the commander of the other estates4 ,by hearing the legate1 therefore1 one has not submitted to the ,pope or to his judgments4444 ,for although the ,pope has not the authority to summon others by divine law1 nevertheless the ancient councils1 as1 for example1 that of ,nicaea1 have given him this charge1 which external church regulation we do not attack4 ,and although in former years1 when the empire was under one head some emperors convoked councils1 it would be in vain at present for the ,emperor to proclaim a council1 as foreign nations would not heed such proclamation4 ,but while the ,pope at present1 according to the form of the law has the charge to proclaim councils1 he is thereby not made the judge in matters of faith1 for even popes themselves have frequently been deposed by councils4 ,pope ,john proclaimed the ,council of ,constance1 but was nevertheless deposed by it4 ,accordingly the opinion continues3 ,it is not for us to advise that the council be summarily declined1 neither do we consider this profitable1 for we have always appealed to a council4 ,what manner of suspicion1 therefore1 would be aroused with ,his ,imperial ,majesty and all nations if at the outset we would summarily decline a council1 before discussing the method of procedure6 ,and even if the ,lutherans should be cited instead of invited1 one must await the wording of the citation1 whether we are cited to show the reason for our teaching1 or to hear ourselves declared and condemned as public heretics4 ,in the latter case it might be declined4 ,in the former1 however1 the citation should be accepted1 but under the protest that they had appealed to a free ,christian council1 and did not acknowledge the ,pope as judge4 ,and if 7caeteris paribus1 that is1 provided the procedure is correct otherwise7 the council is considered the highest tribunal1 as it ought to be considered1 one cannot despise the command of the person to whom the charge is given to proclaim councils1 whoever he may be4 ,but if afterwards the proceedings are not conducted properly1 one can then justly lodge complaint on that account4 ,to proclaim a council is within the province of the ,pope2 but the judgment and decision belongs to the council4444 ,for all canonists hold that in matters of faith the council is superior to the ,pope1 and that in case of difference the council's verdict must be preferred to that of the ,pope4 ,for there must be a supreme court of the ,church1 i4e41 the council4 ,on account of the place1 however they should not refuse to appear4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1aai47 ,in their subsequent judgments the theologians adhered to the view that the ,protestants ought not to incur the reproach of having prevented the council by turning down the legate4 ,luther says1 in an opinion written at ,smalcald1 ,february1 #aecg3 ,i have no doubt that the ,pope and his adherents are afraid and would like to see the council prevented1 but in such a manner as would enable them to boast with a semblance of truth that it was not their fault1 since they had proclaimed it1 sent messengers1 called the estates1 etc41 as they1 indeed1 would brag and trump it up4 ,hence1 in order that we might be frightened and back out1 they have set before us a horrible devil's head by proclaiming a council1 in which they mention nothing about church matters1 nothing about a hearing1 nothing about other matters1 but solely speak of the extirpation and eradication of the poisonous ,lutheran heresy1 as they themselves indicate in the bull ,de ,reformatione ,curiae of ,september #bc1 #aecf1 ,st4 ,l4 #af #aiac;ff44 ,here we have not only our sentence which is to be passed upon us in the council but the appeal also with hearing1 answer1 and discussion of all matters is denied us1 and all pious1 honorable men who might possibly have been chosen as mediators are also excluded4 ,moreover1 these knaves of the devil are bent on doing their pleasure1 not only in condemning 7for according to the said bull launched against us they want to be certain of that7 but also in speedily beginning and ordering execution and eradication1 although we have not yet been heard 7as all laws require7 nor have they1 the cardinals1 ever read our writing or learned its doctrine1 since our books are proscribed everywhere1 but have heard only the false writers and the lying mouths1 having not heard us make a reply1 although in ,germany both princes and bishops know1 also those of their party1 that they are lying books and rascals1 whom the ,pope1 ,italy1 and other nations believe4444 ,hence they would like to frighten us into refusing it the ,council for then they could safely say that we had prevented it4 ,thus the shame would not only cleave to us1 but we would have to hear that1 by our refusal1 we had helped to strengthen such abominations of the ,pope1 which otherwise might have been righted4 ,such and similar reasons prompted ,luther to declare that1 even though he knew it would finally end in a scuffle1 he was not afraid of the lousy1 contemptible council1 and would neither give the legate a negative answer1 nor entangle himself1 and therefore not be hasty in the matter4 7,st4 ,l4 #af1 #aiig47 ,even after the princes at ,smalcald had resolved not to attend the council1 ,luther expressed the opinion that it had been false wisdom to decline it2 the ,pope should have been left without excuse2 in case it should convene1 the council would now be conducted without the ,protestants4 #ff4 ,elector's ,strictures on ,opinion of ,theologians4 ,elector ,john ,frederick was not at all satisfied with the ,wittenberg opinion of ,august #f4 ,accordingly1 he informed the theologians assembled ,august #cj at ,luther's house1 through ,brueck1 that they had permitted themselves to be unduly influenced by the jurists1 had not framed their opinion with the diligence required by the importance of the matter1 and had not weighed all the dangers lurking in an acceptance of the invitation to the council4 ,if the ,lutherans would be invited like the other estates1 and attend1 they must needs dread a repetition of the craftiness attempted at ,augsburg1 namely1 of bringing their princes in opposition to their preachers4 ,furthermore1 in that case it would also be considered self-evident that the ,lutherans submit to the decision of the majority in all matters4 ,and if they refused1 what then8 ,on this wise we1 for our part1 would be lured into the net so far that we could not1 with honor1 give a respectable account of our action before the world4 ,for thereupon to appeal from such decision of the council to another would by all the world be construed against our part as capriciousness pure and simple4 ,at all events1 therefore1 the ,lutherans could accept the papal invitation only with a public protest1 from which the ,pope and every one else could perceive in advance1 before the council convened1 that the ,lutherans would not allow themselves to be lured into the net of a papal council1 and what must be the character of the council to which they would assent4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #adg47 ,in this ,protest1 which the ,elector presented1 and which ,melanchthon translated into ,latin1 we read3 ,by the possible acceptance of the invitation to the council they the ,lutherans assent to no council other than a general1 free1 pious1 ,christian1 and impartial one2 not to one either which would be subject to1 and bound by1 papal prejudices 7as the one promised by ,clement ,,vii71 but to such a synod as will endeavor to bring godly and ,christian unity within the ,church by choosing pious1 learned1 impartial1 and unsuspected men for the purpose of investigating the religious controversies and adjudicating them from the ,word of ,god1 and not in accordance with usage and human traditions1 nor on the basis of decisions rendered by former synods that militate against the ,word of ,god4 7#aeb4 #aeg47 #fg4 ,counter-,council ,disadvised4 ,the other matters which engaged the ,elector's attention dealt primarily with measures of defense1 the convening of a counter-council 7,gegenkonzil7 and the preparation of articles which all would unanimously accept1 and by which they proposed to stand to the uttermost4 ,august #bj ,brueck brought these points up for discussion4 ,and in a memorandum which the ,elector personally presented to the theologians at ,wittenberg on ,december #a1 #aecf1 he expressed his opinion as follows3 ,the ,lutherans were not obligated to attend the council1 neither would it be advisable4 ,one could not believe or trust the opponents4 ,nothing but trickery1 deception1 harm1 and destruction might be expected4 ,at the council the ,lutheran doctrine would be condemned1 and its confessors excommunicated and outlawed4 ,to be sure1 the ,lutheran cause was in ,god's hands4 ,and as in the past1 so also in the future ,god would protect it4 ,still they must not on this account neglect anything4 ,luther should therefore draw up articles from which he was determined not to recede4 ,after they had been subscribed by the ,wittenbergers and by all ,evangelical pastors at the prospective meeting at ,smalcald1 the question might also be discussed whether the ,lutherans should not arrange for a counter-council a universal1 free1 ,christian council1 possibly at ,augsburg4 ,the proclamation for this council might be issued by ,doctor ,luther together with his fellow-bishops and ecclesiastics1 as the pastors4 ,however1 one might also consider whether this should not preferably be done by the princes and estates4 ,in such an event1 however1 one had to see to it that the ,emperor be properly informed1 and that the entire blame be saddled upon the ,pope and his adherents1 the enemies and opponents of our side4 7#ada7 ,the seriousness with which the ,elector considered the idea of a counter-council appears from the details on which he entered in the memorandum referred to where he puts especial emphasis on the following points3 ,at this free1 universal council the ,lutherans were minded to set forth their doctrine and faith according to the divine1 holy ,scriptures4 ,every one1 whether priest or layman1 should be heard in case he wanted to present anything concerning this doctrine from the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,a free1 safe1 ,christian passport was to be given to all1 even to the worst enemy1 leaving it to his discretion when to come and go4 ,only matters founded in the ,scriptures were to be presented and discussed at such council4 ,human laws1 ordinances1 and writings should under no circumstances be listened to in matters pertaining to faith and conscience1 nor be admitted as evidence against the ,word of ,god4 ,whoever would submit such matters1 should not be heard1 but silence enjoined upon him4 ,to the verdict of such a holy and ,christian council the ,lutherans would be willing to submit their doctrine4 7#ada47 ,the theologians answered in an opinion of ,december #f1 #aecf1 endorsing the ,protest referred to above1 but disapproving the counter-council4 ,concerning the first point they advised that a writing be published and sent to the ,emperor and all rulers in which the ,lutherans were to request that ways and means be considered of adopting a lawful procedure at the council promoting the true ,christian unity of ,christendom4 ,concerning the counter-council1 however1 they advised at all events not to hasten with it4 ,for to convoke it would produce a great and terrible appearance of creating a schism1 and of setting oneself against all the world and contemplating taking the field soon4 ,therefore such great1 apparent resistance should not be undertaken till one intends to do something in the matter openly and in deed4 ,concerning the defense1 the ,wittenberg theologians were of the opinion that it was the right and duty of the princes to protect and defend their subjects against notorious injuries 7if1 for example1 an attempt should be made to force upon them the ,romish idolatry1 or to rend asunder the marriages of their pastors71 and also against the ,emperor1 even after the council had condemned them as heretics4 ,luther signed this opinion with the following words3 ,i1 too1 ,martin ,luther1 will help with my prayers and1 if necessary1 also with my fist4 7#abf47 #fh4 ,articles ,drafted by ,luther4 ,in the memorandum of ,december #a the ,elector spoke of the articles ,luther was to frame as follows3 ,although1 in the first place1 it may easily be perceived that whatsoever our party may propose in such a popish council as has been announced will have no weight with the opposition1 miserable1 blinded1 and mad men that they are1 no matter how well it is founded on ,holy ,scripture moreover1 everything will have to be ,lutheran heresy1 and their verdict1 which probably has already been decided and agreed upon1 must be adopted and immediately followed by their proposed ban and interdict decree excommunicating and outlawing our party1 it will1 nevertheless1 be very necessary for ,doctor ,martin to prepare his foundation and opinion from the ,holy ,scriptures1 namely1 the articles as hitherto taught1 preached1 and written by him1 and which he is determined to adhere to and abide by at the council1 as well as upon his departure from this world and before the judgment of ,almighty ,god1 and in which we cannot yield without becoming guilty of treason against ,god1 even though property and life1 peace or war1 are at stake4 ,such articles however1 as are not necessary1 and in which for the sake of ,christian love1 yet without offense against ,god and ,his ,word1 something might be yielded 7though1 doubtless1 they will be few in number71 should in this connection also be indicated separately by said ,doctor ,martin4 ,and when ,doctor ,martin has completed such work 7which1 if at all possible for the ,doctor1 must be done between the present date and that of the ,conversion of ,st4 ,paul ,january #be1 at the latest71 he shall thereupon present it to the other ,wittenberg theologians1 and likewise to some prominent preachers whose presence he should require to hear from them1 at the same time admonishing them most earnestly1 and asking them whether they agreed with him in these articles which he had drawn up1 or not1 and thereupon1 as they hoped for their souls salvation their sentiment and opinion be learned in its entirety1 but not in appearance1 for the sake of peace1 or because they did not like to oppose the ,doctor1 and for this reason would not fully open their hearts1 and still1 at a later time would teach1 preach1 write1 and make public something else or advise the people against said articles1 as some have in several instances done before this4 ,an agreement having been reached1 the articles were to be subscribed by all and prepared in ,german and ,latin4 ,at the prospective meeting at ,smalcald they should be submitted to the religious confederates for discussion and subscription4 ,hence1 in the invitation1 every prince should be asked to bring with him two or three theologians1 in order that a unanimous agreement might be reached there1 and no delay could be sought or pretended4 7#aci47 ,accordingly1 the ,elector planned to have ,luther draw up articles which were to be accepted by all1 first at ,wittenberg and then at ,smalcald1 without compulsion and for no other reason than that they expressed their own inmost convictions4 ,the situation had changed since #aecj1 and the ,elector desired a clearer expression1 especially on the ,papacy4 ,hence he did not appoint ,melanchthon1 but ,luther1 to compose the articles4 ,the truth was to be confessed without regard to anything else4 ,luther had received the order to draw up these articles as early as ,august #bj1 #aecf4 ,september #c ,brueck wrote to the ,elector on this matter3 ,i also delivered to ,doctor ,martin the credentials which ,your ,electoral ,grace gave to me1 and thereupon also spoke with him in accordance with the command of ,your ,electoral ,grace4 ,he promised to be obedient in every way4 ,it also appears to me that he already has the work well in hand1 to open his heart to ,your ,electoral ,grace on religion1 which is to be1 as it were1 his testament4 7#adg47 ,luther1 who at the time thought that his end would come in the near future1 had no doubt used such an expression himself4 ,his articles were to be his testament4 ,in the preface to the articles he touched upon it once more1 saying3 ,i have determined to publish these articles in plain print1 so that1 should ,i die before there will be a council 7as ,i fully expect and hope1 because the knaves who flee the light and shun the day take such wretched pains to delay and hinder the council71 those who live and remain after my demise may be able to produce my testimony and confession in addition to the ,confession which ,i previously issued1 whereby up to this time ,i have abided1 and by ,god's grace will abide4 7#dee47 ,the ,elector seems also to have enjoined silence on ,luther with respect to the articles until they had been approved at ,wittenberg4 ,for in his letter to ,spalatin1 of ,december #ae1 #aecf1 ,luther wrote3 ,but you will keep these matters his journey to ,wittenberg to discuss the articles as secret as possible1 and pretend other reasons for your departure4 ,sed haec secreta teneas quantum potes1 et finge alias causas abeundi4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;b1 #bace47 ,december #aa the ,elector again called attention to the articles1 desiring that ,amsdorf1 ,agricola1 and other outside theologians be called to ,wittenberg at his expense to take part in the discussion4 ,shortly after1 ,luther must have finished the articles4 ,the numerous changes and improvements appearing in the original manuscript1 which is still preserved in the ,heidelberg library1 show how much time and labor he spent on this work4 ,concluding his articles1 ,luther says3 ,these are the articles on which ,i must stand1 and1 ,god willing1 shall stand even to my death2 and ,i do not know how to change or to yield anything in them4 ,if any one wishes to yield anything1 let him do it at the peril of his conscience4 7#eja1 #c47 ,toward the close of the year ,luther submitted the draft to his colleagues1 ,jonas1 ,bugenhagen1 ,cruciger1 ,melanchthon1 and those who had come from abroad1 ,spalatin1 ,amsdorf1 and ,agricola4 ,after thorough discussion it was adopted by all with but few changes1 e4g4 regarding the adoration of the saints1 concerning which ,luther had originally said nothing4 7,kolde1 #dd47 ,spalatin reports that all the articles were read1 and successively considered and discussed4 ,the ,elector had spoken also of points in which a concession might be possible4 ,in the discussion at ,wittenberg1 ,spalatin mentioned as such the question whether the ,evangelicals1 in case the ,pope would concede the cup to them1 should cease preaching against the continuance of the one kind among the ,papists2 furthermore1 what was to be done with respect to ordination and the adiaphora4 ,luther had not entered upon a discussion of these questions1 chiefly1 perhaps1 because he was convinced that the council would condemn even the essential articles4 7,compare ,melanchthon's letter of ,august #d1 #aecj1 to ,campegius1 ,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bdf47 ,after the articles had been read and approved1 ,spalatin prepared a copy 7now preserved in the archives at ,weimar71 which was signed by the eight theologians present1 by ,melanchthon1 however1 with the limitation that the ,pope might be permitted to retain his authority iure humano1 in case he would admit the ,gospel4 ,perhaps ,melanchthon1 who probably would otherwise have dissimulated1 felt constrained to add this stricture on account of the solemn demand of the ,elector that no one should hide any dissent of his1 with the intention of publishing it later4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #adj7 #fi4 ,articles ,endorsed by ,elector4 ,with these first subscriptions1 ,luther sent his articles to the ,elector on ,january #c1 #aecg1 by the hand of ,spalatin4 ,in the accompanying letter of the same date he informed the ,elector that he had asked ,amsdorf1 ,eisleben ,agricola1 and ,spalatin to come to ,wittenberg on ,december #bh or the following days4 ,i presented the articles which ,i had myself drawn up according to the command of ,your ,electoral ,grace and talked them over with them for several days1 owing to my weakness1 which intervened 7as ,i think1 by the agency of ,satan72 for otherwise ,i had expected to deliberate upon them no longer than one day4 ,and herewith ,i am sending them1 as affirmed with their signatures1 by our dear brother and good friend1 ,magister ,george ,spalatin1 to deliver them to ,your ,electoral ,grace1 as they all charged and asked me so to do4 ,at the same time1 since there are some who1 by suspicion and words1 insinuate that we parsons 7,pfaffen71 as they call us1 by our stubbornness desire to jeopardize you princes and lords1 together with your lands and people1 etc41 ,i very humbly ask1 also in the name of all of us1 that by all means ,your ,electoral ,grace would reprimand us for this4 ,for if it would prove dangerous for other humble people1 to say nothing of ,your ,electoral ,grace1 together with other lords1 lands1 and people1 we would much rather take it upon ourselves alone4 ,accordingly1 ,your ,electoral ,grace will know well how far and to what extent you will accept these articles1 for we would have no one but ourselves burdened with them1 leaving it to every one whether he will1 or will not1 burden also himself with them4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;b1 #badb47 ,in his answer of ,january #g1 #aecg1 the ,elector expressed his thanks to ,luther for having drawn up the articles in such ,christian1 true1 and pure fashion1 and rejoiced over the unanimity of his theologians4 ,at the same time he ordered ,chancellor ,brueck to take steps toward having the most prominent pastors of the country subscribe the articles1 so that these pastors and preachers1 having affixed their names1 must abide by these articles and not devise teachings of their own1 according to their own opinion and liking1 in case ,almighty ,god would summon ,doctor ,martin from this world1 which rests with ,his good will4 7,kolde1 #de47 ,in the letter which the ,elector sent to ,luther1 we read3 ,we give thanks to ,almighty ,god and to our ,lord ,christ for having granted you health and strength to prepare these articles in such ,christian1 true1 and pure fashion2 also that ,he has given you grace1 so that you have agreed on them with the others in ,christian1 also brotherly and friendly unity4444 ,from them we also perceive that you have changed your mind in no point1 but that you are steadfastly adhering to the ,christian articles1 as you have always taught1 preached1 and written1 which are also built on the foundation1 namely1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 against whom the gates of hell cannot prevail1 and who shall also remain in spite of the ,pope1 the council1 and its adherents4 ,may ,almighty ,god1 through our ,lord ,christ1 bestow ,his grace on us all1 that with steadfast and true faith we abide by them1 and suffer no human fear or opinion to turn us therefrom6444 ,after reading them over for the second time we can entertain no other opinion of them1 but accept them as divine1 ,christian1 and true1 and accordingly shall also confess them and have them confessed freely and publicly before the council1 before the whole world1 and whatsoever may come1 and we shall ask ,god that ,he would vouchsafe grace to our brother and to us1 and also to our posterity1 that steadfastly and without wavering we may abide and remain in them4 7#ba;b1 #badc47 #gj4 ,melanchthon's ,qualified ,subscription4 ,in his letter to ,luther the ,elector made special reference also to the qualified subscription of ,melanchthon4 ,concerning the ,pope1 he said1 we have no hesitation about resisting him most vehemently4 ,for if1 from good opinion1 or for the sake of peace1 as ,magister ,philip suggests1 we should suffer him to remain a lord having the right to command us1 our bishops1 pastors1 and preachers1 we would expose ourselves to danger and burden 7because he and his successors will not cease in their endeavors to destroy us entirely and to root out all our posterity71 for which there is no necessity1 since ,god's ,word has delivered and redeemed us therefrom4 ,and if we1 now that ,god has delivered us from the ,babylonian captivity1 should again run into such danger and thus tempt ,god1 this subjection to the ,pope would1 by a just decree of ,god1 come upon us through our wisdom1 which otherwise1 no doubt1 will not come to pass4 7#bade47 ,evidently1 the ,elector1 though not regarding ,melanchthon's deviation as a false doctrine1 did not consider it to be without danger4 ,at the beginning of the ,reformation1 ,luther had entertained similar thoughts1 but he had long ago seen through the ,papacy1 and abandoned such opinions4 ,in the ,smalcald ,articles he is done with the ,pope and his superiority1 also by human right4 ,and this for two reasons3 first1 because it would be impossible for the ,pope to agree to a mere superiority iure humano1 for in that case he must suffer his rule and estate to be overturned and destroyed together with all his laws and books2 in brief1 he cannot do it2 in the second place1 because even such a purely human superiority would only harm the ,church4 7#dgc1 #g4 #h47 ,melanchthon1 on the other hand1 still adhered to the position which he had occupied in the compromise discussions at ,augsburg1 whence1 e4g41 he wrote to ,camerarius1 ,august #ca1 #aecj ,oh1 would that ,i could1 not indeed fortify the domination1 but restore the administration of the bishops4 ,for ,i see what manner of church we shall have when the ecclesiastical body has been disorganized4 ,i see that afterwards there will arise a much more intolerable tyranny of the princes than there ever was before4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #ccd47 ,at ,smalcald1 however1 his views met with so little response among the princes and theologians that in his ,tract on the ,primacy of the ,pope he omitted them entirely and followed ,luther's trend of thought4 ,march #a1 #aecg1 ,melanchthon himself wrote concerning his defeat at the deliberations of the theologians on the question in which articles concessions might be made in the interest of peace1 saying that the unlearned and the more vehement would not hear of concessions1 since the ,lutherans would then be charged with inconsistency and the ,emperor would only increase his demands4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bib47 ,evidently then1 even at that time ,melanchthon was not entirely cured of his utopian dream4 ,if the ,pontiff would admit the ,gospel1 si pontifex evangelium admitteret4 ,a4 ,osiander remarked3 ,that is1 if the devil would become an apostle4 ,in the ,jena edition of ,luther's works ,melanchthon's phrase is commented upon as follows3 ,and yet the ,pope with his wolves1 the bishops1 even now curses1 blasphemes1 and outlaws the holy ,gospel more horribly than ever before1 raging and fuming against the ,church of ,christ and us poor ,christians in most horrible fashion1 both with fire and sword1 and in whatever way he can1 like a real werwolf1 tr4 note3 sic6 aye1 like the very devil himself4 7#f1 #eeg;b47 ,the same comment is found in the edition of the ,smalcald ,articles prepared #aeec by ,stolz and ,aurifaber1 where the passage begins3 ,o quantum mutatus ab illo the former ,melanchthon6 7,koellner1 #ddh4 #deg47 ,carpzov remarks pertinently3 ,this subscription of ,melanchthon is not a part of the ,book of ,concord it does not contain the doctrine advocated by the ,book of ,concord1 nor was it approved by ,luther2 moreover1 it was later on repudiated by ,philip himself4 7,isagoge #hbc4 #hid47 #ga4 ,luther's ,articles ,sidetracked at ,smalcald4 ,it was a large and brilliant assembly1 especially of theologians1 which convened at ,smalcald in ,february1 #aecg4 ,luther1 too1 was present4 ,on ,january #g the ,elector had written3 ,we hope that our ,god will grant you grace1 strength1 and health that you may be able to make the journey to ,smalcald with us1 and help us to right1 and bring to a good issue1 this matter concerning the ,pope and other matters4 ,as stated above1 the ,elector's plan was to elevate ,luther's articles to a confession officially recognized and subscribed to by all ,lutheran princes1 estates1 and theologians4 ,accordingly1 on ,february #aj1 at the first meeting held at ,smalcald1 ,chancellor ,brueck moved that the theologians deliberate concerning the doctrine1 so that1 in case the ,lutherans would attend the council1 they would know by what they intended to stand1 and whether any concessions were to be made1 or1 as ,brueck put it1 whether anything good perhaps a deliverance on the ,papacy should be adopted1 or something should be conceded4 ,self-evidently1 ,brueck had ,luther's articles in mind1 although it cannot be proved that he directly and expressly mentioned them or submitted them for discussion and adoption4 ,perhaps1 he felt from the very beginning that the ,elector would hardly succeed with his plans as smoothly and completely as anticipated4 ,for ,luther1 desiring to clear the track for the whole truth in every direction1 the ,reformed as well as the ,papistic1 both against the false brethren who would be of our party 7,preface to ,sm4 ,art4 #dee1 #d71 as well as against the open enemies1 had in his articles so sharpened the expressions employed in the ,wittenberg ,concord of #aecf concerning the ,lord's ,supper that the assent of ,philip of ,hesse and the attending ,south ,german delegates and theologians 7,bucer1 ,blaurer1 ,wolfart1 etc47 was more than doubtful4 ,luther's letter to the adherents of ,zwingli1 ,december #a1 #aecg1 shows that he did not at all desire unnecessarily to disturb the work of union begun by the ,wittenberg ,concord4 7,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #badc47 ,still1 he at the same time endeavored to prevent a false union resting on misunderstanding and self-deception4 ,and1 no doubt1 his reformulation of the article on the ,lord's ,supper was intended to serve this purpose4 ,besides1 owing to a very painful attack of gravel1 ,luther was not able to attend the sessions1 hence could not make his influence felt in a decisive manner as desired by the ,elector4 ,this situation was exploited by ,melanchthon in the interest of his attitude toward the ,zwinglians1 which now was much more favorable than it had been at ,augsburg1 #aecj4 ,from the very outset he opposed the official adoption of ,luther's articles4 ,he desired more freedom with regard to both the ,romanists and the ,reformed than was offered by ,luther's articles4 ,the first appears from his subscription4 ,concerning the article of the ,lord's ,supper1 however1 which the ,strassburgers and others refused to accept1 ,melanchthon does not seem to have voiced any scruples during the deliberations at ,wittenberg4 ,personally he may even have been able to accept ,luther's form1 and this1 too1 more honestly than ,bucer did at ,smalcald4 ,for as late as ,september #f1 #aeeg1 he wrote to ,joachim of ,anhalt3 ,i have answered briefly that in doctrine all are agreed1 and that we all embrace and retain the ,confession with the ,apology and ,luther's confession written before the ,synod of ,mantua4 ,respondi breviter1 consensum esse omnium de doctrina3 amplecti nos omnes et retinere ,confessionem cum ,apologia et confessione ,lutheri scripta ante ,mantuanam ,synodum4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #bfj47 ,but1 although ,melanchthon1 for his person1 accepted ,luther's article on the ,lord's ,supper1 he nevertheless considered it to be dangerous to the ,concord with the ,southern ,germans and to the ,smalcald ,league4 ,privately he also made known his dissatisfaction in no uncertain manner4 ,and in so doing1 he took shelter behind ,philip of ,hesse1 who1 as at ,augsburg1 #aecj1 still desired to have the ,zwinglians regarded and treated as weak brethren4 ,kolde relates3 ,on the same day 7,february #aj7 ,melanchthon reported to the ,landgrave3 ',one article1 that concerning the ,sacrament of the ,holy ,supper1 has been drawn up somewhat vehemently1 in that it states that the bread is the body of the ,lord which ,luther at first did not draw up in this form1 but1 as contained in the ,wittenberg ,concord1 namely1 that the body of the ,lord is given with the bread1 and this was due to ,pomeranus1 for he is a vehement man and a coarse ,pomeranian4 ,otherwise he ,melanchthon knew of no shortcoming or complaint in all the articles4' 444 ',he also said' 7this the ,landgrave reports to ,jacob ,sturm of ,strassburg as an expression of ,melanchthon7 'that ,luther would hear of no yielding or receding1 but declared3 ,this have ,i drawn up2 if the princes and estates desired to yield anything1 it would rest with them1' etc4 ,the estates1 ,melanchthon advised1 might therefore in every way declare that they had adopted the ,confession and the ,concord1 and were minded to abide by them4 ,at the same time he promised to demand at the prospective deliberation of the theologians1 'that the article of the ,sacrament be drawn up as contained in the ,concord4 ',melanchthon's assertion that ,bugenhagen influenced ,luther's formulation of the article on the ,lord's ,supper is probably correct4 ,at any rate1 it can be proved that ,luther really changed the article4 ,for a glance at the original manuscript shows that he had at first written1 in conformity with the ,concord1 'that the true body and blood of ,christ is under the bread and wine1' but later on changed it to read3 'that the bread and wine of the ,lord's ,supper are the true body and blood of ,christ4' 7#dh47 ,melanchthon was diplomatic enough to hide from the ,landgrave his strictures on ,luther's articles about the ,pope1 knowing well that in this point he could expect neither approval nor support4 #gb4 ,articles ,not ,discussed in ,meeting of ,league4 ,as the ,southern ,germans regarded ,luther's formulation of the article on the ,lord's ,supper with disfavor1 the ,landgrave found little difficulty in winning over 7through ,jacob ,sturm7 the delegates of ,augsburg and ,ulm to ,melanchthon's view of declaring adherence only to the ,confession and the ,wittenberg ,concord4 ,already on ,february #aa the cities decided to decline on the best grounds the ,saxon proposition4 ,following were the reasons advanced3 ,it was not necessary at present to enter upon the proposition1 since the council would make slow progress1 as the ,emperor and the ,king of ,france were not yet at peace4 ,they had not understood this 7the adoption of the ,saxon proposition7 to be the purpose of the invitation to bring scholars with them4 ,they had a confession1 the ,augustana1 presented to the ,emperor4 ,it was also to be feared that deliberations on the question whether any concessions should be made1 might lead to a division2 nor would this remain concealed from the ,papists4 ,if the ,elector desired to present some articles1 he might transmit them1 and they1 in turn1 would send them to their superiors for inspection4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #bif47 ,in the afternoon of ,february #aa the princes according to the report of the ,strassburgers1 expressed their satisfaction with the resolution of the cities4 ,at the same time they declared that they were not minded to make any concessions to the ,papists1 nor to dispute about1 or question1 anything in the ,confession or the ,wittenberg ,concord1 but merely to review the ,confession1 not to change anything against its contents and substance1 nor that of the ,concord1 but solely to enlarge on the ,papacy1 which before this1 at the ,diet1 had been omitted in order to please ,his ,imperial ,majesty and for other reasons2 that such was the purpose of the deliberation for which the scholars had been summoned2 and that this was not superfluous1 since they were all mortal1 and it was necessary that their posterity be thoroughly informed as to what their doctrine had been1 lest others who would succeed to their places accept something else4 ,the report continues3 ,the cities did not object to this4 7#bif47 ,according to this report1 then1 ,luther's articles were neither discussed nor adopted at the official meeting of the princes and estates belonging to the ,smalcald ,league4 ,without mentioning them1 they declared in their final resolution3 ,our scholars have unanimously agreed among themselves in all points and articles contained in our ,confession and ,apology1 presented at the ,diet of ,augsburg1 excepting only that they have expanded and drawn up more clearly than there contained one article1 concerning the ,primacy of the ,pope of ,rome4 7,koellner1 #dfh47 ,koestlin remarks3 ,since the princes decided to decline the council absolutely1 they had no occasion to discuss ,luther's articles4 7#b1 #djc47 #gc4 ,meeting of ,theologians4 ,at ,smalcald the first duty imposed upon the scholars and theologians was once more to discuss the ,augustana and the ,apology carefully1 and to acknowledge both as their own confessions by their signatures4 ,thereupon they were1 in a special treatise1 to enlarge on the ,papacy4 ,the ,strassburg delegates report3 ,it has also come to pass that the scholars received orders once more to read the articles of the ,confession and to enlarge somewhat on the ,papacy1 which they did4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #bih47 ,however1 since neither the ,augustana nor its ,apology contained an article against the ,papacy1 the demand of the princes could only be satisfied by a special treatise1 the ,tractatus de ,potestate et ,primatu ,papae1 which ,melanchthon wrote and completed by ,february #ag1 whereupon it was immediately delivered to the princes4 ,the princes had furthermore ordered the theologians1 while reviewing and discussing the ,augustana 7and its ,apology71 to reenforce its doctrine with additional proofs4 ,owing to lack of time and books1 this was not carried out4 ,february #ag ,osiander reports to the ,nuernberg preachers3 ,we are enjoying good health here1 although we traveled in stormy weather and over roads that offered many difficulties1 and are living under a constantly beclouded sky1 which unpleasantries are increased by troublesome and difficult questions in complicated matters4444 ,the first business imposed on us by the princes embraces two things3 first1 to fortify the ,confession and the ,apology with every kind of argument from the ,holy ,scriptures1 the fathers1 councils1 and the decrees of the ,popes2 thereupon1 diligently to discuss in detail everything concerning the ,primacy1 which was omitted in the ,confession because it was odious4 ,the latter we completed so far to-day that we shall immediately deliver a copy to the princes4 ,the former1 however will be postponed to another time and place1 since it requires a longer time1 as well as libraries1 which are lacking here4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bfg47 ,the discussion of the ,confession was also to serve the purpose of obtaining mutual assurance whether they were all really agreed in doctrine4 ,this led to deliberations on the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper as well as on the question what concessions might be made to the ,romanists4 ,according to a report of ,melanchthon1 ,march #a1 the theologians were to discuss the doctrines1 not superficially1 but very thoroughly1 in order that all disagreement might be removed1 and a harmonious and complete system of doctrines exist in our churches4 ,they were to review the ,confession in order to learn whether any one deviated in any article or disapproved of anything4 ,but ,melanchthon remarks that this object was not reached1 since the special request had been voiced not to increase the disagreement by any quarrel and thus to endanger the ,smalcald ,league4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bib47 ,in a second letter of the same date he says that a real doctrinal discussion had never come to pass1 partly because ,luther's illness prevented him from taking part in the meetings1 partly because the timidity of certain men the ,landgrave and others had prevented an exact disputation lest any discord might arise4 7#bif47 ,march #c he wrote to ,jonas in a similar vein saying that the reports of violent controversies among the theologians at ,smalcald were false4 ,for although they had been in consultation with one another for the purpose of discovering whether all the theologians in attendance there agreed in doctrine the matter had been treated briefly and incidentally4 7#bih47 ,as far as the ,lord's ,supper is concerned ,melanchthon's report concerning the superficial character of the doctrinal discussions is little if at all exaggerated4 ,he himself was one of those timid souls of whom he spoke having from the beginning done all he could not only to bar ,luther's articles from the deliberations but also to prevent any penetrating discussion of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,assent to the ,wittenberg ,concord was considered satisfactory although all felt1 and believed to know1 that some of the ,southern ,germans did not agree with the loyal ,lutherans in this matter4 ,of the attending theologians who were under suspicion ,bucer1 ,blaurer1 ,fagius1 ,wolfart1 ,fontanus1 and ,melander1 only the first two took part in the deliberations4 7#bib47 ,march #a ,melanchthon wrote to ,camerarius3 ,bucer spoke openly and clearly of the ,mystery the ,lord's ,supper affirming the presence of ,christ4 ,he satisfied all of our party also those who are more severe4 ,blaurer1 however1 employed such general expressions as1 that ,christ was present4 ,afterward he added several more ambiguous expressions4 ,osiander pressed him somewhat hotly2 but since we did not desire to arouse any very vehement quarrel1 ,i terminated the discussion4 ,thus we separated1 so that agreement was restored among all others1 while he ,blaurer did not seem to contradict4 ,i know that this is weak but nothing else could be done at this time1 especially since ,luther was absent1 being tortured by very severe gravel pains4 7#bib47 ,this agrees with the report ,veit ,dietrich made to ,foerster1 ,may #af1 stating3 ,at the first meeting of the committee of the theologians they completed the first nine articles of the ,augustana4 ,blaurer1 ,wolfart1 and some others of those who were doctrinally under suspicion 7nobis suspecti de doctrina7 were present4 ,however1 when the article of the ,lord's ,supper was to be discussed on the following day1 the meeting was prevented1 ,i do not know by whom4 ,it is certain that the princes1 too1 desired another meeting1 because they feared a rupture of the ,smalcald ,alliance1 if any doctrinal difference should become evident1 which1 however1 would occur if the matter were thoroughly discussed4 ,since the disputation was prevented1 we were commissioned to write on the ,power of the ,pope in order to have something to do4 ,report had it that ,blaurer did not approve the ,concord of ,wittenberg2 certainly1 he asked ,philip for expressions of the ,fathers 7which are now in my possession71 in order to be better furnished with arguments4 ,this prompted ,pomeranus and ,amsdorf again to convene the theologians against ,melanchthon's will4 ,then the ,lord's ,supper was discussed4 ,bucer indeed satisfied all4 ,blaurer1 however1 while speaking vaguely of the other matters1 nevertheless publicly attacked the statement that the ungodly do not receive the body of ,christ4 ,wolfart declared that he was present at the ,concord made at ,wittenberg1 and had approved it4 ,it was unpleasant for him ,dietrich when hereupon ,stephanus ,agricola and then ,wolfart rehashed some old statements1 vetera quaedam dicta4 7#cgj47 #gd4 ,luther's ,articles ,subscribed4 ,as to the articles of ,luther1 ,veit ,dietrich reports that they were privately circulated at ,smalcald and read by all4 ,they were also to be read at the meeting of the theologians on ,february #ah4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #cga47 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 neither a public reading nor a real discussion1 nor an official adoption resulted4 ,the ,strassburg delegates report3 ,doctor ,martin ,luther has also drawn up some special articles1 which he purposed to send to the council on his own accord1 copies of which we have designated with ,w4 ,the ,strassburgers1 then1 were in position to send home a copy of these articles4 ,furthermore ,osiander relates in a letter dated ,february #ag3 ,besides this1 ,luther has also written articles at ,wittenberg1 short indeed1 but splendid and keen 7illustres et argutos71 in which everything is summed up in ,german wherefrom we cannot recede in the council without committing sacrilege4 ,to-morrow we shall read them publicly in our meeting1 in order that any one who wishes to add anything to them may present this in the presence of all4 ,they will also1 as ,i hope1 deliberate on the ,wittenberg ,concord in the matter concerning the ,lord's ,supper4 ,i regard ,bucer as being sincerely one of us2 ,blaurer1 however1 by no means4 ,for ,philip tells of his having remarked that he was not able to agree with us4 7#bfh47 ,on ,february #ah1 however1 ,luther was taken ill and an official1 public reading and discussion of his articles did not take place on this day nor1 as already stated1 at a later date4 ,luther's articles1 however1 were nevertheless adopted at ,smalcald1 though not by the ,south ,germans4 ,when all other business had been transacted1 they were presented for voluntary subscription4 ,bugenhagen had called the theologians together for this purpose4 ,he proposed that now all those who wished 7qui velint7 should sign the articles ,luther had brought with him4 ,hereupon ,bucer declared that he had no commission to do this4 ,however1 in order to obliterate the impression that he declined to subscribe because of doctrinal differences1 he added that he knew nothing in ,luther's articles which might be criticized4 ,blaurer of ,constance1 ,melander of ,hesse1 and ,wolfart of ,augsburg followed his example in declaring that they had no commission to sign the articles4 ,in order not to endanger the ,smalcald ,league1 ,bugenhagen1 as appears from his proposition refrained from urging any one to sign4 ,this was also the position of the other theologians4 ,veit ,dietrich reports3 ,bucer was the first to say that he had no orders to sign4 ,he added1 however1 that he knew of nothing in these articles that could be criticized1 but that his magistrates had reasons for instructing him not to sign them4 ,afterwards ,blaurer1 ,dionysius ,melander1 and your ,boniface ,wolfart of ,augsburg said the same that they had not been authorized by their superiors to sign4 ,the thought came to me immediately why ,bucer1 who taught correctly1 should have been the first to refuse his signature1 since it was certain that the others1 ,blaurer and if you will1 also your man1 would not subscribe because they did not approve of the dogma of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,this would have led to an open doctrinal schism1 which the ,elector1 ,ernst of ,lueneburg1 and the ,counts of ,anhalt would1 under no circumstances1 have tolerated among the confederates4 ,but1 since ,bucer did not subscribe1 it was not necessary to dispute about the doctrine4 ,when we saw this1 ,i was also pleased that ,luther's articles received no attention in the official subscription1 and that all subscribed merely to the ,augustana and the ,concord4 ,and there was no one who refused to do this4 7#cga47 ,while thus ,bucer1 ,fagius1 ,wolfart1 ,blaurer1 and ,fontanus refused to affix their signatures1 the attending loyal ,lutheran theologians endorsed ,luther's articles all the more enthusiastically4 ,and while the signatures affixed to the ,augustana and the ,apology total #cb1 including the suspected theologians1 #dd names appear under ,luther's articles4 ,among these is found also the abnormal subscription of ,melander of ,hesse3 ,i subscribe to the ,confession1 the ,apology1 and the ,concord in the matter of the ,eucharist1 which is probably to be interpreted as a limitation of ,luther's ,article of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,although1 therefore1 the subscription of the ,smalcald ,articles lacked the official character and was not by order of the ,smalcald ,league as such1 it nevertheless is in keeping with the actual facts when the ,formula of ,concord refers to ,luther's ,articles as subscribed at that time #aecg by the chief theologians4 7#ggg1 #d2 #hec1 #g47 ,all true ,lutheran pastors assembled at ,smalcald recognized in ,luther's articles their own1 spontaneous confession against the ,papists as well as against the ,zwinglians and other enthusiasts4 #ge4 ,endorsed by ,princes and ,estates4 ,the ,thorough ,declaration of the ,formula of ,concord makes the further statement that the ,smalcald ,articles were to be delivered in the ,council at ,mantua in the name of the ,estates1 ,electors1 and ,princes4 7#hec1 #g47 ,evidently this is based on ,luther's ,preface to the ,smalcald ,articles written #aech1 in which he says concerning his ,articles3 ,they have also been accepted and unanimously confessed by our side1 and it has been resolved that1 in case the ,pope with his adherents should ever be so bold as seriously and in good faith1 without lying and cheating to hold a truly free ,christian ,council 7as1 indeed1 he would be in duty bound to do71 they be publicly delivered in order to set forth the ,confession of our ,faith4 7#dee47 ,kolde and others surmise that ,luther wrote as he did because1 owing to his illness1 he was not acquainted with the true situation at ,smalcald4 ,tschackert1 too1 takes it for granted that ,luther1 not being sufficiently informed1 was under the erroneous impression that the princes and estates as well as the theologians had adopted1 and subscribed to1 his articles4 7#cjj4 #cjb47 ,nor has a better theory of solving the difficulty hitherto been advanced4 ,yet it appears very improbable4 ,if adopted1 one must assume that ,luther's attention was never drawn to this error of his4 ,for ,luther does not merely permit his assertion to stand in the following editions of the ,smalcald ,articles1 but repeats it elsewhere as well4 ,in an opinion written #aeda he writes3 ,in the second place1 ,i leave the matter as it is found in the articles adopted at ,smalcald2 ,i shall not be able to improve on them2 nor do ,i know how to yield anything further4 7,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #fff47 ,the ,elector1 too1 shared ,luther's opinion4 ,in a letter of ,october #bg1 #aedc1 he urged him to publish in ,latin and ,german 7octavo71 under the title1 ,booklet of the ,smalcald ,agreement--,buechlein der geschehenen ,schmalkaldischen ,vergleichung1 the ,articles of ,agreement1 ,vergleichungsartikel1 on which he and ,melanchthon had come to an agreement in #aecg1 at ,smalcald1 with the other allied estates1 scholars1 and theologians4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;b1 #biac47 ,october #ag1 #aeeb1 immediately after he had obtained his liberty1 the ,elector made a similar statement4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #aaji47 ,nor did ,spalatin possess a knowledge in this matter differing from that of ,luther and the ,elector4 ,he1 too1 believed that not only the theologians1 but the princes and estates as well1 with the exception of ,hesse1 ,wuerttemberg1 ,strassburg1 etc41 had subscribed to ,luther's articles4 7,kolde1 #ea47 ,evidently1 then1 ,luther's statement was generally regarded as being substantially and approximately correct and for all practical purposes in keeping1 if not with the exact letter and form at least with the real spirit of what transpired at ,smalcald and before as well as after this convention4 ,it was not a mere delusion of ,luther's1 but was generally regarded as agreeing with the facts1 that at ,smalcald his articles were not only subscribed by the theologians1 but adopted also by the ,lutheran princes and estates1 though1 in deference to the ,landgrave and the ,south ,german cities1 not officially and by the ,smalcald ,league as such4 #gf4 ,symbolical ,authority of ,smalcald ,articles4 ,the importance attached to the ,smalcald ,articles over against the ,reformed and ,crypto-,calvinists appears from a statement made by the ,elector of ,saxony1 ,october #ag1 #aeeb 7shortly after his deliverance from captivity71 in which he maintained that the ,lutheran ,church could have been spared her internal dissensions if every one had faithfully abided by the articles of ,luther4 ,he told the ,wittenberg theologians that during his captivity he had heard of the dissensions and continued controversies1 which caused us no little grief4 ,and we have therefore often desired with all our heart that in the churches of our former lands and those of others no change1 prompted by human wisdom1 had been undertaken nor permitted in the matters doctrines as they were held during the life of the blessed ,doctor ,martin ,luther and during our rule1 and confirmed at ,smalcald1 in the year #aecg1 by all pastors and preachers of the estates of the ,augsburg ,confession then assembled at that place4 ,for if this had been done1 no doubt1 the divisions and errors prevailing among the teachers of said ,confession1 together with the grievous and harmful offenses which resulted therefrom1 would1 with the help of ,god1 have been avoided4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #aaji47 ,in the ,prolegomena to his edition of the ,lutheran ,confessions1 ,hase remarks concerning the symbolical authority of ,luther's articles3 ,the formula of faith1 drawn up by such a man1 and adorned with such names1 immediately enjoyed the greatest authority4 ,fidei formula a tali viro profecta talibusque nominibus ornata maxima statim auctoritate floruit4 ,to rank among the symbolical books1 ,luther's articles required a special resolution on the part of the princes and estates as little as did his two catechisms2 contents and the ,reformer's name were quite sufficient4 ,voluntarily the articles were subscribed at ,smalcald4 ,on their own merits they won their place of honor in our ,church4 ,in the situation then obtaining1 they voiced the ,lutheran position in a manner so correct and consistent that every loyal ,lutheran spontaneously gave and declared his assent4 ,in keeping with the changed historical context of the times1 they offered a correct explanation of the ,augsburg ,confession1 adding thereto a declaration concerning the ,papacy1 the absence of which had become increasingly painful4 ,they struck the timely1 logical1 ,lutheran note also over against the ,zwinglian and ,bucerian ,reformed and ,unionistic tendencies4 ,luther's articles offered quarters neither for disguised ,papists nor for masked ,calvinists4 ,in brief they gave such a clear expression to genuine ,lutheranism that false spirits could not remain in their company4 ,it was the recognition of these facts which immediately elicited the joyful acclaim of all true ,lutherans4 ,to them it was a recommendation of ,luther's articles when ,bucer1 ,blaurer1 and others1 though having subscribed the ,augsburg ,confession1 refused to sign them4 ,loyal ,lutherans everywhere felt that the ,smalcald ,articles presented an up-to-date touchstone of the pure ,lutheran truth1 and that1 in taking their stand on them1 their feet were planted1 over against the aberrations of the ,romanists as well as the ,zwinglians1 on ground immovable4 ,in the course of time1 the esteem in which ,luther's articles were held1 rose higher and higher4 ,especially during and after the controversies on the ,interim1 as well as in the subsequent controversies with the ,crypto-,calvinists1 the ,lutherans became more and more convinced that the ,smalcald ,articles and not the ,variata1 contained the correct exposition of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,at the ,diet of ,regensburg1 in #aeda1 the ,elector1 by his delegates1 sent word to ,melanchthon to stand by the ,confession and the ,smalcald ,agreement ,smalcald ,articles in word and in sense4 ,the delegates answered that ,philip would not yield anything which was opposed to the ,confession and the ,smalcald ,agreement1 as he had declared that he would die rather than yield anything against his conscience4 7,c4 ,r4 #d1 #bib47 ,in an opinion of #aedd also the theologians of ,hesse1 who at ,smalcald had helped to sidetrack ,luther's articles put them on a par with the ,augustana4 ,at ,naumburg in #aefa1 where ,elector ,frederick of the ,palatinate and the ,crypto-,calvinists endeavored to undermine the authority of ,luther1 ,duke ,john ,frederick of ,saxony declared that he would abide by the original ,augustana and its true declaration and norm1 the ,smalcald ,articles4 ,faithful ,lutherans everywhere received the ,smalcald ,articles into their corpora doctrinae4 ,in #aefg the ,convention of ,coswig declared them to be the norm by which controversies are to be decided1 norma decidendi controversias4 ,similarly1 the ,synod of ,moelln1 #aeei4 ,in #aefj the ministerium of ,luebeck and the ,senate of ,hamburg confessionally accepted the ,articles4 ,likewise1 the ,convention of ,lueneburg in #aefa1 and the theologians of ,schleswig-,holstein in #aegj4 ,the ,thorough ,declaration could truthfully say that the ,smalcald ,articles had been embodied in the confessional writings of the ,lutheran ,church for the reason that these have always and everywhere been regarded as the common1 unanimously accepted meaning of our churches and1 moreover1 have been subscribed at that time by the chief and most enlightened theologians1 and have held sway in all evangelical churches and schools4 7#hee1 #aa47 #gg4 ,editions of ,smalcald ,articles4 ,in #aech ,luther published his ,articles1 which editio princeps was followed by numerous other editions1 two of them in the same year4 ,in the copy of the ,articles which ,spalatin took at ,wittenberg the title reads3 ,opinion concerning the ,faith1 and ,what ,we ,must ,adhere to ,ultimately at the ,future ,council4 ,bedenken des ,glaubens halben1 und worauf im kuenftigen ,konzil endlich zu beharren sei4 ,the editio princeps bears the title3 ,articles which were to be ,delivered on ,behalf of ,our ,party at the ,council of ,mantua1 or ,where ,else ,it ,would ,meet4 ,artikel1 so da haetten aufs ,konzilium zu ,mantua1 oder wo es wuerde sein1 ueberantwortet werden von unsers ,teils wegen4 ,these titles designate the purpose for which the articles were framed by order of the ,elector4 ,in the edition of #aeec1 published by ,john ,stolz and ,john ,aurifaber1 ,luther's ,articles are designated as prepared for the ,diet of ,smalcald in the year #aecg1 gestellt auf den ,tag zu ,schmalkalden ,anno #aecg4 ,says ,carpzov3 ,they are commonly called ,smalcald ,articles after the place where they were composed an error already found in ,brenz's letter of ,february #bc1 #aecg1 appended to the subscriptions of the ,tract on the ,power and ,primacy of the ,pope 7#ebi74 ,see also ,formula of ,concord #ggg1 #d2 #hec1 #g1 as well as solemnly approved and subscribed since the articles were composed by ,luther and approved by the ,protestants at ,smalcald a town in the borders of ,saxony and ,ducal ,hesse1 and selected for the convention of the ,protestants for the reason that the individuals who had been called thither might have an easy and safe approach4 7,isagoge1 #gfi47 ,the text of the ,smalcald ,articles1 as published by ,luther1 omits the following motto found in the original3 ,this is sufficient doctrine for eternal life4 ,as to the political and economic affairs1 there are enough laws to trouble us1 so that there is no need of inventing further troubles much more burdensome4 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof4 ,his satis est doctrinae pro vita aeterna4 ,ceterum in politia et oeconomia satis est legum1 quibus vexamur1 ut non sit opus praeter has molestias fingere alias quam miserrimas necessarias4 ,sufficit diei malitia sua4 7,luther1 ,weimar #ej1 #aib4 ,st4 ,l4 #af #aiah47 ,apart from all kinds of minor corrections1 ,luther added to the text a ,preface 7written #aech7 and several additions1 some of them quite long1 which1 however1 did not change the sense4 ,among these are sec4 #e1 secs4 #ac to #ae1 and secs4 #be-bh of the article concerning the ,mass2 secs4 #db-de concerning the ,false ,repentance of the ,papists2 secs4 #c-ac about ,enthusiasm in the article concerning ,confession4 ,the editions of #aedc and #aede contained further emendations4 ,the ,german text of ,luther's first edition of #aech was received into the ,book of ,concord1 as they were first framed and printed4 7#hec1 #g47 ,the first ,latin translation by ,peter ,generanus appeared in #aeda1 with a ,preface by ,veit ,amerbach 7later on ,catholic ,professor of ,philosophy at ,ingolstadt74 ,in #aedb it was succeeded by an emended edition4 ,in the following year the ,elector desired a ,latin-,german edition in octavo4 ,the ,latin translation found in the ,book of ,concord of #aehj was furnished by ,selneccer2 this was revised for the official ,latin ,concordia of #aehd4 #gh4 ,tract on the ,power and ,primacy of the ,pope4 ,melanchthon's ,tract ,concerning the ,power and ,primacy of the ,pope1 ,tractatus de ,potestate et ,primatu ,papae1 presents essentially the same thoughts ,luther had already discussed in his article ,of the ,papacy4 ,melanchthon here abandons the idea of a papal supremacy iure humano1 which he had advocated at ,augsburg #aecj and expressed in his subscription to ,luther's articles1 and moves entirely in the wake of ,luther and in the trend of the ,reformer's thoughts4 ,the ,tract was written not so much from his own conviction as from that of ,luther and in accommodation to the antipapal sentiment which1 to his grief1 became increasingly dominant at ,smalcald4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bgj4 #bib;f4 #big47 ,in a letter to ,jonas1 ,february #bc1 he remarks1 indicating his accommodation to the public opinion prevailing at ,smalcald3 ,i have written this ,tract somewhat sharper than ,i am wont to do4 7#bga4 #bib47 ,melanchthon always trimmed his sails according to the wind2 and at ,smalcald a decidedly antipapal gale was blowing4 ,he complains that he found no one there who assented to his opinion that the papal invitation to a council ought not be declined4 7#bic47 ,it is also possible that he heard of the ,elector's criticism of his qualified subscription to ,luther's articles4 ,at all events1 the ,tract amounts to a retraction of his stricture on ,luther's view of the ,papacy4 ,in every respect1 ,smalcald spelled a defeat for ,melanchthon4 ,his policy toward the ,south ,germans was actually repudiated by the numerous and enthusiastic subscriptions to ,luther's articles1 foreshadowing1 as it were1 the final historical outcome1 when ,philippism was definitely defeated in the ,formula of ,concord4 ,and his own ,tract gave the coup de grace to his mediating policy with regard to the ,romanists4 ,for here ,melanchthon1 in the manner of ,luther1 opposes and denounces the ,pope as the ,antichrist1 the protector of ungodly doctrine and customs1 and the persecutor of the true confessors of ,christ1 from whom one must separate4 ,the second part of the ,tract1 ,concerning the ,power and the ,jurisdiction of the ,bishops1 ,de ,potestate et ,iurisdictione ,episcoporum1 strikes an equally decided note4 ,the ,tract1 which was already completed by ,february #ag1 received the approval of the estates1 and1 together with the ,augustana and the ,apology1 was signed by the theologians upon order of the princes4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bhf47 ,koellner writes3 ,immediately at the convention ,veit ,dietrich translated this writing the ,tract into ,german1 and 7as appears from the fact that the ,weimar theologians in #aeec published the document from the archives with the subscriptions7 this ,german translation was1 at the convention1 presented to1 and approved by1 the estates as the official text1 and subscribed by the theologians4 7#dfd47 ,brenz's letter appended to the subscriptions shows that the signing did not take place till after ,february #bc1 perhaps the #beth of ,february4 ,for on the #bfth ,melanchthon and ,spalatin refer to it as finished4 ,with reference to the ,concord of #aecf1 let it be stated here that1 although mentioned with approval by the theologians and also included in ,brenz's and ,melander's subscriptions to the ,smalcald ,articles1 the princes and estates nevertheless passed no resolution requiring its subscription4 ,melanchthon writes that the princes had expressly declared that they would abide by the ,wittenberg ,concord4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bib47 ,veit ,dietrich's remark to ,foerster1 ,may #af1 #aecg1 that only the ,augustana and the ,concord were signed at ,smalcald1 is probably due to a mistake in writing4 7#cgb47 #gi4 ,authorship of ,tract4 ,the ,tract first appeared in print in #aedj4 ,a ,german translation1 published #aeda1 designates it as drawn up by ,mr4 ,philip ,melanchthon and done into ,german by ,veit ,dietrich4 7,c4 ,r4 #bc #gbb47 ,in the edition of the ,smalcald ,articles by ,stolz and ,aurifaber1 #aeec1 the ,tract is appended with the caption3 ,concerning the ,power and ,supremacy of the ,pope1 ,composed by the ,scholars4 ,smalcald1 #aecg4 ,in the ,jena edition of ,luther's ,works the ,smalcald ,articles are likewise followed by the ,tract with the title3 ,concerning the ,power and ,supremacy of the ,pope1 ,composed by the ,scholars in the ,year #cg at ,smalcald and ,printed in the ,year #ch4 7#f1 #ebc47 ,this superscription gave rise to the opinion that the ,german was the original text4 ,at any rate1 such seems to have been the belief of ,selneccer1 since he incorporated a ,latin translation1 based on the ,german text1 into the ,latin edition of his ,book of ,concord1 privately published #aehj4 ,apart from other errors this ,latin version contained also the offensive misprint referred to in our article on the ,book of ,concord4 ,in the official edition of #aehd it was supplanted by the original text of ,melanchthon4 ,the subtitle1 however1 remained3 ,tractatus per ,theologos ,smalcaldicos ,congregatos ,conscriptus4 ,to-day it is generally assumed that by #aeec it was universally forgotten both that ,melanchthon was the author of the ,tract1 and that it was originally composed in ,latin4 ,however1 it remains a mystery how this should have been possible--only twelve years after ,dietrich had published the ,tract under a title which clearly designates ,melanchthon as its author1 and states that the ,german text is a translation4 ,the evidence for ,melanchthon's authorship which thus became necessary was furnished by ,j4 ,c4 ,bertram in #aggj4 ,however1 before him ,chytraeus and ,seckendorf1 in #aefd1 had expressly vindicated ,melanchthon's authorship4 ,be it mentioned as a curiosity that the ,papist ,lud4 ,jac4 a ,st4 ,carolo mentioned a certain ,articulus ,alsmalcaldicus1 ,germanus1 ,lutheranus as the author of the ,tract4 ,in the ,formula of ,concord and in the ,preface to the ,book of ,concord the ,tract is not enumerated as a separate confessional writing1 but is treated as an appendix to the ,smalcald ,articles4 #hj4 ,a ,threefold ,criticism4 ,on the basis of the facts stated in the preceding paragraphs1 ,kolde1 followed by others believes himself justified in offering a threefold criticism4 ,in the first place1 he opines that ,luther's ,articles are very improperly called ',smalcald ,articles4' ,however1 even if ,luther's ,articles were not officially adopted by the ,smalcald ,league as such1 they were nevertheless1 written for the ,convention of ,smalcald1 and were there signed by the assembled ,lutheran theologians and preachers and privately adopted also by most of the princes and estates4 ,for ,luther's ,articles then1 there is and can be no title more appropriate than ,smalcald ,articles4 ,tschackert remarks3 ,almost all all1 with the exception of the suspected theologians subscribed and thereby they became weighty and important for the ,evangelical churches of ,germany2 and hence it certainly is not inappropriate to call them ',smalcald ,articles1' even though they were written at ,wittenberg and were not publicly deliberated upon at ,smalcald4 7#cjb47 ,it is entirely unhistorical1 ,kolde continues in his strictures1 to designate ,melanchthon's ,tract1 which has no connection with ,luther's ,articles1 as an ',appendix' to them when in fact it was accepted as an appendix of the ,augustana and ,apology4 7#ej47 ,it is a mistake1 therefore1 says ,kolde1 that the ,tract is not separately mentioned in the ,book of ,concord1 nor counted as a separate confessional writing4 7#ec47 ,likewise ,tschackert3 ,on the other hand1 it is a mistake to treat ,melanchthon's ,tract as an appendix to the ,smalcald ,articles1 as is done in the ,book of ,concord4 ,the signatures of the estates have rather given it an independent authority in the ,church4 7#cjb47 ,however1 there is much more of a connection between ,luther's ,articles and the ,tract than ,kolde and ,tschackert seem to be aware of4 ,luther's ,articles as well as the ,tract were prepared for the ,convention at ,smalcald4 ,both were there signed by practically the same ,lutheran theologians4 ,the fact that in the case of the ,smalcald ,articles this was done voluntarily rather enhances and does not in the least diminish1 their importance4 ,both also1 from the very beginning1 were equally regarded as ,lutheran confessional writings4 ,the ,tract1 furthermore1 follows ,luther's ,articles also in substance1 as it is but an acknowledgment and additional exposition of his article ,of the ,papacy4 ,to be sure1 the ,tract must not be viewed as an appendix to ,luther's ,articles1 which1 indeed1 were in no need of such an appendix4 ,moreover1 both the ,articles and the ,tract may be regarded as appendices to the ,augsburg ,confession and the ,apology4 ,accordingly1 there is no reason whatever why1 in the ,book of ,concord1 the ,tract should not follow ,luther's ,articles or be regarded as closely connected with it1 and naturally belonging to it4 ,koellner is right when he declares it to be very appropriate that the ,tract is connected and grouped with the ,smalcald ,articles4 7#dfi47 ,finally1 ,kolde designates the words in the title composed1 conscriptus1 by the scholars as false in every respect4 ,likewise ,tschackert4 7#cjc47 ,the criticism is justified inasmuch as the expression composed1 zusammengezogen1 conscriptus1 by the scholars cannot very well be harmonized with the fact that ,melanchthon wrote the ,tract4 ,but even this superscription is inappropriate1 at least not in the degree assumed by ,kolde and ,tschackert4 ,for the fact is that the princes and estates did not order ,melanchthon1 but the theologians1 to write the treatise concerning the ,papacy1 and that the ,tract was presented in their name4 ,koellner writes3 ,it is certainly a splendid testimony for the noble sentiments of those heroes of the faith that the ,elector should know of1 and partly disapprove1 ,melanchthon's milder views1 and still entrust him with the composition of this very important document the ,tract1 and1 on the other hand1 equally so1 that ,melanchthon so splendidly fulfilled the consideration which he owed to the views and the interests of the party without infringing upon his own conviction4 ,seckendorf also1 ,koellner adds justly admires this unusual phenomenon4 7#dga47 ,however1 ,koellner offers no evidence for the supposition that the ,elector charged ,melanchthon in particular with the composition of the ,tract4 ,according to the report of the ,strassburg delegates1 the princes declared that the scholars should peruse the ,confession and enlarge on the ,papacy4 ,the report continues3 ,the scholars received orders 444 to enlarge somewhat on the ,papacy which they did1 and thereupon transmitted their criticism to the ,elector and the princes4 7,kolde1 ,anal41 #big47 ,this is corroborated by ,melanchthon himself1 who wrote to ,camerarius1 ,march #a1 #aecg3 ,we received orders 7iussi sumus7 to write something on the ,primacy of ,peter or the ,roman ,pontiff4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #bib47 ,february #ag ,osiander reported3 ,the first business imposed on us by the princes was 444 diligently to explain the ,primacy which was omitted from the ,confession because it was regarded as odious4 ,the latter of these duties we have to-day completed1 so that we shall immediately deliver a copy to the princes4 7#c1 #bfg47 ,these statements might even warrant the conclusion that the theologians also participated1 more or less in the drawing up of the ,tract1 for which however1 further evidence is wanting4 ,nor does it appear how this view could be harmonized with ,veit ,dietrich's assertion in his letter to ,foerster1 ,may #af3 ,orders were given to write about the power of the ,pope the primacy of ,peter1 and the ecclesiastical jurisdiction4 ,philip alone performed this very well4 7#c1 #cgj47 ,however1 entirely apart from the statement of ,osiander1 the mere fact that the theologians were ordered to prepare the document1 and that it was delivered by and in the name of these theologians1 sufficiently warrants us to speak of the document as ,the ,tract of the ,scholars at ,smalcald with the same propriety that1 for example1 the opinion which ,melanchthon drew up on ,august #f1 #aecf1 is entitled3 ,the ,first ,proposal of the ,wittenberg ,scholars concerning the ,future ,council4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #aai47 ,,viii4 ,luther's ,efforts at ,restoring ,catechetical ,instruction4 #ha4 ,modern ,researches ,respecting ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,besides ,g4 v4 ,zezschwitz 7,system der christlichkirchlichen ,katechetik1 #c volumes1 #ahfb to #ahgd7 and numerous other contemporary and later students1 ,g4 ,buchwald1 ,f4 ,cohrs1 and ,o4 ,albrecht have1 since the middle of the past century1 rendered no mean service by their researches pertaining to ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,buchwald edited the three series of sermons on the ,five ,chief ,parts which ,luther delivered in #aebh1 pointed out their important bearing on his ,catechisms1 and shed new light on their origin by discovering and exploiting the ,stephan ,roth correspondence4 ,he published the results of his labors in #ahid under the title1 ,the ,origin of the ,two ,catechisms of ,luther and the ,foundation of the ,large ,catechism4 ,die ,entstehung der beiden ,katechismen ,luthers und die ,grundlage des ,grossen ,katechismus4 ,f4 ,cohrs enriched this department of knowledge by his articles in the third edition of ,herzog's ,realenzyklopaedie1 and especially by his five-volume work on ,the ,evangelical ,catechism2 ,attempts ,prior to ,luther's ,enchiridion1 in ,monumenta ,germaniae ,paedagogica1 #aijj to #aijg4 ,in #aije ,o4 ,albrecht was entrusted with the preparation of ,luther's ,catechisms for the ,weimar ,critical ,edition of ,luther's ,complete ,works4 ,he also contributed the extensive historical sections of the first of the three parts of ,vol4 #cj1 where the ,catechisms are treated4 ,this first part of #hbf pages1 which appeared in #aiaj1 represents the latest important research work on the origin of ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,in its preface ,r4 ,drescher says3 ,the writings of #aebi to #aecj1 in their totality were a difficult mountain1 and it gives us particular joy finally to have surmounted it4 ,and the most difficult and laborious part of the way1 at least in view of the comprehensive treatment it was to receive1 was the publication of the ,large and the ,small ,catechism1 including the three series of ,catechism ,sermons4 444 ,the harvest which was garnered fills a large volume of our edition4 #hb4 ,meaning of the ,word ,catechism4 ,the term catechismus 7catechism71 like its related terms1 catechesis1 catechizari1 catechumeni1 was common in the ancient ,church4 ,in his ,glossarium1 ,du ,cange defines it as institutio puerorum etiam recens natorum1 ante quam baptizentur--the instruction of children1 also those recently born1 before their baptism4 ,the synonymous expression1 catechesis1 he describes as institutio primorum fidei ,christianae rudimentorum1 de quibus kateceseis suas scripsit ,s4 ,cyrillus ,jerusolymitanus--instruction in the first rudiments of the ,christian faith1 about which ,st4 ,cyril of ,jerusalem wrote his catechizations4 7#b1 #bbb;f47 ,also ,luther was acquainted with this usage in the ancient ,church4 ,he began his ,catechism sermon of ,november #cj1 #aebh1 with the words3 ,these parts which you heard me recite the old ,fathers called catechism1 i4e41 a sermon for children which children should know and all who desire to be ,christians4 7,weimar #cj1 #a1 #eg47 ,at first ,luther seems to have employed the term but seldom2 later on1 however1 especially after #aebf1 more frequently4 ,evidently he was bent on popularizing it4 ,between the ,preface and the ,decalog of the first ,wittenberg book edition of the ,small ,catechism we find the title1 ,a ,small ,catechism or ,christian ,training--,ein kleiner ,katechismus oder christliche ,zucht4 ,no doubt1 ,luther added the explanation christliche ,zucht because the word catechism had not yet become current among the people4 ,may #ah1 #aebh1 he began his sermon with the explanation3 ,catechismus dicitur instructio --,catechism is instruction2 likewise the sermon of ,september #ad3 ,catechism1 i4e41 an instruction or ,christian teaching1 the sermon of ,november #cj3 ,catechism1 i4e41 a sermon for children4 ,in the ,preface to his ,small ,catechism he again explains the term as ,christian doctrine4 ,thus ,luther endeavored to familiarize the people with the word catechism4 ,the meaning of this term1 however1 is not always the same4 ,it may designate the act of instructing1 the subject-matter or the doctrine imparted1 a summary thereof1 the text of the traditional chief parts1 or a book containing the catechismal doctrine1 text1 or text with explanation4 ,luther used the word most frequently and preferably in the sense of instruction4 ,this appears from the definitions quoted in the preceding paragraph1 where catechism is defined as sermon1 instruction1 ,christian training1 etc4 ,you have the catechism 7the doctrine71 says ,luther1 in small and large books4 ,bugenhagen defines thus3 ,katechismus1 dat is1 christlike underrichtinge ut den teyn gebaden ,gades4 ,in the ,apology1 ,melanchthon employs the word catechism as identical with kathechesis puerorum1 instruction of the young in the ,christian fundamentals4 7#cbd1 #da47 ,accordingly1 says ,o4 ,albrecht1 catechism means elementary instruction in ,christianity1 conceived1 first1 as the act2 then1 as the material for instruction2 then1 as the contents of a book1 and finally1 as the book itself4 ,this usage must be borne in mind also where ,luther speaks of his own ,catechisms4 ,german ,catechism means instruction in1 or preaching on1 the traditional chief parts in the ,german language4 ,and while ,enchiridion signifies a book of small compass1 the title ,small ,catechism 7as appears from the old subtitle3 ,ein kleiner ,katechismus oder christliche ,zucht7 means instruction in the chief parts1 proceeding with compact brevity1 and1 at the same time1 these parts themselves together with the explanations added4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #ded4 #eci47 ,as the title of a book the word catechism was first employed by ,althamer in #aebh1 and by ,brenz as the subtitle of his ,questions 7,fragestuecke74 ,a school-book written by ,john ,colet in the beginning of the sixteenth century bears the title ,catechyzon1 ,the ,instructor4 7#def47 ,not every kind of ,christian instruction1 however1 is called catechism by ,luther4 ,whenever he uses the word1 he has in mind beginners1 children1 and unlearned people4 ,in his ,german ,order of ,worship1 ,deutsche ,messe1 of #aebf1 he writes3 ,catechism is an instruction whereby heathen who desire to become ,christians are taught and shown what they must believe1 do1 not do1 and know in ,christianity1 hence the name catechumens was given to pupils who were accepted for such instruction and who learned the ,creed previous to their baptism4 7#ai1 #gf47 ,in his sermon of ,november #cj1 #aebh3 ,the ,catechism is a sermon for children1 which the children and all who desire to be ,christians must know4 ,whoever does not know it cannot be numbered among the ,christians4 ,for if he does not know these things1 it is evident that ,god and ,christ mean nothing to him4 7#cj1 #a1 #eg47 ,in his sermon of ,september #ad3 ,this catechism is preaching for children1 or1 the ,bible of the laity1 which serves the plain people4 ,whoever1 then1 does not know these things1 and is unable to recite them and understand them1 cannot be considered a ,christian4 ,it is for this reason1 too1 that it bears the name catechism1 i4e41 instruction and ,christian teaching1 since all ,christians at the very least should know this much4 ,afterward they ought to learn more of the ,scriptures4 ,hence1 let all children govern themselves accordingly1 and see that they learn it4 7#bg47 ,may #ah ,luther began his sermon thus3 ,the preaching of the ,catechism was begun that it might serve as an instruction for children and the unlearned4 444 ,for every ,christian must necessarily know the ,catechism4 ,whoever does not know it cannot be numbered among the ,christians4 7#b47 ,in the short ,preface to the ,large ,catechism3 ,this sermon is designed and undertaken that it might be an instruction for children and the simpleminded4 ,hence1 of old it was called in ,greek catechism1 i4e41 instruction for children1 what every ,christian must needs know1 so that he who does not know this could not be numbered with the ,christians nor be admitted to any ,sacrament4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #ege1 #a2 #ece1 #aa47 #hc4 ,chief ,parts of ,catechism4 ,in ,luther's opinion the elementary doctrines which form the subject- matter of the ,catechism are comprised in the three traditional parts3 ,decalog1 ,creed1 and ,lord's ,prayer4 ,these he considered to be the gist of the doctrine every one must learn if he would be regarded and treated as a ,christian4 ,those who are unwilling to learn it1 says ,luther1 should be told that they deny ,christ and are no ,christians2 neither should they be admitted to the ,sacraments1 accepted as sponsors at ,baptism1 nor exercise any part of ,christian liberty4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ece1 #aa47 ,of course1 ,luther considered these three parts only a minimum1 which1 however1 ,christians who partake of the ,lord's ,supper should strive to exceed1 but still sufficient for children and plain people4 7#ege1 #e47 ,even in his later years1 ,luther speaks of the first three parts as the ,catechism proper4 ,however1 probably in consequence of the controversy with the ,enthusiasts1 which began in #aebd1 ,luther soon added as supplements the parts treating of ,baptism1 the ,lord's ,supper1 and ,confession4 ,in the ,large ,catechism1 where ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper appear as appendices1 ,luther emphasizes the fact that the first three parts form the kernel of the ,catechism1 but that instruction in ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper must also be imparted4 ,these 7first three71 says he1 are the most necessary parts1 which one should first learn to repeat word for word4 444 ,now1 when these three parts are apprehended1 it behooves a person also to know what to say concerning our ,sacraments1 which ,christ ,himself instituted1 ,baptism and the holy body and blood of ,christ1 namely1 the text which ,matthew and ,mark record at the close of their gospels1 when ,christ said farewell to ,his disciples and sent them forth4 7#egi1 #bj47 ,luther regarded a correct knowledge of ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper not only as useful1 but as necessary4 ,beginning his explanation of the ,fourth ,chief ,part1 he remarks3 ,we have now finished the three chief parts of the common ,christian doctrine4 ,besides these we have yet to speak of our two ,sacraments instituted by ,christ1 of which also every ,christian ought to have at least an ordinary1 brief instruction1 because without them there can be no ,christian2 although1 alas6 hitherto no instruction concerning them has been given4 7#gcc1 #a47 ,thus ,luther materially enlarged the ,catechism4 ,true1 several prayer- and confession-books1 which appeared in the late ,middle ,ages1 also treat of the ,sacraments4 ,as for the people1 however1 it was considered sufficient for laymen to be able to recite the names of the seven ,roman sacraments4 ,hence ,luther1 in the passage cited from the ,large ,catechism1 declares that in ,popery practically nothing of ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper was taught1 certainly nothing worth while or wholesome4 #hd4 ,parts ,inherited from ,ancient ,church4 ,the text of the first three chief parts1 ,luther considered a sacred heirloom from the ancient ,church4 ,for1 says he in his ,large ,catechism1 the holy ,fathers or apostles have thus embraced in a summary the doctrine life1 wisdom1 and art of ,christians1 of which they speak and treat1 and with which they are occupied4 7#egi1 #ai47 ,thus ,luther1 always conservative1 did not reject the traditional catechism1 both bag and baggage1 but carefully distinguished between the good1 which he retained1 and the worthless1 which he discarded4 ,in fact1 he no more dreamt of foisting a new doctrine or catechism on the ,christian ,church than he ever thought of founding a new church4 ,on the contrary1 his sole object was to restore the ancient ,apostolic ,church1 and his catechetical endeavors were bent on bringing to light once more1 purifying1 explaining1 and restoring1 the old catechism of the fathers4 ,in his book ,wider ,hans ,worst1 #aeda1 ,luther says3 ,we have remained faithful to the true and ancient ,church2 aye1 we are the true and ancient ,church4 ,you ,papists1 however1 have apostatized from us1 i4e41 from the ancient ,church1 and have set up a new church in opposition to the ancient ,church4 ,in harmony with this view1 ,luther repeatedly and emphatically asserted that in his ,catechism he was merely protecting and guarding an inheritance of the fathers1 which he had preserved to the ,church by his correct explanation4 ,in his ,german ,order of ,worship we read3 ,i know of no simpler nor better arrangement of this instruction or doctrine than the arrangement which has existed since the beginning of ,christendom1 viz41 the three parts1 ,ten ,commandments1 ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer4 7,w4 #ai1 #gf47 ,in the ancient ,church the original parts for catechumens and sponsors were the ,symbolum and the ,paternoster1 the ,apostles' ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,to these the ,ten ,commandments were added as a formal part of doctrine only since the thirteenth century4 7#cj1 #a1 #dcd47 ,the usual sequence of these parts was3 ,lord's ,prayer1 ,apostles' ,creed1 and1 wherever it was not supplanted by other matter1 the ,decalog4 ,it was with deliberation then1 that ,luther substituted his own objective1 logical order4 ,in his ,short ,form of the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer1 #aebj ,luther speaks as follows of the three traditional parts1 which ,god preserved to the ,church in spite of the ,papacy3 ,it did not come to pass without the special providence of ,god1 that1 with reference to the common ,christian1 who cannot read the ,scriptures1 it was commanded to teach and to know the ,ten ,commandments1 ,creed1 and ,lord's ,prayer which three parts indeed thoroughly and completely embrace all that is contained in the ,scripture and may ever be preached1 all also that a ,christian needs to know1 and this1 too1 in a form so brief and simple that no one can complain or offer the excuse that it is too much1 and that it is too hard for him to remember what is essential to his salvation4 ,for in order to be saved1 a man must know three things3 ,first1 he must know what he is to do and leave undone4 ,secondly1 when he realizes that by his own strength he is unable to do it and leave it undone1 he must know where he may take1 seek1 and find that which will enable him to do and to refrain4 ,thirdly1 he must know how he may seek and obtain it4 ,even as a sick man needs first of all to know what disease he has1 what he may or may not do1 or leave undone4 ,thereupon he needs to know where the medicine is which will help him1 that he may do and leave undone like a healthy person4 ,fourthly1 he must desire it1 seek and get it1 or have it brought to him4 ,in like manner the commandments teach a man to know his disease1 that he may see and perceive what he can do and not do1 leave and not leave1 and thus perceive that he is a sinner and a wicked man4 ,thereupon the ,creed holds before his eyes and teaches him where to find the medicine1 the grace which will help him become pious1 that he may keep the commandments1 and shows him ,god and ,his mercy as revealed and offered in ,christ4 ,fifthly1 the ,lord's ,prayer teaches him how to ask for1 get and obtain it1 namely1 by proper1 humble1 and comforting prayer4 ,these three things comprise the entire ,scriptures4 7,w4 #g1 #bjd47 ,it was things such as the chief parts of the ,catechism that ,luther had in mind when he wrote against the fanatics1 #aebh3 ,we confess that even under the ,papacy there are many ,christian blessings aye1 all ,christian blessings1 and thence they have come to us3 the true ,holy ,scriptures1 true ,baptism1 the true ,sacrament of the ,altar1 true keys for the forgiveness of sins1 the true office of the ministry1 the true catechism1 such as the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,ten ,commandments the ,articles of ,faith1 etc4 7#bf1 #adg47 ,luther's meaning is1 that in the midst of antichristendom and despite the ,pope1 the text of the three chief parts was1 among other things1 preserved to the ,church4 #he4 ,service ,rendered ,catechism by ,luther4 ,the fact that the text of the three chief parts existed long before ,luther does not detract from the service which he rendered the ,catechism4 ,luther's work1 moreover1 consisted in this1 #a4 that he brought about a general revival of the instruction in the ,catechism of the ancient ,church2 #b4 that he completed it by adding the parts treating of ,baptism1 ,confession1 and the ,lord's ,supper2 #c4 that he purged its material from all manner of papal ballast2 #d4 that he eliminated the ,romish interpretation and adulteration in the interest of work-righteousness2 #e4 that he refilled the ancient forms with their genuine ,evangelical and ,scriptural meaning4 ,before ,luther's time the study of the ,catechism had everywhere fallen into decay4 ,there were but few who knew its text1 and when able to recite it1 they did not understand it4 ,the soul of all ,christian truths1 the ,gospel of ,god's free pardon for ,christ's sake1 had departed4 ,concerning the three parts which have remained in ,christendom from of old ,luther said that little of it had been taught and treated correctly4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ege1 #f47 ,in his ,warning to ,my ,dear ,germans1 of #aeca1 he enlarges on the same thought as follows2 ,thanks to ,god1 our ,gospel has produced much and great good4 ,formerly no one knew what was ,gospel1 what ,christ1 what ,baptism1 what ,confession1 what ,sacrament1 what faith1 what spirit1 what flesh1 what good works1 what the ,ten ,commandments1 what the ,lord's ,prayer1 what praying1 what suffering1 what comfort1 what civil government1 what matrimony1 what parents1 what children1 what lords1 what servant1 what mistress what maid1 what devil1 what angel1 what world1 what life1 what death1 what sin1 what right1 what forgiveness of sin1 what ,god1 what bishop1 what pastor1 what ,church1 what a ,christian1 what the cross4 ,sum1 we knew nothing of what a ,christian should know4 ,everything was obscured and suppressed by the papal asses4 ,for in ,christian matters they are asses indeed1 aye1 great1 coarse1 unlearned asses4 ,for ,i also was one of them and know that in this ,i am speaking the truth4 ,and all pious hearts who were captive under the ,pope1 even as ,i1 will bear me out that they would fain have known one of these things1 yet were not able nor permitted to know it4 ,we knew no better than that the priests and monks alone were everything2 on their works we based our hope of salvation and not on ,christ4 ,thanks to ,god1 however1 it has now come to pass that man and woman1 young and old1 know the ,catechism1 and how to believe1 live1 pray1 suffer1 and die2 and that is indeed a splendid instruction for consciences1 teaching them how to be a ,christian and to know ,christ4 7,w4 #cj1 #c1 #cag47 ,thus ,luther extols it as the great achievement of his day that now every one knew the ,catechism1 whereas formerly ,christian doctrine was unknown or at least not understood aright4 ,and this achievement is preeminently a service which ,luther rendered4 ,he revived once more the ancient catechetical parts of doctrine1 placed them in the proper ,biblical light1 permeated them with the ,evangelical spirit1 and explained them in conformity with the understanding of the ,gospel which he had gained anew1 stressing especially the finis historiae 7the divine purpose of the historical facts of ,christianity1 as recorded in the ,second ,article71 the forgiveness of sins not by works of our own1 but by grace1 for ,christ's sake4 #hf4 ,catechetical ,instruction before ,luther4 ,in the ,middle ,ages the ,lord's ,prayer and the ,creed were called the chief parts for sponsors 7,patenhauptstuecke71 since the canons required sponsors to know them1 and at ,baptism they were obligated to teach these parts to their godchildren4 ,the children1 then1 were to learn the ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer from their parents and sponsors4 ,since the ,carolingian ,epoch these regulations of the ,church were often repeated1 as1 for example1 in the ,exhortation to the ,christian ,laity of the ninth century4 ,from the same century dates the regulation that an explanation of the ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer should be found in every parish1 self-evidently to facilitate preaching and the examination in confession4 ,in confession1 which1 according to the ,lateran ,council1 #abae1 everybody was required to make at least once a year1 the priests were to inquire also regarding this instruction and have the chief parts recited4 ,since the middle of the thirteenth century the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 together with the ,benedicite1 ,gratias1 ,ave ,maria1 ,psalms1 and other matter1 were taught also in the ,latin schools1 where probably ,luther1 too1 learned them4 ,in the ,instruction for ,visitors1 ,melanchthon still mentions der ,kinder ,handbuechlein1 darin das ,alphabet1 ,vaterunser1 ,glaub' und andere ,gebet' innen stehen--,manual for ,children1 containing the alphabet1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,creed1 and other prayers1 as the first schoolbook4 7,w4 #bf1 #bcg47 ,after the invention of printing1 chart-impressions with pictures illustrating the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and the ,ten ,commandments came into the possession also of some laymen4 ,the poorer classes1 however1 had to content themselves with the charts in the churches1 which especially ,nicolaus of ,cusa endeavored to introduce everywhere4 7,herzog's ,realenzyklopaedie #aj1 #ach47 ,they were followed by confessional booklets1 prayer-booklets1 and also by voluminous books of devotion4 ,apart from other trash1 these contained confessional and communion prayers instructions on ,repentance1 ,confession1 and the ,sacrament of the ,altar2 above all1 however1 a mirror of sins1 intended as a guide for self-examination1 on the basis of various lists of sins and catalogs of virtues1 which supplanting the ,decalog were to be memorized4 ,self-evidently1 all this was not intended as a schoolmaster to bring them to ,christ and to faith in the free grace of ,god1 but merely to serve the interest of the ,romish penances1 satisfactions1 and work-righteousness4 ,says ,luther in the ,smalcald ,articles3 ,here1 too1 there was no faith nor ,christ1 and the virtue of the absolution was not declared to him1 but upon his enumeration of sins and his self-abasement depended his consolation4 ,what torture1 rascality1 and idolatry such confession has produced is more than can be related4 7#dhe1 #bj47 ,the chief parts of ,christian doctrine but little taught and nowhere correctly taught1--such was the chief hurt of the ,church under the ,papacy4 ,in the course of time1 however1 even this deficient and false instruction gradually fell into decay4 ,the influence of the ,latin schools was not very far-reaching1 their number being very small in proportion to the young4 ,public schools for the people did not exist in the ,middle ,ages4 ,as a matter of fact not a single synod concerned itself specifically with the instruction of the young4 7,h4 ,r4 #aj1 #acg47 ,at home1 parents and sponsors became increasingly indifferent and incompetent for teaching4 ,true1 the reformers of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries did attempt to elevate the instruction also in the ,catechism4 ,geiler's sermons on the ,lord's ,prayer were published4 ,gerson admonished3 ,the reformation of the ,church must begin with the young1 and published sermons on the ,decalog as models for the use of the clergy4 ,john ,wolf also urged that the young be instructed1 and endeavored to substitute the ,decalog for the prevalent catalogs of sins4 ,the ,humanists ,john ,wimpheling1 ,erasmus1 and ,john ,colet 7who wrote the ,catechyzon1 which ,erasmus rendered into ,latin hexameters7 urged the same thing4 ,peter ,tritonius ,athesinus wrote a similar book of instruction for the ,latin schools4 ,however1 all of these attempts proved ineffectual1 and even if successful1 they would have accomplished little for truly ,christian instruction1 such as ,luther advocated1 since the real essence of ,christianity1 the doctrine of justification1 was unknown to these reformers4 ,thus in the course of time the people1 and especially the young1 grew more and more deficient in the knowledge of even the simplest ,christian truths and facts4 ,and bishops and priests1 unconcerned about the ancient canons1 stolidly looked on while ,christendom was sinking deeper and deeper into the quagmire of total religious ignorance and indifference4 ,without fearing contradiction1 ,melanchthon declared in his ,apology3 ,among the adversaries there is no catechization of the children whatever1 concerning which even the canons give commands4 444 ,among the adversaries1 in many regions as in ,italy and ,spain1 during the entire year no sermons are delivered1 except in ,lent4 7#cbe1 #da47 #hg4 ,medieval ,books of ,prayer and ,instruction4 ,concerning the aforementioned ,catholic books of prayer and edification which1 during the ,middle ,ages1 served the people as catechisms1 ,luther1 in his ,prayer-,booklet of #aebb 7which was intended to supplant the ,romish prayer-books71 writes as follows3 ,among many other harmful doctrines and booklets which have seduced and deceived ,christians and given rise to countless superstitions1 ,i do not consider as the least the prayer-booklets1 by which so much distress of confessing and enumerating sins1 such unchristian folly in the prayers to ,god and ,his saints was inculcated upon the unlearned1 and which1 nevertheless1 were highly puffed with indulgences and red titles1 and1 in addition1 bore precious names1 one being called ,hortulus ,animae1 the other ,paradisus ,animae1 and so forth4 ,they are in sore need of a thorough and sound reformation1 or to be eradicated entirely1 a sentence which ,i also pass on the ,passional or ,legend books1 to which also a great deal has been added by the devil4 7,w4 #aj1 #a1 #cge47 ,the ,hortulus ,animae1 which is mentioned even before #aejj1 was widely circulated at the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,it embraced all forms of edifying literature4 ,sebastian ,brandt and ,jacob ,wimpheling helped to compile it4 ,the ,paradisus ,animae had the same contents1 but was probably spread in ,latin only4 ,the ,hortulus ,animae contains very complete rosters of sins and catalogs of virtues for confessing and enumerating sins4 ,among the virtues are listed the bodily works of mercy 7,matt4 #be1 #ce7 and the seven spiritual works of mercy3 to instruct the ignorant1 give counsel to the doubtful1 comfort the afflicted1 admonish sinners1 pardon adversaries suffer wrong1 and forgive the enemies4 ,among the virtues were counted the seven gifts of the ,holy ,ghost3 wisdom1 understanding1 ability1 kindness1 counsel1 strength1 and fear4 ,furthermore the three divine virtues3 faith1 hope and charity4 ,the four cardinal virtues3 prudence1 justice1 fortitude1 and temperance4 ,the eight beatitudes according to ,matt4 #e1 #c;ff4 ,the twelve counsels3 poverty1 obedience1 chastity1 love of enemies1 meekness1 abundant mercy1 simplicity of words1 not too much care for temporal things1 correct purpose and simplicity of deeds1 harmony of doctrine and works1 fleeing the cause of sin1 brotherly admonition4 ,finally also the seven sacraments4 ,the list of sins contains the nine foreign sins1 the six sins against the ,holy ,ghost1 the four sins that cry to ,god for vengeance1 the five senses the ,ten ,commandments1 and the seven mortal sins3 pride1 covetousness1 unchastity1 anger1 gluttony1 envy1 and sloth4 ,each of these mortal sins is again analyzed extensively4 ,the ,weimar edition of ,luther's ,works remarks3 ,if these catalogs were employed for self-examination1 confusion1 endless torment1 or complete externalization of the consciousness of sin was bound to result4 ,we can therefore understand why the ,reformer inveighs against this 'enumerating of sins4' 7#aj1 #b1 #ccf47 ,the ,hortulus ,animae also shows how ,luther was obliged to purge the ,catechism from all manner of unchristian follies1 as he calls them4 ,for the entire book is pervaded by idolatrous adoration of the saints4 ,an acrostic prayer to ,mary addresses her as mediatrix1 auxiliatrix1 reparatrix1 illuminatrix1 advocatrix4 ,in ,english the prayer would read as follows3 ,o ,mary1 thou mediator between ,god and men1 make of thyself the medium between the righteous ,god and me1 a poor sinner6 ,o ,mary1 thou helper in all anguish and need1 come to my assistance in all sufferrings1 and help me resist and strive against the evil spirits and overcome all my temptations and afflictions4 ,o ,mary1 thou restorer of lost grace to all men1 restore unto me my lost time1 my sinful and wasted life6 ,o ,mary1 thou illuminator1 who didst give birth to the eternal ,light of the whole world1 illumine my blindness and ignorance1 lest ,i1 poor sinner that ,i am1 enter the darkness of eternal death4 ,o ,mary1 thou advocate of all miserable men1 be thou my advocate at my last end before the stern judgment of ,god1 and obtain for me the grace and the fruit of thy womb1 ,jesus ,christ6 ,amen4 ,another prayer calls ,mary the mighty queen of heaven1 the holy empress of the angels1 the one who stays divine wrath4 ,a prayer to the eleven thousand virgins reads as follows3 ,o ye1 adorned with chastity1 crowned with humility1 clad with patience1 covered with the blossoms of virtue1 well polished with moderation--,o ye precious pearls and chosen virgin maids1 help us in the hour of death6 ,with this idolatry and saint-worship silly superstition was combined4 ,in order to be efficacious1 a certain prayer prescribed in the ,hortulus must be spoken not only with true contrition and pure confession1 but also before a figure which had appeared to ,st4 ,gregory4 ,whoever offers a certain prayer before the image of ,our ,lady in the ,sun will not depart this life unshriven1 and thirty days before his death will see the very adorable ,virgin ,mary prepared to help him4 ,another prayer is good for pestilence when spoken before the image of ,st4 ,ann2 another prayer to ,st4 ,margaret profits every woman in travail2 still another preserves him who says it from a sudden death4 ,all of these promises however1 are far surpassed by the indulgences assured4 ,the prayer before the apparition of ,st4 ,gregory obtains #bd1fjj years and #bd days of indulgence3 another promises indulgence for as many days as our ,lord ,jesus ,christ received wounds during ,his passion1 viz4 #e1dge4 ,whoever prays the ,bridget-prayers not only obtains indulgence for himself1 but #ae souls of his kin are thereby delivered from purgatory1 #ae sinners converted1 and #ae righteous confirmed and established in their good standing4 7,w4 #aj1 #b1 #ccd47 ,also in the chart booklets for the ,latin schools of the ,middle ,ages the ,ave ,maria and ,salve ,regina played an important part4--,such were the books which1 before ,luther1 were to serve the people as catechisms1 or books of instruction and prayer4 ,in them1 everything1 even what was right and good in itself1 such as the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and the ,decalog1 was made to serve ,romish superstition and work-righteousness4 ,hence one can easily understand why ,luther demanded that they be either thoroughly reformed or eradicated4 ,indeed1 the dire need of the ,church in this respect was felt and lamented by none sooner and more deeply than ,luther4 ,already in his tract ,to the ,christian ,nobility of the ,german ,nation1 #aebj1 he complained that ,christian instruction of the young was being neglected4 ,he writes3 ,above all1 the chief and most common lesson in the higher and lower schools ought to be the ,holy ,scriptures and for the young boys1 the ,gospel4 ,would to ,god every city had also a school for girls1 where the little maids might daily hear the ,gospel for an hour1 either in ,german or in ,latin6 ,truly1 in the past the schools and convents for men and women were founded for this purpose1 with very laudable ,christian intention1 as we read of ,st4 ,agnes and other saints4 ,there grew up holy virgins and martyrs1 and ,christendom fared very well4 ,but now it amounts to nothing more than praying and singing4 ,ought not1 indeed1 every ,christian at the age of nine or ten years know the entire holy ,gospel1 in which his name and life is written8 ,does not the spinner and the seamstress teach the same handicraft to her daughter when she is still young8 ,but now even the great men1 the learned prelates and bishops1 do not know the ,gospel4 ,how unjustly do we deal with the poor youth entrusted to us1 failing1 as we do1 to govern and instruct them6 ,what a severe reckoning will be required of us because we do not set before them the ,word of ,god6 ,for unto them is done as ,jeremiah says1 ,lam4 #b1 #aa4 #ab3 ',mine eyes do fail with tears1 my bowels are troubled1 my liver is poured upon the earth1 for the destruction of the daughter of my people2 because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city4 ,they say to their mothers1 ,where is corn and wine8 when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city1 when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom4' ,but we do not see the wretched misery1 how the young people1 in the midst of ,christendom1 now also languish and perish miserably for lack of the ,gospel1 in which they should always be instructed and drilled4 7,w4 #f1 #dfa2 ,e4 #ba1 #cdi47 #hh4 ,church ,visitation ,reveals ,deplorable ,ignorance4 ,the ,saxon ,visitation brought to light such a total decay of all ,christian knowledge and of ,christian instruction as even ,luther had not anticipated4 ,aside from other evils 7clergymen cohabiting with their cooks1 addicted to drink1 or even conducting taverns1 etc471 the people1 especially in the villages1 were found to be grossly ignorant of even the simplest rudiments of ,christian doctrine and most unwilling to learn anything1 while many pastors were utterly incompetent to teach4 ,according to the official records1 one priest1 who enjoyed a great reputation as an exorcist1 could not even recite the ,lord's ,prayer and the ,creed fluently4 7,koestlin1 ,martin ,luther1 #b1 #da47 ,luther took part in the visitation of the ,electoral circuit from the end of ,october till after the middle of ,november1 #aebh1 and again from the end of ,december1 #aebh1 till ,january1 #aebi1 and on ,april #bf1 #aebi1 at ,torgau1 he1 too1 signed the report on visitation4 ,when ,luther therefore describes the decay of instruction in ,popery1 he speaks from personal experience4 ,about the middle of ,january1 #aebi1 he wrote to ,spalatin3 ,moreover1 conditions in the congregations everywhere are pitiable1 inasmuch as the peasants learn nothing1 know nothing1 never pray1 do nothing but abuse their liberty1 make no confession1 receive no communion1 as if they had been altogether emancipated from religion4 ,they have neglected their papistical affairs 7ours they despise7 to such extent that it is terrible to contemplate the administration of the papal bishops4 7,enders #g1 #de47 ,the intense heartache and mingled feelings which came over ,luther when he thought of the ignorance which he found during the visitation1 are described in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism as follows3 ,the deplorable miserable condition which ,i discovered lately when ,i1 too1 was a visitor1 has forced and urged me to prepare this ,catechism1 or ,christian doctrine1 in this small1 plain1 simple form4 ,mercy6 ,good ,god6 what manifold misery ,i beheld6 ,the common people1 especially in the villages1 have no knowledge whatever of ,christian doctrine1 and1 alas6 many pastors are altogether incapable1 and incompetent to teach4 ,nevertheless1 all maintain that they are ,christians1 all have been baptized and receive the holy ,sacrament4 ,yet they cannot recite either the ,lord's ,prayer1 or the ,creed1 or the ,ten ,commandments1 they live like dumb brutes and irrational swine2 and yet now that the ,gospel has come1 they have nicely learned to abuse all liberty like experts4 ,o ye bishops6 what will ye ever answer to ,christ for having so shamefully neglected the people and never for a moment discharged your office8 ,may all misfortune flee you6 ,you command the ,sacrament in one form and insist on your human laws1 and yet at the same time you do not care in the least whether the people know the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,creed1 the ,ten ,commandments1 or any part of the ,word of ,god4 ,woe1 woe1 unto you forever6 7#ecc1 #a;ff47 ,to these experiences made during the visitation1 ,luther also refers when he says in the ,short ,preface to the ,large ,catechism3 ,for ,i well remember the time1 indeed1 even now it is a daily occurrence that one finds rude old persons who knew nothing and still know nothing of these things1 and who1 nevertheless1 go to ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper1 and use everything belonging to ,christians1 notwithstanding that those who come to the ,lord's ,supper ought to know more and have a fuller understanding of all ,christian doctrine than children and new scholars4 7#ege1 #e47 ,in his ,admonition to the ,clergy of #aecj1 ,luther describes the conditions before the ,reformation as follows3 ,in brief1 preaching and teaching were in a wretched and heart-rending state4 ,still all the bishops kept silence and saw nothing new1 although they are now able to see a gnat in the sun4 ,hence all things were so confused and wild1 owing to the discordant teaching and the strange new opinions1 that no one was any longer able to know what was certain or uncertain1 what was a ,christian or an unchristian4 ,the old doctrine of faith in ,christ1 of love1 of prayer1 of cross1 of comfort in tribulation was entirely trodden down4 ,aye1 there was in all the world no doctor who knew the entire ,catechism1 that is1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,ten ,commandments1 and the ,creed1 to say nothing of understanding and teaching it1 as now1 ,god be praised1 it is being taught and learned1 even by young children4 ,in support of this statement ,i appeal to all their books1 both of theologians and jurists4 ,if a single part of the ,catechism can be correctly learned therefrom1 ,i am ready to be broken upon the wheel and to have my veins opened4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #cja47 ,melanchthon1 ,jonas1 ,brenz1 ,george of ,anhalt1 ,mathesius1 and many others draw a similar picture of the religious conditions prevailing in ,germany1 ,england1 and other lands immediately prior to the ,reformation4 ,to be sure1 ,papists1 particularly ,jesuits1 have disputed the accuracy and truth of these descriptions from the pen of ,luther and his contemporaries4 ,but arrayed against these ,romish apologetes is also the testimony of ,papists themselves4 ,in his ,catholicus ,catechismus1 published at ,cologne1 #aedc1 ,nausea writes3 ,i endeavored to renew the instruction1 once well known among all churches1 which1 however1 not only recently1 but long ago 7,i do not know to whose stupidity1 negligence1 or ignorance this was due7 was altogether forgotten1 not without lamentable loss to the catholic religion4 ,veterem illam catechesin1 per omnes quondam ecclesias percelebrem non modo tum1 sed et ante pridem1 nescio quorum vel socordia vel negligentia vel ignorantia1 non sine poenitenda catholicae religionis iactura prorsus in oblivionem coeptam repetere coepi4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dfg47 ,moreover1 when ,romanists dispute ,luther's assertions1 they refer to the one point only1 that religious instruction 7as conceived by ,catholics7 had not declined in the measure claimed by ,luther4 ,as to the chief point in ,luther's assertion1 however1 viz41 the correct ,evangelical explanation of the ,catechism1 which1 in ,luther's opinion1 is essential to all truly ,christian instruction1 the ,catholic ,church has always been utterly devoid of it not only prior to the ,reformation1 but also after it1 and down to the present day4 ,true1 even during the ,reformation some ,papists were incited to greater zeal in preaching and teaching4 ,it was a reaction against the ,reformation of ,luther1 who must be regarded as the indirect cause also of the formal improvement in the instruction of the young among the ,romanists4 ,to maintain their power1 bishops and priests were compelled to resume and cultivate it4 ,this revival1 however1 meant only an intensified instruction in the old work-righteousness1 and therefore was the very opposite of the instruction which ,luther desired and advocated4 ,in the ,apology1 ,melanchthon1 after charging the ,papists with totally neglecting the instruction of the young1 continues3 ,a few among them now also begin to preach of good works4 ,but of the knowledge of ,christ1 of faith1 of the consolation of consciences they are unable to preach anything1 moreover1 this blessed doctrine1 the precious holy ,gospel1 they call ,lutheran4 7#cbf1 #dd47 #hi4 ,luther ,devising ,measures to ,restore ,catechism4 ,fully realizing the general decay of ,christian training1 ,luther at once directed all his efforts toward bringing about a change for the better4 ,and well aware of the fact that the future belongs to the rising generation1 the instruction of the common people1 and particularly of the young1 became increasingly an object of his especial concern4 ,if the ,church1 said he1 is to be helped1 if the ,gospel is to be victorious1 if the ,reformation is to succeed1 if ,satan and ,antichrist are to be dealt a mortal blow1 a blow from which they will not recover1 it must be done through the young4 ,for every cause which is not1 or cannot be made1 the cause of the rising generation1 is doomed from the very outset4 ,this is the total ruin of the ,church1 said ,luther as early as #aeaf2 for if ever it is to flourish again1 one must begin by instructing the young4 ,haec est enim ecclesiae ruina tota2 si enim unquam debet reflorere1 necesse est ut a puerorum institutione exordium fiat4 7,w4 #a1 #did47 ,for1 apart from being incapable of much improvement1 the old people would soon disappear from the scene4 ,hence1 if ,christianity and its saving truths were to be preserved to the ,church1 the children must learn them from earliest youth4 ,in his ,large ,catechism ,luther gave utterance to these thoughts as follows3 ,let this1 then1 be said for exhortation1 not only for those of us who are old and grown1 but also for the young people1 who ought to be brought up in the ,christian doctrine and understanding4 ,for thereby the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer might be the more easily inculcated upon our youth1 so that they would receive them with pleasure and earnestness1 and thus would practise them from their youth and accustom themselves to them4 ,for the old are now well-nigh done for1 so that these and other things cannot be attained1 unless we train the people who are to come after us and succeed us in our office and work1 in order that they also may bring up their children successfully1 that the ,word of ,god and the ,christian ,church may be preserved4 ,therefore let every father of a family know that it is his duty1 by the injunction and command of ,god1 to teach these things to his children1 or have them learn what they ought to know4 7#ggc1 #he47 ,a thorough and lasting revival of the ,catechism can be hoped for only through the young--such were ,luther's convictions4 ,accordingly he implored and adjured pastors and parents not to refuse their help in this matter4 ,in the ,preface to his ,small ,catechism we read3 ,therefore ,i entreat you all for ,god's sake1 my dear sirs and brethren1 who are pastors or preachers1 to devote yourselves heartily to your office1 to have pity on the people who are entrusted to you1 and to help us inculcate the ,catechism upon the people1 especially upon the young4 7#ecc1 #f47 ,and as he earnestly admonished the pastors1 so he also tenderly invited them to be faithful in this work4 ,he was firmly convinced that nothing except the ,gospel1 as rediscovered and preached by himself1 was able to save men4 ,how1 then1 could he remain silent or abandon this work because of the hatred and ungratefulness of men6 ,it was this new frame of mind1 produced by the ,gospel1 to which ,luther appealed in the interest of the ,catechism4 ,therefore look to it1 ye pastors and preachers1 says he1 concluding the ,preface to his ,small ,catechism4 ,our office is now become a different thing from what it was under the ,pope2 it is now become serious and salutary4 ,accordingly it now involves much more trouble and labor1 danger and trials1 and in addition thereto secures but little reward and gratitude in the world4 ,but ,christ ,himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully4 7#eci1 #bf47 ,at the same time ,luther also took proper steps toward giving the preachers frequent opportunity for ,catechism-work4 ,since #aebe ,wittenberg had a regulation prescribing quarterly instruction in the ,catechism by means of special sermons4 ,the ,instruction for ,visitors1 of #aebg1 demanded that the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,articles of ,faith1 and the ,lord's ,prayer be steadily preached and expounded on ,sunday afternoons4 444 ,and when the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,lord's ,prayer and the ,creed have been preached on ,sundays in succession1 matrimony1 and the sacraments of ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper shall also be preached diligently4 ,in this interest the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and the ,articles of ,faith shall be recited word for word1 for the sake of the children and other simple and ignorant folk4 7,w4 #bf1 #bcj47 ,november #bi1 #aebh1 in an admonition to attend these ,catechism-sermons1 ,luther proclaimed from the pulpit3 ,we have ordered1 as hitherto has been customary with us1 that the first principles and the fundamentals of ,christian knowledge and life be preached four times each year1 two weeks in each quarter four days per week1 at #aj ,a4,m4 7,w4 #bg1 #ddd2 #bi1 #adf47 ,in ,luther's sermon of ,november #bg1 #aecj1 we read3 ,it is our custom to preach the ,catechism four times a year4 ,therefore attend these services1 and let the children and the rest of the household come4 7#cb1 #bji47 ,september #aj1 #aeca1 ,luther concluded his sermon with the following admonition3 ,it is the custom1 and the time of the ,catechism-sermons is at hand4 ,i admonish you to give these eight days to your ,lord and permit your household and children to attend1 and you yourself may also come and profit by this instruction4 ,no one knows as much as he ought to know4 ,for ,i myself am constrained to drill it every day4 ,you know that we did not have it under the ,papacy4 ,buy while the market is at the door2 some day you will behold the fruit4 ,we would1 indeed1 rather escape the burden1 but we do it for your sakes4 7#cd1 #b1 #aie47 #ij4 ,cooperation of ,parents ,urged by ,luther4 ,in order to bring the instruction of the young into vogue1 ,luther saw that church1 school1 and home must needs cooperate4 ,the home especially must not fail in this4 ,accordingly1 in his admonitions1 he endeavored to interest the fathers and mothers in this work4 ,he was convinced that without their vigorous cooperation he could achieve but little4 ,in his ,german ,order of ,worship1 #aebf1 we read3 ,for if the parents and guardians of the young are unwilling to take such pains with the young1 either personally or through others1 ,catechism catechetical instruction will never be established4 7,w4 #ai1 #gf47 ,in this he was confirmed by the experiences he had while on his tour of visitation4 ,if the children were to memorize the ,catechism and learn to understand it1 they must be instructed and questioned individually1 a task to which the ,church was unequal1 and for the accomplishment of which also the small number of schools was altogether inadequate4 ,parents1 however1 were able to reach the children individually4 ,they had the time and opportunity1 too1 morning1 noon1 and evening1 at the table1 etc4 ,furthermore1 they had the greatest interest in this matter1 the children being their own flesh and blood4 ,and they1 in the first place1 were commanded by ,god to provide for the proper training of their children4 ,the fathers and mothers1 therefore1 these natural and divinely appointed teachers of the children1 ,luther was at great pains to enlist for the urgent work of instructing the young4 ,they should see that the children and servants did not only attend the ,catechism-sermons in church1 but also memorized the text and learned to understand it4 ,the ,christian homes should again become home-churches1 home-schools1 where the house-fathers were both house-priests and house-teachers performing the office of the ministry there just as the pastors did in the churches4 ,with ever-increasing energy ,luther1 therefore1 urged the parents to study the ,catechism in order to be able to teach it to their children4 ,in his sermons on the ,ten ,commandments1 #aeaf1 he admonishes them to bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the ,lord4 ,but alas1 he exclaims1 how has not all this been corrupted6 ,nor is it to be wondered at1 since the parents themselves have not been trained and educated4 ,in a sermon of #aebf3 ,here are two doctrines1 ,law and ,gospel4 ,of them we preach frequently1 but very few there are who take it to heart4 ,i hear that many are still so ignorant that they do not know the ,ten ,commandments nor are able to pray4 ,it plainly shows that they are altogether careless4 ,parents ought to see what their children and family are doing4 ,in the school at home they should learn these three4 ,i hear that in the city1 too1 there are wicked people4 ,we cannot enter the homes2 parents1 masters1 and mistresses ought to be sufficiently skilled to require their children and servants to say the prayers before retiring4 ,but they do not know any themselves4 ,what1 then1 avails it that we do a great deal of preaching concerning the kingdom of ,christ8 ,i thought conditions had improved4 ,i admonish you master--for it is your duty--to instruct the servants1 the mistress1 the maids1 and the children2 and it is publicly preached in church for the purpose that it may be preached at home4 7,w4 #bj #dhe47 ,in his sermon of ,september #ad1 #aebh1 ,luther declares that the ,catechism is the laymen's ,bible1 which every one must know who wishes to be considered a ,christian and to be admitted to the ,lord's ,supper4 ,he then proceeds3 ,hence all children should behave accordingly1 and learn4 ,and you parents are bound to have your children learn these things4 ,likewise you lords1 take pains that your family1 etc4 ,whoever does not know these things does not deserve any food4 ,these five points are a brief summary of the ,christian doctrine4 ,when the question is put1 ',what is the ,first ,commandment8' every one should be able to recite3 ',namely this1' etc4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #bg47 ,exhorting the people to attend the ,catechism-services1 ,luther declared ,november #bi1 #aebh3 ,think not1 ye housefathers1 that you are freed from the care of your household when you say3 ',oh1 if they are unwilling to go to ,catechism instruction1 why should ,i force them8 ,i am not in need of it4' ,you have been appointed their bishop and house-pastor2 beware lest you neglect your duty toward them6 7#bg1 #ddd47 ,on the following day1 beginning the sermons he had announced ,luther said3 ,therefore ,i have admonished you adults to have your children and your servants1 attend it the ,catechism-sermon1 and also be present yourselves2 otherwise we shall not admit you to ,holy ,communion4 ,for if you parents and masters will not help us we shall accomplish little by our preaching4 ,if ,i preach an entire year1 the household comes1 gapes at the walls and windows of the church1 etc4 ,whoever is a good citizen is in duty bound to urge his people to learn these things2 he should refuse them food unless1 etc4 ,if the servants complain1 slam the door on them4 ,if you have children1 accustom them to learn the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,symbol1 the ,paternoster1 etc4 ,if you will diligently urge them1 they will learn much in one year4 ,when they have learned these things1 there are everywhere in the ,scriptures fine passages which they may learn next2 if not all1 at least some4 ,for this reason ,god has appointed you a master1 a mistress1 that you may urge your household to do this4 ,and this you are well able to accomplish3 that they pray in the morning and evening1 before and after meals4 ,in this way they would be brought up in the fear of ,god4 ,i am no idle prattler3 ,i ask you not to cast my words to the winds4 ,i would not think you so rude if ,i did not daily hear it4 ,every housefather is a priest in his own house1 every housemother is a priestess2 therefore see that you help us to perform the office of the ministry in your homes as we do in church4 ,if you do1 we shall have a propitious ,god1 who will defend us from all evil4 ,in the ,psalm #gh1 #e it is written3 ',he appointed a law in ,israel1 which ,he commanded our fathers1 that they should make them known to their children4' 7#cj1 #a1 #eg47 ,in the same sermon3 ,able teachers are necessary because of the great need1 since parents do not concern themselves about this4 ,but each master and mistress must remember that they are priests and priestesses over ,hans and ,gretchen1 their sons and daughters4 ,in the same way ,luther urges this matter in his ,catechisms4 ,for here we read3 ,therefore it is the duty of every father of a family to question and examine his children and servants at least once a week and to ascertain what they know of it the ,catechism1 or are learning1 and1 if they do not know it1 to keep them faithfully at it4 7#ege1 #d47 ,likewise every head of a household is obliged to do the same with respect to his domestics1 man-servants and maid-servants1 and not to keep them in his house if they do not know these things and are unwilling to learn them4 ,for a person who is so rude and unruly as to be unwilling to learn these things is not to be tolerated2 for in these three parts everything that we have in the ,scriptures is comprehended in short1 plain and simple terms4 7#egg1 #ag47 ,therefore let every father of a family know that it is his duty1 by the injunction and command of ,god1 to teach these things to his children1 or have them learn what they ought to know4 ,for since they are baptized and received into the ,christian ,church1 they should also enjoy this communion of the ,sacrament1 in order that they may serve us and be useful to us2 for they must all indeed help us to believe1 love1 pray1 and fight against the devil4 7#ggc1 #hg47 ,in confession and before visitors1 housefathers were also to render account of the manner in which they discharged these duties4 ,in his sermon of ,july #aa1 #aebi1 ,luther said3 ,you will therefore instruct your children and servants according to this ,catechism4444 ,for you have the ,catechism in small and large books2 therefore study it4 ,you had the visitors1 and you have furthermore those who will examine you housefathers and your household1 that they may see how you have improved4444 ,you should have given money and property for it2 yet you neglect it when it is offered freely2 therefore you housefathers ought to be diligent students of this preaching1 that as you learn you may instruct1 discendo doceatis4 7,w4 #bi1 #dgb2 #cj1 #a1 #aba47 #ia4 ,german ,services with ,german ,catechism4 ,with great emphasis ,luther advocated diligent ,catechism instruction in his ,deutsche ,messe 7,german ,mass1 i4e41 ,german ,service or ,german ,order of ,worship71 which he completed toward the end of #aebe and published in #aebf4 ,luther issued this ,service because ,german masses and services are everywhere insisted upon4 ,the demand was made especially in the interest of the unlearned and the children1 for whose benefit1 according to ,luther1 all such measures were adopted4 ,for1 says he1 we do not at all establish such orders for those who are already advanced ,christians4 444 ,but we are in need of such orders for the sake of those who are still to become ,christians or to grow stronger4 ,just as a ,christian does not need ,baptism1 the ,word1 and ,sacrament as a ,christian1 since he already has everything1 but as a sinner4 ,chiefly1 however1 this is done for the sake of the unlearned and the young people1 who should and must be exercised daily and brought up in the ,scriptures1 the ,word of ,god1 that they may become accustomed to the ,scripture1 skilled1 fluent1 and at home in it1 in order that they may be able to defend their faith1 and in time teach others and help to increase the kingdom of ,christ4 ,for their sake one must read1 sing1 preach1 write1 and compose4 ,and if it would help and promote this aim1 ,i would have all bells rung1 all organs played1 and everything that is capable of giving sound to sound forth4 ,for the ,catholic services are so damnable because they the ,papists made laws1 works1 and merits of them1 thereby smothering faith1 and did not adapt them to the young and unlearned1 to exercise them in the ,scriptures1 in the ,word of ,god1 but themselves clung to them as works1 regarding them as beneficial and necessary for salvation to themselves1 that is the devil4 ,while ,luther1 in his ,german ,worship1 as well as in other places1 favors also ,latin masses1 yet he demands that for the sake of the unlearned laity ,german services be introduced4 ,and since the unlearned could be truly served only by instruction in the fundamental truths of ,christianity1 the ,catechism1 according to ,luther1 was to constitute a chief part in these services4 ,very well1 says he1 in ,god's name6 ,first of all a clear1 simple plain1 good ,catechism is needed in the ,german service4 ,catechism1 however1 is an instruction whereby heathen who desire to become ,christians are taught and instructed in what they must believe1 do1 not do1 and know concerning ,christianity4 ,pupils who were accepted for such instruction and learned the faith before being baptized were therefore called catechumens4 ,nor do ,i know how to present this instruction1 or teaching1 in a form more simple than it already has been presented since the beginning of ,christianity1 and hitherto retained1 to wit1 the three parts3 the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,these three parts contain in simple and brief form everything that a ,christian must know4 ,and since as yet we have no special congregation 7weil man noch keine sonderliche ,gemeinde hat71 this instruction must proceed in the following manner1 by preaching from the pulpit at various times or daily1 as necessity demands1 and by repeating and reading it to the children and servants at home in the houses morning and evening 7if one would make ,christians of them74 ,yet not only so that they memorize the words or recite them1 as was done hitherto1 but by questioning them part for part1 and having them state in their answer what each part means and how they understand it4 ,if all parts cannot be asked at one time1 take one1 the next day another4 ,for if the parents or guardians are unwilling to take such pains with the young1 either personally or through others the ,catechism will never be established4 7#ai1 #gf47 ,german ,catechism in ,german services--such1 then1 was the slogan which ,luther now sounded forth with ever-increasing emphasis4 #ib4 ,luther ,illustrating ,method of ,procedure4 ,according to ,luther's ,german ,worship1 pastors were to preach the ,catechism on ,mondays and ,tuesdays4 ,to insure the desired results 7memorizing and understanding the text71 the children should be questioned1 especially at home by the parents4 ,exemplifying such catechization1 ,luther writes3 ,for so shall they be asked3 ',what do you pray8' ,answer3 ',the ,lord's ,prayer1' ,what do you mean by saying3 ',our ,father who art in heaven8' ,answer3 ',that ,god is not an earthly1 but a heavenly ,father1 who would make us rich and blessed in heaven1' ',what does ,hallowed be ,thy name mean8' ,answer3 ',that we should honor ,god's name and not use it in vain1 lest it be profaned1' ',how1 then1 is it profaned and desecrated8' ,answer3 ',when we who are regarded as ,his children lead wicked lives1 teach and believe what is wrong1' ,and so forth1 what ,god's kingdom means2 how it comes2 what ,god's will is1 what daily bread1 etc4 ,likewise also of the ,creed3 ',what do you believe8' ,answer3 ',i believe in ,god the ,father1' etc4 ,thereupon part for part1 as leisure permits1 one or two at a time4 ,thus3 ',what does it mean to believe in ,god the ,father ,almighty8' ,answer3 ',it means that the heart trusts ,him entirely1 and confidently looks to ,him for all grace1 favor1 help1 and comfort1 here and hereafter1' ',what does it mean to believe in ,jesus ,christ1 ,his ,son8' ,answer3 ',it means that the heart believes we should all be lost eternally if ,christ had not died for us1' etc4 ,in like manner one must also question on the ,ten ,commandments1 what the first1 the second1 the third and other commandments mean4 ,such questions you may take from our ,prayer-,booklet1 where the three parts are briefly explained1 or you may formulate others yourself1 until they comprehend with their hearts the entire sum of ,christian knowledge in two parts1 as in two sacks1 which are faith and love4 ,let faith's sack have two pockets2 into the one pocket put the part according to which we believe that we are altogether corrupted by ,adam's sin1 are sinners and condemned1 ,rom4 #e1 #ab and ,ps4 #ea1 #g4 ,into the other pocket put the part telling us that by ,jesus ,christ we have all been redeemed from such corrupt1 sinful1 condemned condition1 ,rom4 #e1 #ah and ,john #c1 #af4 ,let love's sack also have two pockets4 ,into the one put this part1 that we should serve1 and do good to1 every one1 even as ,christ did unto us1 ,rom4 #ac4 ,into the other put the part that we should gladly suffer and endure all manner of evil4 7#ai1 #gf47 ,in like manner passages of ,scripture were also to be made the child's property1 as it were2 for it was not ,luther's idea that instruction should cease at the lowest indispensably necessary goal 7the understanding of the text of the chief parts74 ,in his ,german ,order of ,worship he goes on to say3 ,when the child begins to comprehend this the text of the ,catechism1 accustom it to carry home passages of ,scripture from the sermons and to recite them to the parents at the table1 at meal-time1 as it was formerly customary to recite ,latin1 and thereupon to store the passages into the sacks and pockets1 as one puts pfennige1 and groschen1 or gulden into his pocket4 ,let the sack of faith be1 as it were1 the gulden sack4 ,into the first pocket let this passage be put1 ,rom4 #e3 ',by one man's disobedience many were made sinners'3 and ,ps4 #ea3 ',behold1 ,i was shapen in iniquity1 and in sin did my mother conceive me1' ,those are two ,rheinish gulden in the pocket4 ,the other pocket is for the ,hungarian gulden1 such as this passage1 ,rom4 #e3 ',christ was delivered for our offenses1 and was raised again for our justification3' again1 ,john #a3 ',behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of the world1' ,that would be two good ,hungarian gulden in the pocket4 ,let love's sack be the silver sack4 ,into the first pocket belong the passages of well-doing1 such as ,gal4 #e3 ',by love serve one another'2 ,matt4 #be3 ',inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ,my brethren1 ye have done it unto ,me4' ,that would be two silver groschen in the pocket4 ,into the other pocket this passage belongs1 ,matt4 #e3 ',blessed are ye when men shall persecute you for ,my sake2' ,heb4 #ab3 ',for whom the ,lord loveth ,he chasteneth3 ,he scourgeth every son whom ,he receiveth4' ,those are two ,schreckenbergers a coin made of silver mined from ,schreckenberg in the pocket4 7#ai1 #gg;f47 ,believing that understanding1 not mere mechanical memorizing1 of the ,catechism is of paramount import1 ,luther insisted that the instruction must be popular throughout4 ,preachers and fathers are urged to come down to the level of the children and to prattle with them1 in order to bring the ,christian fundamentals home even to the weakest and simplest4 ,in his ,german ,mass ,luther concludes the chapter on instruction as follows3 ,and let no one consider himself too wise and despise such child's play4 ,when ,christ desired to train men ,he had to become a man4 ,if we are to train children1 we also must become children with them4 ,would to ,god that such child's play were carried on well2 then we should in a short time see a great wealth of ,christian people1 and souls growing rich in the ,scriptures and the knowledge of ,god until they themselves would give more heed to these pockets as locos communes and comprehend in them the entire ,scriptures2 otherwise they come daily to hear the preaching and leave again as they came4 ,for they believe that the object is merely to spend the time in hearing1 no one intending to learn or retain anything4 ,thus many a man will hear preaching for three1 four years and still not learn enough to be able to give account of his faith in one particular1 as ,i indeed experience every day4 ,enough has been written in books4 ,true1 but not all of it has been impressed on the hearts4 7#ai1 #gh47 #ic4 ,value ,placed on ,memorizing4 ,modern pedagogs have contended that ,luther's method of teaching the ,catechism unduly multiplies the material to be memorized1 and does not sufficiently stress the understanding4 ,both charges1 however1 are without any foundation4 ,as to the first1 it is true that ,luther did not put a low estimate on the memorizing of the ,catechism4 ,in the ,large ,catechism he says3 ,therefore we must have the young learn the parts which belong to the ,catechism or instruction for children well1 and fluently and diligently exercise themselves in them and keep them occupied with them4 ,hence it is the duty of every father of a family to question and examine his children and servants at least once a week1 and to ascertain what they know of it1 or are learning1 and1 if they do not know it1 to keep them faithfully at it4 7#ege1 #c;f47 ,again3 ,these are the most necessary parts which one should first learn to repeat word for word1 and which our children should be accustomed to recite daily when they arise in the morning1 when they sit down to their meals1 and when they retire at night2 and until they repeat them1 they should be given neither food nor drink4 7#egg1 #ae47 ,according to the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism1 the teacher is to abide with rigid exactness by the text which he has once chosen and have the children learn it verbatim4 ,in the first place1 says ,luther1 let the preacher above all be careful to avoid many kinds of or various texts and forms of the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,creed1 the ,sacraments1 etc41 but choose one form to which he adheres1 and which he inculcates all the time1 year after year4 ,for young and simple people must be taught by uniform1 settled texts and forms1 otherwise they easily become confused when the teacher to-day teaches them thus1 and in a year some other way1 as if he wished to make improvements1 and thus all effort and labor will be lost4 ,also our blessed fathers understood this well2 for they all used the same form of the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,creed1 and the ,ten ,commandments4 ,therefore we1 too1 should teach the young and simple people these parts in such a way as not to change a syllable1 or set them forth and repeat them one year differently than in another4 ,hence1 choose whatever form you please1 and adhere to it forever4 ,but when you preach in the presence of learned and intelligent men1 you may exhibit your skill and may present these parts in as varied and intricate ways and give them as masterly turns as you are able4 ,but with the young people stick to one fixed1 permanent form and manner1 and teach them1 first of all1 these parts1 namely1 the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 etc41 according to the text1 word for word1 so that they1 too1 can repeat it in the same manner after you and commit it to memory4 7#ecc1 #g;ff47 ,thus ,luther indeed placed a high value on exact memorizing of the ,catechism4 ,as to the quantity of memorizing1 however1 ,luther did not demand more than even the least gifted were well able to render4 ,he was satisfied if they knew1 as a minimum1 the text of the first three chief parts and the words of institution of ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 7#egi1 #bb4 #be47 ,that was certainly not overburdening even a weak memory4 ,luther was right when he declared in his ,short ,form of the ,ten ,commandments1 of #aebj3 ,in the three chief parts everything is summed up with such brevity and simplicity that no one can complain or offer the excuse that it is too much or too hard for him to remember what he must know for his salvation4 7,w4 #g1 #bjd47 ,self-evidently1 it was not ,luther's opinion that instruction or memorizing should end here4 ,in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism he says3 ,in the third place1 after you have thus taught them this ,short ,catechism1 then take up the ,large ,catechism1 and give them also a richer and fuller knowledge4 ,here explain at length every commandment1 petition1 and part with its various works1 uses1 benefits1 dangers1 and injuries as you find these abundantly stated in many books written about these matters4 7#ece1 #ag47 ,then1 as ,luther often repeats1 ,bible-verses1 hymns1 and ,psalms were also to be memorized and explained4 ,nor did he exclude the explanation of the ,small ,catechism from the material for memorizing4 ,for this very reason he had written the ,small ,catechism in questions and answers1 because he wished to have it learned1 questioned1 and recited from memory4 ,however1 says ,luther in the ,large ,catechism for the common people we are satisfied with the three parts1 which have remained in ,christendom from of old4 7#ege1 #e47 ,as far1 then1 as the material for memorizing is concerned1 ,luther certainly did not demand more than even the least gifted were well able to render4 #id4 ,memorizing to ,serve ,understanding4 ,the second charge1 that ,luther attached no special importance to the understanding of what was memorized1 is still more unfounded4 ,the fact is that everywhere he was satisfied with nothing less than correct understanding4 ,luther was a man of thought1 not of mere sacred formulas and words4 ,to him instruction did not mean mere mechanical memorizing1 but conscious1 personal1 enduring1 and applicable spiritual appropriation4 ,says he3 ,however1 it is not enough for them to comprehend and recite these parts according to the words only1 but the young people should also be made to attend the preaching1 especially during the time which is devoted to the ,catechism1 that they may hear it explained1 and may learn to understand what every part contains1 so as to be able to recite it as they have heard it1 and1 when asked1 may give a correct answer1 so that the preaching may not be without profit and fruit4 7#egi1 #bf47 ,in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism1 ,luther instructs the preachers3 ,after they the children have well learned the text then teach them the sense also1 so that they know what it means4 7#ece1 #ad47 ,correct understanding was everything to ,luther4 ,sermons in the churches and catechizations at home were all to serve this purpose4 ,in the same interest1 viz41 to enrich the brief text of the ,catechism and1 as it were1 quicken it with concrete perceptions1 ,luther urged the use of ,bible-stories as illustrations4 ,for the same reason he added pictures to both of his ,catechisms4 ,his ,prayer-,booklet contained as its most important part the text and explanation of the ,catechism and1 in addition1 the passional booklet1 a sort of ,bible ,history4 ,to this ,luther remarks3 ,i considered it wise to add the ancient passional booklet augmented by ,luther to the ,prayer-,booklet1 chiefly for the sake of the children and the unlearned1 who are more apt to remember the divine histories if pictures and parables are added1 than by mere words and teaching1 as ,st4 ,mark testifies1 that for the sake of the simple ,christ1 too1 preached to them only in parables4 7,w4 #aj1 #b1 #deh47 ,indeed1 ,luther left no stone unturned to have his instruction understood4 ,on words and formulas1 merely memorized1 but not appropriated intellectually1 he placed but little value4 ,memorizing1 too1 was regarded by ,luther not as an end in itself1 but as a means to an end4 ,it was to serve the explanation and understanding4 ,and its importance in this respect was realized by ,luther much more clearly than by his modern critics4 ,for when the text is safely embedded1 as it were1 in the memory1 its explanation is facilitated1 and the process of mental assimilation may proceed all the more readily4 ,in this point1 too1 the strictures of modern pedagogs on ,luther's ,catechism are therefore unwarranted4 ,where ,luther's instructions are followed1 the memory is not overtaxed1 and the understanding not neglected4 ,the instruction advocated by ,luther differed fundamentally from the mechanical methods of the ,middle ,ages4 ,he insisted on a thorough mental elaboration1 by means of sermons1 explanations1 questions and answers1 of the material memorized1 in order to elevate it to the plane of knowledge4 ,with ,luther we meet the questions3 ,what does this mean8 ,what does this signify8 ,where is this written8 ,what does it profit8 ,he engages the intellect4 ,the ,table of ,christian ,life of the ,middle ,ages1 which all good ,christians are in duty bound to have in their houses1 for themselves1 their children1 and household1 is regarded by ,cohrs as a sort of forerunner of ,luther's ,small ,catechism4 ,at the same time1 however1 ,cohrs adds1 it clearly shows the difference between the demands made by the ,church of the ,middle ,ages and the requirements of the ,evangelical ,church2 yonder1 numerous parts without any word of explanation1 sacred formulas1 which many prayed without an inkling of the meaning2 here1 the five chief parts1 in which the emphasis is put on ',what does this mean8' 7,herzog1 ,r4 #aj1 #ach47 ,it was due to the neglect of ,christian teaching that ,christendom had fallen into decay4 ,force on the part of the popes and priests and blind submission on the part of the people had supplanted instruction and conviction from the ,word of ,god4 ,hence the cure of the ,church1 first of all1 called for an instructor in ,christian fundamentals4 ,and just such a catechist ,luther was1 who made it his business to teach and convince the people from the ,bible4 ,indeed1 in his entire work as a ,reformer1 ,luther consistently appealed to the intellect1 as was strikingly demonstrated in the turmoil which ,carlstadt brought about at ,wittenberg4 ,instruction was the secret1 was the method1 of ,luther's ,reformation4 ,in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism he says that one cannot and must not force any one to believe nor drive any one to partake of the ,sacrament by laws1 lest it be turned into poison1 that is to say1 lest the very object of the ,gospel1 which is spontaneous action flowing from conviction1 be defeated4 7#eci1 #bd2 #ece1 #ac47 #ie4 ,manuals ,preceding ,luther's ,catechism4 ,when ,luther1 in his ,german ,order of ,worship1 sounded the slogan3 ,german services with ,german instruction in ,christian fundamentals6 he did not lose sight of the fact that this required certain helps for both parents and preachers4 ,a book was needed that would contain not only the text to be memorized1 but also necessary explanations4 ,accordingly1 in his ,german ,order of ,worship1 ,luther referred to his ,prayer-,booklet as a help for instruction4 ,however1 the ,brief ,form of the ,ten ,commandments1 etc41 incorporated in the ,prayer-,booklet1 was not adapted for children and parents1 as it was not drawn up in questions and answers4 ,to the experienced teacher it furnished material in abundance1 but children and parents had need of a simpler book4 ,hardeland says3 ,it is certain that ,luther in #aebf already conceived the ideal catechism to be a brief summary of the most important knowledge in questions and answers1 adapted for memorizing and still sufficiently extensive to make a thorough explanation possible1 at once confessional in its tone1 and fitted for use in divine service4 7,katechismusgedanken #b47 ,but if ,luther in #aebf had conceived this idea1 it was not carried out until three years later4 ,however1 what ,luther said on teaching the ,catechism by questions and answers1 in the ,german ,order of ,worship1 was reprinted repeatedly 7probably for the first time at ,nuernberg7 under the title3 ,doctor ,martin ,luther's instruction how to bring the children to ,god's ,word and service1 which parents and guardians are in duty bound to do1 #aebg4 ,this appeal of ,luther also called forth quite a number of other explanations of the ,catechism4 ,among the attempts which appeared before ,luther's ,catechisms were writings of ,melanchthon1 ,bugenhagen1 ,eustasius ,kannel1 ,john ,agricola1 ,val4 ,ickelsamer1 ,hans ,gerhart1 ,john ,toltz1 ,john ,bader1 ,petrus ,schultz1 ,caspar ,graeter1 ,andr4 ,althamer1 ,wenz4 ,link1 ,conr4 ,sam1 ,john ,brenz1 ,o4 ,braunfels1 ,chr4 ,hegendorfer1 ,caspar ,loener1 ,w4 ,capito1 ,john ,oecolampad1 ,john ,zwick1 and others4 ,the work of ,althamer1 the ,humanist and so-called ,reformer of ,brandenburg-,ansbach1 was the first to bear the title ,catechism4 ,as yet it has not been ascertained whether1 or not1 ,luther was acquainted with these writings4 ,cohrs says3 ,probably ,luther followed this literature with interest1 and possibly consulted some of it2 the relationship is nowhere close enough to exclude chance2 still the frequent allusions must not be overlooked2 as yet it cannot be simply denied that ,luther was influenced by these writings4 ,on the other hand1 it has been shown what an enormous influence ,luther exercised on that literature1 especially by his ,brief ,form and his ,prayer-,booklet4 ,in fact1 says ,cohrs1 ,luther's writings can be adduced as the source of almost every sentence in most of these books of instruction4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dgd47 ,evidently1 ,luther's appeal of #aebf had not fallen on deaf ears4 #if4 ,luther's ,catechetical ,publications4 ,luther not only stirred up others to bring the ,catechism back into use1 but himself put his powerful shoulder to the wheel4 ,from the very beginning he was1 time and again1 occupied with reading the text of the ,catechism to the people1 and then explaining it in sermons4 ,from the end of ,june1 #aeaf1 to ,easter1 #aeag1 he preached on the ,ten ,commandments and the ,lord's ,prayer4 7,w4 #a1 #cid2 #b1 #gd2 #i1 #abb47 ,in #aeah the explanation of the ,ten ,commandments appeared in print3 ,decem ,praecepta ,wittenbergensi ,praedicata ,populo4 ,the ,ten ,commandments ,preached to the ,people of ,wittenberg4 7#a1 #cih4 #eba47 ,oecolampadius praised the work1 saying that ,luther had here taken the veil from the face of ,moses4 ,sebastian ,muenster said3 ,luther explains the ,ten ,commandments in such a spiritual1 ,christian1 and ,evangelical way1 that its like cannot be found1 though many teachers have written on the subject4 7#a1 #cid47 ,agricola published ,luther's sermons on the ,lord's ,prayer at the beginning of #aeah with some additions of his own1 which fact induced ,luther to publish them himself4 ,april #e1 #aeai1 his ,explanation of the ,lord's ,prayer in ,german appeared in print4 ,it was intended for the plain people1 not for the learned4 7#b1 #ha to #acj47 ,july #b1 #aeai1 the ,humanist ,beatus ,rhenanus wrote to ,zwingli that he would like to see this explanation of the ,lord's ,prayer offered for sale throughout all ,switzerland1 in all cities1 markets1 villages1 and houses4 ,mathesius reports3 ,at ,venice ,doctor ,martin's ,lord's ,prayer was translated into ,italian1 his name being omitted4 ,and when the man saw it from whom the permission to print it was obtained1 he exclaimed3 ,blessed are the hands that wrote this1 blessed the eyes that see it1 and blessed will be the hearts that believe this book and cry to ,god in such a manner4 7,w4 #b1 #ge47 ,this work passed through many editions4 ,in #aebj it appeared in ,latin and ,bohemian1 and as late as #ahdd in ,english4 ,march #ac1 #aeai1 ,luther wrote to ,spalatin3 ,i am not able to turn the ,lord's ,prayer ,explanation of the ,lord's ,prayer in ,german of #aeah into ,latin1 being busy with so many works4 ,every day at evening ,i pronounce the commandments and the ,lord's ,prayer for the children and the unlearned1 then ,i preach4 7,enders #a1 #ddi47 ,thus ,luther preached the ,catechism1 and at the same time was engaged in publishing it4 ,the ,brief ,instruction ,how to ,confess1 printed #aeai1 was also essentially an explanation of the ,ten ,commandments4 ,it is an extract from ,luther's ,latin work1 ,instructio pro ,confessione ,peccatorum1 published by ,spalatin4 ,luther recast this work and published it in ,march1 #aebj1 entitled3 ,confitendi ,ratio4 7,w4 #b1 #ei4 #fe47 ,as a late fruit of his ,explanation of the ,lord's ,prayer in ,german there appeared1 in #aeai1 the ,brief ,form for ,understanding and ,praying the ,lord's ,prayer which explains it in prayers4 7#f1 #aa-ai47 ,in #aeai there appeared also his ,short and ,good ,explanation ,before ,oneself and ,behind ,oneself 7vor sich und hinter sich7 a concise explanation how the seven petitions must be understood before oneself 7vor sich71 i4e41 being ever referred to ,god1 while many1 thinking only of themselves1 put and understand them behind themselves 7hinter sich74 7#f1 #ba4 #bb47 ,june1 #aebj1 it was followed by the ,brief ,form of the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 a combination of the revised ,brief ,explanation of the ,ten ,commandments1 of #aeah1 and the ,brief ,form for ,understanding the ,lord's ,prayer1 of #aeai1 with a newly written explanation of the ,creed4 ,with few changes ,luther embodied it in his ,prayer-,booklet1 which appeared for the first time in #aebb4 ,here he calls it a simple ,christian form and mirror to know one's sins1 and to pray4 ,the best evidence of the enthusiastic reception of the ,prayer-,booklet are the early editions which followed hard upon each other1 and the numerous reprints during the first years4 7#aj1 #b1 #cej-dji47 ,in #aebe ,luther's sermons on ,baptism1 ,confession1 and the ,lord's ,supper were also received into the ,prayer-,booklet1 and in #aebi the entire ,small ,catechism4 ,after his return from the ,wartburg1 ,luther resumed his ,catechism labors with increased energy4 ,march #bg ,albert ,burer wrote to ,beatus ,rhenanus3 ,luther intends to nourish the weak1 whom ,carlstadt and ,gabriel aroused by their vehement preaching1 with milk alone until they grow strong4 ,he daily preaches the ,ten ,commandments4 ,at ,wittenberg special attention was given to the instruction of the young1 and regular ,catechism-sermons were instituted4 ,in the spring of #aeba ,agricola was appointed catechist of the ,city ,church1 to instruct the young in religion4 ,lent #aebb and #aebc1 ,luther also delivered ,catechism-sermons1 ,latin copies of which have been preserved4 ,in the same year ,bugenhagen was appointed ,city ,pastor1 part of his duties being to deliver sermons on the ,catechism1 some of which have also been preserved4 ,maundy ,thursday1 #aebc1 ,luther announced that instead of the ,romish confession1 abolished during the ,wittenberg disturbances1 communicants were to announce for communion to the pastor and submit to an examination in the ,catechism4 ,as appears from ,luther's ,formula ,missae of this year1 the pastor was to convince himself whether they were able to recite and explain the words of institution by questioning them on what the ,lord's ,supper is1 what it profits1 and for what purpose they desired to partake of it4 7#ab1 #bae4 #dgi47 ,to enable the people to prepare for such examination1 ,luther 7or ,bugenhagen1 at the instance of ,luther7 published a few short questions on the ,lord's ,supper1 culled from one of ,luther's sermons4 ,this examination became a permanent institution at ,wittenberg4 ,in a sermon on the ,sacrament of #aebf1 ,luther says3 ,confession1 though it serve no other purpose1 is a suitable means of instructing the people and of ascertaining what they believe1 how they learn to pray1 etc41 for else they live like brutes4 ,therefore ,i have said that the ,sacrament shall be given to no one except he be able to give an account of what he receives in the ,sacrament and why he is going4 ,this can best be done in confession4 7#ai1 #ebj47 ,furthermore1 on ,sundays1 after the sermon1 the ,catechism was read to the people1 a custom which likewise became a fixture in ,wittenberg4 ,according to a small pamphlet of #aebf1 entitled1 ,what ,shall be ,read to the ,common ,people after the ,sermon8 it was the text of the five chief parts that was read4 7,herz41 ,r4 #aj1 #acb47 ,these parts came into the hands of the people by means of the ,booklet for ,laymen and ,children1 of #aebe1 written probably by ,bugenhagen4 ,he also reorganized the ,wittenberg school which the fanatics had dissolved2 and1 self-evidently1 there1 too1 ,catechism instruction was not lacking4 ,in a similar way religious instruction of the young was begun at other places1 as appears1 for example1 from the ,opinions on ,reformation by ,nicolaus ,hausmann 7,zwickau71 of #aebc and #aebe4 ,melanchthon's ,instructions for ,visitors 7,articuli de quibus egerunt per visitatores71 drawn up in #aebg1 and used in the visitation of #aebh and #aebi as the guide by which pastors were examined1 and pointing out what they should be charged to do1 provide1 above all1 for ,catechism-preaching on every ,sunday1 and give instructions for such sermons4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #i4 #dh47 ,thus ,luther's strenuous efforts at establishing the ,catechism were crowned with success4 ,in the ,apology of #aecj ,melanchthon declares triumphantly3 ,among the opponents there is no ,catechism1 although the canons require it4 ,among us the canons are observed1 for pastors and ministers instruct the children and the young in ,god's ,word1 publicly and privately4 7#ebf1 #da47 #ig4 ,immediate ,forerunners of ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,luther's entire pastoral activity was essentially of a catechetical nature and naturally issued in his two ,catechisms1 which1 more than any other of his books1 are the result of his labor in the congregation4 ,three writings1 however1 must be regarded as their direct precursors1 viz41 the ,short ,form of the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer1 of #aebj1 the ,booklet for ,laymen and ,children1 of #aebe1 and the three series of ,catechism-sermons of #aebh1 delivered in ,bugenhagen's absence4 ,true1 they are not yet real catechisms1 but they paved the way for them4 ,the ,short ,form is a summary and explanation of the three traditional chief parts4 ,in the preface to this work1 ,luther expresses himself for the first time on the value and the coherence of these parts1 which he considered to be the real kernel of the ,catechism4 ,in the ,short ,form he also abandoned the traditional division of the ,creed into twelve parts1 choosing1 instead1 the threefold division of the later ,small ,catechism4 ,in #aebb he embodied the ,short ,form into his ,prayer-,booklet1 in consequence of which it was given extended circulation4 ,it has been called ,luther's first catechism1 and ,luther himself regarded it so for in his ,german ,order of ,worship he recommends its use for catechetical instruction4 ,in it are summed up ,luther's catechetical efforts since #aeaf4 ,the ,booklet for ,laymen and ,children appeared at ,wittenberg in #aebe1 at first in ,low ,german 7,ein ,boekeschen vor de leyen unde ,kinder71 but done into ,high ,german in the same year4 ,though ,bugenhagen is probably its author1 no doubt1 the book was written at the suggestion and under the influence of ,luther1 parts of whose earlier explanations it contains1 and who also since #aebf1 made use of it in his public services4 ,besides the three traditional parts1 it offered for the first time also those on ,baptism 7without the baptismal command7 and on the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the wording of the text was practically the same as that of ,luther's ,enchiridion4 ,several prayers1 later found in ,luther's ,enchiridion1 were also added4 ,hence the ,booklet for ,laymen and ,children is properly considered a forerunner of ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,the three series of ,catechism-sermons of #aebh must be considered the last preparatory work and immediate source of the explanation of the ,catechisms4 ,luther delivered the first series ,may #ah to #cj2 the second1 from ,september #ad to #be2 the third1 from ,november #cj to ,december #ai4 ,each series treats the same five chief parts4 ,we have these sermons in a transcript which ,roerer made from a copy 7,nachschrift72 the third series also in a copy by a ,south ,german4 ,in his ,origin of the ,catechism1 ,buchwald has shown how ,luther's ,large ,catechism grew out of these sermons of #aebh4 ,in his opinion1 ,luther1 while engaged on the ,large ,catechism1 had those three series of sermons before him either in his own manuscript or in the form of a copy 7,nachschrift74 ,this explains the extensive agreement of both1 apparent everywhere4 ,luther himself hints at this relation2 for said sermons must have been before him when he began the ,large ,catechism with the words3 ,this sermon is designed and undertaken that it might be an instruction for children and the simple-minded4 7#ege1 #a47 ,this was also ,roerer's view1 for he calls the ,large ,catechism ,catechism preached by ,d4 ,m41 a title found also in the second copy 7,nachschrift7 of the third series3 ,catechism ,preached by ,doctor ,martin ,luther4 ,in the conclusion of the first edition of the ,large ,catechism1 ,luther seems to have made use also of his sermon on ,palm ,sunday1 #aebi1 and others1 and in the ,short ,exhortation to ,confession1 which was appended to the second edition1 of the sermon of ,maundy ,thursday1 #aebi1 and others4 ,some historians1 however1 have expressed the opinion that the relationship might here be reversed4 ,the substance of the sermon-series is essentially that also of the ,large ,catechism4 ,in form the ,catechism differs from the sermons by summing up in each case what is contained in the corresponding three sermons and by giving in ,german what the copies of the sermons offer in a mixture of ,latin and ,german 7principally ,latin1 especially in the first series74 ,following is a sample of the ,german-,latin form in which ,roerer preserved these sermons3 ,zaehlet mir her illos1 qui reliquerunt multas divitias1 wie reiche ,kinder sie gehabt haben2 du wirst finden1 dass ihr ,gut zerstoben und zerflogen ist1 antequam #c4 et #d4 generatio venit1 so ist's dahin4 ,die ,exempel gelten in allen ,historien4 ,saul #a4 fuit bonus etc4 ,er musste ausgerottet werden1 ne quidem uno puello superstite1 quia es musste wahr bleiben1 quod ,deus hic dicit4 ,sed das betreugt uns1 dass er ein ,jahr oder #bj regiert hat1 et fuit potens rex1 das verdreusst uns ut credamus non esse verum4 ,sed verba ,dei non mentiuntur1 et exempla ostendunt etc4 ,econtra qui ,verbo ,dei fidunt1 die muessen genug haben etc41 ut ,david1 qui erat vergeucht verjagt und verscheucht ut avicula2 tamen mansit rex4 ,econtra ,saul4 ,sic fit cum omnibus piis4 ,ideo nota bene #a4 praeceptum1 i4e41 debes ex tota corde fidere ,deo et praeterea nulli aliae rei1 sive sit potestas etc41 ut illis omnibus utaris1 ut sutor subula etc41 qui tantum laborat cum istis suis instrumentis4 ,sic utere bonis et donis2 sie sollen dein ,abgott nicht sein1 sed ,deus4 7#cj1 #a1 #bi47 ,the three series of sermons of #aebh1 therefore1 were to the explanation of ,luther's ,catechisms what the ,booklet for ,laymen was to the text4 #ih4 ,catechism of ,bohemian ,brethren4 ,the assertion has been made that ,luther1 in his ,small ,catechism1 followed the ,children's ,questions of the ,bohemian ,brethren which at that time had been in use for about sixty years4 ,this catechism1 which was not clear in its teaching on the ,lord's ,supper1 came to the notice of ,luther #aebj in ,bohemian or ,latin1 and #aebc in ,german and ,bohemian4 ,in his treatise1 ,concerning the ,adoration of the ,sacrament of the ,holy ,body of ,christ1 #aebc1 ,luther remarks3 ,a book has been circulated by your people the ,bohemian ,brethren in ,german and ,bohemian which aims to give ,christian instruction to the young4 ,among other things the statement is made that the presence of ,christ in the ,sacrament is not a personal and natural one1 and that ,he must not be adored there1 which disquiets us ,germans very much4 ,for without doubt it is known to you how1 through the delegates you sent to me1 ,i requested you to make this particular article clear in a separate booklet4 ,for by word of mouth ,i heard them confess that you hold unanimously that ,christ is truly in the ,sacrament with ,his flesh and blood as it was born of ,mary and hung on the cross1 as we ,germans believe4 ,that booklet has now been sent to me by ,mr4 ,luca in ,latin4 ,still1 in this article it has not yet been made as pure and clear as ,i should like to have seen it4 ,hence ,i did not have it translated into ,german nor printed as ,i promised1 fearing ,i might not render the obscure words correctly1 and thus fail to give your meaning correctly4 ,for it may be regarded as a piece of good luck if one has hit upon an exact translation1 even if the passage is very clear and certain1 as ,i daily experience in the translations ,i am making4 ,now1 that this matter may come to an end1 and that the offense of the ,german booklet which you have published may be removed1 ,i shall present to you and everybody1 as plainly and as clearly as ,i am able to do1 this article as we ,germans believe it1 and as one ought to believe according to the ,gospel4 ,there you may see whether ,i have stated correctly what you believe or how much we differ from one another4 ,perhaps my ,german language will be clearer to you than your ,german and ,latin is to me4 7#aa1 #dca47 ,luther1 then1 was familiar with the catechism of the ,bohemians1 which contained1 besides the chief parts of the ancient ,church1 also the doctrine of the ,sacraments4 ,this1 therefore1 may have suggested to him the idea of publishing a small book for children with questions and answers1 which would also contain the parts of ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,such at least is the opinion of ,cohrs1 ,kolde1 ,koestlin1 ,kawerau1 and ,albrecht4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dff47 ,but we have no sure knowledge of this4 ,at any rate1 it is not likely that it was the book of the ,bohemian ,brethren which prompted ,luther to embody the ,sacraments in his ,catechism4 ,the further assertion of ,ehrenfeuchter1 ,moenckeberg1 et al4 that ,luther in his ,table of ,duties followed the ,bohemian ,brethren1 is incorrect1 since the ,table of ,duties appeared much later in their catechism4 ,,ix4 ,the ,small and the ,large ,catechism of ,luther4 #ii4 ,luther ,beginning ,work on ,catechisms4 ,luther first mentioned the plan of publishing a catechism in a letter of ,february #b1 #aebe1 to ,nicolaus ,hausmann4 ,he informs him3 ,jonas and ,eisleben ,agricola have been instructed to prepare a catechism for children4 ,i am devoting myself to the ,postil last part of the ,winter ,postil and to ,deuteronomy1 where ,i have sufficient work for the present4 7,enders1 #e1 #aae47 ,in a letter of ,march #bf1 #aebe1 also to ,hausmann1 ,luther repeats3 ,the ,catechism1 as ,i have written before1 has been given to its authors1 ist seinen ,verfassern aufgetragen worden4 7#add47 ,however1 when ,jonas and ,agricola 7who soon moved from ,wittenberg to ,eisleben7 failed1 ,luther resolved to undertake the work himself1 which1 according to his letter of ,february #b1 he had declined merely for the reason that he was already sufficiently burdened4 ,the execution of his plan1 however1 was deferred4 ,september #bg1 #aebe1 he wrote to ,hausmann3 ,i am postponing the ,catechism1 as ,i would like to finish everything at one time in one work4 7#bdf47 ,the same letter shows what ,luther meant4 ,for here he speaks of the reformation of the parishes and of the introduction of uniform ceremonies4 ,evidently1 then1 he at that time desired to publish the ,catechism together with a visitation tract1 such as ,melanchthon wrote in #aebg4 ,besides1 his ,prayer-,booklet1 containing the ,brief ,form1 as well as the ,booklet for ,laymen and ,children1 offered a temporary substitute for the contemplated ,catechism4 ,the deplorable conditions1 however1 which the ,saxon visitation brought to light would not permit him to tarry any longer4 ,the deplorable1 miserable condition1 says ,luther in the ,preface to his ,small ,catechism1 which ,i discovered lately when ,i1 too1 was a visitor1 has forced and urged me to prepare this ,catechism1 or ,christian doctrine1 in this small1 plain1 simple form4 7#ece1 #a47 ,thus the ,small ,catechism sprang1 as it were1 directly from the compassion ,luther felt for the churches on account of the sad state of destitution to which they had been brought1 and which he felt so keenly during the visitation4 ,however1 ,luther's statements in the ,german ,order of ,worship concerning the catechetical procedure in question and answer quoted above show that the thought of such a ,catechism did not first occur to him at this time4 ,still it was the visitation that added the decisive impulse to put the idea into immediate execution4 ,besides1 it was a time in which ,luther was entirely engrossed in the ,catechism1 having preached in #aebh on the five chief parts no less than three times4 ,thus the harvest was at hand4 ,in ,january1 #aebi1 according to his own letters1 ,luther was engaged in this work1 having probably begun about the close of #aebh4 ,he was able to make rapid progress1 since ample material was at his command4 ,the old moot question which of the two ,catechisms appeared first was decided when ,buchwald discovered the ,stephan ,roth letters1 which show that the ,small ,catechism appeared in chart form in ,january and ,march1 #aebi1 while the first ,wittenberg book edition appeared in ,may1 after the ,large ,catechism had meanwhile come off the press in ,april4 ,from the fact that ,luther simply called his ,large ,catechism ,german ,catechism one may infer that he began work on this first1 and that1 when writing the title1 he had not yet begun the ,small ,catechism nor planned it definitely2 but not1 that ,luther completed the ,large ,catechism first4 ,on the other hand1 from the title ,small ,catechism one can only infer that ,luther1 when he wrote thus1 had already begun to write1 and was working on1 the ,large ,catechism1 but not1 that the ,small ,catechism appeared later than the large4 ,albrecht3 ,one may certainly speak of a small book before the appearance of a large book of similar kind1 if the latter has been definitely planned1 worked out at the same time1 and is almost completed4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #efi47 #ajj4 ,tables ,published ,first4 ,january #ae1 #aebi1 ,luther wrote to ,martin ,goerlitz3 ,modo in parando catechismo pro rudibus paganis versor4 ,i am now busy preparing the ,catechism for the ignorant heathen 7not peasants1 for in his ,german ,order of ,worship1 ,luther says3 ,catechism is an instruction by means of which heathen who desire to become ,christians are taught74 ,it was formerly asserted that the expression pro rudibus paganis showed that ,luther here meant the ,small ,catechism4 ,appealing to the statement in the ,preface to the ,large ,catechism3 ,this sermon is designed and undertaken that it might be an instruction for children and the simple-minded1 ,koellner was the first one to assert that ,luther's phrase of ,january #ae referred to the ,large ,catechism4 ,in this he was followed by ,cohrs1 ,enders1 and others4 7,enders1 #g1 #dd47 ,however1 according to the usage of the word catechism described above1 the statement quoted does not preclude that ,luther1 when writing thus1 was engaged on both ,catechisms4 ,and such indeed was the case4 ,for on ,january #bj1 #aebi1 ,roerer1 the ,wittenberg proofreader1 wrote to ,roth3 ,nothing new has appeared4 ,i believe that the ,catechism as preached by ,d4 ,m4 for the unlettered and simple will be published for the coming ,frankfurt mass4 ,yet1 while writing this1 ,i glance at the wall of my dwelling1 and fixed to the wall ,i behold tables embracing in shortest and simplest form ,luther's ,catechism for children and the household1 and forthwith ,i send them to you as a sample1 so that by the same messenger they may be brought to you immediately4 ,iam novi nihil in lucem prodiit2 ad nundinas credo ,francofurdenses futuras ,catechismus per ,d4 ,m4 praedicatus pro rudibus et simplicibus edetur4 ,hoc vero scribens inspicio parietem aestuarioli mei1 affixas parieti video tabulas complecententes brevissime simul et crasse catechismum ,lutheri pro pueris et familia1 statim mitto pro exemplari1 ut eodem tabellario iam ad te perferantur4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dbh2 ,enders1 #g1 #dd47 ,this letter of ,january #bj is the first time that both of ,luther's ,catechisms are mentioned together and distinguished from each other4 ,by catechism ,roerer means the text of the five chief parts which ,luther put at the head of his ,large ,catechism4 ,catechismus per ,d4 ,m4 praedicatus designates the explanation of this text as comprised in ,luther's three series of sermons of #aebh and summed up in the ,large ,catechism4 ,from this preached and later on so-called ,large ,catechism1 which appeared in ,april1 entitled ,german ,catechism1 ,roerer distinguishes tables1 summing up ,luther's ,catechism in shortest and simplest form for children and the household4 ,he means the series of charts containing the first three chief parts1 which ,luther considered the ,catechism par excellence4 ,and at the time when ,roerer spoke of the prospective publication of the ,large ,catechism for the ,frankfurt mass1 these tables were already hanging on his wall4 ,albrecht comments3 ,for the moment ,roerer had not remembered the very interesting novelty1 which had already appeared in the first tables of the later so-called ,small ,catechism4 ,however1 a glance at the wall of his room reminded him of it4 ,and from a letter of his dated ,march #af we must infer that they were the three charts containing the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 and the ,lord's ,prayer with ,luther's explanation4 ,these he calls 'tables which in shortest and simplest form embrace ,luther's ,catechism for the children and the household1' ,thus he wrote in view of the superscription3 ',as the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household1' without implying a difference between the expression pro pueris et familia and the preceding pro rudibus et simplicibus1 since the former are included in the latter4 ,the difference between the two works is rather indicated by the words brevissime simul et crasse4 ,but at the same time their inner connection is asserted1 for by sending the tables pro exemplari1 he characterizes them as a model or sample of ,luther's manner of treating the ,catechism4 ,they are the catechismus ,lutheri1 that is1 the aforementioned catechismus per ,d4 ,m4 praedicatus in its shortest form and draft 7conceived as an extract of the sermons or of the ,large ,catechism74 ,he thought that this sample would indicate what was to be expected from the forthcoming larger work4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dbi47 ,when1 therefore1 ,luther wrote on ,january #ae3 ,modo in parando catechismo pro rudibus paganis versor1 he was engaged on both ,catechisms1 and had proceeded far enough to enable him to send the first tables of the ,small ,catechism to the printer4 ,buchwald remarks regarding the letter of ,january #bj that ,roerer probably had just received the tables from the press4 ,however1 ,roerer's letter to ,roth of ,february #ab1 #aebi1 shows that already about a month ago he had sent the tables of the ,catechism 7evidently the same to which he referred ,january #bj7 to ,spalatin4 ,accordingly1 these tables were forwarded about ,january #ab4 ,the following remark in the ,church ,order for ,schoenewald in the district of ,schweinitz3 ,first to pronounce for the people the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed and the ,lord's ,prayer1 thereupon to explain them in the most simple way1 as published each on a printed table1 takes us back still a few days more4 ,for the visitation in the district of ,schweinitz1 in which ,luther took part1 was held ,january #g to #i1 the time from which also the ,schoenewald ,church ,order dates4 ,at this visitation1 therefore1 even prior to ,january #g1 ,luther himself distributed the first series of tables1 comprising the first three chief parts1 of his ,small ,catechism4 ,cohrs opines that ,luther sent this series to the printer about ,christmas #aebh at the latest4 ,however1 it does not appear why the printing should have consumed three to four weeks ,seb4 ,froeschels however1 is mistaken when he declares in his book on the ,priesthood of ,christ1 #aefe1 that1 at a table conversation of #aebh1 ,luther had advised ,hans ,metsch constantly to have with him a good small catechism1 such as the one he had written4 ,knaake surmises that #aebh is a misprint2 it should be #aech4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dcj;f47 #aja4 ,completion of ,catechisms ,delayed4 ,it was almost two months after the first table-series had appeared before the second was published4 ,this delay is accounted for by ,luther's illness and his being burdened with other work1 especially with his book against the ,turk4 ,march #c he wrote to ,hausmann3 ,by reason of ,satan's afflictions ,i am almost constantly compelled to be a sick well man 7als ,gesunder krank zu sein71 hence ,i am much hindered in writing and other work4 7,enders1 #g1 #fa47 ,however1 in the same letter ,luther informed his impatiently waiting friend3 ,the ,catechism is not completed1 my dear ,hausmann1 but it will be completed shortly4 ,enders remarks that this refers to the ,large ,catechism4 ,however1 it harmonizes best with ,luther's usage and with the facts if the words are understood as referring to both ,catechisms4 ,shortly1 ,luther had written1 and on ,march #af ,roerer1 according to his letter of this date1 forwarded the tables of ,confession1 the ,german ,litany1 the tables of the ,sacrament of ,baptism and of the blood of ,christ4 ,roerer calls them a novelty1 recens excussa1 recently printed1 from which it appears that the tabulae catechismum ,lutheri brevissime simul et crasse complectentes1 to which he referred on ,january #bj1 did not contain the ,sacraments4 ,thus1 then1 the five chief parts1 ,decalog1 ,creed1 ,lord's ,prayer1 ,baptism1 and ,lord's ,supper were completed by ,march #af1 #aebi4 ,buchwald and ,cohrs surmise1 but without further ground for their assumption1 that the table with the ,benedicite and the ,gratias was issued together with the first series in ,january4 ,at the latest1 however1 the prayers appeared with the second series4 ,for ,march #g1 #aebi1 ,levin ,metzsch wrote to ,roth1 evidently referring to ,luther's tables3 ,i am herewith also sending to you the ,benedicite and the ,gratias1 also the ,morning and ,evening ,prayers1 together with the ,vice of ,drunkenness4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dcb47 ,the exact time when ,luther composed the ,table of ,duties is not known4 ,and the first evidence we have of the ,small ,catechism's appearing in book form is ,roerer's letter of ,may #af1 #aebi1 saying that he is sending two copies of the ,small ,catechism1 the price of which1 together with other books1 is two groschen4 7#dcb47 ,the necessary data are lacking to determine how long ,luther's manuscript was ready before it was printed1 and before the printed copies were distributed4 ,as to the large ,catechism1 it was not completed when the second table series appeared in ,march4 ,in a letter1 the date of which must probably be fixed about the end of ,march1 ,roerer says3 ,the ,turk is not yet entirely struck off2 neither the ,catechism4 ,april #bc1 however1 the ,large ,catechism was on the market1 for on this day ,roerer wrote3 ,i am sending three copies of the ,catechism4 ,it was the ,large ,catechism2 for the price of each copy was two groschen1 whereas on ,may #af1 #aebi1 ,roerer had sent two copies of the ,small ,catechism and other books for two groschen4 7#dcb47 ,the ,large ,catechism probably had appeared several weeks before ,april #bc4 ,albrecht3 ,even if all of ,luther's sermons from ,palm ,sunday to ,maundy ,thursday1 #aebi1 are considered preliminary works1 according to which the last paragraphs of the ,large ,catechism were elaborated1 we can assume that its appearance in the beginning or the first half of ,april1 #aebi1 was possible4 ,to be sure1 the printing must then have been advanced so far before ,holy ,week that the rest could be finished speedily on the basis of the manuscript delivered immediately after the sermons of ,monday and ,maundy ,thursday had been preached4 ,this theory fits in with the facts that ,john ,lonicer of ,marburg had already completed his ,latin translation on ,may #ae1 #aebi 7although1 according to the title-page1 it first appeared in ,september71 and that ,roerer in a letter of ,april #bc merely mentions the ,large ,catechism in passing1 without designating it as an important novelty4 ,stephen ,roth1 the recipient of the letter1 spent some time at ,wittenberg during ,april1 and probably purchased his first copy there2 so ,roerer refers to copies which were ordered subsequently4 7#dhb47 ,while thus the ,small ,catechism in chart form was completed and published before the ,large ,catechism1 the former succeeded the latter in book form4 ,however1 though completed after the ,small ,catechism1 it can be shown that the beginning and perhaps even part of the printing of the ,large ,catechism dates back to #aebh1 thus preceding in this respect even the ,charts of ,january #i4 ,if the short ,preface to the ,large ,catechism1 as well as the exhortation at the beginning3 ,let the young people also come to the preaching1 that they hear it explained and learn to understand it1 etc41 had been written after the #ith of ,january1 ,luther would probably have mentioned the ,tables1 just as he refers to the ,large ,catechism in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism1 which was written about the end of ,april or the beginning of ,may4 7#ece1 #ag47 ,since1 however1 ,luther makes no such indication1 these paragraphs of the ,large ,catechism were1 no doubt1 composed before ,january1 #aebi4 7#ege1 #a2 #egi1 #bf47 ,the same inference may be drawn from the fact that1 in the explanation of the ,first ,commandment1 the wording of the conclusion of the ,ten ,commandments shows a number of variations from its wording in the ,small ,catechism1 whereas its wording at the close of the explanation of the commandments is in conformity with it4 7#ehh1 #cj2 #fgb1 #cbj47 #ajb4 ,similarity and ,purpose of ,catechisms4 ,as great as is the dissimilarity between ,luther's two ,catechisms1 on the one hand1 so great1 on the other1 is the similarity4 ,if one did not know that the ,large ,catechism was begun before the ,small1 and that both originated in the sermons of #aebh1 he might either view the ,large ,catechism as a subsequent expansion of the ,small1 or the latter as a summary of the former4 ,yet neither the one nor the other is the case4 ,if the ,large ,catechism influenced the ,small1 so also the latter the former4 ,albrecht says3 ,it is more probable that the ,small ,catechism influenced the ,large ,catechism than vice versa4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #eeh47 ,at all events1 the second table-series could not have been extracted from the ,large ,catechism as such1 since the latter was only completed after ,march #be1 whereas these tables were published already on ,march #af4 ,the ,small ,catechism has been characterized as a small basketful of ripe fruit gathered from that tree the ,large ,catechism4 ,in substance that is true1 since both originate from the same source1 the sermons of #aebh4 ,already ,roerer calls attention to this similarity1 when in the aforementioned letter1 he designates the ,large ,catechism as ,catechismus per ,d4 ,m4 praedicatus1 and then describes the ,small ,catechism as tabulae complectentes brevisissime simul et crasse catechismum ,lutheri pro pueris et familia4 ,both treat of the same five chief parts2 the explanation of both presupposes the knowledge of the text of these parts1 both owe their origin to the doctrinal ignorance1 uncovered particularly in the ,saxon visitation2 and the purpose of both is the instruction of the plain people and the young4 ,indeed1 it was not for scholars1 but for the people that ,luther lived1 labored1 and contended4 ,for1 says he in his ,german ,mass1 the paramount thing is to teach and lead the people4 7,w4 #ai1 #ig47 ,above all1 ,luther endeavored to acquaint the dear youth with the saving truths1 not merely for their own sakes1 but in the interest of future generations as well4 ,he desired to make them mature ,christians1 able to confess their faith and to impart instruction to their children later on4 ,in particular1 the two ,catechisms were to serve the purpose of properly preparing the children and the unlearned for the ,holy ,eucharist1 as appears from the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism and from the last paragraphs of the ,large 7#ecf1 #ba;ff42 #gfj1 #ci;ff472 for both end in admonitions diligently to partake of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the ,sacrament of the ,altar1 in ,luther's estimation1 is the goal of all catechetical instruction4 ,for this reason he added to the ancient chief parts those of ,baptism1 ,confession1 and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,accordingly1 both ,catechisms1 though in various respects1 are intended for all3 people1 youth1 parents1 preachers1 and teachers4 ,it is not correct to say that ,luther wrote his ,large ,catechism only for scholars1 and the other only for the unlearned4 ,he desired to instruct all1 and1 at the same time1 enable parents and pastors to teach4 ,according to ,luther1 it is the duty of every ,christian to learn constantly1 in order also to be able to teach others in turn4 ,if any one1 said he1 really no longer needed the ,catechism for himself1 he should study it nevertheless for the sake of the ignorant4 ,nor did ,luther exempt himself from such study4 ,in the ,long ,preface to the ,large ,catechism we read3 ,but for myself ,i say this3 ,i am also a doctor and preacher1 yea1 as learned and experienced as all those may be who have such presumption and security2 yet ,i do as a child who is being taught the ,catechism1 and every morning1 and whenever ,i have time1 ,i read and say1 word for word the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,psalms1 etc4 ,and ,i must still read and study daily1 and yet ,i cannot master it as ,i wish1 but must remain a child and pupil of the ,catechism1 and am glad so to remain4 7#efi1 #g47 ,april #ah1 #aecj1 ,luther repeated this in a sermon as follows3 ,whoever is able to read1 let him1 in the morning1 take a psalm or some other chapter in the ,bible and study it for a while4 ,for that is what ,i do4 ,when ,i rise in the morning1 ,i pray the ,ten ,commandments1 the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and also a psalm with the children4 ,i do so because ,i wish to remain familiar with it1 and not have it overgrown with mildew1 so that ,i know it4 7,w4 #cb1 #fe47 ,in a sermon of ,november #bg1 of the same year1 ,luther warns3 ,beware lest you become presumptuous1 as though1 because you have heard it often1 you knew enough of the ,catechism4 ,for this knowledge ever desires us to be its students4 ,we shall never finish learning it1 since it does not consist in speech1 but in life4 444 ,for ,i also1 ,d4 ,m41 doctor and preacher1 am compelled day by day to pray and to recite the words of the ,decalog1 the ,symbol1 and the ,lord's ,prayer as children are wont to do4 ,hence you need not be ashamed2 for much fruit will result4 7#bji47 #ajc4 ,particular ,purpose of ,large ,catechism4 ,in his sermons of #aebi ,luther declared repeatedly that his purpose was to instruct the plain people and the children in those things which he regarded as the minimum every ,christian ought to know4 7#cj1 #a1 #b4 #bg4 #eg47 ,and he did not abandon this purpose when he condensed his sermons into the ,large ,catechism4 ,accordingly1 he begins it with the words3 ,this sermon is designed and undertaken that it might be an instruction for children and the simple-minded4 7#ege1 #a47 ,again3 ,for the reason1 why we exercise such diligence in preaching the ,catechism so often is that it may be inculcated on our youth1 not in a high and subtile manner1 but briefly and with the greatest simplicity1 so as to enter the mind readily and be fixed in the memory4 7#eha1 #bg47 ,hence ,roerer also characterized the ,large ,catechism as ,catechismus per ,d4 ,m4 praedicatus pro rudibus et simplicibus4 ,many expressions of the ,large ,catechism also point to the fact that everything was here intended for the young and the common people4 ,for example3 ,all this ,i say that it may be well impressed upon the young4 7#fba1 #adj47 ,but now for young scholars let it suffice to indicate the most necessary points4 7#fha1 #ab47 ,but to explain all these single points separately belongs not to brief sermons for children1 but rather to the ampler sermons that extend throughout the entire year4 7#fhg1 #cb47 ,thus ,luther aimed to serve the people and the children also by his ,large ,catechism4 ,not1 indeed1 that it was to be given into the hands of the children 7the ,small ,catechism served that purpose71 but that preachers1 teachers1 and parents were to use it with a view to teaching them by example how to expound the articles of the ,christian doctrine for the simple-minded4 ,in particular1 the ,large ,catechism was to enable the less educated pastors in the villages and in the country to do justice to their sacred duty4 ,the instructions of the visitors called for regular ,catechism-sermons4 ,for this purpose ,luther sought to furnish the preachers with material4 ,from the ,large ,catechism they were to learn how to deliver simple1 plain sermons on the five chief parts4 ,in the longer ,preface ,luther therefore directs his admonition to all ,christians1 but especially to all pastors and preachers1 that they should daily exercise themselves in the ,catechism1 which is a short summary and epitome of the entire ,holy ,scriptures1 and that they may always teach the same4 ,and why8 ,luther explains3 ,we have no slight reasons for treating the ,catechism so constantly1 and for both desiring and beseeching others to teach it1 since we see to our sorrow that many pastors and preachers are very negligent in this1 and slight both their office and this teaching2 some from great and high art1 but others from sheer laziness and care for their paunches1 etc4 7#efg47 ,ministers1 according to ,luther1 were to study the ,catechism for their own instruction and edification as well as in the interest of their office4 ,hence he concludes his ,preface1 saying3 ,therefore ,i again implore all ,christians1 especially pastors and preachers1 not to be doctors too soon1 and imagine that they know everything 7for imagination and cloth unshrunk fall far short of the measure71 but that they daily exercise themselves well in these studies and constantly treat them2 moreover1 that they guard with all care and diligence against the poisonous infection of such security and vain imagination1 but steadily keep on reading1 teaching1 learning1 pondering1 and meditating1 and do not cease until they have made a test and are sure that they have taught the devil to death1 and have become more learned than ,god ,himself and all ,his saints4 7#egc1 #ai2 #ece1 #ag47 ,from the ,large ,catechism1 therefore1 pastors were to learn how to preach the fundamental ,christian truths4 ,to be sure1 says ,albrecht1 ,luther did not make it as easy for the pastors as was later done by ,osiander and ,sleupner in the ,nuernberg ,children's ,sermons1 where the individual sermons are exactly marked off1 the form of address to the children is retained1 and1 in each instance1 a short explanation1 to be memorized1 is added to the longer explanation4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dgh47--,that it was ,luther's purpose to have his ,large ,catechism serve also parents appears from the instructions at the beginning and the end of it4 7#egd1 #ag2 #ggb1 #hg47 #ajd4 ,special ,purpose of ,small ,catechism4 ,the ,large ,catechism was to serve all2 the same applies to the ,small ,catechism4 ,but above all it was to be placed into the hands of the children1 who were to use and to memorize it at home1 and to bring it with them for instruction in the church4 ,buchwald and ,cohrs surmise that ,luther published the second table series during ,lent with special reference to grown people4 ,however1 ,luther was accustomed to direct his admonition to partake of the ,lord's ,supper diligently also to children1 and that1 too1 to children of comparatively tender years4 ,in his sermon of ,march #be1 #aebi1 he says3 ,this exhortation ought not only to move us older ones1 but also the young and the children4 ,therefore you parents ought to instruct and educate them in the doctrine of the ,lord3 the ,decalog1 the ,creed1 the ,prayer1 and the ,sacraments4 ,such children ought also to be admitted to the ,table that they may be partakers of the ,lord's ,supper4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #bcc47 ,in his sermon of ,december #ai1 #aebh1 we read3 ,hence1 you parents and heads of families1 invite your subordinates to this ,sacrament1 and we shall demand an account of you if you neglect it4 ,if you will not go yourselves1 let the young go2 we are much concerned about them4 ,when they come1 we shall learn1 by examining them how you instruct them in the ,word as prescribed4 ,hence1 do come more frequently to the ,sacrament1 and also admonish your children to do so when they have reached the age of discretion4 ,for in this way we want to learn who are ,christians1 and who not4 ,if you will not do so1 we shall speak to you on the subject4 ,for even though you older people insist on going to the devil1 we shall still inquire about your children4 ,necessity3 because sin1 the devil1 and death are ever present4 ,benefit3 because the remission of sins and the ,holy ,spirit are received4 7#aba;f47 ,the tender age at which the young were held to partake of the ,lord's ,supper appears from ,bugenhagen's preface to the ,danish edition of the ,enchiridion of #aech1 where he says that after this confession is made1 also the little children of about eight years or less should be admitted to the table of ,him who says3 ',suffer the little children to come unto ,me1' 7#dcc47 ,the conjecture1 therefore1 that the tables of ,confession and the ,sacraments were not intended for children1 but specifically for adults1 is without foundation4 ,in all its parts the ,small ,catechism was intended to serve the children4 ,when the first table appeared1 it bore the superscription3 ,the ,ten ,commandments1 as the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household4 ,similar to this were the titles of the remaining charts4 ,and these superscriptions were permitted to stand when ,luther published the ,enchiridion in book form4 ,the book edition1 therefore1 as well as the chart edition1 was to render services also to parents1 who were to take upon themselves a large part of the work in teaching the young4 ,but how were they to do it1 in view of the fact that many of them did not know the ,catechism themselves8 ,this had occurred also to ,luther4 ,he realized that1 besides the ,large ,catechism1 parents were in need of a text-book containing questions and answers1 adapted for catechizing the children on the meaning of each part of the ,catechism4 ,this1 too1 was the reason why the ,small ,catechism was rapidly completed before the ,large1 which had been begun first4 ,luther intended parents to use it first of all for their own instruction and edification1 but also for the purpose of enabling them to discharge their duty by their children and household4 #aje4 ,small ,catechism ,intended ,also for ,pastors4 ,that ,luther intended his ,small ,catechism as a help also for pastors was1 in so many words1 stated on the title-page of the first book edition4 ,for1 surprising as it may seem1 here he mentions neither the parents nor the children1 but solely the ordinary pastors and preachers4 ,the ,preface also is addressed to all faithful1 pious pastors and preachers1 and it shows in detail how they were to make use of the book4 ,evidently1 then1 the book edition was intended to render special services also to preachers4 ,the reason1 however1 was not1 as has been surmised1 because it embodied the booklet on ,marriage 7the booklet on ,baptism was added in the second edition72 for the ,preface1 which is addressed to the preachers1 does not even mention it4 ,the pastors1 moreover1 were especially designated on the title-page as the recipients of the ,enchiridion1 inasmuch as they were to employ it in their religious instruction and catechetical sermons1 in order to imbue the young with its contents4 ,the expression ordinary pastors and preachers referred primarily to the plain preachers in the villages1 where no properly regulated school system existed1 and where1 at best1 the sexton might assist the pastor in seeing to it that the ,catechism was memorized4 ,albrecht3 ,when ,luther prepared both ,catechisms at the same time and with reference to each other1 he evidently desired their simultaneous use1 especially on the part of the plain pastors1 who in the ,small ,catechism possessed the leading thoughts which were to be memorized1 and in the ,large ,catechism their clear and popular explanation4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #edh47 ,luther's intention was to make the ,small ,catechism the basis of instruction in the church as well as in the homes2 for uniform instruction was required to insure results4 ,having1 therefore1 placed the ,catechism into the hands of the parents1 ,luther could but urge that it be introduced in the churches1 too4 ,he also showed them how to use it4 ,on ,june #aa1 #aebi1 for instance1 he expounded the ,first ,article after he had read the text and the explanation of the ,small ,catechism4 7#edi47 ,this the pastors were to imitate1 a plan which was also carried out4 ,the charts were suspended in the churches2 the people and children were wont to bring the book edition with them to church2 the preachers read the text1 expounded it1 and had it recited4 ,the ,schoenewald ,church ,order prescribed that the pastor first pronounce for the people the text of the chief parts1 and then expound it as on ,luther's charts4 7#edi47 #ajf4 ,a ,book ,also for ,schools and ,teachers4 ,when planning and writing his ,small ,catechism1 ,luther self-evidently did not overlook the schools and the schoolteachers4 ,the first booklet of the charts for the ,latin schools of the ,middle ,ages contained the abc2 the second1 the first reading-material1 viz41 the ,paternoster1 ,ave ,maria1 and the ,credo2 the third1 the ,benedicite1 ,gratias1 and similar prayers4 ,albrecht writes3 ,we may surmise that ,luther1 when composing the ,german tables and combining them in a book1 had in mind the old chart-booklets4 ,this view is supported by the fact that in it he embodied the prayers1 the ,benedicite and ,gratias1 and probably also by the title ,enchiridion1 which1 besides the titles ',handbooklet' or ',the ,children's ,handbooklet' was applied to such elementary books4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #edf47 ,in the ,instruction for the ,visitors we read3 ,a certain day1 either ,saturday or ,wednesday1 shall be set aside for imparting to the children ,christian instruction4 444 ,hereupon the schoolteacher shall simply and correctly expound at one time the ,lord's ,prayer1 at another the ,creed1 at another the ,ten ,commandments1 etc4 7,w4 #bf1 #bch47 ,in these schools ,luther's ,small ,catechism served as text-book4 ,from #aebi until the beginning of the eighteenth century ,sauermann's ,latin translation 7,parvus ,catechismus pro ,pueris in ,schola7 was employed in the ,latin schools of ,saxony4 ,in the ,german schools the ,german ,enchiridion was used as the ,first ,reader4 ,hence1 the ,marburg reprint of the first ,wittenberg edition of the ,catechism begins with the alphabet1 and makes it a point to mention this fact on its title-page4 ,down to the present day no other book has become and remained a schoolbook for religious instruction to such an extent as ,luther's ,small ,catechism4 ,and rightly so2 for even ,bible ,history must be regarded as subordinate to it4 ,the assertion of modern educators that instruction in ,bible ,history must precede instruction in ,luther's ,catechism rests on the false assumption that ,luther's ,catechism teaches doctrines only4 ,but the truth is that it contains all the essential facts of salvation as well1 though in briefest form1 as appears particularly from the ,second ,article1 which enumerates historical facts only4 ,the ,small ,catechism is the ,laymen's ,bible1 der ,laien ,biblia1 as ,luther called it in a sermon of ,september #ad1 #aebh1 an expression adopted also by the ,formula of ,concord4 7#ggg1 #e47 ,luther's ,enchiridion presents both the facts of salvation and their divine interpretation4 ,the picture for which the ,small ,catechism furnishes the frame is ,christ1 the historical ,christ1 as glorified by the ,holy ,spirit particularly in the writings of the ,apostle ,paul4 ,in the ,lutheran ,church the ,small ,catechism1 therefore1 deserves to be and always to remain what it became from the first moment of its publication3 the book of religious instruction for home1 school1 and church2 for parents1 children1 teachers1 and preachers1 just as ,luther had planned and desired4 #ajg4 ,titles of ,large ,catechism4 ,deutsche ,katechismus1 ,german ,catechism1 was the title under which the ,large ,catechism first appeared1 and which ,luther never changed4 ,in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism he used the expression ,large ,catechism1 having in mind his own ,catechism1 though not exclusively1 as the context shows4 7#ecd1 #ag47 ,yet this was the natural title since the shorter ,catechism was from the beginning known as the ,small ,catechism4 ,and before long it was universally in vogue4 ,the ,church ,order for ,brueck1 of #aecj1 designates the ,large ,catechism as the ,long ,catechism4 ,in the catalog of his writings of #aecc1 which ,luther prefaced1 but did not compile1 it is called ,large ,catechism1 ,catechismus ,gross4 ,likewise in the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,pomeranicum4 ,the ,articles of the ,visitors in ,meiszen1 #aecc1 first employed the designation ,the ,large and ,small ,catechisms4 ,the ,church ,order for ,gera of the same year also distinguishes3 ,the ,large ,catechism and the ,small ,catechism4 ,the ,eisfeld ,order of #aeed distinguishes3 ,the ,small ,catechism of ,luther and ,the ,large ,catechism of ,luther4 ,in his treatise on the ,large ,catechism of #aeda1 ,spangenberg first employed the new form as a title3 ,the ,large ,catechism and ,children's ,instruction of ,dr4 ,m4 ,luther4 ,the title of the ,low ,german edition of #aeda runs3 ,de ,grote ,katechismus ,duedesch4 ,the ,latin translation by ,obsopoeus of #aedd is entitled ,catechismus ,maior4 ,the ,index of the ,wittenberg complete edition of ,luther's ,works of #aeec has ,der grosse ,katechismus1 while the ,catechism itself still bears the original title1 ,deutscher ,katechismus4 ,the ,jena edition of #aeef also has the original title1 but paraphrases in the ,index3 ,zweierlei ,vorrede1 gross und klein1 ,d4 ,m4 ,l4 auf den ,katechismum1 von ihm gepredigt ,anno #aebi4 ,two ,prefaces1 large and small1 of ,dr4 ,m4 ,l4 to the ,catechism1 preached by him in the year #aebi4 ,since #aegj1 the ,corpora ,doctrinae give the title1 ,the ,large ,catechism1 ,german4 ,der ,grosse ,katechismus1 deutsch4 ,so also the ,book of ,concord of #aehj4 ,in the ,leipzig edition and in ,walch's the word deutsch is omitted4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dgd;f47 ,german ,catechism1 corresponding to the title ,german ,mass1 means ,german preaching for children1 ,german instruction in the fundamental doctrines of ,christianity4 ,luther wrote ,german ,mass in order to distinguish it from the ,latin1 which was retained for many years at ,wittenberg beside the ,german service 7this is also what ,wolfgang ,musculus meant when he reported in #aecf that in ,wittenberg services were conducted predominantly in papistic fashion1 ad morem papisticum74 ,so also ,german ,catechism is in contrast to the ,latin instruction in the churches and especially in the schools4 ,concerning the latter we read1 e4g41 in the instruction of the visitors3 ,the boys shall also be induced to speak ,latin1 and the schoolteachers shall1 as far as possible1 speak nothing but ,latin with them4 7#bf1 #bdj47 ,ever since the early part of the ,middle ,ages the ,latin ,credo1 ,paternoster1 etc41 had been regarded and memorized as sacred formulas1 the vernacular being permitted only rarely1 and reluctantly at that4 ,also in the ,lutheran ,church the ,latin language was not immediately abolished4 ,a number of ,evangelical catechisms1 antedating ,luther's1 were written in1 and presuppose the use of1 the ,latin language1 for example1 ,melanchthon's ,enchiridion1 ,urerius's ,paedagogia1 ,agricola's ,elementa ,pietatis1 etc4 ,the ,brunswick ,liturgy of #aebh1 drafted by ,bugenhagen1 prescribed that on ,saturday evening and early on ,sunday morning the chief parts of the ,catechism be read in ,latin in the churches on both galleries1 slowly1 without chanting 7sine tono71 alternately 7ummeschicht74 ,the ,wittenberg ,liturgy provided3 ,before the early sermon on ,sundays or on festival-days the boys in the choir1 on both sides1 shall read the entire ,catechism in ,latin1 verse by verse1 without ornamental tone 7sine tono distincto74 7#dgg47 ,accordingly1 when ,luther began to preach on the chief parts in ,german1 he was said to conduct ,german ,catechism4 ,and since ,german services with ,german instruction were instituted by ,luther in the interest of the unlearned and such as were unable to attend the ,latin schools1 the term ,german ,catechism was equivalent to popular instruction in religion4 ,that ,luther's ,catechism1 also in point of racy language1 was ,german to the core1 appears from the frequent use of ,german words and expressions which1 in part1 have since become obsolete4 7,mueller1 ,symb4 ,buecher1 #heg--hfj47 #ajh4 ,editions of ,large ,catechism4 ,the first edition 7quarto7 of the ,large ,catechism1 of which ,roerer forwarded copies on ,april #bc1 #aebi1 contains1 as text1 the ,commandments1 the ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and the words of institution of the ,sacraments4 ,the text is preceded by a ,brief ,preface1 which1 however1 ,luther1 considering it a part of the ,catechism1 did not designate and superscribe as such4 ,some instructions and admonitions are inserted between the ,catechism-text1 which is followed by the detailed explanation4 ,such is the form in which the ,large ,catechism first appeared1 and which1 in the main1 it also retained4 ,the second edition 7also in quarto and from the year #aebi7 reveals numerous textual corrections and adds a longer section to the ,lord's ,prayer1 viz41 paragraphs #i to #aa3 at the risk of ,god's wrath4444 seek ,his grace4 7#fii47 ,this addition1 though not found in the ,german ,book of ,concord of #aehj1 was received into the official ,latin ,concordia of #aehd4 ,furthermore1 the second edition of #aebi adds the ,short ,admonition to ,confession2 hence the sub-title3 ,increased by a ,new ,instruction and ,admonition to ,confession4 ,this addition1 however1 was embodied in neither the ,german nor the ,latin ,concordia4 ,in the ,seventh ,commandment the second edition of #aebi omits the words with whom arch-thieves lords and princes keep company 7#fdd1 #bcj71 which1 according to ,albrecht1 was due to a timid proof-reader4 ,numerous marginal notes1 briefly summarizing the contents1 were also added to this edition and retained in the ,latin ,concordia of #aehd4 ,furthermore1 it contained #bd woodcuts1 the first three of which were already used in ,melanchthon's fragmentary ,catechism sermons of #aebh1 for which book probably also the remaining cuts were originally intended4 ,albrecht remarks3 ,let it remain undecided whether the cuts1 which ,melanchthon probably was first to select for his catechism sermons of #aebh1 were received into the edition of #aebi 7which ,luther corrected7 upon a suggestion of the printer ,rhau1 or ,bugenhagen1 or ,luther himself4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dic47 ,two ,latin as well as a ,low ,german translation 7by ,bugenhagen7 also appeared in #aebi4 ,the ,low ,german edition1 printed by ,rhau1 seems to have paved the way in using the aforementioned pictures4 ,of the ,latin translations1 one was prepared by ,lonicer and printed at ,marburg1 while the other1 by ,vicentius ,obsopoeus1 rector of the school at ,ansbach1 was printed at ,hagenau4 ,after making some changes1 which were not always improvements1 ,selneccer embodied the latter in the ,latin ,concordia1 adding the longer ,preface from the ,frankfurt edition of #aedd4 ,in the ,large ,catechism this new ,preface is found for the first time in ,rhau's quarto edition of #aecj4 ,literal allusions to ,luther's letter of ,june #cj1 #aecj1 to ,j4 ,jonas have given rise to the assumption that it was written at ,castle ,coburg4 7,enders1 #h1 #dg4 #cg47 ,in the ,jena edition of ,luther's ,works1 the ,dresden edition of the ,book of ,concord of #aehj1 the ,magdeburg edition of #aehj1 the ,heidelberg folio edition of #aehb1 and the ,latin edition of #aehj1 this longer ,preface follows the shorter4 ,however1 since the shorter ,preface forms part of the ,catechism itself1 the longer ,preface ought to precede it1 as is the case in the official ,latin ,concordia of #aehd4 ,in the ,low ,german edition of #aeca ,bugenhagen defends the expressions1 criticized by some3 ,i believe an ,gott1 an ,christum in the ,low ,german edition of #aebi1 instead of in ,gott1 in ,christum4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dic47 ,in ,rhau's edition of #aecb and #aece the morning and evening prayers are added1 probably only as fillers4 ,the changes in ,rhau's edition of #aech1 styling itself1 newly corrected and improved1 consist in linguistic improvements and some additions and omissions4 ,albrecht believes that most1 but not all1 of these changes were made by ,luther himself1 and that the omissions are mostly due to inadvertence4 #aji4 ,title of ,small ,catechism4 ,luther seems to have published the chart catechism of ,january1 #aebi1 without any special title1 though ,roerer1 from the very first1 calls it a catechism4 ,in the first ,wittenberg book edition1 however1 one finds inserted1 between the ,preface and the ,decalog1 the superscription3 ,ein kleiner ,katechismus oder christliche ,zucht4 ,a ,small ,catechism or ,christian ,discipline4 ,this may have been the title of the charts1 since it would hardly have been introduced for the book edition1 where it was entirely superfluous1 the title-page designating it as ,the ,small ,catechism for the ,ordinary ,pastors and ,preachers4 ,likewise it cannot be proved that the opening word on the title-page of this first book edition was ,enchiridion1 since this edition has disappeared without a trace1 and the only remaining direct reprint does not contain the word ,enchiridion4 ,all subsequent editions however1 have it4 ,the word ,enchiridion is already found in the writings of ,augustine1 and later became common4 ,in his ,glossary1 ,du ,cange remarks3 ,this name ,enchiridion ,st4 ,augustine gave to a most excellent little work on faith1 hope1 and charity1 which could easily be carried in the hand1 or1 rather1 ought continually to be so carried1 since it contained the things most necessary for salvation4 7#c1 #bfe47 ,the ,erfurt ,hymn-,booklet of #aebd was called ,enchiridion or ,handbooklet1 very profitable for every ,christian to have with him for constant use and meditation4 ,in #aeca ,luther praised the ,psalter1 saying3 ,it may be called a little ,bible1 wherein all that is found in the entire ,bible is most beautifully and briefly summed up and has been made and prepared to be a splendid ,enchiridion1 or ,handbook4 7,e4 #fc1 #bh47 ,the ,instruction for ,visitors calls the primer the handbooklet of the children1 containing the alphabet1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 the ,creed1 and other prayers4 ,in #aebc ,melanchthon had published such a book1 entitled ,enchiridion4 ,thus ,enchiridion denotes a book of pithy brevity1 an elementary book4 ,the various ,church ,orders employ the word in a similar sense4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #edj47 #aaj4 ,editions of ,small ,catechism4 ,at ,wittenberg1 ,george ,rhau printed the ,large ,catechism and ,michel ,schirlentz the ,small ,catechism 7the chart impressions of which must be considered the first edition74 ,in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism1 ,luther speaks of these tables and the form of these tables1 thus referring to the chief parts1 which were already printed on placards4 ,however1 since table also denotes a list1 the term could be applied also to the chief parts in book form4 ,it was nothing new to employ tables 7,zeddeln1 i4e41 placards printed on one side7 in order to spread the parts of the ,catechism in churches1 homes1 and schools4 ,in #aeah ,luther published his ,ten ,commandments with a brief exposition of their fulfilment and transgression1 on placards4 ,of the charts of the ,small ,catechism only a ,low ,german copy has as yet been discovered4 ,it contains ,luther's ,morning and ,evening ,prayers1 a reduced reproduction of which is found in the ,weimar ,edition of ,luther's ,works4 7#cj1 #a1 #bda47 ,the book editions soon took their place beside the charts4 ,it seems 7but here the traces are rather indefinable7 that the first three tables were summed up into a booklet as early as ,january or ,february1 #aebi4 ,at ,hamburg1 ,bugenhagen published the charts1 which he had received till then1 as a booklet1 in ,low ,german4 ,it contained the five chief parts and the ,benedicite and ,gratias4 ,shortly after the first ,wittenberg book edition had reached him ,bugenhagen translated the ,preface and had it printed as a supplement4 ,shortly after the completion of the ,large ,catechism ,luther made arrangements to have the ,small ,catechism appear in book form4 ,may #af ,roerer sent two copies of the ,catechismus ,minor4 ,but1 as stated above1 all copies of this edition were completely used up4 ,the edition has been preserved in three reprints only1 two of which appeared at ,erfurt and one at ,marburg4 ,th4 ,harnack published the one ,erfurt and the ,marburg reprint1 and ,h4 ,hartung the other ,erfurt reprint in separate facsimile editions4 ,evidently these reprints appeared before the second ,wittenberg edition of ,june1 #aebi1 was known at ,erfurt and ,marburg4 ,in estimating their value1 however1 modern scholars are not agreed as to whether they represent three direct or one direct and two indirect reprints4 ,albrecht is of the opinion that only one of the three may be looked upon as a direct reprint4 ,judging from these reprints1 the original edition was entitled3 ,der kleine ,katechismus fuer die gemeinen ,pfarrherrn und ,prediger4 ,the ,small ,catechism for ,ordinary ,pastors and ,preachers4 ,aside from the five chief parts1 it contained the ,preface1 the ,morning and ,evening ,prayers1 the ,table of ,duties1 and the ,marriage ,booklet4 ,on the other hand1 these reprints omit not only the word ,enchiridion1 but also the question1 ,how can bodily eating and drinking do such great things8 together with its answer4 ,now1 in case all three should be direct reprints1 the omitted question and answer evidently were not contained in the first ,wittenberg edition either4 ,on the other hand1 if only one of them is a direct reprint1 the mistake must be charged to the original ,wittenberg impression or to the reprint4 ,that the omission is an error1 probably due to the printer1 appears from the fact that the omitted question and answer were already found on the charts2 for the ,hamburg book edition of the charts in ,low ,german has them1 as also ,stifel's written copies of the charts4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #egc47 ,of the ,wittenberg editions which followed the editio princeps1 those of #aebi1 #aeca1 and #aedb deserve special mention4 ,the first appeared under the title3 ,enchiridion4 ,the ,small ,catechism for the ,ordinary ,pastors and ,preachers1 enlarged and improved4 ,on the #acth of ,june this edition was completed1 for ,roerer reports on this date3 ,parvus ,catechismus sub iucudem iam tertio revocatus est et in ista postrema editione adauctus4 7,kolde l4c41 #fj47 ,roerer designates this edition as the third1 probably because two imprints had been made of the editio princeps4 ,according to a defective copy1 the only one preserved1 this edition adds to the contents of the editio princeps the word ,enchiridion in the title1 the ,booklet of ,baptism1 ,a ,brief ,form of ,confessing to the ,priest1 for the ,simple1 and the ,litany4 ,the fifth chief part has the question3 ,how can bodily eating and drinking do such great things8 ,in the ,lord's ,prayer1 however1 the explanation of the introduction is still lacking4 ,this emended edition of #aebi furthermore had the pictures1 for the first time as it seems4 ,the booklets on ,marriage and ,baptism were retained1 as additions1 in all editions of the ,small ,catechism published during the life of ,luther1 and in many later editions as well4 ,as yet1 however1 it has not been proved directly that such was intended and arranged for by ,luther himself4 ,also in the succeeding editions ,luther made various material and linguistic changes4 ,in the edition of #aeca he omitted the ,litany1 and for the ,short ,form of ,confession he substituted an instruction in confession1 which he inserted between the fourth and fifth chief parts1 under the caption1 ,how the ,unlearned ,shall be ,taught to ,confess4 ,the ,lord's ,prayer was complemented by the addition of the ,introduction and its explanation1 and the number of cuts was increased to #bc4 ,this edition of #aeca1 of which but one copy 7found in the ,bodleiana of ,oxford7 is in existence1 shows essentially the form in which the ,enchiridion was henceforth regularly printed during and after ,luther's life4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #fjh47 ,the editions of #aecg reveal several changes in language1 especially in the ,bible-verses1 which are made to conform to ,luther's translation4 ,in the edition of #aedb the promise of the ,fourth ,commandment appears for the first time1 and the ,table of ,duties is expanded4 ,the ,bible-verses referring to the relation of congregations to their pastors were added1 and the verses setting forth the relation of subjects to their government were considerably augmented4 ,hence the title3 ,newly revised and prepared1 aufs neue uebersehen und zugerichtet4 ,probably the last edition to appear during ,luther's life was the one of #aedc1 which1 however1 was essentially a reprint of the edition of #aedb4 ,knaake declared that all the editions which we possess must be attributed to the enterprise of the book dealers1 and that one cannot speak of a direct influence of ,luther on any of these editions4 ,in opposition to this extreme skepticism1 ,albrecht points out that1 for instance1 the insertion of the explanation of the ,introduction to the ,lord's ,prayer and the new form of confession1 as well as its insertion between ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper1 could not have taken place without the direct cooperation of ,luther4 #aaa4 ,translations and ,elaborations of ,small ,catechism4 ,two of the ,latin translations of the ,small ,catechism date back to #aebi4 ,the first was inserted in the ,enchiridion ,piarum ,precationum1 the ,latin translation of ,luther's ,prayer-,booklet1 which appeared toward the end of ,august1 #aebi4 ,roerer met with great difficulties in editing the book4 ,august1 #aebi1 he wrote3 ,you may not believe me if ,i tell you how much trouble ,i am having with the ,latin ,prayer-,booklet which is now being printed4 ,somebody else1 it is true1 translated it from ,german into ,latin1 but ,i spent much more labor in this work than he did4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #ehh47 ,we do not know who the translator was to whom ,roerer refers4 ,it certainly was not ,lonicer1 the versatile ,humanist of ,marburg who at that time had completed the ,large ,catechism with a ,preface dated ,may #ae1 #aebi4 ,kawerau surmises that it was probably ,g4 ,major4 ,evidently ,luther himself had nothing to do with this translation4 ,this ,catechism is entitled3 ,simplicissima et ,brevissima ,catechismi ,expositio4 ,almost throughout the question form was abandoned4 ,in #aecb a revised form of this translation appeared1 entitled3 ,nova ,catechismi ,brevioris ,translatio4 ,from these facts the theory 7advocated also by v4 ,zezschwitz and ,knaake7 has been spun that the ,small ,catechism sprang from a still shorter one1 which was not throughout cast in questions and answers1 and offered texts as well as explanations in a briefer form4 ,this would necessitate the further inference that the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism was originally written in ,latin4 ,all of these suppositions1 however1 founder on the fact that the charts as we have them in the handwriting of ,stifel are in the form of questions and answers4 ,the ,prayer-,booklet discarded the form of questions and answers1 because its object was merely to reproduce the contents of ,luther's ,catechism for such as were unacquainted with ,german4 ,the second ,latin translation of #aebi was furnished by ,john ,sauermann1 not 7as v4 ,zezschwitz and ,cohrs1 #aija1 in ,herzog's ,r4 ,e41 #aj1 #ace1 assume7 the ,canon of ,breslau1 who died #aeaj1 but probably ,johannes ,sauermann of ,bambergen1 who matriculated at ,wittenberg in the winter semester of #aeah4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #fja47 ,sauermann's translation was intended as a school edition of the ,small ,catechism4 ,first came the alphabet1 then followed the texts3 ,decalog1 ,creed1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 ,baptism1 the ,lord's ,supper4 ,luther's ,preface1 the ,litany1 and the ,booklets of ,marriage and ,baptism were omitted as not adapted for school use4 ,the chapter on ,confession1 from the second ,wittenberg book edition was inserted between the fourth and fifth chief parts4 ,the note to the ,benedicite was put into the text with the superscription ,scholion 7instead of the incorrect ,scholia of the ,german edition1 found also in the ,book of ,concord74 ,paedagogus was substituted for head of the family 7,hausvater74 ,the word ,haustafel remained untranslated4 ,the words of the ,third ,petition1 so uns den ,namen ,gottes nicht heiligen und sein ,reich nicht kommen lassen wollen1 are rendered3 quae nobis nomen ,dei non sanctificent regnumque eius ad nos pervenire non sinant4 ,in the ,preface1 dated ,september #ai1 #aebi1 ,johannes ,sauromannus writes3 ,every one is of the opinion that it is clearly the best thing from early youth carefully and diligently to instruct the boys in the principles of ,christian piety4 ,and since ,i believe that of all the elementary books of the theologians of this age none are better adapted for this purpose than those of ,dr4 ,martin ,luther1 ,i have rendered into ,latin the booklet of this man which is called the ,small ,catechism1 hoping that it might be given to the boys to be learned as soon as they enter the ,latin school4 ,at the same time ,sauermann declares that his translation was published by the advice and order 7consilio ac iussu7 of the author ,luther himself4 7#cj1 #a1 #fgc47 ,one cannot doubt1 therefore1 that ,sauermann's translation received ,luther's approval4 ,and being in entire conformity with the ,instruction for ,visitors1 of #aebh1 for the ,latin city schools1 the book was soon in general use4 ,in #aeef ,michael ,neander speaks of it as the common ,latin version1 hitherto used in all schools4 7#fjc47 ,the ,latin ,concordia of #aehd contains ,sauermann's version1 essentially1 though not literally4 ,the ,preface1 which ,sauermann had not translated1 is taken over from the ,prayer-,booklet4 ,the part ,on ,confession was newly translated from the ,german edition of the ,catechism of #aeca4 ,the textual changes which were made in ,sauermann's translation for the ,concordia of #aehd show that he was careful and usually felicitous1 and are partly to be explained as combinations of the first and second ,latin translations4 7#fjd47 ,when1 in #aeci1 ,justus ,jonas translated the ,nuernberg ,sermons for ,children1 he made a third ,latin translation of the ,small ,catechism4 ,he calls it this my ,latin translation1 not carefully finished indeed1 but nevertheless rendered in good faith4 7#fbg47 ,this ,latin text obtained special importance since it was immediately done into ,english1 ,polish1 and ,icelandic4 ,in #aefj ,job ,magdeburg furnished a fourth ,latin version4 ,concerning the translations into ,greek1 ,hebrew1 and other languages see ,weimar ,edition of ,luther's ,complete ,works 7#aj1 #a1 #gah;f47 ,among the earliest elaborations of the ,small ,catechism was the ,catechism of ,justus ,menius1 #aecb1 and the ,nuernberg ,children's ,sermons of #aecc4 ,both exploit ,luther's explanations without mentioning his name4 ,at the same time some changing1 abbreviating1 polishing1 etc41 was done1 as ,luther's text was considered difficult to memorize4 ,albrecht says of ,menius's emendations3 ,some of his formal changes are not bad2 most of them1 however are unnecessary4 ,the entire book finally serves the purpose of bringing to light the surpassing merit of the real ,luther-,catechism4 7#fag47 ,the same verdict will probably be passed on all the substitute catechisms which have hitherto appeared4 ,john ,spangenberg's ,small ,catechism of #aeda1 which was widely used1 is1 as he himself says1 composed from the ,catechism of our beloved father1 ,dr4 ,martin1 and those of others4 ,it contains ,luther's ,catechism mainly as changed by ,menius4 ,the ,nuernberg ,children's ,sermons1 which embodied also the pictures of ,luther's ,catechism and received a wide circulation1 were written by ,osiander and ,sleupner in #aecb1 and printed at ,nuernberg1 #aecc4 ,they contain almost complete the five chief parts of ,luther's ,small ,catechism as concluding sentences of the individual sermons1 but in original minting1 with abbreviations1 additions1 and other changes1 which1 however1 are not nearly as marked as those of ,menius4 ,these changes were also made to facilitate memorizing4 ,between ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper was found the doctrinal part on the ,office of the ,keys1 which in this or a similar form was1 after ,luther's death1 appended to or inserted in1 the ,small ,catechism as the sixth or fifth chief part1 respectively4 #aab4 ,the ,part ,of ,confession4 ,the ,small ,catechism did not spring from ,luther's mind finished and complete at one sitting4 ,originally he considered the first three chief parts as constituting the ,catechism4 ,before long1 however1 he added the parts of ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,these five parts are for the first time mentioned in the ,german ,order of ,worship1 and printed together in the ,booklet for ,laymen and ,children4 ,the ,introduction to the ,large ,catechism also offers no more4 ,the chart and book editions added as real parts of the ,catechism 7the ,booklets of ,marriage and of ,baptism cannot be viewed as such7 the ,benedicite and ,gratias1 the ,morning and ,evening ,prayers1 the ,table of ,duties1 and ,confession4 ,it is the last of these parts which played a peculiar role in the history of the ,small ,catechism4 ,albrecht writes3 ,in the textual history of the ,small ,catechism1 ,confession 7besides the ,table of ,duties7 is the most restless and movable part4 ,in the ,low ,german editions since #aeca and #aecd it is found after the ,lord's ,supper as a sort of sixth chief part4 ,in individual instances it is entirely omitted4 ,on the other hand1 in elaborations of the ,catechism1 notably in the ,nuernberg ,catechism-sermons1 it is supplanted by the ,office of the ,keys1 and in later prints also combined with it or otherwise recast4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #fjg47 ,as for ,luther1 evidently1 as soon as he began to work on the ,catechism1 he planned to include also a part on ,confession4 ,among the charts there were already those which dealt with ,confession4 ,in fact1 ,luther must have here treated this part at comparative length4 ,for ,roerer reports that the price of the ,confession charts was three pfennige1 whereas the price of the ,sacrament charts was two pfennige4 ,yet nothing of ,confession was embodied in the first book edition of the ,small ,catechism4 ,the first edition also of the ,large ,catechism had no part treating of ,confession4 ,but the second ,wittenberg edition1 of #aebi appeared augmented with a new instruction and admonition concerning ,confession4 ,likewise the augmented and improved ,small ,catechism of #aebi1 superscribed1 ,enchiridion1 contained a ,short ,form how the ,unlearned shall ,confess to the ,priest4 ,eine kurze ,weise zu beichten fuer die ,einfaeltigen1 dem ,priester4 ,this ,form was not to serve the pastor in admonishing1 etc41 but ,christians when going to confession4 ,possibly it was one of the charts which ,roerer1 ,march #af1 mentioned as novelties4 ,the addition of this part was1 no doubt1 caused by ,luther himself4 ,this is supported by the fact that ,sauermann's translation1 which appeared by ,luther's advice and order1 also contained it4 ,and while in the ,german book edition it was found in the ,appendix1 following the ,booklet on ,baptism1 ,sauermann inserted it between ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper with the superscription3 ,how schoolmasters ought in simplest manner to teach their boys a brief form of confession4 ,quo pacto paedagogi suos pueros brevem confitendi rationem simplicissime docere debeant4 ,evidently this1 too1 was done with ,luther's approval 7auctoris consilio et iussu74 ,thus ,luther at that time already1 says ,albrecht1 selected this place for ,confession and retained it later on1 when #aeca he furnished another form of confession for the ,catechism which to him seemed more appropriate4 ,the gradual insertion of a new chief part 7of ,confession and ,absolution7 between ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper was therefore entirely according to ,luther's mind2 indeed1 it had virtually been carried out by him as early as #aebi4 ,the original part ,of ,confession1 however1 was no catechetical and doctrinal part in the proper sense of the word1 but purely a liturgical formula of ,confession1 even the ,absolution being omitted4 ,it merely contained two confessions similar to the forms found in the ,book of ,concord1 page #eeb1 sections #ba to #bc4 ,hence ,luther1 in the edition of #aeca1 replaced it with a catechetico-liturgical form entitled1 ,how the ,unlearned ,should be ,taught to ,confess4 ,it is identical with the one found in the ,book of ,concord of #aehj1 save only that the original contained the words1 ,what is ,confession8 ,answer1 which are omitted in the ,german ,concordia4 ,luther placed the part ,of ,confession between ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper1 thereby actually making this the fifth and the ,lord's ,supper the sixth chief part4 ,and when later on 7for in ,luther's editions the chief parts are not numbered7 the figures were added1 ,confession could but receive the number #e1 and the ,lord's ,supper1 #f4 ,thus1 then1 the sequence of the six parts1 as found in the ,book of ,concord1 was1 in a way1 chosen by ,luther himself4 #aac4 ,office of the ,keys and ,christian ,questions4 ,the three questions on the ,office of the ,keys in the fifth chief part form the most important and independent addition to ,luther's ,small ,catechism4 ,however1 they are not only in complete agreement with ,luther's doctrine of ,absolution1 but1 in substance1 also contained in what he himself offered in the part ,of ,confession4 ,for what ,luther says in paragraphs #bf to #bh in a liturgical form is expressed and explained in the three questions on the ,office of the ,keys in a doctrinal and catechetical form4 ,not being formulated by ,luther1 however1 they were not received into the ,book of ,concord4 ,in the ,nuernberg ,text-,booklet of #aeca they are placed before ,baptism4 ,thence they were taken over into the ,nuernberg ,children's ,sermons of #aecc as a substitute for ,luther's form of ,confession4 ,andrew ,osiander1 in the draft of his ,church ,order of #aeca1 in the article on ,catechism and the ,instruction of ,children1 added as sixth to the five chief parts3 ,of the ,keys of the ,church1 or the ,power to ,bind and to ,unbind from ,sins1 quoting as ,bible-verse the passage3 ,the ,lord ,jesus breathed on ,his disciples1 etc4 ,brenz1 though not1 as frequently assumed1 the author of the ,nuernberg ,catechism1 also contributed toward introducing and popularizing this part of the ,catechism4 ,in his ,questions of #aece and #aecf1 which appeared in the ,appendix to the ,latin translation of ,luther's ,large ,catechism1 he offered an original treatment to the ,keys of ,heaven1 as the sixth chief part1 on the basis of ,matt4 #af1 #ai2 ,luke #ai1 #af2 ,john #bj1 #bb;f4 ,thirty-six years after the first publication of ,luther's ,catechisms1 ,mathesius1 in his ,sermons on the ,life of ,luther1 also speaks of six chief parts of catechetical instruction2 but he enumerates ,absolution as the part between ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper1 hence as the fifth chief part of the ,catechism4 ,as to the ,christian ,questions for ,those ,who ,intend to ,go to the ,sacrament1 it was claimed very early that ,luther was the author4 ,they were first published in #aedi1 and a number of separate impressions followed4 ,after #aeeh they are usually found in the appendix to the ,small ,catechism4 ,the ,note1 ,these questions and answers1 etc41 designating ,luther as the author1 first appeared in an edition of #aeea4 ,together with this note1 the ,questions are found in an undated ,wittenberg edition of the ,small ,catechism1 which appeared about #aefj1 containing pictures dated #aeea4 ,referring to this edition1 the ,wittenberg proof-reader1 ,christopher ,walther1 in a polemical writing 7#aeff7 against ,aurifaber1 asserted that the ,questions were not written by ,luther1 but by ,john ,lang of ,erfurt 7 #aedh74 ,the question at issue has not yet been decided4 ,for while the contents of the ,questions reproduce1 from beginning to end1 ,luther's thoughts1 and the last answers are almost literally taken from the ,large ,catechism1 we have no evidence that ,luther compiled them2 but1 on the other hand1 also no convincing proof against this4 ,claus ,harms and ,koellner asserted that ,luther is the author of the ,questions1 while ,kliefoth and ,loehe declared it as probable4--,the ,introduction to the ,ten ,commandments1 ,i the ,lord1 thy ,god1 and the ,doxology1 at the close of the ,lord's ,prayer1 were added after ,luther's death4 #aad4 ,the ,table of ,duties--,haustafel4 ,the eighth and last chart of the ,catechism differed from the preceding ones in that it was superscribed3 ,table of ,duties 7,haustafel71 ,consisting of ,certain ,passages of ,scripture for ,various ,holy ,orders and ,stations4 ,whereby ,these are to be ,admonished1 as by a ,special ,lesson1 ,regarding ,their ,office and ,service4 ,the exact time when ,luther drew up this ,table is not known4 ,the latest date to which its composition can be assigned is the end of ,april or the beginning of ,may1 #aebi4 ,it may1 however1 be questioned whether it was published at all as a placard4 ,the two groups of passages3 ,what the ,hearers ,owe to ,their ,pastors1 and3 ,what ,subjects ,owe to ,their ,government1 are probably not from ,luther4 ,following are the grounds supporting this view3 #a4 ,they are not contained in the ,german editions but appeared for the first time in the ,latin translation4 #b4 ,their superscriptions differ in form from those of the other groups4 #c4 ,they adduce quite a number of ,bible-verses1 and repeat some already quoted1 e4g41 #a ,tim4 #b1 #a1 ,rom4 #ac1 #a4 ,the ,german ,book of ,concord omitted these passages1 while the ,latin ,concordia of #aehj and #aehd embodied them4 ,albrecht writes3 ,the ,table of ,duties is an original part of the ,catechism1 bearing a true ,lutheran stamp4 ,but it was old material worked over1 as is the case almost throughout the ,small ,catechism4 ,the oft-repeated assertion1 however1 that the ,table of ,duties was borrowed from the catechism of the ,waldensians or ,bohemian ,brethren1 is not correct4 ,for this ,table is not found in the ,catechism of the ,brethren of #aebb1 with which ,luther was acquainted1 but first in ,gyrick's ,catechism of #aeed1 in which ,lutheran material is embodied also in other places4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #fde47 ,the confession books of the ,middle ,ages1 however1 which classified sins according to the social estates1 and especially ,john ,gerson's tract 7,de ,modo ,vivendi ,omnium ,fidelium reprinted at ,wittenberg #aeac71 which treated of the offices of all sorts of lay-people in every station of life1 may have prompted ,luther to draw up this ,table4 ,but1 says ,albrecht1 it certainly grew under his hand into something new and characteristic4 ,the old material is thoroughly shortened1 sifted1 supplemented1 newly arranged1 recast4 ,while ,gerson's tract throughout bears the stamp of the ,middle ,ages1 ,luther's ,table of ,duties1 with its appeal to the ,scriptures alone1 its knowledge of what is a 'holy estate1' its teaching that1 as divine ordinances1 civil government and the household 7when embraced by the common order of ,christian love7 are equally as holy as the priesthood1 reveals the characteristic marks of the ,reformer's new ideal of life1 which1 rooting in his faith1 and opposed to the hierarchy and monkery of the ,middle ,ages1 as well as to the fanaticism of the ,anabaptists1 became of far-reaching importance for the entire moral thought of the succeeding centuries4 7#fdg47 ,grimm's ,lexicon defines ,haustafel as der ,abschnitt des ,katechismus1 der ueber die ,pflichten des ,hausstandes handelt1 that section of the ,catechism which treats of the duties of the household4 ,this verbal definition1 suggested by the term1 is too narrow1 since ,luther's ,haustafel is designed for various holy orders and estates1 magistrates and pastors included4 ,still1 the term is not on this account inappropriate4 ,table 7,tafel1 tabula7 signifies in general a roster1 a list1 or index of leading points1 with or without reference to the chart form4 ,and such a table suspended in the home and employed in the instruction of the home congregation1 is properly termed ,haustafel4 ,agreeably to this1 ,andreas ,fabricius1 in #aefi1 called the ,haustafel a domestic table of works1 tabula operum domestica4 ,daniel ,kauzmann1 in his ,handbook 7#af sermons on the ,catechism7 of #aefi1 says3 ,it is called ',haustafel' of the ,christians because every ,christian should daily view it and call to mind therefrom his calling1 as from a table which portrays and presents to every one what pertains to him4 ,it teaches all the people who may be in a house what each one ought to do or to leave undone in his calling4 7#fdb47 ,in his ,catechismus ,lutheri of #afjj ,polycarp ,leyser offers the following explanation3 ,why are these passages called a table8 ,beyond doubt this is due to the fact that1 from of old1 good ordinances have been written and graven on tables4 ,so did ,god1 who prescribed ,his ,law to the ,jews in ten commandments on two tables4 ,similarly ,solon wrote the laws of ,athens on tables4 ,the ,romans also had their law of twelve tables brought from ,athens4 ,and so1 when the government to-day issues certain commands1 it is customary to suspend them on tables1 as also princes and lords suspend on tables their court rules4 ,but why is it called ',haustafel' when it also treats of preachers and the government8 ,the reason for this is given by ,st4 ,paul1 ,i ,tim4 #c1 where he calls the ,church a house of the living ,god4 ,for as the housefather in a large house summons his servants and prescribes to each one what he is to do1 so ,god is also wont to call into certain stations those who have been received into ,his house by ,holy ,baptism1 and to prescribe to them in this table how each one in his calling shall conduct himself4 7#fda47 ,concerning the purpose of the ,table of ,duties1 ,albrecht remarks3 ,if ,i am correct1 ,luther1 by these additions1 would especially inculcate that ,christianity1 the essence of which is set forth in the preceding chief parts1 must daily be practised4 ,that is certainly correct1 for the ,catechism must not only be learned1 but lived4 ,and the ,table of ,duties emphasizes the great truth1 brought to light again by ,luther1 that ,christianity does not consist in any peculiar form of life2 as ,romish priests1 monks1 and nuns held1 who separated themselves from the world outwardly1 but that it is essentially faith of the heart1 which1 however1 is not to flee into cloisters and solitudes but courageously and cheerfully to plunge into practical life with its natural forms and relations as ordained by ,creation1 there to be tried as well as glorified4 ,in his ,admonition to the ,clergy1 #aecj1 ,luther says3 ,furthermore1 by such abominable doctrine all truly good works which ,god appointed and ordained were despised and utterly set at naught by the ,papists4 ,for instance1 lord1 subject1 father1 mother1 son1 daughter1 servant1 maid were not regarded as good works1 but were called worldliness1 dangerous estates1 and lost works4 7,w4 #cj1 #b1 #bia47 ,the ,table of ,duties is a protest against such perverted views4 ,for here ,luther considers not only the calling of preachers and teachers1 but also all those of government and subjects1 of fathers1 mothers1 and children1 of masters and servants1 of mistresses and maids1 of employees and employers1 as holy orders and estates1 in which a ,christian may live with a good conscience1 and all of which the ,catechism is to permeate with its truths4 ,out into the stream of life with the ,catechism you have learned6 ,such1 then1 is the admonition which1 in particular1 the ,table of ,duties adds to the preceding parts of the ,catechism4 #aae4 ,symbolical ,authority of ,catechisms4 ,the symbolical authority of ,luther's ,catechisms must be distinguished from the practical use to which they were put in church1 school1 and home4 ,as to his doctrine1 ,luther knew it to be the pure truth of the divine ,word4 ,hence he could not but demand that every one acknowledge it4 ,self-evidently this applies also to the doctrinal contents of the ,catechisms4 ,luther1 however1 did not insist that his ,catechisms be made the books of instruction in church1 school1 and home2 he only desired and counseled it4 ,if for the purpose of instruction the form of his ,small ,catechism did not suit any one1 let him1 said ,luther1 choose another4 ,in the ,preface to the ,small ,catechism he declared3 ,hence1 choose whatever form you think best1 and adhere to it forever4 ,again1 ,take the form of these tables or some other short1 fixed form of your choice1 and adhere to it without the change of a single syllable4 ,self-evidently ,luther is here not speaking of the doctrine of the ,catechism1 but of the form to be used for instruction4 ,and with respect to the latter he makes no demands whatever4 ,however1 the contents of these books and the name of the author sufficed to procure for them the widest circulation and the most extensive use4 ,everywhere the doors of churches1 schools1 and homes were opened to the writings of ,luther4 ,the tables had hardly been published when catechism instruction already generally was given according to ,luther's ,explanation4 ,the church regulations1 first in ,saxony1 then also in other lands1 provided that ,luther's ,small ,catechism be memorized word for word1 and that preaching be according to the ,large ,catechism4 ,the ,church ,order of ,henry the ,pious1 #aeci1 declares3 ,there shall not be taught a different catechism in every locality1 but one and the same form1 as presented by ,dr4 ,martin ,luther at ,wittenberg1 shall be observed everywhere4 ,in #aecc the ministers of ,allstaedt were ordered to preach according to ,luther's ,large ,catechism4 7,kolde1 #fc47 ,the authority of the ,catechisms grew during the controversies after ,luther's death1 when the faithful ,lutherans appealed to the ,smalcald ,articles and especially to ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,the ,lueneburg ,articles of #aefa designate them1 together with the ,smalcald ,articles1 as the correct explication and explanation of the true sense of the ,augustana4 ,the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,pomeranicum of #aefd declares that the sum of ,christian and evangelical doctrine is purely and correctly contained in ,luther's ,catechisms4 ,their authority as a genuinely ,lutheran norm of doctrine increased when the ,reformed of ,germany1 in #aefc1 made the ,heidelberg ,catechism their particular confession4 ,like the ,smalcald ,articles1 ,luther's ,catechisms achieved their symbolical authority by themselves1 without resolutions of princes estates1 and theologians4 ,the ,thorough ,declaration of the ,formula of ,concord is merely chronicling actual facts when it adopts the ,catechisms for this reason3 because they have been unanimously approved and received by all churches adhering to the ,augsburg ,confession1 and have been publicly used in churches1 schools1 and homes1 and1 moreover1 because the ,christian doctrine from ,god's ,word is comprised in them in the most correct and simple way1 and1 in like manner1 is explained1 as far as necessary for simple laymen4 7#heb1 #h47 ,the ,epitome adds3 ,and because such matters concern also the laity and the salvation of their souls1 we also confess the ,small and ,large ,catechisms of ,dr4 ,luther as they are included in ,luther's works1 as the ,bible of the laity1 wherein everything is comprised which is treated at greater length in ,holy ,scripture1 and is necessary for a ,christian man to know for his salvation4 7#ggg1 #e47 #aaf4 ,enemies and ,friends of ,small ,catechism4 ,in recent times liberal ,german theologians1 pastors1 and teachers have endeavored to dislodge ,luther's ,small ,catechism from its position in church1 school1 and home4 ,as a rule1 these attacks were made in the name of pedagogy2 the real cause1 however1 were their liberal dogmatical views4 ,the form was mentioned and assailed1 but the contents were meant4 ,as a sample of this hostility we quote the pedagog1 philologian1 and historian ,dr4 ,ludwig ,gurlitt 7,die ,zukunft1 ,vol4 #ag1 ,no4 #f1 p4#bbb73 ,at the beginning of the sixteenth century1 he says1 a monk eloped from a cloister and wrote a religious book of instruction for the ,german children4 ,at the time it was a bold innovation1 the delight of all freethinkers and men of progress1 of all who desired to serve the future4 ,this book1 which will soon celebrate its five-four-hundredth anniversary1 is still the chief book of instruction for ,german children4 ,true1 its contents already are so antiquated that parents reject almost every sentence of it for themselves2 true1 the man of today understands its language only with difficulty--what of it1 the children must gulp down the moldy1 musty food4 ,how we would scoff and jeer if a similar report were made about the school system of ,china6 ,to this ,lutheran ,catechism1 which ,i would best like to see in state libraries only1 are added many antiquated hymns of mystical turgidity1 which a simple youth1 even with the best will does not know how to use4 ,all outlived6 ,faith in the ,bible owes its existence only to the tough power and law of inertia4 ,it is purely mechanical thinking and speaking which the schoolmaster preaches to them and pounds into them4 ,we continue thus because we are too indolent to fight1 or because we fear an enlightened people4 ,the best refutation of such and similar aspersions is a reference to the enormous circulation which ,luther's ,small ,catechism has enjoyed1 to its countless editions1 translations1 elaborations1 and its universal use in church1 school1 and home for four centuries4 ,thirty-seven years after the publication of ,luther's ,catechisms1 ,mathesius wrote3 ,praise ,god it is said that in our times over one hundred thousand copies have been printed and used in great numbers in all kinds of languages in foreign lands and in all ,latin and ,german schools4 ,and since then1 down to the present day1 millions and millions of hands have been stretched forth to receive ,luther's catechetical classic4 ,while during the last four centuries hundreds of catechisms have gone under1 ,luther's ,enchiridion is afloat to-day and is just as seaworthy as when it was first launched4 ,a person1 however1 endowed with an average measure of common sense will hardly be able to believe that the entire ,lutheran ,church has1 for four centuries1 been so stupid as would have been the case if men of ,dr4 ,gurlitt's stripe had spoken only half the truth in their criticisms4 ,moreover1 the number of detractors disappears in the great host of friends who down to the present day have not tired of praising the ,catechisms1 especially the ,enchiridion4 ,they admire its artistic and perfect form2 its harmonious grouping1 as of the petals of a flower1 the melody and rhythm of its language1 notably in the explanation of the ,second ,article1 its clarity1 perspicuity1 and popularity2 its simplicity1 coupled with depth and richness of thought2 the absence of polemics and of theological terminology1 etc4 ,however1 with all this and many other things which have been and might be said in praise of the ,catechism1 the feature which made it what it truly was1 a ,great ,deed of the ,reformation1 has not as yet been pointed out4 ,luther ,paulinized1 ,evangelicalized1 the ,catechism by properly setting forth in his explanations the finis historiae1 the blessed meaning of the great deeds of ,god1 the doctrine of justificaiton4 ,indeed1 also ,luther's ,catechism is1 in more than one way1 conditioned by its times1 but in its kernel1 in its doctrine1 it contains1 as ,albrecht puts it1 timeless1 never-aging material4 ,for in it pulsates the heartbeat of the primitive ,christian faith1 as witnessed by the apostles1 and experienced anew by the ,reformer4 7#fdh47 ,this1 too1 is the reason why ,luther's ,enchiridion is1 indeed1 as ,g4 v4 ,zezschwitz remarks1 a booklet which a theologian never finishes learning1 and a ,christian never finishes living4 #aag4 ,evaluation of ,small ,catechism4 ,luther himself reckoned his ,catechisms among his most important books4 ,in his letter to ,wolfgang ,capito1 ,july #i1 #aecg1 he writes3 ,i am quite cold and indifferent about arranging my books1 for1 incited by a ,saturnine hunger1 ,i would much rather have them all devoured1 eo quod ,saturnina fame percitus magis cuperem eos omnes devoratos4 ,for none do ,i acknowledge as really my books1 except perhaps ,de ,servo ,arbitrio and the ,catechism4 7,enders1 #aa1 #bdg47 ,justus ,jonas declares3 ,the ,catechism is but a small booklet1 which can be purchased for six pfennige but six thousand worlds could not pay for it4 ,he believed that the ,holy ,ghost inspired the blessed ,luther to write it4 ,mathesius says ,if in his career ,luther had produced and done no other good thing than to give his two ,catechisms to homes1 schools1 and pulpits1 the entire world could never sufficiently thank or repay him for it4 ,j4 ,fr4 ,mayer3 ,tot res quot verba4 ,tot utilitates1 quot apices complectens4 ,pagellis brevis1 sed rerum theologicarum amplitudine incomparabilis4 ,as many thoughts as words2 as many uses as there are characters in the book4 ,brief in pages1 but incomparable in amplitude of theological thoughts4 ,in his dedicatory epistle of #aeia1 to ,chemnitz's ,loci1 ,polycarp ,leyser says3 ,that sainted man1 ,martin ,luther1 never took greater pains than when he drew up into a brief sum those prolix expositions which he taught most energetically in his various books4444 ,therefore he composed the ,short ,catechism1 which is more precious than gold or gems1 in which the pure doctrine of the prophets and apostles 7prophetica et apostolica doctrinae puritas7 is summed up into one integral doctrinal body1 and set forth in such clear words that it may justly be considered worthy of the ,canon 7for everything has been drawn from the canonical ,scriptures74 ,i can truthfully affirm that this very small book contains such a wealth of so many and so great things that1 if all faithful preachers of the ,gospel during their entire lives would do nothing else in their sermons than explain aright to the common people the secret wisdom of ,god comprised in those few words and set forth from the divine ,scriptures the solid ground upon which each word is built they could never exhaust this immense abyss4 ,leopold von ,ranke1 in his ,german ,history of the ,time of the ,reformation1 #ahci1 declares3 ,the ,catechism which ,luther published in #aebi1 and of which he said that he1 old ,doctor though he was1 prayed it1 is as childlike as it is deep1 as comprehensible as it is unfathomable1 simple1 and sublime4 ,blessed is the man who nourishes his soul with it1 who adheres to it6 ,he has imperishable comfort in every moment3 under a thin shell the kernel of truth1 which satisfies the wisest of the wise4 ,loehe1 another enthusiastic panegyrist of ,luther1 declares3 ,the ,small ,lutheran ,catechism can be read and spoken throughout with a praying heart2 in short1 it can be prayed4 ,this can be said of no other catechism4 ,it contains the most definitive doctrine1 resisting every perversion1 and still it is not polemical--it exhales the purest air of peace4 ,in it is expressed the manliest and most developed knowledge1 and yet it admits of the most blissful contemplation the soul may wish for4 ,it is a confession of the ,church1 and of all1 the best known1 the most universal1 in which ,god's children most frequently meet in conscious faith1 and still this universal confession speaks in a most pleasing personal tone4 ,warm1 hearty1 childlike1 yet it is so manly1 so courageous1 so free the individual confessor speaks here4 ,of all the confessions comprised in the ,concordia of #aehj1 this is the most youthful1 the clearest1 and the most penetrating note in the harmonious chime1 and1 withal1 as rounded and finished as any4 ,one may say that in it the firmest objectiveness appears in the garb of the most pleasing subjectiveness4 ,schmauk writes3 ,the ,small ,catechism is the real epitome of ,lutheranism in the simplest1 the most practical1 the most modern and living1 and1 at the same time1 the most radical form4 ,it steers clear of all obscure historical allusions2 it contains no condemnatory articles1 it is based on the shortest and the oldest of the ecumenical symbols4 ,it is not a work for theologians1 but for every ,lutheran2 and it is not nearly as large as the ,augsburg ,confession4 7,conf4 ,prin41 #fif47 ,mc,giffert says3 ,in #aebi appeared his ,luther's ,large and ,small ,catechisms1 the latter containing a most beautiful summary of ,christian faith and duty1 wholly devoid of polemics of every kind1 and so simple and concise as to be easily understood and memorized by every child4 ,it has formed the basis of the religious education of ,german youth ever since4 ,though preceded by other catechisms from the pen of this and that colleague or disciple1 it speedily displaced them all1 not simply because of its authorship1 but because of its superlative merit1 and has alone maintained itself in general use4 ,the versatility of the ,reformer in adapting himself with such success to the needs of the young and immature is no less than extraordinary4 ,such a little book as this it is that reveals most clearly the genius of the man4 7,life of ,luther1 #caf47 ,o4 ,albrecht writes3 ,reverently adhering to the churchly tradition and permeating it with the new understanding of the ,gospel1 such are the characteristics of ,luther's ,catechisms1 especially the ,small ,catechism4 ,on every page new and original features appear beside the traditional elements4 ,the essential doctrinal content of the booklet is thoroughly original2 in it ,luther offered a carefully digested presentation of the essence of ,christianity1 according to his own understanding as the ,reformer1 in a manner adapted to the comprehension of children--a simple1 pithy description of his own personal ,christian piety1 without polemics and systematization1 but with the convincing power of experienced truth4 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #fdg47--,similar testimonies might easily be multiplied and have been collected and published repeatedly4 ,the best praise1 however1 comes from the enemy in the form of imitation or even verbal appropriation4 ,albrecht says3 ,old ,catholic catechetes1 and not the worst1 have not hesitated to draw on ,luther's ,large ,catechism4 ,if one peruses the widely spread catechism of the ,dominican monk ,john ,dietenberger1 of #aecg 7reprinted by ,maufang in his work on the ,catholic ,catechisms of the sixteenth century1 #ahha71 one is frequently edified and delighted by the diligence with which1 besides older material1 ,luther's ,large and ,small ,catechisms1 as well as the ,nuernberg ,catechism-sermons of #aecc1 have been exploited 7,w4 #cj1 #a1 #dig47 #aah4 ,literary ,merit of ,small ,catechism4 ,moenckeberg remarks3 ,the ,small ,catechism betrays the imperfection of the haste in which it had to be finished4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 ,luther1 the master of ,german1 paid much attention also to its language in order1 by pithy brevity and simple1 attractive form1 to make its glorious truths the permanent property of the children and unlearned who memorized it4 ,in his publication ,zur ,sprache und ,geschichte des ,kleinen ,katechismus ,luthers1 ,concerning the ,language and ,history of ,luther's ,small ,catechism1 #aiji1 ,j4 ,gillhoff writes3 ,here1 if ever1 arose a master of language1 who expressed the deepest mysteries in sounds most simple4 ,here1 if ever1 there was created in the ,german language and spirit1 and in brief compass1 a work of art of ,german prose4 ,if ever the gods blessed a man to create1 consciously or unconsciously1 on the soil of the people and their needs1 a perfect work of popular art in the spirit of the people and in the terms of their speech1 to the weal of the people and their youth throughout the centuries1 it was here4 ,the explanation of the ,second ,article is one of the chief creations of the home art of ,german poetry4 ,and such it is1 not for the reason that it rises from desert surroundings1 drawing attention to itself alone1 but because it sums up and crowns the character of the book throughout4 7#af47 ,speaking in particular of the ,second ,article1 ,bang1 in #aiji1 said in his lecture ,luthers ,kleiner ,katechismus1 ein ,kleinod der ,volksschule --,luther's ,small ,catechism1 a ,jewel of the ,public ,schools3 ,the ,catechism is precious also for the reason that ,luther in the explanations strikes a personal1 subjective1 confessional note4 ,when at home ,i read the text of the ,second ,article in silence1 and then read ,luther's explanation aloud1 it seems to me as if a hymn rushing heavenward arises from the lapidary record of facts4 ,it is no longer the language of the word1 but of the sound as well4 ,the text reports objectively1 like the language of a ,roman1 writing tables of law4 ,the explanation witnesses and confesses subjectively4 ,it is ,christianity transformed into flesh and blood4 ,it sounds like an oath of allegiance to the flag4 ,in its ravishing tone we perceive the marching tread of the myriads of believers of nineteen centuries2 we see them moving onward under the fluttering banner of the cross in war1 victory1 and peace4 ,and we1 too1 by a power which cannot be expressed in words1 are drawn into the great1 blessed experience of our ancestors and champions4 ,who would dare to lay his impious hands on this consecrated1 inherited jewel1 and rob the coming generations of it86 7#bj47 ,x4 ,the ,smalcald ,war and the ,augsburg and ,leipzig ,interims4 #aai4 ,bulwark of ,peace ,removed4 ,luther died on the day of ,concordia1 ,february #ah1 #aedf4 ,with him peace and concord departed from the ,lutheran ,church4 ,his death was everywhere the signal for action against true ,lutheranism on the part of both its avowed enemies and false brethren4 ,as long as that hero of faith and prayer was still living1 the weight of his personal influence and authority proved to be a veritable bulwark of peace and doctrinal purity against the enemies within as well as without the ,church4 ,though enemies seeking to devour had been lurking long ago1 the powerful and commanding personality of ,luther had checked all forces making for war from without and for dissension from within4 ,the ,emperor could not be induced to attack the ,lutherans4 ,he knew that they would stand united and strong as long as the ,hero of the ,reformation was in their midst4 ,nor were the false brethren able to muster up sufficient courage to come out into the open and publish their errors while the voice of the lion was heard4 ,but no sooner had ,luther departed than strife began its distracting work4 ,war1 political as well as theological1 followed in the wake of his death4 ,from the grave of the fallen hero a double specter began to loom up4 ,pope and ,emperor now joined hands to crush ,protestantism by brute force as they had planned long ago4 ,the result was the ,smalcald ,war4 ,the secret enemies which ,lutheranism harbored within its own bosom began boldly to raise their heads4 ,revealing their true colors and coming out in the open with their pernicious errors1 they caused numerous controversies which spread over all ,germany 7,saxony1 the cradle of the ,reformation1 becoming the chief battlefield71 and threatened to undo completely the blessed work of ,luther1 to disrupt and disintegrate the ,church1 or to pervert it into a unionistic or ,reformed sect4 ,especially these discreditable internal dissensions were a cause of deep humiliation and of anxious concern to all loyal ,lutherans4 ,to the ,romanists and ,reformed1 however1 who united in predicting the impending collapse of ,lutheranism1 they were a source of malicious and triumphant scoffing and jeering4 ,a prominent theologian reported that by #aeff matters had come to such a pass in ,germany that the old ,lutheran doctrine was publicly proclaimed only in relatively few places4 ,in the ,palatinate public thanks were rendered to ,god in the churches that also ,electoral ,saxony was now about to join them4 ,the ,jesuits insisted that1 having abandoned the doctrine of the real presence in the ,lord's ,supper1 the ,lutherans were no longer genuine ,lutherans and hence no more entitled to the privileges guaranteed by the ,peace of ,augsburg 7#aeee74 ,that the final result of this turmoil1 political as well as theological1 proved a blessing to the ,lutheran ,church must be regarded and ever gratefully remembered as a special grace and a remarkable favor of ,almighty ,god4 #abj4 ,luther ,foretold ,coming ,distress4 ,though fully conscious of the gravity of the political and theological situation1 and convinced that war and dissensions were bound to come1 ,luther was at the same time confident that it would not occur during his life4 ,with respect to the coming war he said3 ,with great earnestness ,i have asked ,god1 and still pray daily1 that ,he would thwart their the ,papists' plan and suffer no war to come upon ,germany during my life4 ,and ,i am confident that ,god surely hears such prayer of mine1 and ,i know that there will be no war in ,germany as long as ,i shall live4 7,st4 ,l4 #i1 #ahef47 ,in his ,commentary on the ,book of ,genesis he wrote3 ,it is a great consolation when he says 7,is4 #eg1 #a7 that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come4 ,thus we1 too1 shall die in peace before misfortune and misery overtake ,germany4 7,st4 ,l4 #a1 #ageh47 ,luther spoke frequently also of the impending doctrinal dissensions4 ,as early as #aeca he declared that the ,gospel would abide only a short time4 ,when the present pious1 true preachers will be dead1 said he1 others will come who will preach and act as it pleases the devil4 7#h1 #gb47 ,in #aedf he said in a sermon preached at ,wittenberg3 ,up to this time you have heard the real1 true ,word2 now beware of your own thoughts and wisdom4 ,the devil will kindle the light of reason and lead you away from the faith1 as he did the ,anabaptists and ,sacramentarians4444 ,i see clearly that1 if ,god does not give us faithful preachers and ministers1 the devil will tear our church to pieces by the fanatics 7,rottengeister71 and will not cease until he has finished4 ,such is plainly his object4 ,if he cannot accomplish it through the ,pope and the ,emperor1 he will do it through those who are now in doctrinal agreement with us4444 ,therefore pray earnestly that ,god may preserve the ,word to you1 for things will come to a dreadful pass4 7#ab1 #aagd4 #dcg47 ,reading the signs of the times1 ,melanchthon also realized that ,luther's prophecies would be fulfilled4 ,his address to the students of ,wittenberg ,university1 on ,february #ai1 #aedf1 in which he announced the death of ,luther1 concludes3 ,obiit auriga et currus ,israel4 ,he is dead1 the chariot of ,israel and the horsemen thereof1 who guided the ,church in this last old age of the world4 ,for the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins and of faith in the ,son of ,god was not discovered by human sagacity1 but revealed by ,god through this man4 ,let us therefore love his memory and his teaching1 and may we be all the more humble and ponder the terrible calamity and the great changes which will follow this misfortune4 7,c4 ,r4 #f1 #ei47 ,nor were these prophecies of ,luther mere intuitions or deductions based on general reflections only4 ,they were inductions from facts which he had not failed to observe at ,wittenberg1 even in his immediate surroundings4 ,seckendorf relates that ,luther1 when sick at ,smalcald in #aecg1 told the ,elector of ,saxony that after his death1 discord would break out in the ,university of ,wittenberg and that his doctrine would be changed4 7,comm4 de ,lutheranismo #c1 #afe47 ,in his ,preface to ,luther's ,table ,talk1 ,john ,aurifaber reports that ,luther had frequently predicted that after his death his doctrine would wane and decline because of false brethren1 fanatics1 and sectarians1 and that the truth1 which in #aecj had been placed on a pinnacle at ,augsburg1 would descend into the valley1 since the ,word of ,god had seldom flourished more than forty years in one place4 7,richard1 ,conf4 ,hist41 #caa47 ,stephanus ,tucher1 a faithful ,lutheran preacher of ,magdeburg1 wrote in #aedi3 ,doctor ,martin ,luther1 of sainted memory1 has frequently repeated before many trustworthy witnesses1 and also before ,doctor ,augustine ,schurf1 these words3 ',after my death not one of these ,wittenberg theologians will remain steadfast4' ,tucher adds3 ,this ,i have heard of ,doctor ,augustine ,schurf not once1 but frequently4 ,therefore ,i also testify to it before ,christ1 my ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 etc4 7,st4 ,l4 #ab1 #aagg2 ,walther1 ,kern und ,stern1 #g47 ,it was1 above all1 the spirit of indifferentism toward false doctrine1 particularly concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 which ,luther observed and deplored in his ,wittenberg colleagues3 ,melanchthon1 ,bugenhagen1 ,cruciger1 ,eber1 and ,major4 ,shortly before his last journey to ,eisleben he invited them to his house1 where he addressed to them the following solemn words of warning3 ,they should remain steadfast in the ,gospel2 for ,i see that soon after my death the most prominent brethren will fall away4 ,i am not afraid of the ,papists1 he added1 for most of them are coarse1 unlearned asses and ,epicureans2 but our brethren will inflict the damage on the ,gospel2 for 'they went out from us1 but they were not of us' 7#a ,john #b1 #ai72 they will give the ,gospel a harder blow than did the ,papists4 ,about the same time ,luther had written above the entrance to his study3 ,our professors are to be examined on the ,lord's ,supper4 ,when ,major1 who was about to leave for the colloquy at ,regensburg1 entered and inquired what these words signified1 ,luther answered3 ,the meaning of these words is precisely what you read and what they say2 and when you and ,i shall have returned1 an examination will have to be held1 to which you as well as others will be cited4 ,major protested that he was not addicted to any false doctrine4 ,luther answered3 ,it is by your silence and cloaking that you cast suspicion upon yourself4 ,if you believe as you declare in my presence1 then speak so also in the church1 in public lectures1 in sermons1 and in private conversations1 and strengthen your brethren1 and lead the erring back to the right path1 and contradict the contumacious spirits2 otherwise your confession is sham pure and simple1 and worth nothing4 ,whoever really regards his doctrine1 faith and confession as true1 right1 and certain cannot remain in the same stall with such as teach1 or adhere to1 false doctrine2 nor can he keep on giving friendly words to ,satan and his minions4 ,a teacher who remains silent when errors are taught1 and nevertheless pretends to be a true teacher1 is worse than an open fanatic and by his hypocrisy does greater damage than a heretic4 ,nor can he be trusted4 ,he is a wolf and a fox1 a hireling and a servant of his belly1 and ready to despise and to sacrifice doctrine1 ,word1 faith1 ,sacrament1 churches1 and schools4 ,he is either a secret bedfellow of the enemies or a skeptic and a weathervane1 waiting to see whether ,christ or the devil will prove victorious2 or he has no convictions of his own whatever1 and is not worthy to be called a pupil1 let alone a teacher2 nor does he want to offend anybody1 or say a word in favor of ,christ1 or hurt the devil and the world4 7,walther1 #ci;f47 #aba4 ,unfortunate ,issue of ,smalcald ,war4 ,all too soon the predictions of ,luther1 and the fears expressed by ,melanchthon and others1 were realized4 ,june #bf1 #aedf1 four months after ,luther's death1 ,pope and ,emperor entered into a secret agreement to compel the ,protestants by force of arms to acknowledge the decrees of the ,council of ,trent1 and to return to the bosom of the ,roman ,church4 ,the covenant provided that1 in the name of ,god and with the help and assistance of ,his ,papal ,holiness1 ,his ,imperial ,majesty should prepare himself for war1 and equip himself with soldiers and everything pertaining to warfare against those who objected to the ,council1 against the ,smalcald ,league1 and against all who were addicted to the false belief and error in ,germany1 and that he do so with all his power and might in order to bring them back to the old papal faith and to the obedience of the ,holy ,see4 ,the ,pope promised to assist the ,emperor with #bjj1jjj ,krontaler1 more than #ab1jjj ,italian soldiers1 and quite a number of horsemen4 ,he furthermore permitted the ,emperor to appropriate1 for the purpose of this war1 one half of the total income of the church property in ,spain and #ejj1jjj ,krontaler from the revenue of the ,spanish cloisters4 ,while the ,emperor endeavored to veil the real purpose of his preparations1 the ,pope openly declared in a bull of ,july #d1 #aedf3 ,from the beginning of our ,papacy it has always been our concern how to root out the weeds of godless doctrines which the heretics have sowed throughout ,germany4444 ,now it has come to pass that1 by the inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost1 our dearest son in ,christ1 ,charles1 the ,roman ,emperor1 has decided to employ the sword against these enemies of ,god4 ,and for the protection of religion we intend to promote this pious enterprise with all our own and the ,roman ,church's possessions4 ,accordingly1 we admonish all ,christians to assist in this war with their prayers to ,god and their alms1 in order that the godless heresy may be rooted out and the dissension removed4444 ,to each and all who do these things we grant the most complete indulgence and remission of all their sins4 7,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #adec;ff4 ,walther1 #aj47 ,the ,smalcald ,war1 so called because it was directed against the ,smalcald ,league1 was easily won by the ,emperor4 ,among the causes of this unfortunate issue were the neutral attitude of ,joachim ,,ii of ,brandenburg and of other ,lutheran princes1 and especially the treachery of the ambitious and unscrupulous ,maurice1 ,duke of ,saxony and nephew of ,elector ,john ,frederick of ,saxony1 who1 in order to gain the ,electorate of ,saxony1 had made a secret agreement with the ,emperor according to which he was to join his forces with those of the ,emperor against the ,lutherans4 ,the decisive battle was fought at ,muehlberg on the ,elbe1 ,april #bd1 #aedg4 ,it proved to be a crushing defeat for the ,protestants4 ,the ,elector himself was taken captive1 treated as a rebel1 and sentenced to death4 ,the sentence was read to him while he was playing chess with his fellow-captive1 ,duke ,ernest of ,lueneburg4 ,john ,frederick answered1 he did not believe that the ,emperor would deal so severely with him2 if1 however1 he were in earnest1 they should let him know that he might order his affairs with his wife and children4 ,he then calmly turned to the ,duke1 saying3 ,let us continue the game2 it's your move4 7,jaekel1 ,g4 d4 ,ref4 l1 #aad47 ,the day after the battle at ,muehlberg1 ,torgau fell into the hands of the ,emperor2 and when he threatened to execute the ,elector1 having already erected a scaffold for this purpose1 ,wittenberg1 too1 though well protected by #e1jjj soldiers1 signed a capitulation on ,may #ai1 in order to save the ,elector's life4 ,on the #bc;d of ,may1 ,wittenberg was occupied by the ,emperor4 ,here ,charles1 when standing at the grave of ,luther1 and urged to have the body of the heretic exhumed1 spoke the memorable words that he was warring not with the dead1 but with the living4 ,the death-sentence was rescinded1 but1 apart from other cruel conditions forced upon the ,elector1 he was compelled to resign in favor of ,maurice and promise to remain in captivity as long as the ,emperor should desire4 ,his sons were granted the districts of ,weimar1 ,jena1 ,eisenach1 and ,gotha4 ,philip of ,hesse surrendered without striking a blow1 and was likewise treacherously held in captivity and humiliated in every possible way by the ,emperor4 ,the imperial plenipotentiaries had assured the ,landgrave that he would not be imprisoned4 ,afterwards1 however1 the words in the document1 not any bodily captivity--nit eenige ,leibesgefangenschaft1 were fraudulently changed by ,granvella to read1 not eternal captivity--nit ewige ,leibesgefangenschaft 7,marheineke1 ,g4 d4 ,deut4 ,ref4 #d1 #dch47 ,the sons of the ,landgrave remained in possession of his territory4 ,thus all of ,southern and1 barring a few cities1 also all of ,northern ,germany was conquered by ,charles4 ,everywhere the ,lutherans were at the tender mercy of the ,emperor1 whose undisputed power struck terror into all ,germany4 #abb4 ,the ,augsburg ,interim4 ,the first step to reduce the ,lutherans to obedience to the ,pope was the so-called ,augsburg ,interim4 ,it was proclaimed by the ,emperor at ,augsburg on ,may #ae1 #aedh1 as the law of the ,empire under the title3 ,der roemischen kaiserlichen ,majestaet ,erklaerung wie es der ,religion halben im heiligen ,reich bis zu ,austrag des gemeinen ,concilii gehalten werden soll4 ,the people were also forbidden to teach1 write1 or preach against the document4 ,the ,interim had been prepared by the papal bishops ,julius ,pflug and ,michael ,helding and the court-preacher of ,elector ,joachim of ,brandenburg1 ,john ,agricola1 a man with whom ,luther had1 already since #aedj1 refused to have any further intercourse owing to his insincerity and duplicity4 ,i go forth as the ,reformer of all ,germany1 ,agricola boasted when he left ,berlin to attend the ,diet at ,augsburg1 which was to open ,september #a1 #aedg4 ,after the ,diet he bragged that in ,augsburg he had flung the windows wide open for the ,gospel2 that he had reformed the ,pope and made the ,emperor a ,lutheran1 that a golden time had now arrived1 for the ,gospel would be preached in all ,europe2 that he had not only been present1 but had presided at the drafting of the ,interim2 that he had received #ejj crowns from the ,emperor and #ejj from ,king ,ferdinand1 etc4 7,preger1 ,m4 ,flacius ,illyricus1 #a1 #aai47 ,the document1 prepared at the command of the ,emperor1 was called ,interim because its object was to regulate the church affairs until the religious controversy would be finally settled by the ,council of ,trent1 to the resolutions of which the ,lutherans were required to submit4 ,it was1 however1 essentially papal4 ,for the time being1 indeed1 it permitted ,protestant clergymen to marry1 and to celebrate the ,lord's ,supper in both kinds1 but demanded the immediate restoration of the ,romish customs and ceremonies1 the acknowledgment of papal supremacy iure divino1 as well as the jurisdiction of the bishops1 and the adoption of articles in which the doctrines were all explained in the sense of the ,catholic dogmas1 and in which truth and falsehood1 in general1 were badly mingled4 ,transubstantiation1 the seven sacraments1 and other papal errors were reaffirmed1 while ,lutheran tenets1 such as the doctrine of justification by faith alone1 were either denied or omitted4 ,and from the fact that this ,interim was nevertheless condemned by the ,pope and the ,romanists1 who demanded an unqualified1 blind1 and unconditional submission1 the ,lutherans could infer what they were to expect after consenting to these interimistic provisions4 ,the general conviction among ,catholics as well as ,protestants was that the ,interim was but the first step to a complete return to ,romanism4 ,indeed1 soon after its promulgation1 the ,catholic ,electors of ,mainz and ,koeln endeavored to rob the ,lutherans also of the use of the cup and of the marriage of the priests4 ,the ,elector of ,mainz declared all such marriages void and their children bastards4 7,jaekel1 #afb47 ,in the most important point1 the doctrine of justification1 the ,augsburg ,interim not only omitted the sola fide1 but clearly taught that justification embraces also renewal4 ,when ,god justifies a man1 the ,interim declared1 ,he does not only absolve him from his guilt1 but also makes him better by imparting the ,holy ,ghost1 who cleanses his heart and incites it through the love of ,god which is shed abroad in his heart4 7,frank1 ,theologie d4 ,konkordienformel1 #b1 #hj47 ,a man is absolved from the guilt of eternal damnation and renewed through the ,holy ,spirit and thus an unjust man becomes just4 7#adc47 ,again3 ,this faith obtains the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 by which the love of ,god is shed abroad in our hearts2 and after this has been added to faith and hope1 we are truly justified by the infused righteousness which is in man2 for this righteousness consists in faith1 hope1 and love4 7#ha47 ,in ,southern ,germany1 ,charles ,v and his ,italian and ,spanish troops1 employing brute force1 succeeded in rigidly enforcing the ,interim outwardly and temporarily4 ,free cities rejecting it were deprived of their liberties and privileges4 ,constance1 having fallen after a heroic defense1 was annexed to ,austria4 ,magdeburg offered the longest resistance and was outlawed three times4 ,defiantly its citizens declared3 ,we are saved neither by an ,interim nor by an ,exterim1 but by the ,word of ,god alone4 7,jaekel #a1 #aff47 ,refractory magistrates were treated as rebels4 ,pastors who declined to introduce the ,interim were deposed1 some were banished1 others incarcerated1 still others even executed4 ,in ,swabia and along the ,rhine about four hundred ministers were willing to suffer imprisonment and banishment rather than conform to the ,interim4 ,they were driven into exile with their families1 and some of them were killed4 ,when ,jacob ,sturm of ,augsburg presented his grievances to ,granvella1 the latter answered3 ,if necessary1 one might proceed against heretics also with fire4 ,indeed1 ,sturm retorted1 you may kill people by fire1 but even in this way you cannot force their faith4 7#afe47 ,bucer and ,fagius1 preachers in ,augsburg1 left for ,england4 ,musculus was deposed because he had preached against the ,interim4 ,osiander was compelled to leave ,nuernberg1 ,erhard ,schnepf1 ,wuerttemberg4 ,among the fugitives eagerly sought throughout ,germany by the imperial henchmen was ,brenz in ,schwaebisch-,hall1 the renowned theologian of ,wuerttemberg1 who spoke of the ,interim only as ,interitus1 ,ruin4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #bhi47 ,the tombstone of ,brenz bears the inscription3 ,voce1 stylo1 pietate1 fide1 ardore probatus--,renowned for his eloquence1 style1 piety1 faithfulness1 and ardor4 7,jaekel1 #afd47 ,a prize of #e1jjj gulden was offered for the head of ,caspar ,aquila1 who was one of the first to write against the ,interim4 7,preger #a1 #ab47 ,of course1 by persecuting and banishing their ministers1 the ,emperor could not and did not win the people4 ,elector ,frederick ,,ii of the ,palatinate consented to introduce the ,interim4 ,but even in ,southern ,germany the success of the ,emperor was apparent rather than real4 ,the churches in ,augsburg1 ,ulm1 and other cities stood empty as a silent protest against the ,interim and imperial tyranny4 ,in ,northern ,germany the ,emperor met with more than a mere passive resistance on the part of the people as well as the preachers4 ,the ,interim was regarded as a trap for the ,lutherans4 ,the slogan ran3 ,there is a rogue behind the ,interim6 ,o selig ist der ,mann1 ,der ,gott vertrauen kann ,und willigt nicht ins ,interim1 ,denn es hat den ,schalk hinter ihm6 ,the ,interim was rejected in ,brunswick1 ,hamburg1 ,luebeck1 ,lueneburg1 ,goslar1 ,bremen1 ,goettingen1 ,hannover1 ,einbeck1 ,eisleben1 ,mansfeld1 ,stolberg1 ,schwarzburg1 ,hohenstein1 ,halle1 etc4 ,joachim of ,brandenburg endeavored to introduce it1 but soon abandoned these efforts4 ,at a convent of #cjj preachers assembled in ,berlin for the purpose of subscribing to the ,interim1 an old minister whose name was ,leutinger1 arose and declared in the presence of ,agricola1 the coauthor of the ,interim3 ,i love ,agricola1 and more than him ,i love my ,elector2 but my ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,i love most1 and saying this1 he cast the document handed him for subscription into the flames of the fire burning in the hearth4 ,before this1 ,margrave ,hans1 of ,kuestrin1 had flung away the pen handed him for the subscription of the infamous document1 saying3 ,i shall never adopt this poisonous concoction1 nor submit to any council4 ,rather sword than pen2 blood rather than ink6 ,the three ,counts of ,mansfeld1 ,hans ,jorge1 ,hans ,albrecht1 and ,hans ,ernest1 declared in a letter of ,august #bj1 #aedh1 to the ,emperor3 ,most gracious ,emperor and ,lord6 ,as for our government1 the greater part of the people are miners1 who have not much to lose and are easily induced to leave4 ,nor are they willing to suffer much coercion4 ,yet the welfare of our whole government depends upon them4 ,besides1 we know that1 if we should press the matter1 all of the preachers would leave1 and the result would be a desolation of preaching and of the ,sacraments4 ,and after losing our preachers1 our own lives and limbs would not be safe among the miners1 and we must needs expect a revolt of all the people4 7,walther #ai;f47 ,thus the ,interim before long became a dead letter throughout the greater part of ,germany4 #abc4 ,attitude of ,john ,frederick toward ,interim4 ,in order to obtain his liberty1 the vacillating ,philip of ,hesse1 though he had declined to submit to the resolutions of the ,council of ,trent1 declared himself willing to adopt the ,interim4 ,it is better1 he is reported to have said1 to hear a mass than to play cards1 etc4 7,jaekel #a1 #acj4 #afb47 ,special efforts were also made by the ,emperor to induce ,john ,frederick to declare his submission to the ,council and to sanction the ,interim4 ,but the ,elector solemnly protested that this was impossible for him4 ,all attempts to induce him to abandon his religious convictions met with quiet but determined resistance4 ,one of the cruel conditions under which the ,emperor was willing to rescind the death-sentence passed on the ,elector was1 that he should consent to everything the ,emperor or the ,council would prescribe in matters of religion4 ,but the ,elector declared3 ,i will rather lose my head and suffer ,wittenberg to be battered down than submit to a demand that violates my conscience4 ,lieber will ich meinen ,kopf verlieren und ,wittenberg zusammenschiessen lassen1 als eine ,forderung eingehen1 die mein ,gewissen verletzt4 7#a1 #aaf47 ,through ,granvella the ,emperor promised the ,elector liberty if he would sign the ,interim4 ,but again the ,elector declared decidedly that this was impossible for him4 ,in a written answer to the ,emperor the ex-,elector declared1 boldly confessing his faith3 ,i cannot refrain from informing ,your ,majesty that since the days of my youth ,i have been instructed and taught by the servants of ,god's ,word1 and by diligently searching the prophetic and apostolic ,scriptures ,i have also learned to know1 and 7this ,i testify as in the sight of ,god7 unswervingly to adhere in my conscience to this1 that the articles composing the ,augsburg ,confession1 and whatever is connected therewith1 are the correct1 true1 ,christian1 pure doctrine1 confirmed by1 and founded in1 the writings of the holy prophets and apostles1 and of the teachers who followed in their footsteps1 in such a manner that no substantial objection can be raised against it4444 ,since now in my conscience ,i am firmly persuaded of this1 ,i owe this gratefulness and obedience to ,god1 who has shown me such unspeakable grace1 that1 as ,i desire to obtain eternal salvation and escape eternal damnation1 ,i do not fall away from the truth of ,his almighty will which ,his ,word has revealed to me1 and which ,i know to be the truth4 ,for such is the comforting and also the terrible word of ,god3 ',whosoever therefore shall confess ,me before men1 him will ,i confess also before ,my ,father which is in heaven4 ,but whosoever shall deny ,me before men1 him will ,i also deny before ,my ,father which is in heaven1' ,if ,i should acknowledge and adopt the ,interim as ,christian and godly1 ,i would have to condemn and deny against my own conscience1 knowingly and maliciously1 the ,augsburg ,confession1 and whatever ,i have heretofore held and believed concerning the ,gospel of ,christ1 and approve with my mouth what ,i regard in my heart and conscience as altogether contrary to the holy and divine ,scriptures4 ,this1 ,o my ,god in heaven1 would indeed be misusing and cruelly blaspheming ,thy holy name1444 for which ,i would have to pay all too dearly with my soul4 ,for this is truly the sin against the ,holy ,ghost concerning which ,christ says that it shall never be forgiven1 neither in this nor in the world to come1 i4e41 in eternity4 7,walther1 #af47 ,the ,emperor was small enough to punish the heroic refusal and bold confession of the ,elector by increasing the severity of his imprisonment4 ,for now he was deprived of ,luther's writings and even of the ,bible4 ,but the ,elector1 who drew the line of submission at his conscience and faith1 declared1 that they were able indeed to deprive him of the books1 but could not tear out of his heart what he had learned from them4 ,and when ,musculus and the ,lutheran preachers of ,augsburg whom the ,emperor had banished because of their refusal to introduce the ,interim1 took leave of the ,elector1 the latter said3 ,though the ,emperor has banished you from the realm1 he has not banished you from heaven4 ,surely1 ,god will find some other country where you may preach ,his ,word4 7,jaekel4 #afd47 #abd4 ,melanchthon's ,attitude toward the ,interim4 ,in the beginning1 ,melanchthon1 too1 assumed an attitude of defiance over against the ,augsburg ,interim4 ,especially among his friends and in his private letters he condemned it4 ,in several letters1 also to ,elector ,maurice1 he and his ,wittenberg colleagues declared that they disapproved of the document1 and that the doctrine must not be denied1 changed1 nor falsified4 7,c4 ,r4 #f1 #hgd4 #ied47 ,april #be1 #aedh he wrote to ,camerarius that the ,interim corrupted the truth in the doctrine of justification1 and that he was unable to assent to its sophisms4 7#hgh4 #ijj47 ,april #bi1 #aedh3 ,the manifest facts teach that efforts at conciliation with our persecutors are vain4 ,even though some kind of concord is patched up1 still a peace will be established such as exists between wolves and lambs4 ,etiam cum sarcitur concordia qualiscumque1 tamen pax constituitur1 qualis est inter lupos et agnos4 7,c4 ,r4 #f1 #hhi2 ,frank #d1 #ij47 ,in a letter to ,christian1 ,king of ,denmark 7,june #ac1 #aedh71 he said that the ,interim confirmed and reestablished many papal errors and abuses1 and that the abominable book would cause many dissensions in the ,german nation4 7,c4 ,r4 #f1 #ibc47 ,june #bj he wrote with reference to the ,interim3 ,i shall not change the doctrine of our churches1 nor assent to those who do4 7#idf47 ,july #ca1 to the ,margrave ,john of ,brandenburg3 ,as for my person ,i do not intend to approve of this book1 called ,interim1 for which ,i have many weighty reasons1 and will commend my miserable life to ,god1 even if ,i am imprisoned or banished4 7#g1 #he47 ,in a letter of ,august #aj he speaks of the corruptions which are found in the ,augsburg sphinx1 and declares that he is determined faithfully to guard the doctrine of the ,gospel4 7#ig47 ,august #ac1 #aedh1 he wrote to ,medler3 ,brenz1 ,nopus ,noppius1 ,musculus1 learned1 pious1 and most deserving men1 have been driven from their churches1 and ,i hear that everywhere others are being expelled from other places1--and ,islebius ,agricola is shouting that this is the way to spread the ,gospel4 7#ajb47 ,in a criticism of the ,augsburg ,interim published in the beginning of ,july1 #aedh1 ,melanchthon declared3 ,although war and destruction are threatened1 it is1 nevertheless1 our duty to regard the ,word of ,god as higher2 that is to say1 we must not deny what we know to be the truth of the ,gospel4 ,on ,november #aj1 #aedh1 he said before a convention of theologians3 ,remember that you are the guardians of truth1 and consider what has been entrusted to you for preservation by ,god through the prophets and the apostles1 and1 last of all1 through ,dr4 ,luther4 ,if that man were still living1 the misfortune of a change of doctrine would not be threatening us2 but now that there is no one who is clothed with the authority which he had1 now that there is no one who warns as he was wont to do1 and many are accepting error for truth1 the churches are brought to ruin1 the doctrine heretofore correctly transmitted is distorted1 idolatrous customs are established1 fear1 doubt1 and strife are reigning everywhere4 7,walther1 #ba47 ,however1 though ,melanchthon disapproved of the imperial ,interim1 he was afraid to antagonize it openly and unflinchingly4 ,yet it was just such a public and decided testimony that was needed1 and everywhere expected of ,melanchthon2 for he was generally regarded as the logical and lawful successor of ,luther and as the theological leader of the ,church4 ,july #bb1 #aedh1 ,aquila wrote3 ,what shall ,i say of the arch-knave ,eisleben1 ,agricola8 ,he said3 ',the ,interim is the best book and work making for unity in the whole ,empire and for religious agreement throughout all ,europe4 ,for now the ,pope is reformed1 and the ,emperor is a ,lutheran1' ,imploring ,melanchthon to break his silence and sound the public warning1 ,aquila continues3 ,thou holy man1 answer and come to our assistance1 defend the ,word and name of ,christ and ,his honor 7which is the highest good on earth7 against that virulent sycophant ,agricola1 who is an impostor4 7#g1 #gh47 ,such were the sentiments of loyal ,lutherans everywhere4 ,but ,melanchthon1 intimidated by threats of the ,emperor1 and fearing for his safety1 turned a deaf ear to these entreaties4 ,while the captive ,elector was determined to die rather than submit to the ,interim1 and while hundreds of ,lutheran ministers were deposed1 banished1 imprisoned1 and some of them even executed because of their devotion to the truth1 ,melanchthon was unwilling to expose himself to the anger of the ,emperor4 ,and before long his fear to confess and his refusal to give public testimony to the truth was followed by open denial4 ,at the behest of ,elector ,maurice he consented to elaborate1 as a substitute for the ,augsburg ,interim1 a compromise document--the so-called ,leipzig ,interim4 #abe4 ,melanchthon and the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,after the victory of the ,emperor and the proclamation of the ,augsburg ,interim1 ,maurice1 the new-fledged ,elector1 found himself in a dilemma4 ,charles ,v urged him to set a good example in obeying and enforcing the ,interim4 ,indebted as he was to the ,emperor for his ,electorate1 he1 to some extent1 felt bound to obey him also in religious matters4 ,at the same time1 ,maurice was personally not at all in agreement with the radical ,augsburg ,interim and afraid of forfeiting the sympathies of both his old and new subjects on account of it4 ,nor did he fail to realize the difficulties he would encounter in enforcing it4 ,accordingly1 he notified the ,emperor on ,may #ah that he was not able to introduce the ,interim at present4 ,soon after1 he commissioned the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians to elaborate1 as a substitute for the ,augsburg ,interim1 a compromise1 more favorable and acceptable to his subjects4 ,at the preliminary discussions1 especially at ,pegau and ,celle1 the theologians yielded1 declaring their willingness to submit to the will of the ,emperor with respect to the reintroduction of ,romish ceremonies and to acknowledge the authority of the ,pope and bishops if they would tolerate the true doctrine4 7,preger #a1 #dj47 ,the final upshot of it all was the new ,interim1 a compromise document1 prepared chiefly by ,melanchthon and adopted ,december #bb1 #aedh1 at ,leipzig4 ,this ,resolution of the ,diet at ,leipzig was designated by its opponents the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,schaff remarks3 ,it was the mistake of his ,melanchthon's life1 yet not without plausible excuses and incidental advantages4 ,he advocated immovable steadfastness in doctrine 81 but submission in everything else for the sake of peace4 ,he had the satisfaction that the ,university of ,wittenberg1 after temporary suspension1 was restored and soon frequented again by two thousand students4 ,the school was closed ,may #ai and reopened ,october #af1 #aedg4 ,but outside of ,wittenberg and ,saxony his conduct appeared treasonable to the cause of the ,reformation1 and acted as an encouragement to an unscrupulous and uncompromising enemy4 ,hence the venerable man was fiercely assailed from every quarter by friend and foe4 7,creeds #a1 #cjj47 ,it is generally held that fear induced ,melanchthon to condescend to this betrayal of ,lutheranism1--for such the ,leipzig ,interim amounted to in reality4 ,and1 no doubt1 there is a good deal of truth in this assumption4 ,for ,melanchthon had been told that because of his opposition to the ,augsburg ,interim the anger of the ,emperor was directed against him especially1 and that he had already called upon ,maurice to banish this arch-heretic4 ,it certainly served the purpose of ,maurice well that he had to deal with ,melanchthon1 whose fear and vacillation made him as pliable as putty1 and not with ,luther1 on whose unbending firmness all of his schemes would have foundered4 ,however1 it cannot have been mere temporary fear which induced ,melanchthon to barter away eternal truth for temporal peace4 ,for the theologians of ,wittenberg and ,leipzig did not only identify themselves with the ,leipzig ,interim while the threatening clouds of persecution were hovering over them1 but also afterwards continued to defend their action4 ,when the representatives of the ,saxon cities protested against some of the provisions of the ,interim1 they declared1 on ,december #bh1 #aedh3 ,we have learned your request and are satisfied with the articles ,leipzig ,interim delivered1 which not we alone1 but also several other superintendents and theologians prepared and weighed well2 therefore we are unable to change them4 ,for they can well be received and observed without any violence to good conscience4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #bgj47 ,it was as late as ,september1 #aeef that ,melanchthon1 though even then only in a qualified way1 admitted that he had sinned in this matter1 and should have kept aloof from the insidious counsels of the politicians4 7#h1 #hci47 ,indeed1 in #aeeg and #aefj the ,leipzig and ,wittenberg theologians still defended the position they had occupied during the ,interim4 ,evidently1 then apart from other motives of fear1 etc41 ,melanchthon consented to write the ,interim because he still believed in the possibility of arriving at an understanding with the ,romanists and tried to persuade himself that the ,emperor seriously sought to abolish prevailing errors and abuses1 and because the theological views he entertained were not as far apart from those of the ,leipzig compromise as is frequently assumed4 #abf4 ,provisions of ,leipzig ,interim4 ,the professed object of the ,leipzig ,interim was to effect a compromise in order to escape persecution and desolation of the churches by adhering to the doctrine1 notably of justification1 but yielding in matters pertaining to ceremonies1 etc4 ,december #ah1 #aedh1 ,melanchthon 7in the name of ,george of ,anhalt7 wrote to ,burchard concerning the ,interim adopted four days later3 ,they ,maurice and the estates hope to be able to ward off dangers if we receive some rites which are not in themselves vicious2 and the charge of unjust obstinacy is made if in such things we are unwilling to contribute toward public tranquillity444 ,in order1 therefore1 to retain necessary things1 we are not too exacting with respect to such as are unnecessary1 especially since heretofore these rites have1 to a great extent1 remained in the churches of these regions4444 ,we know that much is said against this moderation1 but the devastation of the churches1 such as is taking place in ,swabia1 would be a still greater offense4 7#g1 #bea;ff47 ,the plan of ,melanchthon therefore was to yield in things which he regarded as unnecessary in order to maintain the truth and avoid persecution4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 the ,leipzig ,interim1 too1 was in every respect a truce over the corpse of true ,lutheranism4 ,it was a unionistic document sacrificing ,lutheranism doctrinally as well as practically4 ,the obnoxious features of the ,augsburg ,interim had not been eliminated1 but merely toned down4 ,throughout1 the controverted doctrines were treated in ambiguous or false formulas4 ,tschackert is correct in maintaining that1 in the articles of justification and of the ,church1 the fundamental thoughts of the ,reformation doctrine were catholicized by the ,leipzig ,interim4 7#ejh47 ,even the ,lutheran sola 7sola fide1 by faith alone7 is omitted in the article of justification4 ,the entire matter is presented in terms which ,romanists were able to interpret in the sense of their doctrine of infused righteousness1 iustitia infusa4 ,faith is coordinated with other virtues1 and good works are declared to be necessary to salvation4 ,justification by faith1 says ,schmauk1 is there in the ,leipzig ,interim so changed as to mean that man is renewed by the ,holy ,spirit1 and can fulfil righteousness with his works1 and that ,god will1 for ,his ,son's sake accept in believers this weak beginning of obedience in this miserable1 frail nature4 7,conf4 ,prin41 #eif47 ,furthermore1 the ,leipzig ,interim indirectly admits the ,semi-,pelagian teaching regarding original sin and free will1 while other doctrines which should have been confessed are passed by in silence4 ,it recognizes the supremacy of the ,pope1 restores the power and jurisdiction of the bishops1 acknowledges the authority of the council1 approves of a number of ceremonies objectionable as such 7e4g41 the ,corpus ,christi ,festival71 and advocates the reintroduction of these and others in order to avoid persecution and to maintain outward peace with the ,papists4 ,self-evidently1 in keeping with the ,interim1 the ,pope also could no longer be regarded as1 and publicly declared to be1 the ,antichrist4 ,in #aefa ,flacius wrote that at that time the suspected ,lutherans did not consider the ,pope the ,antichrist4 ,simon ,musaeus and others were banished because they refused to eliminate the hymn ,erhalt uns1 ,herr1 bei deinem ,wort from their services4 7,walther1 #be47--,such1 then1 being the character of the ,leipzig ,interim1 it stands to reason that this document1 adopted as it was by ,melanchthon and other ,lutheran leaders1 was bound to become a fertile source of numerous and violent controversies4 #abg4 ,flacius and ,other ,opponents of ,interimists4 ,the ,leipzig ,interim was imposed upon the churches of ,electoral ,saxony as a directory for teaching1 preaching1 and worship4 ,melanchthon declared that it could be adopted with a good conscience1 and hence should be introduced1 as demanded by ,maurice1 in order to insure the peace of the ,church4 ,at ,wittenberg and other places corresponding efforts were made4 ,but everywhere the result was dissension and strife4 ,the ,interim defeated its own purpose4 ,pastors who declined to conform were deposed1 banished1 incarcerated or abused in other ways4 ,and wherever faithful ministers were removed1 the people refused to be served by the hirelings who took their places4 ,at the very convention at ,leipzig where the ,interim was adopted1 ,wolfgang ,pfentner1 ,superintendent at ,annaberg1 declared3 ,what caused them to reintroduce such tomfooleries ,romish ceremonies8 ,were they growing childish again8 ,they might do what they wanted to1 but as for himself1 he could not consent to the ,interim4 ,and even if he should permit himself to be deceived1 his parishioners would not accept it4 ,for in a letter delivered by a messenger on horseback they had charged him to agree to no ungodly article1 or not return to them4 ,accordingly1 he would have his head cut off at ,leipzig and suffer this with a good conscience rather than give offense to his church4 7,walther1 #bb47 ,december #bd1 three days after the adoption of the ,interim1 representatives of the cities in ,saxony presented complaints to ,elector ,maurice and ,melanchthon against some of the provisions of the document4 ,they protested particularly against the reinstitution of ,extreme ,unction1 the ,festival of ,corpus ,christi1 and the use of chrism at ,baptism4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #bgj47 ,even the ,wittenberg theologians finally admitted that in consequence of the ,interim the rupture had become so great that there was an agreement neither of one church with another1 nor1 in the same church1 of any deacon1 any schoolmaster1 or sexton with his pastor1 nor of one neighbor with another1 nor of members of the household with one another4 7,walther1 #bc47 ,foremost among the champions of true ,lutheranism over against the ,interimists were ,john ,hermann1 ,aquila1 ,nicholas ,amsdorf1 ,john ,wigand1 ,alberus1 ,gallus1 ,matthias ,judex1 ,westphal1 and especially ,matthias ,flacius ,illyricus1 then 7from #aedd to #aedi7 a member of the ,wittenberg faculty1 where he opposed all concessions to the ,adiaphorists4 ,it is due1 no doubt1 to ,flacius more than to any other individual that true ,lutheranism and with it the ,lutheran ,church was saved from annihilation in consequence of the ,interims4 ,in #aedh he began his numerous and powerful publications against them4 ,in the same year1 #aedh1 the following book of ,john ,hermann appeared3 ,that during ,these ,dangerous ,times ,nothing should be ,changed in the ,churches of ,god in ,order to ,please the ,devil and the ,antichrist4 ,in #aedi3 ,against the ,mean ,devil who ,now ,again is ,disguising ,himself as an ,angel of ,light4 ,in #aedi1 when he was no longer safe in ,wittenberg1 ,flacius removed to ,magdeburg then the only safe asylum in all ,germany for such as were persecuted on account of their ,lutheran faith and loyalty1 where he was joined by such exiles of ,christ as ,wigand1 ,gallus1 and others1 who had also been banished and persecuted because of their opposition to the ,interim4 ,here they inaugurated a powerful propaganda by publishing broadsides of annihilating pamphlets against the ,interim1 as well as its authors1 patrons1 and abettors4 ,they roused the ,lutheran consciousness everywhere1 and before long the great majority of ,lutherans stood behind ,flacius and the heroes of ,magdeburg4 ,the publications emanating from this fortress caused such an aversion to the ,adiaphoristic princes as well as theologians among the people that from the very outset all their plans and efforts were doomed to failure1 and the sinister schemes of the ,pope and ,emperor were frustrated4 ,because of this able and staunch defense of ,lutheranism and the determined opposition to any unionistic compromise1 ,magdeburg at that time was generally called ,god's chancellery1 ,gottes ,kanzlei4 ,nor did the opposition subside when this ,lutheran stronghold1 thrice outlawed by the ,emperor1 was finally1 after a siege of thirteen months1 captured by ,maurice4 ,in their attacks the champions of ,magdeburg were joined also by the ministers of ,hamburg and other places4 ,only in ,saxony and ,brandenburg the policy of ,melanchthon was defended4 ,as the conflict extended1 it grew in bitterness1 revealing with increasing luridness the insincerity and dishonesty of the ,philippists4 ,true ,lutherans everywhere were satisfied that the adoption also of the ,leipzig ,interim was tantamount to a complete surrender of ,lutheranism4 ,their animosity against this document was all the stronger because it bore the stamp of the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians and was sponsored by ,melanchthon1 the very man whom they had regarded as ,luther's successor and as the leader of the ,church4 ,this1 too1 was the reason why the ,leipzig ,interim caused even more resentment among the ,lutherans1 especially in ,northern ,germany1 than did the ,augsburg ,interim4 ,in their view1 ,melanchthon and his colleagues had betrayed the cause of the ,reformation and practically joined their forces with those of the ,romanists1 even as ,maurice had betrayed the ,lutherans politically when fighting at the side of the ,emperor against his own coreligionists4 ,tschackert remarks3 ,in view of the fact that at that time about #djj ,evangelical pastors in ,southern ,germany1 because of their refusal to adopt the ,augsburg ,interim1 had suffered themselves to be driven from their charges and homes and wandered about starving1 many with their wives and children1 the yielding of the theologians of ,electoral ,saxony could but appear as unpardonable and as a betrayal of the ,church4 7#ejh47 #abh4 ,grief over ,melanchthon's ,inconstancy4 ,in consequence of his dubious attitude1 ,melanchthon also1 who before this had been generally honored as the leader of the ,lutheran ,church1 completely lost his prestige1 even among many of his formerly most devoted friends4 ,the grief and distress experienced by loyal ,lutherans at his wavering and yielding is eloquently expressed by ,antonius ,corvinus1 ,superintendent at ,kalenberg-,goettingen1 the ,lutheran martyr1 who1 because of his opposition to the ,interim1 was incarcerated for three years1 in consequence of which he died1 #aeec4 ,in a letter dated ,september #be1 #aedi1 he implored his friend to abandon the ,interim1 and to return to his pristine candor1 his pristine sincerity1 and his pristine constancy1 and to think1 say1 write1 and do what is becoming to ,philip1 the ,christian teacher1 not the court philosopher4 ,peace1 indeed1 was desirable1 but it must not be obtained by distracting the churches4 ,christ had also declared that ,he did not come to bring peace1 but the sword4 ,even the heathen ,horatius ,flaccus had said3 ,si fractus illabitur orbis1 impavidum ferient ruinae4 ,how much more should ,christians avoid cowardice6 ,one must not court the cross wantonly1 but it must be borne courageously when for the sake of truth it cannot be avoided1 etc4 ,in the original1 ,corvinus's letter reads1 in part1 as follows3 ,o mi ,philippe1 o1 inquam1 ,philippe noster1 rede per immortalem ,christum ad pristinum candorem1 ad pristinam sinceritatem ad pristinam constantiam6 ,ne languescito ista tua formidine ac pusillanimitate nostrorum animos tantopere6444 ,non sis tantorum in ecclesia offendiculorum autor6 ,ne sinas1 tua tam egregia scripta1 dicta1 facta1 quibus mirifice hactenus de ecclesia ac scholis meritus es1 isto condonationis1 novationis1 moderationis naevo ad eum modum deformari6 ,cogita1 quantum animi ista vestra consilia et adversariis addant et nostris adimant6444 ,rogamus1 ut1 professionis tuae memor1 talem te cum ,vitebergensibus tuis iam geras1 qualem te ab initio huius causae gessisti1 hoc est1 ut ea sentias1 dicas1 scribas1 agas1 quae ,philippum1 doctorem ,christianum1 non aulicum philosophum decent4 7,tschackert1 #ejf47 ,in a similar manner ,melanchthon was admonished also by ,brenz1 who preferred exile and misery to the ,interim4 ,in a letter written early in #aedi he said3 ,it is also most manifest that the ,interitus ,ruin1 a term employed by ,brenz for ,interim conflicts with the ,word of the ,lord4 ,what concord1 then1 can be found between such conflicting things8 ,you think that one ought to come to the assistance of the churches and pious ministers4 ,correct if such can be done without dishonor to ,christ4 ,perhaps you believe that the ,interimists will tolerate the pious doctrine if we agree to accept all their ceremonies4 ,but do you not know that it is clearly commanded in the introduction of the ,interitus that no one shall speak or write against this book8 ,what kind of liberty in regard to doctrine is this8 ,therefore1 if the ,church and the pious ministers cannot be saved in any other way than by dishonoring the pious doctrine1 let us commend them to ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 ,he will take care of them4 ,meanwhile let us patiently bear our exile and wait for the ,lord4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #bhi47 ,june #ah1 #aeej1 ,calvin also wrote a letter of warning to ,melanchthon1 in which he said in substance3 ,my grief renders me almost speechless4 ,how the enemies of ,christ enjoy your conflicts with the ,magdeburgers appears from their mockeries4 ,nor do ,i acquit you altogether of all guilt4 ,permit me to admonish you freely as a true friend4 ,i should like to approve of all your actions4 ,but now ,i accuse you before your very face 7ego te nunc apud te ipsum accuso74 ,this is the sum of your defense3 ,if the purity of doctrine be retained1 externals should not be pertinaciously contended for 7modo retineatur doctrinae puritas1 de rebus externis non esse pertinaciter dimicandum74 ,but you extend the adiaphora too far4 ,some of them plainly conflict with the ,word of ,god4 ,now1 since the ,lord has drawn us into the fight1 it behooves us to struggle all the more manfully 7eo virilius nos eniti decebat74 ,you know that your position differs from that of the multitude4 ,the hesitation of the general or leader is more disgraceful than the flight of an entire regiment of common soldiers4 ,unless you set an example of unflinching steadfastness1 all will declare that vacillation cannot be tolerated in such a man4 ,by yielding but a little1 you alone have caused more lamentations and complaints than a hundred ordinary men by open apostasy 7,itaque plures tu unus paululum cedendo querimonias et gemitus excitasti quam centum mediocres aperta defectione74 ,i would die with you a hundred times rather than see you survive the doctrine surrendered by you4 ,you will pardon me for unloading into your bosom these pitiable1 though useless groans4 7,schluesselburg #ac1 #fce2 ,c4 ,r4 #da ,calvini ,opera #ac1 #eic2 ,frank #d1 #hh47 #abi4 ,interim ,eliminated ,politically1 ,but ,not ,theologically4 ,it was also in the interest of allaying the animosity against his own person that ,elector ,maurice had prevailed upon ,melanchthon to frame the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,but in this respect1 too1 the document proved to be a dismal failure4 ,openly the people1 his own former subjects included1 showed their contempt for his person and character4 ,everywhere public sentiment was aroused against him4 ,he was held responsible for the captivity and shameful treatment of ,philip of ,hesse and especially of ,john ,frederick1 whom the people admired as the ,confessor of ,augsburg and now also as the innocent ,martyr of ,lutheranism4 ,maurice1 on the other hand1 was branded a mameluke1 condemned as a renegade and an apostate1 despised as the traitor of ,lutheranism1 and abhorred as the ,judas of ,meissen1 who had sold his coreligionists for an electorate4 ,at the same time ,maurice was provoked by the arbitrary manner in which the ,emperor exploited and abused his victory by a repeated breach of his promises1 and by the treacherous and shameful treatment accorded his father-in-law1 ,philip of ,hesse4 ,chagrined at all this and fully realizing the utter impossibility of enforcing the ,interim1 ,maurice decided to end the matter by a single stroke which at the same time would atone for his treachery1 and turn shame into glory and the vile name of a traitor into the noble title of ,champion of ,protestantism4 ,accordingly ,maurice1 easily the match of ,charles in duplicity and cunning1 secretly prepared his plans1 and1 suddenly turning his army against the unsuspecting ,emperor1 drove him from ,innsbruck1 scared the ,fathers of ,trent to their homes1 and on ,april #e1 #aeeb1 victoriously entered ,augsburg1 where he was received with great rejoicing4 ,the fruits of this victory were the ,treaties of ,passau ,august #b1 #aeeb1 and of ,augsburg1 #aeee1 which for the first time granted religious liberty to the ,protestants4 ,the latter placed ,lutherans and ,catholics on an equal footing in the ,empire and1 according to the rule3 ,cuius regio1 eius religio1 gave every prince religious control in his own territory1 non-conformists being granted the right of emigration4 ,to the great advantage of the ,romanists1 however1 the treaty also provided that territories ruled by bishops must remain ,catholic even though the ruler should turn ,protestant4 ,but while the ,interim was thus eliminated as a political and practical issue1 the theological controversy precipitated by it continued unabated4 ,its political elimination cleared the situation toward the ,romanists1 but left conditions within the ,lutheran ,church unsettled4 ,it neither unified nor pacified the ,church4 ,it neither eliminated the false doctrines and unionistic principles and tendencies injected by the ,interimists1 nor did it restore confidence in the doctrinal soundness1 loyalty1 and sincerity of the vacillating ,philippists1 who had caused the first breach in the ,lutheran ,church4 ,does it agree with the character of the ,lutheran ,church to tolerate and approve the doctrines and principles contained and involved in the ,interim1 and to harbor and fellowship such indifferentists as framed1 indorsed1 and defended this document8 such and similar were the questions which remained live issues even after the ,interim was politically dead4 ,the theological situation within the ,lutheran ,church1 therefore1 was not changed in the least when the annihilation threatening her from without was warded off by the victory of ,maurice over the ,emperor4 ,the ,interim was fraught with doctrinal issues which made unavoidable the subsequent controversies4 ,,xi4 ,controversies ,following the ,interim and ,settled by the ,formula of ,concord4 #acj4 ,three ,theological ,parties4 ,in the theological conflicts after ,luther's death three parties may be distinguished4 ,the first party embraced chiefly the ,interimists1 the ,synergists1 and the ,crypto-,calvinists4 ,they were adherents of ,philip ,melanchthon1 hence called ,melanchthonians or1 more commonly1 ,philippists1 and were led by the theologians of ,electoral ,saxony4 ,their object was to supplant the authority and theology of ,luther by the unionistic and liberal views of ,melanchthon4 ,their headquarters were the universities of ,wittenberg and ,leipzig4 ,some of their chief representatives were3 ,joachim ,camerarius 7born #aejj1 professor of ,greek in ,leipzig1 a close friend of ,melanchthon1 died #aegd72 ,paul ,eber 7born #aeaa1 professor in ,wittenberg1 died #aefh72 ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,jr4 7born #aebe1 professor in ,wittenberg1 died at ,cassel #aeig72 ,christopher ,pezel 7born #aeci1 professor in ,wittenberg1 died #afjj or #afjd72 ,george ,major 7,meier2 born #aejb1 professor in ,wittenberg1 died #aegd72 ,caspar ,peucer 7doctor of medicine1 son-in-law of ,melanchthon2 born #aebe1 imprisoned from #aegd till #aehf died #afjb72 ,paul ,crell 7born #aeca1 professor in ,wittenberg1 died #aegi72 ,john ,pfefflnger 7born #adic1 professor in ,leipzig1 died #aegc72 ,victorin ,strigel 7born #aebd1 #aedh professor in ,jena1 died in ,heidelberg #aefi72 ,john ,stoessel 7born #aebd1 died in prison #aegf72 ,george ,cracow 7born #aebe1 professor of jurisprudence in ,wittenberg1 privy counselor in ,dresden1 died in prison #aege74 ,the second party1 the so-called ,gnesio-,lutherans 7genuine ,lutherans71 was represented chiefly by the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony and embraced such staunch and loyal men as ,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 ,wigand1 ,gallus1 ,matthias ,judex1 ,moerlin1 ,tileman ,hesshusius1 ,timann1 ,westphal1 and ,simon ,musaeus4 ,though some of these leaders were later discredited by falling into extreme positions themselves1 they all proved to be valiant champions of ,luther and most determined opponents of the ,philippists4 ,the strongholds of this party were ,magdeburg and the ,university of ,jena1 founded by the sons of ,john ,frederick in #aedg4 ,led by ,flacius1 this university unflinchingly opposed the modified and unionistic ,lutheranism advocated by the ,philippists at ,wittenberg and ,leipzig4 ,seeberg says1 in substance3 ,the ,gnesio-,lutherans were opposed to the philosophy of the ,philippists and stood for the simple ,biblical truth as ,luther had understood it4 ,even when opposed by the government1 they defended the truth1 and were willing to suffer the consequences4 ,strict doctrinal discipline was exercised by them4 ,they opposed with equal determination the errors also of their fellow-combatants3 ,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 ,poach1 and others4 ,intellectually they were superior to the ,philippists4 ,seeberg concludes3 ,in the forms of their time 7which were not outgrown by any one of the ,philippists either7 they preserved to the ,church genuine ,luther-treasures--echtes ,luthergut4 7,dogmengeschichte #d1 #b1 #dhb47 ,the third1 or center-party1 was composed of the loyal ,lutherans who took no conspicuous part in the controversies1 but came to the front when the work of pacification began4 ,they were of special service in settling the controversies1 framing the ,formula of ,concord1 and restoring a true and godly peace to our ,church4 ,prominent among them were ,brenz1 ,andreae1 ,chemnitz1 ,selneccer1 ,chytraeus1 ,cornerus1 ,moerlin1 and others4 ,these theologians were1 on the one hand1 opposed to all unnecessary logomachies i4e41 controversies involving no doctrinal differences1 and1 at the same time1 were most careful not to fall into any extreme position themselves4 ,on the other hand1 however1 they approved of all controversies really necessary in the interest of truth1 rejected and condemned all forms of indifferentism and unionism1 and strenuously opposed every effort at sacrificing1 veiling1 or compromising any doctrine by ambiguous formulas for the sake of external peace or any other policy whatsoever4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #hee;f47 #aca4 ,various ,theological ,controversies4 ,following is a synopsis and summary of the main controversies within the ,lutheran ,church after the death of ,luther1 which were settled in the first eleven articles of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,the sequence of these articles1 however1 is not strictly historical and chronological1 but dogmatic4 ,in the main1 the arrangement of the ,augsburg ,confession is observed4 ,the first of these controversies was the so-called ,adiaphoristic ,controversy1 from #aedh to #aeee1 in which the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians 7,melanchthon1 ,eber1 ,pfeffinger1 etc47 defended the ,leipzig ,interim and the reintroduction of ,romish ceremonies into the ,lutheran ,church4 ,they were opposed by the champions of a consistent and determined ,lutheranism1 led by ,flacius1 who declared3 ,nihil est adiaphoron in statu confessionis et scandali4 ,nothing is an adiaphoron in case of confession and offense4 ,the controversy was decided by ,article ,x4 ,the second is the ,majoristic ,controversy1 from #aeea to #aefb1 in which ,george ,major and ,justus ,menius defended the phrase of ,melanchthon that good works are necessary to salvation4 ,they were opposed by the loyal ,lutherans1 of whom ,amsdorf1 however1 lapsed into the opposite error3 ,good works are detrimental to salvation4 ,this controversy was settled by ,article ,,iv4 ,the third is the ,synergistic ,controversy1 from #aeee to #aefj1 in which ,pfeffinger1 ,eber1 ,major1 ,crell1 ,pezel1 ,strigel1 and ,stoessel held with ,melanchthon that man by his own natural powers cooperates in his conversion4 ,their opponents 7,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 ,hesshusius1 ,wigand1 ,gallus1 ,musaeus1 and ,judex7 taught1 as formulated by ,flacius3 ,solus ,deus convertit hominem4444 ,non excludit voluntatem1 sed omnem efficaciam et operationem eius4444 ,god alone converts man4444 ,he does not exclude the will1 but all efficaciousness and operation of the same4 ,this controversy was decided and settled by ,article ,,ii4 ,the fourth is the ,flacian ,controversy1 from #aefj to #aege1 in which ,flacius1 supported by ,cyriacus ,spangenberg1 ,christian ,irenaeus1 ,matthias ,wolf1 ,i4 ,f4 ,coelestinus1 ,schneider1 and others1 maintained that original sin is not an accident1 but the very substance of fallen man4 ,the ,lutherans1 including the ,philippists1 were practically unanimous in opposing this error4 ,it was decided by ,article ,i4 ,the fifth was the ,osiandristic and the ,stancarian ,controversy1 from #aedi to #aeff1 in which ,andrew ,osiander denied the forensic character of justification1 and taught that ,christ is our righteousness only according to ,his divine nature1 while ,stancarus contended that ,christ is our righteousness according to ,his human nature only4 ,both1 ,osiander as well as ,stancarus1 were opposed by ,melanchthon1 ,flacius1 and practically all other ,lutherans1 the ,philippists included4 ,this controversy was settled by ,article ,,iii4 ,the sixth was the ,antinomistic ,controversy1 from #aebg to #aeef1 in which various false views concerning the ,law and the ,gospel were defended1 especially by ,john ,agricola who maintained that repentance 7contrition7 is not wrought by the ,law1 but by the ,gospel 7a view which1 in a modified form was later on defended also by ,wittenberg ,philippists71 and1 after ,luther's death1 by ,poach and ,otto1 who rejected the so-called ,third ,use of the ,law4 ,the questions involved in these ,antinomian controversies were decided by ,articles ,v and ,,vi4 ,the seventh was the ,crypto-,calvinistic ,controversy1 from #aefj to #aegd1 in which the ,philippists in ,wittenberg1 ,leipzig1 and ,dresden 7,peucer1 ,cracow1 ,stoessel1 etc47 endeavored gradually to supplant ,luther's doctrines concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the majesty of the human nature of ,christ by the ,calvinistic teachings on these points4 ,these secret and dishonest enemies of ,lutheranism were opposed by true ,lutherans everywhere1 notably by the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony4 ,in #aegd they were publicly unmasked as deceivers and ,calvinistic schemers4 ,the controversy was settled by ,articles ,,vii and ,,viii4 ,the two last controversies were of a local nature4 ,the first was chiefly confined to ,hamburg1 the second to ,strassburg4 ,in the former city ,john ,aepinus taught that ,christ's descent into hell was a part of ,his suffering and humiliation4 ,he was opposed by his colleagues in ,hamburg4 ,in ,strassburg ,john ,marbach publicly denounced ,zanchi1 a ,crypto-,calvinist1 for teaching that faith1 once engendered in a man1 cannot be lost4 ,the questions involved in these two articles are dealt with in ,articles ,,ix and ,,xi1 respectively4 #acb4 ,conflicts ,unavoidable4 ,when describing the conflicts after ,luther's death1 historians frequently deplore the dreadful controversies of these dark days of doctrinal extremists and the polemical spirit of rigid ,lutheranism4 ,g4 ,j4 ,planck1 in particular1 characterized them all as useless quarrels and personal wranglings of narrow-minded1 bigoted adherents of ,luther1 who vitiated original ,lutheranism by making it essentially a matter of pure doctrine4 ,to the present day indifferentistically inclined historians are wont to mar their pages with similar views4 ,true1 pure doctrine1 unity in the pure doctrine of the ,gospel1 such was the shibboleth of the faithful ,lutherans over against the ,melanchthonians and other errorists4 ,but this was neither reprehensible doctrinalism nor a corruption of original ,lutheranism1 but the very principle from which it was born and for which ,luther contended throughout his life--a principle of life or death for the ,lutheran ,church4 ,it was the false doctrine of justification which made ,luther a most miserable man4 ,it was the pure doctrine as taught by ,st4 ,paul which freed his conscience1 transported him into ,paradise1 as he himself puts it1 and made him the ,reformer of the ,church4 ,ever since1 purity of doctrine was held1 by ,luther and all true ,lutheran theologians1 to be of paramount import to ,christianity and the ,church4 ,fully realizing that adulteration of any part of the ,christian doctrine was bound to infect also the doctrine of faith and justification and thus endanger salvation1 they earnestly warned against1 and opposed1 every deviation from the clear ,word of ,god1 no matter how insignificant it might appear4 ,they loved the truth more than external peace1 more even than their own lives4 ,hence they found it impossible to be silent1 apathetic1 and complacent spectators while the ,philippists and others denied1 attacked1 and corrupted the truth taught by ,luther from the ,word of ,god4 ,accordingly1 since the ,leipzig ,interim involved and maintained doctrines and principles subversive of genuine ,lutheranism and was prepared1 introduced1 and defended by the very men who were regarded as pillars of the ,lutheran ,church1 it was evident from the outset that this document must of necessity precipitate most serious internal troubles4 ,from the moment the ,wittenbergers cast the ,interim as a firebrand into the ,church1 a domestic warfare was unavoidable1--if indeed any true disciples of ,luther still remained in the ,church of which he1 and not ,melanchthon1 was the founder4 ,while the ,augsburg ,interim resulted in an external theological warfare of the ,lutherans against the ,romanists1 the ,leipzig ,interim added a most serious domestic conflict1 which conscientious ,lutherans could not evade1 though it well-nigh brought our ,church to the brink of destruction4 ,for now the issue was not merely how to resist the ,pope and the ,romanists1 but1 how to purge our own ,church from the ,interimists and their pernicious principles4 ,and as long as the advocates of the ,interim or of other aberrations from the old ,lutheran moorings refused to abandon their errors1 and nevertheless insisted on remaining in the ,church1 there was no real unity in the truth4 ,hence there could also be no true peace and brotherly harmony among the ,lutherans4 ,and the way to settle these differences was not indifferently to ignore them1 nor unionistically to compromise them by adopting ambiguous formulas1 but patiently to discuss the doctrines at issue until an agreement in the truth was reached1 which finally was done by means of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,true1 these controversies endangered the very existence of our ,church4 ,but the real cause of this was not the resistance which the loyal ,lutherans offered to the errorists1 nor even the unseemly severity by which the prosecution of these controversies was frequently marred1 but the un-,lutheran spirit and the false principles and doctrines manifested and defended by the opponents4 ,in so far as divine truth was defended and error opposed1 these controversies were truly wars to end war1 and to establish real peace and true unity within our ,church4 ,a cowardly surrender to the indifferentistic spirit1 the unionistic policy1 the false principles1 and the erroneous doctrines of the ,interimists would have been tantamount to a complete transformation of our ,church and a total annihilation of genuine ,lutheranism4 ,the manner in which these controversies were conducted1 it is true1 was frequently such as to obstruct1 rather than further1 mutual understanding and peace4 ,as a rule1 it is assumed that only the genuine ,lutherans indulged in unseemly polemical invective1 and spoke and wrote in a bitter and spiteful tone4 ,but the ,melanchthonians were to say the least1 equally guilty4 ,and when censuring this spirit of combativeness1 one must not overlook that the ultimate cause of the most violent of these controversies was the betrayal of the ,lutheran ,church by the ,interimists2 and that the severity of the polemics of the loyal ,lutherans did not1 at least not as a rule1 emanate from any personal malice toward ,melanchthon1 but rather from a burning zeal to maintain sound ,lutheranism1 and from the fear that by the scheming and the indifference of the ,philippists the fruits of ,luther's blessed work might be altogether lost to the coming generations4 ,the peace-loving ,melanchthon started a conflagration within his own church in order to obtain a temporal and temporary peace with the ,romanists2 while the loyal ,lutherans1 inasmuch as they fought for the preservation of genuine ,lutheranism1 stood for1 and promoted1 a truly honorable1 godly1 and lasting peace on the basis of eternal truth4 ,and while the latter fought honestly and in the open1 the ,philippists have never fully cleared themselves from the charges of duplicity1 dishonesty1 and dissimulation4 #acc4 ,melanchthon ,prime ,mover of ,conflicts4 ,the ,leipzig ,interim was the signal for a general and prolonged warfare within the ,lutheran ,church4 ,it contained the germs of various doctrinal errors1 and produced a spirit of general distrust and suspicion1 which tended to exaggerate and multiply the real differences4 ,schmauk says3 ,the seeds of the subsequent controversies are all to be found in the ,leipzig ,interim4 7#eie47 ,at any rate1 most of the controversies after ,luther's death flowed from1 or were in some way or other connected with1 this unfortunate document4 ,such is the view also of the ,formula of ,concord1 which declares that the thirty years' controversies which it settled originated especially in the ,interim4 7#heg1 #ai2 #idg1 #bi47 ,yet the ,interim was rather the occasion than the ultimate cause of these conflicts4 ,long before the flames of open discord burst forth1 the embers of secret doctrinal dissension had been glowing under the surface4 ,even during the life of ,luther much powder had been secretly stored up for which the ,interim furnished the spark4 ,this is proved1 among other things1 by ,luther's predictions 7referred to in the preceding chapter7 concerning his own colleagues4 ,and above all it was the peace-loving ,philip who first and most successfully sowed the dragon's teeth of discord4 ,melanchthon's doctrinal deviations from the teachings of ,luther and from his own former position must be regarded as the last cause of both the ,leipzig ,interim and the lamentable controversies that followed in its wake4 ,indeed1 a tragic sight to behold3 ,the co-laborer of ,luther1 the servant of the ,reformation second only to ,luther1 the ,praeceptor ,germaniae1 the ardent and anxious lover of peace1 etc4--untrue to his confiding friend1 disloyal to the cause of the ,reformation1 and the chief cause of strife and dissension in the ,lutheran ,church6 ,and withal1 ,melanchthon1 mistaking external union for real unity and temporal peace with men for true peace with ,god1 felt satisfied that he had spent the efforts of his entire life in the interest of the true welfare of the ,church6 ,shortly before his death 7,april #ai1 #aefj7 he expressed his joy that now he would be delivered from the fury of the theologians4 ,on a sheet of paper found on his table were written a number of reasons why he feared death less4 ,one of them was3 ,liberaberis ab aerumnis et a rabie teologorum4 ,you will be delivered from toils and from the fury of the theologians4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ajih47 ,thus even in the face of death he did not realize that he himself was the chief cause of the conflicts that had embittered his declining years6 #acd4 ,melanchthon's ,humanistic and ,unionistic ,tendencies4 ,till about #aecj ,melanchthon seems to have been in complete harmony with ,luther1 and to have followed him enthusiastically4 ,to propagate1 coin1 and bring into scholastic form the ,christian truths once more brought to light by the ,reformer he considered to be his peculiar mission4 ,but his secret letters and1 with gradually increasing clearness and boldness1 also his publications show that later on he began to strike out on paths of his own1 and to cultivate and disseminate doctrines incompatible with the ,lutheranism of ,luther4 ,in a measure1 these deviations were known also to the ,wittenberg students and theologians1 to ,cordatus1 ,stifel1 ,amsdorf1 the ,elector ,john ,frederick1 ,brueck1 and ,luther1 who also called him to account whenever sufficient evidence warranted his doing so4 7,lehre und ,wehre #aijh1 #fa;ff47 ,in a letter to ,cordatus1 dated ,april #ae1 #aecg1 ,melanchthon was bold enough to state that he had made many corrections in his writings and was glad of the fact3 ,multa ultro correxi in libellis meis et correxisse me gaudeo4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #cdb47 ,in discussing the squabble between ,cordatus and ,melanchthon whether good works are necessary for salvation1 ,luther is reported by the former to have said1 in #aecf3 ,to ,philip ,i leave the sciences and philosophy and nothing else4 ,but ,i shall be compelled to chop off the head of philosophy1 too4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #bff47 ,melanchthon1 as ,luther put it1 was always troubled by his philosophy2 that is to say1 instead of subjecting his reason to the ,word of ,god1 he was inclined to balance the former against the latter4 ,the truth is that ,melanchthon never fully succeeded in freeing himself from his original humanistic tendencies1 a fact which gave his mind a moralistic rather than a truly religious and ,scriptural bent4 ,even during the early years of the ,reformation when he was carried away with admiration for ,luther and his work1 the humanistic undercurrent did not disappear altogether4 ,january #bb1 #aebe1 he wrote to ,camerarius3 ,ego mihi conscius sum1 non ullam ob causam unquam tetheologekenai1 nisi at mores meos emendarem4 ,i am conscious of the fact that ,i have never theologized for any other reason than to improve my morals4 7,c4 ,r4 #a1 #gbb47 ,such1 then1 being his frame of mind1 it was no wonder that he should finally desert ,luther in most important points1 lapse into synergism and other errors1 and1 in particular value indifferentistically doctrinal convictions1 notably on the real presence in the ,lord's ,supper and the person of ,christ4 ,over against ,luther1 says ,schaff1 ,melanchthon represented the unionistic and liberal type of ,lutheranism4 7,creeds1 #a1 #bei47 ,this is correct2 but the stricture must be added that1 since unionism and liberalism are incompatible with the very essence of ,lutheranism1 ,melanchthonianism as such was in reality not a type1 but a denial of ,lutheranism4 ,melanchthon lacked the simple faith in1 and the firm adherence and implicit submission to1 the ,word of ,god which made ,luther the undaunted and invincible hero of the ,reformation4 ,standing four-square on the ,bible and deriving from this source of divine power alone all his theological thoughts and convictions1 ,luther was a rock1 firm and immovable4 ,with him every theological question was decided and settled conclusively by quoting a clear passage from the ,holy ,scriptures1 while ,melanchthon1 devoid of ,luther's single-minded and whole-hearted devotion to the ,word of ,god1 endeavored to satisfy his reason as well4 ,consequently he lacked assurance and firm conviction1 wavered and vacillated1 and was never fully satisfied that the position he occupied was really the only correct one1 while1 on the other hand1 he endeavored to present his views concerning some of the disputed doctrines in ambiguous and indefinite terms4 ,we have twenty-eight large volumes of ,melanchthon's writings1 says ,c4 ,p4 ,krauth1 and1 at this hour1 impartial and learned men are not agreed as to what were his views on some of the profoundest questions of church doctrine1 on which ,melanchthon was writing all his life6 7,conservative ,ref41 #bia2 ,schmauk1 #gdh47 ,this indefinite and wavering attitude towards divine truth1 the natural consequence of the humanistic bent of his mind1 produced in ,melanchthon a general tendency and proneness to surrender or compromise doctrinal matters in the interest of policy1 and to barter away eternal truth for temporal peace4 ,it made him an indifferentist and a unionist1 always ready to strike a bargain also in matters pertaining to ,christian faith1 and to cover doctrinal differences with ambiguous formulas4 ,while ,luther's lifelong attitude on matters of ,christian doctrine is characterized by the famous words spoken by him at ,worms in #aeba3 ,ich kann nicht anders1 ,i cannot do otherwise1 ,melanchthon1 treating even questions of faith as matters of expediency rather than of conscience1 was the man who1 as a rule1 could also do otherwise1 and who was great in manufacturing ,polish boots1 as the ambiguous phrases by which he endeavored to unite opposing parties were called by the ,lutherans in ,reuss4 ,in order to preserve peace with the ,romanists at ,augsburg in #aecj1 he did not hesitate to sacrifice ,lutheran truths and to receive into the bargain a number of what he considered minor papal errors4 ,in his subsequent overtures to the ,reformed he was more than willing to make similar concessions4 ,the spirit of ,melanchthon was the spirit of religious indifference and of unionism1 which1 though thoroughly eliminated by the ,formula of ,concord1 was from time to time revived within the ,lutheran ,church by such men as ,calixtus1 ,spener1 ,zinzendorf1 ,neander1 and1 in our own country1 by ,s4 ,s4 ,schmucker4 ,the unionistic tendencies and doctrinal corruptions which ,melanchthon injected into ,lutheranism were all the more dangerous to our ,church because they derived special weight and prestige from the fact that ,luther had unstintingly praised his gifts1 his books1 and the services he had rendered the ,church 7,st4 ,l4 #ah1 #afga2 #bc1 #aaeb71 that he was now generally regarded as ,luther's successor with regard to theological leadership of the ,church2 and that he was gratefully admired as the ,praeceptor ,germaniae by a host of loyal pupils1 who made it a point also to cultivate just those theological peculiarities of ,master ,philip1 as they called him1 in which he differed from ,luther4 #ace4 ,melanchthon's ,shameful ,servitude4 ,that ,melanchthon failed our ,church in the ,interim emergency as well as in the subsequent controversies is generally ascribed to the fact that he lacked the bracing influence and assistance of ,luther4 ,no doubt1 there is a good deal of truth in this assumption4 ,but the true reason why he did not measure up to the demands of the times and the expectations of our ,church were not mere moral weaknesses1 but rather the errors and false principles to which he was wedded4 ,how could ,melanchthon have approved himself a leader of the ,lutherans when he was out of sympathy with them1 doubted some of their most cherished doctrines1 and long ago had struck out on a path deviating from that mapped out by ,luther8 ,true1 the bracing which he received from ,luther in the past had repeatedly kept him from publicly sacrificing the truth1 but even in these instances he did not always yield because he was really convinced1 but because he feared the uncompromising spirit of ,luther4 ,that fear of an open conflict with ,luther which1 he felt1 would result in a crushing defeat for himself1 bulked large among the motives which prompted him to maintain a semblance of true orthodoxy as long as ,luther lived1 is clearly admitted by ,melanchthon himself4 ,in his notorious and most discreditable letter to ,carlowitz 7counselor of ,elector ,maurice71 written ,april #bh1 #aedh1 eight days after the meeting at ,celle1 where he had debauched his conscience by promising submission to the religious demands of the ,emperor1 ,melanchthon1 pouring forth his feelings and revealing his true inwardness and his spirit of unionism and indifferentism as much as admitted that in the past he had been accustomed to hiding his real views4 ,here he declared in so many words that it was not he who started1 and was responsible for1 the religious controversy between the ,lutherans and ,romanists1 but rather ,luther whose contentious spirit 7he said7 also had constantly increased the rupture1 and that under ,luther he had suffered a most shameful servitude4 ,in the original the letter reads1 in part1 as follows3 ,totum enim me tibi ,carlowitz aperio4444 ,ego1 cum decreverit princeps etiamsi quid non probabo1 tamen nihil seditiose faciam1 sed vel tacebo1 vel cedam1 vel feram1 quidquid accidet4 ,tuli etiam antea servitutem paene deformem1 cum saepe ,lutherus magis suae naturae1 in qua filoneikia erat non exigua1 quam vel personae suae vel utilitati communi serviret4 ,et scio1 omnibus aetatibus1 ut tempestatum incommoda1 ita aliqua in gubernatione vitia modeste et arte ferenda et dissimulanda esse4444 ,fortassis natura sum ingenio servili4 7,c4 ,r4 #f1 #hgi;f47 ,even before ,melanchthon had1 in private letters to his friends1 displayed a similar vein of ill will toward ,luther1 whom he evidently feared because of his own secret doctrinal deviations4 7,lehre und ,wehre #aijh1 #fa4 #fh47 ,no doubt1 as stated above1 fear was also among the motives which induced him to identify himself with the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,but evidently his own theological attitude1 too1 differed little from the spirit pervading this document4 ,at any rate1 the letter to ,carlowitz does not support the assumption that ,melanchthon really outraged his own convictions when he wrote and adopted the ,interim4 ,as a matter of fact1 he also continued to defend the ,interim2 and it was as late as #aeef before he was ready to make even a qualified admission of one of the errors connected with it4 ,while1 therefore1 the ,lutheran ,church will always gratefully acknowledge the splendid services which ,melanchthon rendered in the work of ,luther's ,reformation1 it must at the same time be admitted and cannot be gainsaid that1 in the last analysis1 ,melanchthon1 by reason of his deviations from ,luther1 which will be set forth more fully in the following1 was the ultimate cause and originator of most of the dissensions which began to distract the ,lutheran ,church soon after the death of ,luther4 ,andrew ,musculus1 who assisted in drafting the ,formula of ,concord1 brought out this fact 7though in terms too strong7 when he characterized ,melanchthon as a philosophical theologian and a patriarch of all heretics4 7,meusel1 ,handl4 #d1 #gaj47 ,in a way1 ,melanchthon may even be regarded as the indirect cause of the ,smalcald ,war and its unfortunate issue1 inasmuch1 namely1 as his vacillating and compromising attitude and his incompetent leadership created conditions of internal weakness among the ,lutherans1 which invited the aggression of ,pope and ,emperor4 ,,xii4 ,the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy4 #acf4 ,contents of the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,to exhibit the insidious character of the ,leipzig ,interim more fully1 we submit the following quotations4 ,in its ,introduction we read3 ,as far as the doctrine of the state and nature of man before and after the ,fall is concerned1 there is no controversy 7between the ,lutherans and ,romanists74 ,the article ,of ,justification1 in which the ,lutheran sola fide is omitted1 declares3 ,the merciful ,god does not work with man as with a block1 but draws him1 so that his will also cooperates if he be of understanding years4 ,again3 ,and they who have thus received the forgiveness of sins and the ,holy ,ghost1 and in whom the ,holy ,ghost begins faith and trust in the ,son of ,god1 love and hope1 then become heirs of eternal salvation for the ,savior's sake4 ,in the article ,of ,good ,works we read3 ,nevertheless1 the new virtues and good works are so highly necessary that1 if they were not quickened in the heart there would be no reception of divine grace4 ,again3 ,it is certainly true that these virtues1 faith1 love1 hope1 and others1 must be in us and are necessary to salvation4444 ,and since the virtues and good works1 as has been said1 please ,god1 they merit also a reward in this life1 both spiritual and temporal1 according to ,god's counsel1 and still more reward in the eternal life1 because of the divine promise4 ,the article ,of ,ecclesiastical ,power runs as follows3 ,what the true ,christian ,church gathered in the ,holy ,ghost1 acknowledges1 determines1 and teaches in regard to matters of faith is to be taught and preached1 since it neither should nor can determine anything contrary to the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,self-evidently1 ,romanists construed this as an a priori endorsement of the ,council and its resolutions4 ,in the article ,of ,ecclesiastical ,ministers we read3 ,and that all other ministers should be subject and obedient to the chief bishop the ,pope and to other bishops who administer their episcopal office according to ,god's command1 using the same for edification and not for destruction2 which ministers should be ordained also by such bishops upon presentation by the patrons4 ,this article conceded the primacy of the ,pope and the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the bishops4 ,the article ,of ,ordination declares3 ,also1 that1 as has been said1 upon presentation by patrons1 ministers should hereafter be ordained with ,christian ceremonies by such bishops as administer their episcopal office1 and that no one should be allowed to be in the ministry unless1 as has been said1 he be presented by the patrons and have the permission of the bishops4 ,that was tantamount to a restoration of the sacrament of episcopal ordination4 ,the ,interim furthermore demanded the immediate reintroduction of abolished ceremonies1 such as exorcism and other ceremonies of ,baptism1 confirmation by bishops1 auricular confession1 extreme unction1 episcopal ordination1 and the like4 ,we read3 ,that repentance1 confession1 and absolution1 and what pertains thereto1 be diligently taught and preached2 that the people confess to the priests1 and receive of them absolution in ,god's stead1 and be also diligently admonished and urged to prayer1 fasting1 and almsgiving2 also1 that no one be admitted to the highly venerable ,sacrament of the body and blood of ,christ in this indirect way only the cup of the laity is referred to in the ,interim unless he have first confessed to the priest and received of him absolution4 ,again3 ,although in this country the unction ,extreme ,unction has not been in use for many years1 yet 444 such unction1 according to the apostle1 may be hereafter observed4 ,again3 ,that henceforth the mass be observed in this country with ringing of bells1 with lights and vessels1 with chants1 vestments1 and ceremonies4 ,among the holidays to be observed the ,interim mentions also ,corpus ,christi and the festivals of the holy ,virgin ,mary4 ,again we read3 ,the images and pictures of the sufferings of ,christ and of the saints may be also retained in the churches4 ,again3 ,in the churches where the canonical hours have been formerly observed1 the devout ,psalms shall be sung in chapters and towns at the appointed time and on other high festivals1 and also on ,sundays4 ,likewise1 that on ,fridays and ,saturdays1 as well as during fasts1 the eating of meat be abstained from and that this be observed as an external ordinance at the command of ,his ,imperial ,majesty4 ,the clause1 that this be observed1 etc41 was regarded by ,flacius and ,gallus as implying self-deception and hypocrisy on the part of the ,interimists4 7,frank #d #gb4 #aai47 ,again1 as to the apparel of priests1 that a distinction be observed between ministers and secular persons1 and that proper reverence be paid the priestly estate4 ,the ,introduction of the ,interim gives the assurance that the ,lutherans would obey the ,emperor and be found disposed toward peace and unity4 ,the ,conclusion adds the humble promise3 ,in all other articles we are ready 444 in a friendly and submissive manner to confer with ,your ,beloved and ,princely ,graces1 and to settle our differences in a ,christian way4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #beh4 ,jacobs1 ,book of ,concord1 #b1 #bfj47 #acg4 ,issue in ,adiaphoristic ,controversy4 ,from the passages quoted it appears that the ,leipzig ,interim was inoculated with the germs of many controversies4 ,however1 while in the beginning its offensive doctrinal features were not fully and generally recognized and realized1 the ,emperor's demand for1 and approval of1 the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologian's reintroduction of the ,romish ceremonies immediately created an acute situation and a great commotion everywhere4 ,the resulting theological conflict pertaining to the latter point in particular was called the ,adiaphoristic or ,interimistic ,controversy4 ,and1 as explained above1 even after the ,interim had become a dead letter politically1 this controversy did not subside1 because its paramount object was not merely to pass a correct judgment on past events during the ,interim1 nor even to obtain norms for similar situations in the future1 but1 above all1 to eliminate from our ,church the spirit of indifferentism1 unionism1 and of direct as well as indirect denial of the ,gospel-truth4 ,accordingly1 the exact issue in the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy was3 ,may ,lutherans1 under conditions such as prevailed during the ,interim1 when the ,romanists on pain of persecution and violence demanded the reinstitution of abolished papal ceremonies1 even if the ceremonies in question be truly indifferent in themselves1 submit with a good conscience1 that is to say1 without denying the truth and ,christian liberty1 without sanctioning the errors of ,romanism1 and without giving offense either to the enemies or to the friends of the ,lutheran ,church1 especially its weak members8 ,this was affirmed by the ,interimists and denied by their opponents4 #ach4 ,opposition to the ,adiaphorists4 ,prominent among the theologians who participated in the controversy against the ,adiaphorists were ,flacius1 ,wigand1 ,gallus1 and others1 who in ,magdeburg opened a most effective fire on the authors1 sponsors1 and advocates of the ,interim4 ,following are some of the chief publications which dealt with the questions involved3 ,opinion concerning the ,interim1 by ,melanchthon1 ,june #af1 #aedh1 published by ,flacius without the knowledge of ,melanchthon4--,report on the ,interim by the ,theologians of ,meissen1 #aedh4--,that in ,these ,dangerous ,times 7in diesen geschwinden ,laeuften7 ,nothing is to be ,changed in the ,churches of ,god in ,order to ,please the ,devil and the ,antichrist1 by ,john ,hermann1 #aedh4 ,a ,latin edition of this publication appeared #aedi1 mentioning ,flacius as its author4--,a ,brief ,report 7,ein kurzer ,bericht7 on the ,interim from which ,one may ,easily ,learn the ,doctrine and ,spirit of ,that ,book1 #aedh4--;,a ,general ,protest and ,writ of ,complaint 7,eine gemeine ,protestation und ,klageschrift7 of ,all ,pious ,christians against the ,interim and ,other ,sinister ,schemes and ,cruel ,persecutions by the ,enemies of the ,gospel1 by ,john ,waremund1 #aedh4 ,waremund was a pseudonym for ,flacius4--,against the ,interim1 ,papal ,mass1 ,canon1 and ,master ,eisleben1 #aeai4--;,against the ,vile ,devil 7,wider den schnoeden ,teufel71 who ,now ,again ,transforms ,himself into an ,angel of ,light1 i4e41 against the ,new ,interim1 by ,carolus ,azarias ,gotsburgensis1 #aedi4 ,of this book1 too1 ,flacius was the author4 7,preger #a1 #fg47--;,apology 7,entschuldigung7 of ,matthias ,flacius ,illy4 to a ,certain ,pastor1 #aedi4--,several ,letters of the ,venerable ,d4 ,m4 ,luther concerning the ,union of ,christ and ,belial1 ,written #aecj to the ,theologians at the ,diet in ,augsburg1 #aedi1 with a preface by ,flacius4--,apology of ,matthias ,flacius ,illy41 ,addressed to the ,university of ,wittenberg1 regarding the ,adiaphora1 #aedi4--,writing of ,matthias ,flacius ,illy4 against a ,truly ,heathen1 yea1 ,epicurean ,book of the ,adiaphorists 7in which the ,leipzig ,interim is ,defended7 in ,order to ,guard ,oneself against the ,present ,counterfeiters of the ,true ,religion1 #aedi4--;,answer of ,magister ,nicolas ,gallus and ,matthias ,flacius ,illy4 to the ,letter of ,some ,preachers in ,meissen regarding the ,question whether ,one should ,abandon ,his ,parish rather than ,don the ,cassock 7linea vestis1 ,chorrock74--,against the ,extract of the ,leipzig ,interim1 or the ,small ,interim1 by ,flacius1 #aedi4--;,book concerning ,true and ,false ,adiaphora 7,liber de ,veris et ,falsis ,adiaphoris71 in which the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy is ,explained ,almost in ,its ,entirety1 by ,flacius1 #aedi4 ,this book1 which is most frequently quoted and deals most thoroughly with the questions involved1 is found in ,schluesselburg's ,catalogus ,haereticorum #ac1 #aed;ff4--,an ,admonition 7,vermahnung7 to be ,constant in the ,confession of the ,truth1 in ,cross and ,prayer1 by ,flacius1 #aedi4--;,a ,christian ,admonition by ,matthias ,flacius ,illy4 to be ,constant in the ,true1 ,pure ,religion of ,jesus ,christ and in the ,augsburg ,confession1 #aeej4--;,against the ,alleged ,power and ,primacy of the ,pope1 ,useful to ,read at ,this ,time1 when the ,whole ,world ,endeavors again to ,place the ,expelled ,antichrist into the ,temple of ,christ1 by ,matthias ,flacius ,illy4--,against the ,evangelist of the ,holy ,chorrock1 ,d4 ,geitz ,major1 by ,matthias ,flacius ,illy41 #aeeb4--;,for a complete list of the writings of ,flacius against the ,interim1 see ,preger's ,matthias ,flacius ,illyricus1 #b1 #edj ff4 ,even the titles of these publications indicate that the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy did not lack violence and virulence4 ,this animosity against the ,interimists was chiefly due to the fear that their policy would finally lead to the complete undoing of the ,reformation4 ,for while ,melanchthon still believed in and hoped for1 an understanding with the ,romanists1 ,flacius saw through their schemes and fully realized the impending danger4 ,in the reintroduction of ,catholic ceremonies which ,melanchthon regarded as entirely harmless1 ,flacius beheld nothing but the entering wedge1 which would gradually be followed by the entire mass of ,romish errors and abuses and the absolute dominance of ,pope and ,emperor over the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the obedience demanded by the ,emperor1 said ,flacius1 consists in this1 that we abandon our true doctrine and adopt the godless ,papacy4 ,in all its details1 he explained1 the ultimate purpose of the ,interim is none other than the reestablishment of ,popery1 of which even such seemingly trifling matters as the reintroduction of the ,chorrock 7linea vestis7 were but the beginning1 as it were1 the breach in the dam which was bound ultimately to result in a complete submersion of ,lutheranism4 7,frank #d1 #gd4 #gf4 #aai47 ,since the loyal ,lutherans1 in keeping with the teaching of ,luther and the ,lutheran ,confessions1 regarded the ,papacy as antichristendom1 they could not but abhor the concessions made by the ,interimists as treachery against the truth4 ,from the very outset ,flacius and ,gallus insisted that their opponents answer the question1 whether the ,pope with his government is the true ,antichrist in the ,church as according to the ,word of ,god he has been publicly declared to be in our churches1 and whether he still should and must be regarded and confessed as such4 ,and if ,luther's doctrine was to stand1 how1 then1 they argued1 could a union be effected between the enemies of the ,gospel 7the ,antichrist and his bishops7 and the ,lutherans without idolatry and denial of the religion of ,christ8 7#ec4 #ajg47 ,on the title-page of his ,apology1 of #aedi1 ,flacius declares3 ,the upshot of the ,interim is the establishment of the ,papacy and the installation of the ,antichrist in the temple of ,christ1 the encouragement of the wicked to flaunt their victory over the ,church of ,christ and to grieve the godly1 likewise weakening1 leading into doubt1 separation and innumerable offenses4 7,schaff #a1 #cja47 ,regarding the acknowledgment of the ,pope and bishops by the ,interim1 ,flacius remarked3 ,mark well1 here the werewolf 7,baerwolf71 together with his fellow-wolves1 is placed over the little flock of ,christ4 ,there is1 however1 no danger whatever2 for1 as is added in the ,interim3 ,the ,pope should use his power not for destruction1 but for edification1 they have counted the sheep and commanded the wolves to be gentle4 ,in my opinion this is certainly a good adiaphoron to restore ,antichrist to the temple from which he has been expelled by the ,finger of ,god4 7,preger #a1 #aia47 ,accordingly1 burning with shame and indignation1 and trembling with fear for the future of ,lutheranism1 ,flacius charged ,melanchthon with want of faith and with treason against the truth1 and characterized the ,leipzig ,interim as an unholy union of ,christ and ,belial1 of light and darkness1 of ,christ and ,antichrist4 ,while ,flacius thus denounced the ,interim as well as its authors and abettors1 he at the same time admonished and encouraged the ,lutheran pastors to be steadfast in confessing the truth1 in spite of cross and persecution1 and to stand by their flocks as true shepherds4 ,that minister1 he said1 who denies or fails to confess the truth1 or who yields to a tyrant1 deserts his ,church4 ,we must not only confess with our mouths1 but by deeds and actions as well4 ,not abandonment of the flock1 but suffering is the best way to win the victory over a tyrant4 ,flacius also earnestly warned the people against yielding to the princes and acknowledging1 hearing1 and following their own ministers if they advocated and introduced the ,interim4 ,moreover1 he encouraged both pastors and laymen to resist the tyranny of princes demanding the reinstitution of the ,roman ceremonies4 ,a government1 said he in his ,admonition1 no matter which1 has not the authority to forbid pastor to preach the pure doctrine4 ,when the government persecutes the truth1 we must not yield1 no matter what the consequences may be4 ,christians will sacrifice everything to a tyrannical prince1 but not the truth1 not the consolation of divine grace1 nor the hope of eternal life4 7,frank #d1 #fh4 #aag47 #aci4 ,doctrinal ,position of ,anti-,adiaphorists4 ,the theological position occupied by the opponents of the ,adiaphorists may be summarized as follows3 ,ceremonies which ,god has neither commanded nor prohibited are adiaphora 7res mediae1 ,mitteldinge7 and ceteris paribus 7other things being equal71 may be observed or omitted1 adopted or rejected4 ,however1 under circumstances testing one's faith they may become a matter of principle and conscience4 ,such is the case wherever and whenever they are demanded as necessary1 or when their introduction involves a denial of the truth1 an admission of error1 an infringement of ,christian liberty1 an encouragement of errorists and of the enemies of the ,church1 a disheartening of the confessors of the truth1 or an offense to ,christians1 especially the weak4 ,such conditions1 they maintained1 prevailed during the time of the ,interim1 when both ,pope and ,emperor plainly declared it to be their object to reestablish the ,romish religion in ,lutheran churches2 when the adoption of the ,interim and the reinstitution of the papal ceremonies were universally regarded1 by ,catholics as well as ,protestants1 as the beginning of just such a reestablishment of the ,papacy2 when the timid ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians1 instead of boldly confessing the ,gospel and trusting to ,god for the protection of ,his ,church1 compromised the truth and yielded to the demands of the ,romanists in order to escape persecution when the consciences of ,lutherans were perplexed and confused wherever the abolished rites were reinstituted4 ,accordingly1 they declared that under the prevailing circumstances the reintroduction of the ,romish ceremonies was nothing short of a denial of ,christian faith and of ,christian love as well4 ,flacius1 in particular1 maintained that under the prevailing circumstances even such ceremonies as were in themselves true adiaphora ceased to be adiaphora and could not be reintroduced with a good conscience1 because they were forced upon the ,lutherans by the enemies of the ,gospel1 because they were accepted for reprehensible reasons1 such as fear of persecution and desire for external peace1 and because their reintroduction confounded the consciences1 offended the weak1 and gave comfort and encouragement to the enemies of ,christ4 ,the people1 ,protestants as well as ,catholics1 said ,flacius1 would regard such reintroduction both as an admission on the part of the ,lutherans that they had been in the wrong and the ,romanists in the right1 and as the beginning of a general restoration of the ,papacy4 ,explain the reintroduction of the ceremonies as piously as you may1 said he to the ,interimists1 the common people1 especially the ,romanists1 always impressed by ceremonies much more than by the doctrine1 will infer that those teachers who reintroduce the ceremonies approve of the ,papacy in every respect and reject the ,evangelical doctrine4 ,in his book ,de ,veris et ,falsis ,adiaphoris we read3 ,adversarii totum suum cultum1 vel certe praecipua capita suae religionis in ceremoniis collocant1 quas cum in nostris ecclesiis in eorum gratiam restituimus1 an non videmur tum eis1 tum aliis eorum impiis cultibus assentiri8 ,nec dubitant1 quin quandoquidem in tantis rebus ipsis cesserimus1 etiam in reliquis cessuri simus1 nostrum errorem agnoscamus1 eorumque religionem veram esse confiteamur4 7,schluesselburg #ac1 #bag47 ,accordingly1 ,flacius contended that under the prevailing circumstances a concession to the ,romanists1 even in ceremonies harmless in themselves1 was tantamount to a denial of ,lutheranism4 ,the entire argument of the ,anti-,adiaphorists was by him reduced to the following principle or axiom3 ,nihil est adiaphoron in casu confessionis et scandali4 ,nothing is an adiaphoron when confession and offense are involved4 ,and wherever the ,interim was enforced1 the consequences foretold by ,flacius showed themselves3 consciences were confused1 simple ,christians were offended1 and the enemies were strengthened in their error and emboldened in their attacks and in further demands made upon the ,lutherans4 #adj4 ,sophistries of ,adiaphorists ,refuted4 ,the ,wittenberg ,interimists endeavored to justify their attitude by a series of sophisms to which they also adhered in the ,final ,report 7,endlicher ,bericht7 of the ,theologians of ,both ,universities of ,leipzig and ,wittenberg1 #aegj4 7,frank #d1 #hg4 #b47 ,by adopting the ,interim1 the ,wittenbergers1 in reality1 had assented also to doctrinally false and dubious statements and to a number of ceremonies objectionable as such4 ,yet they pleaded the guilelessness of their intentions and the harmlessness of their procedure4 ,they maintained that they had yielded merely in minor matters and ceremonies1 which were neither commanded nor prohibited by the ,word of ,god2 that this was done in order to preserve intact the central ,christian truth of justification2 to preserve political peace and to save the ,church from ruin2 to protect the weak1 whose shoulders were not strong enough to suffer persecution2 that in their concessions they had been guided by the dictates of true wisdom1 which always chooses the lesser of two evils2 and that in all this they had merely followed the example set by ,luther himself4 ,they minimized the entire affair1 and endeavored to explain away the seriousness of the situation4 ,in particular they ridiculed ,flacius for shouting and sounding the fire-alarm when in reality1 they said1 he had discovered nothing but a little smoke coming from a ,wittenberg chimney4 ,but in the ears of all genuine and earnest ,lutherans their sophistries and apologies rang neither true nor sincere4 ,the arguments which they employed merely served to defeat their own purpose4 ,what else1 for example1 than disgust1 indignation1 and distrust could be the effect on all honest ,lutherans when the ,wittenberg theologians1 dishonestly veiling the real facts1 declared in their official ,exposition of #aeei 7when danger of persecution had passed long ago7 concerning the reintroduction of ,corpus ,christi that they had reintroduced this festival all the more readily in order that they might be able to instruct the people in the right use of the ,sacrament and in the horrible abuses and profanations of the most holy ,supper of the ,lord in the circumgestation and adoration of the bread which their critics the ,lutheran opponents of the ,interimists1 by their doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper strengthened and that they might thank ,god for the purification of the temple from the ,romish idol ,maozim1 ,dan4 #aa1 #ch4 7,tschackert1 #eaj47 ,frank remarks3 ,one must see this passage black on white in order to believe the ,wittenbergers really capable of stultifying themselves in such an incredible manner4 ,it is a monstrosity1 a defense unworthy of an honest man1 let alone an ,evangelical ,christian4 7#d1 #fa4 #aac47 ,the weak and insincere arguments of the ,adiaphorists were thoroughly and convincingly refuted by their opponents4 ,to the assertion of the ,wittenbergers that the dispute was concerning mere unimportant ceremonies which were neither commanded nor prohibited by ,god1 ,flacius and ,gallus replied 7in their answer to the question of the ministers of ,meissen whether they should leave their charges rather than don the ,chorrock1 lineam vestem induere7 that even with respect to such seemingly most trifling adiaphora as the cope 7,chorrock1 vestis alba7 one must not overlook what is attached to it4 ,we do not believe1 they said1 that the robber will let the traveler keep his money1 although first he only asks for his coat or similar things1 at the same time1 however1 not obscurely hinting that1 after having taken these1 he will also demand the rest4 ,we certainly do not doubt that you yourselves1 as well as all men endowed with a sound mind1 believe that1 since the beginning is always hardest1 these small beginnings of changes are at present demanded only that a door may be opened for all the other impieties that are to follow--quod tantum ideo parva ista mutationum initia iam proponantur1 ut quia principia semper sunt dificillima per ea aditus reliquis omnibus secuturis impietatibus patefiat4 7,schluesselburg #ac1 #fdd47 ,the ,adiaphorists pretended that they had consented to the ,interim in the interest of the weak1 who were unable to bear persecution4 ,but the ,lutherans answered that weak ,christians could not be strengthened in their faith by teaching and persuading them to deny it and that the enemies and persecutors of the ,gospel could certainly not be regarded as weak4 7,frank #d1 #gh47 ,the protestations of the ,adiaphorists that they had made the changes in ceremonies with the very best of intentions were answered by ,flacius in ,de ,veris et ,falsis ,adiaphoris as follows3 ,hardly ever has a ,christian denied ,christ without endeavoring to deceive both ,god and himself as to his motives4 ,but one must also consider1 as may be clearly shown from #a ,cor4 #aj1 with what design 7quo animo7 the adversaries propose such things to us1 likewise1 how they as well as others interpret our act4 7,schl4 #ac1 #bag47 ,even though the intention of those who receive and use the adiaphora be not an evil one1 the question is1 said ,martin ,chemnitz in his ,iudicium de ,adiaphoris1 whether the opinion of the one who commands1 imposes1 and demands the adiaphora is impious or wicked1 whether such reception and observation is interpreted and understood as a turning away from the confession of the true doctrine1 and whether the weak are offended and grow faint thereby4 7#gag47 ,to the claims of the ,interimists that they were but following the example of ,luther1 who1 for the sake of the weak1 had tolerated ,romish ceremonies1 etc41 the ,lutherans replied3 ,distinguish times and conditions6 ,luther was dealing with ,christians who in their consciences still felt bound to the ,roman usages1 while the weakness spoken of by ,adiaphorists is not an erring conscience1 but fear of persecution4 ,moreover ,luther tolerated existing ,romish ceremonies as long as there was hope of arriving at an agreement with the ,romanists in doctrine1 while the ,adiaphorists reinstitute ceremonies which have been abolished1 and this1 too1 in deference and obedience to irreconcilable adversaries of the truth4 ,accordingly1 ,luther's attitude in this matter flowed from pure love for truth and from compassion with the weak1 whom he endeavored to win for the truth1 while the submission of the ,adiaphorists to the demands of their adversaries is nothing short of unchristian denial of both true love and faith4 7,frank #d1 #ee47 ,brenz declared3 ,adiaphora ex suis conditionibus iudicanda sunt4 ,adiaphora must be judged from their conditions4 ,for if the condition is good1 the adiaphoron1 too1 is good1 and its observance is commanded4 ,if1 however1 the condition is evil1 the adiaphoron1 too1 is evil1 and the observance of it is prohibited4 7,schl4 #ac1 #efb47 ,furthermore1 when the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians maintained that1 in preferring the lesser evil 7the ,roman ceremonies7 to the greater 7persecution71 they had merely listened to1 and followed1 the voice of true wisdom1 the ,lutherans replied that moral evils must not be placed on a level with physical evils1 nor guilt be incurred in order to avoid suffering and persecution4 ,westphal declared in his ,explicatio ,generalis ,sententiae1 quod a ,duobus ,malis ,minus sit ,eligendum3 ,impium est1 amoliri pericula per peccata1 nec ita removentur aut minuuntur sed accersuntur et augentur poenae4 ,it is wicked to avert dangers by sins1 nor are they removed or diminished in this way1 but rather superinduced and increased4 7#ac1 #bea47 ,it is better to take upon oneself punishments and great dangers than to offend ,god and to provoke ,his wrath by such offense4 7#bej47 ,it is better and easier to bear many evils and to undergo many dangers than to be unfaithful in the least commandment of ,god1 and burden oneself with the guilt of even a single sin4 7#bea47 ,our paramount duty is not to escape persecution1 but to retain a good conscience4 ,obey the ,lord and await ,his help6 ,such was the counsel of ,flacius and the loyal ,lutherans4 7,frank #d1 #fe47 ,but our ,wittenberg school will be closed1 our churches will be desolated1 and our preachers will be banished1 exclaimed the faint-hearted ,wittenbergers4 ,the ,lutherans answered3 ,it is our duty to confess the truth regardless of consequences1 and1 at the same time1 to look to ,god for the protection of ,his ,church4 ,flacius said1 in ,de ,veris et ,falsis ,adiaphoris3 ,confess the truth and suffer the consequences6 ,a ,christian cannot obtain peace by offending ,god and serving and satisfying tyrants4 ,rather be drowned by the ,spaniards in the ,elbe with a millstone about one's neck than offend a ,christian1 deny the truth1 and surrender the ,church to ,satan4 ,longe satius esset teste ,christo pati1 ut alligata mola asinaria in medium ,albis ab ,hispanis proiiceremur1 quam unicum parvulum ,christi scandalizaremus1 multo vero magis haec et quaevis gravissima pati deberemus1 quam tam infinitis 7ut iam fit7 ,christi parvulis offendiculum daremus1 ecclesiam ,satanae proderemus et salvificam confessionem veritatis abiiceremus4 7,schl4 #ac1 #bbg47 ,as to the ,wittenberg ,school1 ,flacius said3 ,it would certainly be better that the school were closed not one1 but many years than that we1 by avoiding confession1 extremely weaken our own religion as well as strengthen the one opposed to it4 7#ac1 #bca47 ,as for myself1 ,i do not doubt that1 if only the theologians had been steadfast1 the ,wittenberg ,school would have been to-day much firmer than it is4444 ,the ,interim sprang from the timidity of the ,wittenberg theologians4444 ,even a thousand ,wittenberg schools ought certainly not to be valued so highly by pious men that1 in order to preserve them unimpaired1 they would rather suffer the world to be deprived of the light of the ,gospel4 ,certe non tanti mille ,wittenbergenses scholae piis esse debent1 ut propter earum incolumitatem velint pati orbem terrarum ,evangelii luce privari4 7#bcb47 ,in a letter to ,melanchthon1 written in the beginning of #aedi1 ,brenz said3 ,if therefore the ,church and pious ministers cannot be preserved in any other way than by bringing reproach upon the pious doctrine1 then let us commend them to ,christ1 the ,son of ,god2 ,he will take care of them2 and in the mean time let us patiently bear our banishment and wait for the ,lord4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #bij47 ,june #cj1 #aecj1 ,luther had written to ,melanchthon1 who was then in ,augsburg3 ,you want to govern things according to your philosophy2 you torment yourself and do not see that this matter is not within your power and wisdom4444 ,if we fall1 ,christ1 that is to say1 the ,ruler of the world1 falls with us2 and even though ,he should fall1 ,i would rather fall with ,christ than stand with the ,emperor4 ,this passage is contained in one of the letters of ,luther which ,flacius published #aedh in order to dispel ,melanchthon's timidity1 rouse his ,lutheran consciousness1 and cure him of his vain and most dangerous disposition to save the ,church by human wisdom and shrewdness1 instead of1 as ,luther believed1 solely by a bold confession of the truth of ,god's ,word4 #ada4 ,theological ,attitude of ,flacius ,sanctioned4 ,the theological position which ,flacius and his fellow-combatants occupied over against the ,adiaphorists was embodied in the ,tenth ,article of the ,formula of ,concord1 and thus endorsed by the ,lutheran ,church as a whole4 ,frank says concerning this most excellent article which our ,church owes to the faithfulness of the ,anti-,melanchthonians1 notably ,flacius3 ,the theses which received churchly recognition in the ,formula of ,concord were those of ,flacius4 ,the entire matter1 too1 concerning the adiaphora had been discussed so thoroughly and correctly that the subsequent formulation and recognition of the ,tenth ,article caused but little difficulties4 7,frank #d1 #c;f47 ,even ,melanchthon1 though refusing to confess that he was guilty of any doctrinal deviations1 finally yielded to the arguments of his opponents and admitted that they were right in teaching as they did regarding the adiaphora4 ,in his famous letter to ,flacius 7who1 however1 was not satisfied with the manner of ,melanchthon's retraction71 dated ,september #e1 #aeef1 he wrote with respect to the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy3 ,i knew that even the least changes in ceremonies would be unwelcome to the people4 ,however1 since the doctrine 8 was retained1 ,i would rather have our people submit to this servitude than forsake the ministry of the ,gospel4 ,cum doctrina retineretur integra1 malui nostros hanc servitutem subire quam deserere ministerium evangelii4 ,and ,i confess that ,i have given the same advice to the ,francans 7,francis74 ,this ,i have done2 the doctrine of the ,confession ,i have never changed4444 ,afterwards you began to contradict4 ,i yielded2 ,i did not fight4 ,in ,homer1 ,ajax fighting with ,hector is satisfied when ,hector yields and admits that the former is victor4 ,you never come to an end with your accusations4 ,where is the enemy that does such a thing as striking those who yield and cast their arms away8 ,win6 ,i yield4 ,i do not contend concerning those rites1 and ,i most earnestly wish that the churches would enjoy sweet concord4 ,i also admit that ,i have sinned in this matter1 and ask forgiveness of ,god1 that ,i did not flee far from those insidious deliberations in which the ,interim was framed4 ,fateor hoc in re a me peccatum esse1 et a ,deo veniam peto1 quod non procul fugi insidiosas illas deliberationes4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #hci47 ,on ,january #ag1 #aeeg1 ,melanchthon wrote to the ,saxon pastors3 ,i was drawn into the insidious deliberations of the courts4 ,therefore1 if in any way ,i have either fallen or been too weak1 ,i ask forgiveness of ,god and of the ,church1 and ,i shall submit to the judgments of the ,church4 7#i1 #fa47 ,in the ,formula ,consensus1 written by ,melanchthon at ,worms1 in #aeeg1 the ,interim is expressly condemned4 ,for here we read3 ,with the help of ,god we retain1 and shall retain1 the entire doctrine of justification1 agreeing with the ,augsburg ,confession and with the confessions which were published in the church of ,hamburg against the book called ,interim4 ,nor do we want any corruptions or ambiguities to be mixed with it2 and we desire most earnestly that the true doctrine in all its articles be set forth1 as far as possible1 in identical and proper forms of speech1 and that ambitious innovations be avoided4 7#i1 #cfi47 ,the ,frankfurt ,recess of #aeeh1 also written by ,melanchthon and signed by the princes1 maintains3 ,where the true ,christian doctrine of the holy ,gospel is polluted or persecuted1 there the adiaphora as well as other ceremonies are detrimental and injurious4 7#i1 #eja47 ,,xiii4 ,the ,majoristic ,controversy4 #adb4 ,early ,origin of ,this ,error4 ,though not personally mentioned and attacked by the opponents of ,majorism1 ,melanchthon must be regarded as the real father also of this controversy4 ,he was the first to introduce and to cultivate the phrase3 ,good works are necessary to salvation4 ,in his ,loci of #aece he taught that1 in the article of justification1 good works are the causa sine qua non and are necessary to salvation1 ad vitam aeternam1 ad salutem4 7,herzog1 ,r4 ,e41 #aijc1 #ab1 #eai2 ,galle1 ,melanchthon1 #cde4 #acd47 ,melanchthon defined3 ,causa sine qua non works nothing1 nor is it a constituent part but merely something without which the effect does not occur1 or by which1 if it were not present1 the working cause would be hindered because it was not added4 ,causa sine qua non nihil agit1 nec est pars constituens1 sed tantum est quiddam1 sine quo non fit effectus1 seu quo1 si non adesset1 impediretur agens1 ideo quia illud non accessisset4 7,preger #a1 #cef47 ,according to ,melanchthon1 therefore1 justification cannot occur without the presence of good works4 ,he explained3 ,et tamen bona opera ita necessaria sunt ad vitam aeternam1 quia sequi reconciliationem necessario debent4 ,nevertheless good works are necessary to eternal life1 inasmuch as they must necessarily follow reconciliation4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #dbi4 #gge47 ,according to the context in which it is found1 this statement includes that good works are necessary also to justification2 for ,melanchthon1 too1 correctly held that the adoption to eternal life or the gift of eternal life was connected with justification1 that is1 the reconciliation imparted to faith4 7#dec47 ,at ,wittenberg ,melanchthon's efforts to introduce the new formula met with energetic opposition1 especially on the part of ,cordatus and ,amsdorf4 ,the formula3 ,bona opera non quidem esse causam efficientem salutis1 sed tamen causam sine qua non--,good works are indeed not the efficient cause of salvation1 but nevertheless an indispensable cause1 a necessary antecedent1 was launched in a lecture delivered ,july #bd1 #aecf1 by a devoted pupil of ,melanchthon1 ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,sr4 born at ,leipzig1 ,january #a1 #aejd2 professor in ,wittenberg2 assisted ,luther in translating the ,bible and in taking down his lectures and sermons2 present at colloquies in ,marburg #aebi1 in ,wittenberg #aecf1 in ,smalcald #aecg1 in ,worms and ,hagenau #aedj in ,regensburg #aeda1 in ,augsburg #aedh2 died ,november #af1 #aedh4 ,according to ,ratzeberger1 ,cruciger had dictated3 ,bona opera requiri ad salutem tamquam causam sine qua non4 ,cordatus reports ,cruciger's dictation as follows3 ,tantum ,christus est causa propter quem2 interim tamen verum est1 homines agere aliquid oportere2 oportere nos habere contritionem et debere ,verbo erigere conscientiam1 ut fidem concipiamus1 ut nostra contritio et noster conatus sunt causae iustificationis sine quibus non--our contrition and our endeavor are causes of justification without which it does not take place4 7#c1 #cej47 ,cordatus immediately attacked the new formula as false4 ,i know1 said he1 that this duality of causes cannot stand with the simple article of justification4 7#c1 #cej47 ,he demanded a public retraction from ,cruciger4 ,before long ,amsdorf also entered the fray4 ,september #ad1 #aecf1 he wrote to ,luther about the new-fangled teaching of ,melanchthon1 that works are necessary to eternal life4 7#c1 #afb2 ,luther1 ,st4 ,l4 #ba;b1 #dajd47 ,pressed by ,cordatus1 ,cruciger finally admitted that ,melanchthon was back of the phrases he had dictated4 ,he declared that he was the pupil of ,mr4 ,philip2 that the entire dictation was ,mr4 ,philip's2 that by him he had been led into this matter2 and that he did not know how it happened4 ,se esse ,d4 ,philippi discipulum1 et dictata omnia esse ,d4 ,philippi1 se ab eo in illam rem traductum1 et nescire quomodo4 tr4 note3 no opening quotation mark in original 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #afb47 ,that ,melanchthon had been making efforts to introduce the new phrases in ,wittenberg appears from the passage in his ,loci of #aece quoted above1 and especially from his letters of the two following years4 ,november #e1 #aecf1 he wrote to ,veit ,dietrich3 ,cordatus incites the city1 its neighborhood1 and even the ,court against me because in the explanation of the controversy on justification ,i have said that new obedience is necessary to salvation1 novam obedientiam necessariam esse ad salutem4 7#ahe4 #agi47 ,may #af1 #aecg1 ,veit ,dietrich wrote to ,forester3 ,our ,cordatus1 driven1 ,i know not1 by what furies1 writes against ,philip and ,cruciger as against heretics1 and is determined to force ,cruciger to retract because he has said that good works are necessary to salvation4444 ,this matter worries ,philip very much1 and if certain malicious men do not control themselves1 he threatens to leave4 7#cgb47 ,as for ,melanchthon1 he made no efforts to shirk the responsibility for ,cruciger's dictation4 ,libenter totam rem in me transfero--,i cheerfully transfer the entire affair to myself he wrote ,april #ae1 #aecg4 ,yet he was worried much more than his words seem to indicate4 7#cdb47 ,complaints against the innovations of ,melanchthon and ,cruciger were also lodged with ,luther by ,cordatus1 ,amsdorf1 and ,stiefel4 ,cordatus reports ,luther as saying after the matter had been related to him1 ,october #bd1 #aecf3 ,this is the very theology of ,erasmus1 nor can anything be more opposed to our doctrine4 ,haec est ipsissima theologia ,erasmi1 neque potest quidquam nostrae doctrinae esse magis adversum4 ,to say that new obedience is the causa sine qua non--sine qua non contingit vita aeterna1 ,luther declared1 was tantamount to treading ,christ and ,his blood under our feet4 ,cruciger autem haec1 quae publice dictavit1 publice revocabit4 ,what he has publicly dictated1 ,cruciger shall publicly retract4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #bff47 ,according to ,ratzeberger1 ,luther immediately warned and censured ,cruciger in severe terms4 7,c4 ,r4 #d1 #ajch47 ,flacius reports that ,luther had publicly declared more than five times3 ,propositionem3 ,bona opera esse necessaria ad salutem1 volumus damnatam1 abrogatam1 ex ecclesiis et scholis nostris penitus explosam4 7,schluesselburg #g1 #efg47 ,after his return from ,smalcald1 where he had expressed grave fears as to the future doctrinal soundness of his ,wittenberg colleagues1 ,luther1 in a public disputation on ,june #a1 #aecg exploded and condemned the teaching that good works are necessary to salvation1 or necessary to salvation as a causa sine qua non4 7,lehre u4 ,wehre #aijh1 #fe47 ,both parties were present at the disputation1 ,cordatus as well as ,melanchthon and ,cruciger4 ,in a letter to ,veit ,dietrich1 ,june #bg1 #aecg1 ,cruciger reports3 ,luther maintained that new obedience is an effect necessarily following justification1 but he rejected the statement3 ,new obedience is necessary to salvation1 necessariam ad salutem4 ,he adds3 ,male hoc habuit nostrum ,melanchthon1 sed noluit eam rem porro agitare4 ,melanchthon was displeased with this1 but he did not wish to agitate the matter any further4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #che47 ,after the disputation ,cruciger was handed an anonymous note1 saying that his ,treatise on ,timothy was now branded as heretical1 sacrilegious1 impious1 and blasphemous 7haeretica1 sacrilega1 impia et blasphema71 and unless he retracted1 he would have to be regarded as a ,papist1 a teacher and servant of ,satan and not of ,christ1 and that his dictations would be published4 7#chg47 ,in a letter to ,dietrich1 ,cruciger remarks that ,luther had disapproved of this anonymous writing1 but he adds3 ,i can't see why he ,luther gives so much encouragement to ,cordatus4 7#che47 ,in private1 ,luther repeatedly discussed this matter also with ,melanchthon4 ,this appears from their ,disputation of #aecf on the question3 ,whether this proposition is true3 ,the righteousness of works is necessary to salvation4 7,e4 #eh1 #cec47 ,in a letter to ,dietrich of ,june #bb1 #aecg1 ,melanchthon1 in substance1 refers as follows to his discussions with ,luther3 ,i am desirous of maintaining the unity of the ,wittenberg ,academy2 in this matter ,i also employ some art2 nor does ,luther seem to be inimical2 yesterday he spoke to me in a very kind manner on the questions raised by ,quadratus ,cordatus4 ,what a spectacle if the ,lutherans would oppose each other as the ,cadmean brethren6 ,i will therefore modify whatever ,i can4 ,yet ,i desire a more thorough exposition of the doctrines of predestination1 of the consent of the will1 of the necessity of our obedience1 and of the sin unto death4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #chc47 ,a number of private letters written by ,melanchthon during and immediately after his conflict with ,cordatus1 however1 reveal much animosity1 not only against ,cordatus1 but against ,luther as well4 ,nor do those written after ,luther's disputation1 ,june #a1 #aecg1 indicate that he was then fully cured of his error4 7#ceg4 #cib4 #djg47 ,moreover1 in his ,loci of #aech we read3 ,et tamen haec nova spiritualis obedientia 7nova spiritualitas7 necessaria est ad vitam aeternam4 ,and nevertheless this new spiritual obedience is necessary to eternal life4 7#ba1 #dbi47 ,evidently1 then1 ,melanchthon did not grasp the matter1 and was not convinced of the incorrectness of his phraseology4 ,yet he made it a point to avoid and eliminate from his publications the obnoxious formula3 ,bona opera necessaria esse ad salutem4 ,at any rate1 his essay on ,justification and ,good ,works1 of ,october #aecg1 as well as subsequent publications of his1 do not contain it4 ,in the ,loci of #aech1 just referred to1 he replaced the words bona opera by the phrase obedientia haec nova spiritualis1--indeed1 a purely verbal rather than a doctrinal change4 ,nor did it reappear even in the ,variata of #aedj4 ,in #aeda1 at ,regensburg1 ,melanchthon consented to the formula that we are justified by a living and efficacious faith--iustificari per fidem vivam et efficacem4 ,but when ,luther deleted the words et efficacem1 and efficacious1 ,melanchthon acquiesced4 7#d1 #dii47 ,in the ,loci of #aedc he expunged the appendix ad salutem1 to salvation4 ,at the same time1 however1 he retained the error in a more disguised form1 viz41 that good works are necessary to retain faith4 ,for among the reasons why good works are necessary he here enumerates also the necessity of retaining the faith1 since the ,holy ,spirit is expelled and grieved when sins against the conscience are admitted4 7#ba1 #gge47 #adc4 ,formula ,renewed--,abandoned4 ,under the duress of the ,augsburg ,interim1 ,melanchthon relapsed into his old error4 ,july #f1 #aedh1 he 7together with ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,john ,pfeffinger1 ,daniel ,gresser1 ,george ,major1 and ,john ,foerster7 agreed to the statement3 ,for this proposition is certainly true that no one can be saved without love and good works4 ,yet we are not justified by love and good works1 but by grace for ,christ's sake4 7#g1 #bb47 ,in the ,leipzig ,interim1 adopted several months later1 the false teaching concerning the necessity of good works to salvation was fully restored1 as appears from the quotations from this document cited in the chapter on the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy4 ,according to the ,formula of ,concord this renewal of the obnoxious formula at the time of the ,interim furnished the direct occasion for the ,majoristic ,controversy4 ,for here we read3 ,the aforesaid modes of speech and false expressions concerning the necessity of good works to salvation were renewed by the ,interim just at a time when there was special need of a clear1 correct confession against all sorts of corruptions and adulterations of the article of justification4 7#idg1 #bi47 ,however1 when the controversy on good works began1 and ,george ,major zealously championed the restored formula1 ,melanchthon1 probably mindful of his former troubles in this matter1 signally failed to support and endorse his friend and colleague4 ,moreover1 he now advised ,major and others to abstain from using the phrase3 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 because1 said he1 this appendix to salvation1 ad salutem is interpreted as merit1 and obscures the doctrine of grace4 ,in an opinion of ,december1 #aeec1 ,melanchthon explains3 ,new obedience is necessary2 444 but when it is said3 ,new obedience is necessary to salvation1 the ,papists understand that good works merit salvation4 ,this proposition is false1 therefore ,i relinquish this mode of speech4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #aid47 ,january #ac1 #aeee1 he wrote to the ,senate of ,nordhausen that their ministers should not preach1 defend1 and dispute the proposition ,good works are necessary to salvation1 because it would immediately be interpreted to mean that good works merit salvation--weil doch alsbald diese ,deutung angehaengt wird1 als sollten gute ,werke ,verdienst sein der ,seligkeit4 7#daj47 ,september #e1 #aeef1 he said in his letter to ,flacius3 ,i have always admonished ,george ,major not only to explain his sentence 7which he did71 but to abandon that form of speech4 ,and he promised that he would not use it4 ,what more can ,i ask8 ,the same ,i did with others4 7#hdb47 ,in the ,frankfurt ,recess of #aeeh1 written by ,melanchthon and signed by the ,lutheran princes1 we read3 ,although therefore this proposition1 ',new obedience is necessary 7,nova obedientia est necessaria1 nova obedientia est debitum71' must be retained1 we nevertheless do not wish to attach these words1 'ad salutem1 to salvation1' because this appendix is interpreted as referring to merit and obscures the doctrine of grace1 for this remains true that man is justified before ,god and is an heir of eternal salvation by grace1 for the sake of the ,lord ,christ1 by faith in ,him only4 7#i1 #dig4 #dje47 ,in an opinion written ,november #ac1 #aeei1 ,melanchthon 7together with ,paul ,eber1 ,pfeffinger1 and ,h4 ,salmut7 again declared3 ,i say clearly that ,i do not employ the phrase1 ',good works are necessary to salvation4' 7#ifi47 ,in his ,responsiones ad ,articulos ,bavaricos of #aeei he wrote3 ,ego non utor his verbis3 ,bona opera sunt necessaria ad salutem1 quia hoc additione 'ad salutem' intelligitur meritum4 ,i do not use these words3 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 because by the addition 'to salvation' a merit is understood4 ,in his lectures1 too1 ,melanchthon frequently rejected the appendix 7to salvation71 and warned his pupils not to use the phrase4 7#d1 #edc2 ,lehre und ,wehre #aijh1 #gh47 ,thus ,melanchthon1 time and again1 disowned the proposition which he himself had first introduced4 ,nowhere1 however1 did he reject it or advise against its use because it was inherently erroneous and false as such but always merely because it was subject to abuse and misapprehension1--a qualified rejection which self-evidently could not and did not satisfy his opponents4 ,in an opinion1 dated ,march #d1 #aeeh1 ,melanchthon refuses to reject flatly the controverted formula1 and endeavors to show that it is not in disagreement with the mode of speech employed in the ,bible4 ,we read3 ,illyricus and his compeers are not satisfied when we say that the appendix to salvation is to be omitted on account of the false interpretation given it1 but demand that we simply declare the proposition1 ',good works are necessary to salvation1' to be wrong4 ,against this it must be considered what also ,paul has said1 ,rom4 #aj3 ,confession is made to salvation 7,confessio fit ad salutem71 which ,wigand maliciously alters thus3 ,confession is made concerning salvation 7,confessio fit de salute74 ,again1 #b ,cor4 #g3 ',for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation1' ,likewise ,phil4 #b3 ',work out your own salvation with fear and trembling4' ,nor do these words sound any differently3 ',whosoever shall call upon the name of the ,lord will be saved1' ,acts #b1 #ba4 ,but1 they say1 one must understand these expressions correctly6 ,that is what we say1 too4 ,this disputation however1 would be ended if we agreed to eliminate the appendix and rack our brains no further--dass wir den ,anhang ausschliessen und nicht weiter gruebelten4 7#i1 #dgd47 #add4 ,major ,champions ,error4 ,the immediate cause of the public controversy concerning the question whether good works are necessary to salvation was ,george ,major1 a devoted pupil and adherent of ,melanchthon and a most active member of the ,wittenberg faculty ,major was born ,april #be1 #aejb2 #aebi ,rector of the school in ,magdeburg2 #aecf ,superintendent in ,eisleben2 soon after1 preacher and professor in ,wittenberg2 #aedd ,rector of the ,university of ,wittenberg2 in #aedh1 at ,celle1 he1 too1 submitted to the demands of ,maurice1 in the ,leipzig ,interim he merely objected to the insertion of ,extreme ,unction2 #aeeb ,superintendent in ,eisleben2 professor in ,wittenberg from #aeec until his death in #aegd4 ,that ,dr4 ,pommer ,bugenhagen and ,dr4 ,major have ,caused ,offense and ,confusion4 ,nicholas ,amsdorf1 ,exul ,christi4 ,magdeburg1 #aeea1--such was the title of a publication which appeared immediately prior to ,major's appointment as ,superintendent in ,eisleben4 ,in it ,bugenhagen 7who died #aeeh7 and ,major 7of course1 ,melanchthon could and should have been included7 were denounced for their connection with the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,major in particular1 was censured for having1 in the ,interim1 omitted the word sola1 alone1 in the phrase sola fide justificamur1 we are justified by faith alone1 and for having emphasized instead that ,christian virtues and good works are meritorious and necessary to salvation4 ,when1 as a result of this publication the preachers of ,eisleben and ,mansfeld refused to recognize ,major as their superior the latter promised to justify himself publicly4 ,he endeavored to do so in his ,answer published #aeeb at ,wittenberg1 after he had already been dismissed by ,count ,albrecht as ,superintendent of ,eisleben4 ,the ,answer was entitled3 ,auf des ehrenwuerdigen ,herrn ,niclas von ,amsdorfs ,schrift1 so jetzund neulich mense ,novembri #aeea wider ,dr4 ,major oeffendtlich im ,druck ausgegangen4 ,antwort ,georg ,majors4 ,in it ,major disclaimed responsibility for the ,interim 7although he had been present at ,celle1 where it had been framed71 and declared that he had never doubted the sola fide1 by faith alone4 ,but1 continued ,major1 ,i do confess that ,i have hitherto taught and still teach1 and henceforth will teach all my life3 that good works are necessary to salvation4 ,and ,i declare publicly and with clear and plain words that no one is saved by evil works1 and also that no one is saved without good works4 ,furthermore ,i say1 let him who teaches otherwise1 even though an angel from heaven1 be accursed 7der sei verflucht76 ,again3 ,therefore it is impossible for a man to be saved without good works4 ,major explained that good works are necessary to salvation1 not because they effect or merit forgiveness of sins1 justification1 the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 and eternal life 7for these gifts are merited alone by the death of our only ,mediator and ,savior ,jesus ,christ1 and can be received only by faith71 but nevertheless good works must be present1 not as a merit1 but as due obedience toward ,god4 7,schlb4 #g1 #cj47 ,in his defiant attitude ,major was immediately and firmly opposed by ,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 ,gallus1 and others4 ,amsdorf published his ,brief ,instruction ,concerning ,dr4 ,major's ,answer1 that he is not innocent1 as he boasts4 ,ein kurzer ,unterricht auf ,dr4 ,majoris ,antwort1 dass er nicht unschuldig sei1 wie er sich ruehmet1 #aeeb4 ,major's declaration and anathema are here met by ,amsdorf as follows3 ,first of all1 ,i would like to know against whom ,dr4 ,george ,major is writing when he says3 ,nobody merits heaven by evil works4 ,has even the angry and impetuous ,amsdorf ever taught and written thus8 444,we know well1 praise ,god1 and confess that a ,christian should and must do good works4 ,nobody disputes and speaks concerning that2 nor has anybody doubted this4 ,on the contrary1 we speak and dispute concerning this1 whether a ,christian earns salvation by the good works which he should and must do4444 ,for we all say and confess that after his renewal and new birth a ,christian should love and fear ,god and do all manner of good works1 but not that he may be saved1 for he is saved already by faith 7aber nicht darum1 dass er selig werde1 denn er ist schon durch den ,glauben selig74 ,this is the true prophetic and apostolic doctrine1 and whoever teaches otherwise is already accursed and damned4 ,i1 therefore1 ,nicholas von ,amsdorf1 declare3 ,whoever teaches and preaches these words as they read 7,good works are necessary to salvation71 is a ,pelagian1 a mameluke1 and a denier of ,christ1 and he has the same spirit which prompted ,drs4 ,mensing and ,witzel to write against ,dr4 ,luther1 of blessed memory1 that good works are necessary to salvation4 7,schlb4 #g1 #baj47 ,another attack was entitled3 ,against the ,evangelist of the ,holy ,gown1 ,dr4 ,miser ,major4 ,wider den ,evangelisten des heiligen ,chorrocks1 ,dr4 ,geitz ,major1 #aeeb4 ,here ,flacius--for he was the author of this publication--maintained that neither justification1 nor salvation1 nor the preservation of the state of grace is to be based on good works4 ,he objected to ,major's propositions because they actually made good works the antecedent and cause of salvation and robbed ,christians of their comfort4 ,he declared3 ,when we say3 ,that is necessary for this work or matter1 it means just as much as if we said3 ,it is a cause1 or1 by this or that work one effects this or that4 ,as to the practical consequences of ,major's propositions1 ,flacius remarks3 ,if therefore good works are necessary to salvation1 and if it is impossible for any one to be saved without them1 then tell us1 ,dr4 ,major1 how can a man be saved who all his life till his last breath has led a sinful life1 but now when about to die1 desires to apprehend ,christ 7as is the case with many on their death-bed or on the gallows78 ,how will ,major comfort such a poor sinner8 ,the poor sinner1 ,flacius continues1 would declare3 ,major1 the great theologian1 writes and teaches as most certain that no one can be saved without good works1 and that good works are absolutely necessary 7ganz notwendig7 to salvation2 therefore ,i am damned1 for ,i have heretofore never done any good works4 ,furthermore ,major will also have to state and determine the least number of ounces or pounds of good works one is required to have to obtain salvation4 7,preger #a1 #cfc;f47 ,in his ,explanation and ,answer to the ,new ,subtle ,corruption of the ,gospel of ,christ--,erklaerung und ,antwort auf die neue subtile ,verfaelschung des ,evangelii ,christi1 #aeed ,nicholas ,gallus maintained that1 if the righteousness presented by ,christ alone is the cause of our justification and salvation1 then good works can only be the fruits of it4 ,in a similar way ,schnepf1 ,chemnitz1 and others declared themselves against ,majorism4 7,schlb4 #g1 #ee4 #afb4 #bje4 #ecd4 #egb2 ,c4 ,r4 #i1 #dge2 ,seeberg1 ,dogg4 #d1 #dhf47 #ade4 ,major's ,modifications4 ,major answered his opponents in his book of #aeec entitled1 ,a ,sermon on the ,conversion to ,god of ,st4 ,paul and ,all ,god-fearing ,men4 ,in it he most emphatically denied that he had ever taught that good works are necessary in order to earn salvation1 and explained more fully whether1 in what way1 which1 and why good works are nevertheless necessary to salvation4 ,here he also admits3 ,this proposition would be dangerous and dark if ,i had said without any distinction and explanation3 ,good works are necessary to salvation4 ,for thus one might easily be led to believe that we are saved by good works without faith1 or also by the merit of good works1 not by faith alone4 ,we are not just and saved by renewal1 and because the fulfilment of the ,law is begun in us1 as the ,interim teaches1 but in this life we always remain just and saved by faith alone4 7,preger #a1 #cfd;ff47 ,major explains3 ,when ,i say3 ,the new obedience or good works which follow faith are necessary to salvation1 this is not to be understood in the sense that one must earn salvation by good works1 or that they constitute1 or could effect or impart the righteousness by which a man may stand before the judgment-seat of ,god1 but that good works are effects and fruits of true faith1 which are to follow it faith and are wrought by ,christ in believers4 ,for whoever believes and is just1 he1 at the risk of losing his righteousness and salvation1 is in duty bound and obliged to begin to obey ,god as his ,father1 to do that which is good1 and to avoid evil4 7#cgj47 ,major furthermore modified his statement by explaining3 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 not in order to obtain but to retain1 salvation4 ,in order to retain salvation and not to lose it again1 he said1 they are necessary to such an extent that1 if you fail to do them1 it is a sure indication that your faith is dead and false1 a painted faith1 an opinion existing only in your imagination4 ,the reason1 said ,major 7,menius1 too1 later on expressed his agreement in this point with ,major71 why he had urged his proposition concerning the necessity of good works to salvation1 was the fact that the greater number also of those who claim to be good evangelical ,christians imagine that they believe1 and imagine and fabricate a faith which may exist without good works1 though this is just as impossible as that the sun should not emit brightness and splendor4 7,tschackert #eae2 ,frank #b1 #afb4 #cgc47 ,reducing his teaching to a number of syllogisms1 ,major argued1 in substance1 as follows3 ,eternal life is given to none but the regenerate2 regeneration1 however1 is new obedience and good works in the believers and the beginning of eternal life3 hence the new life1 which consists in good works1 is necessary to believers for salvation4 ,again3 ,no one is saved unless he confesses with his mouth the faith of his heart in ,christ and remains steadfast in such faith1 ,rom4 #aj1 #i4 #aj2 ,matt4 #bb1 #ac2 hence the works of confessing and persevering faith are necessary to salvation as fruits of faith1 in order that salvation1 obtained by faith1 may not be lost by denial and apostasy4 7,frank #b1 #afb47 ,again3 ,the thing without which salvation cannot be preserved is necessary to salvation2 without obedience toward ,god salvation1 received by grace through faith1 cannot be preserved2 hence obedience toward ,god is necessary in order that by it salvation1 received by grace1 may be preserved and may not be lost by disobedience4 ,at the conclusion of his ,sermon on ,paul's ,conversion1 ,major also repeated his anathema against all those who teach otherwise1 and added3 ,hiewider moegen nun ,amseln ,amsdorf oder ,drosseln singen und schreien1 ,haehne ,gallus kraehen oder gatzen gakkern1 verloffene und unbekannte ,wenden und ,walen ,flacius laestern1 die ,schrift verwenden1 verkehren1 kalumniieren1 schreiben und malen1 wie sie wollen1 so bin ich doch gewiss1 dass diese ,lehre1 so in diesem ,sermon steht die rechte goettliche ,wahrheit ist1 wider welche auch alle hoellischen ,pforten nichts ,bestaendiges oder ,gruendliches koennen aufbringen1 wie boese sie sich auch machen4 7,preger #a1 #cga4 #chj47 ,schluesselburg charges ,major also with confounding justification with sanctification4 ,in proof of this he quotes the following from ,major's remarks on ,rom4 #h3 ,salvation or justification is twofold3 one in this life and the other in eternal life4 ,the salvification in this life consists1 first1 in the remission of sins and in the imputation of righteousness2 secondly1 in the gift and renewing of the ,holy ,spirit and in the hope of eternal life bestowed freely for the sake of ,christ4 ,this salvification and justification is only begun in this life and imperfect2 for in those who are saved and justified by faith there still remains sin1 the depravity of nature1 there remain also the terrors of sin and of the ,law1 the bite of the old ,serpent1 and death1 together with all miseries that flesh is heir to4 ,thus by faith and the ,holy ,ghost we1 indeed1 begin to be justified1 sanctified1 and saved1 but we are not yet perfectly justified1 sanctified1 and saved4 ,it remains1 therefore1 that we become perfectly just and saved4 ,sic per fidem et ,spiritum ,sanctum coepimus quidem iustificari1 sanctificari1 et salvari1 nondum tamen perfecte iusti et salvi sumus4 ,reliquum igitur est1 ut perfecte iusti et salvi fiamus4 7#g1 #cdh47 #adf4 ,menius ,sides with ,major4 ,prominent among the theologians who were in essential agreement with ,major was ,justus ,menius4 ,he was born #adii2 became ,superintendent in ,gotha #aedf2 was favorably disposed toward the ,leipzig ,interim2 resigned his position in ,gotha #aeeg2 removed to ,leipzig1 where he published his polemical writings against ,flacius2 died ,august #aa1 #aeeh4 ,in #aeed he was entangled in the ,majoristic controversy4 ,in this year ,amsdorf demanded that ,menius1 who1 together with himself1 ,schnepf1 and ,stolz1 had been appointed visitors of ,thuringia1 declare himself against the ,adiaphorists1 and1 in particular1 reject the books of ,major1 and his doctrine that good works are necessary to salvation4 ,menius declined1 because1 he said1 he had not read these books4 ,as a result ,menius was charged with being a secret adherent of ,majorism4 ,in #aeef1 however1 ,menius himself proved by his publications that this suspicion was not altogether unwarranted4 ,for in his ,preparation for a ,blessed ,death and in a ,sermon on ,salvation1 published in that year1 ,menius taught that the beginning of the new life in believers is necessary to salvation 7,tschackert1 #eag2 ,herzog1 ,r4 #ab1 #hi47 ,this caused ,flacius to remark in his book1 ,concerning the ,unity of ,those who in the ,past ,years have ,fought for and against the ,adiaphora1 #aeef3 ,major and ,menius1 in their printed books1 are again reviving the error that good works are necessary to salvation1 wherefore it is to be feared that the latter misfortune will be worse than the former4 7,preger #a1 #chb47 ,soon after1 ,menius was suspended from office and required to clear himself before the ,synod in ,eisenach1 #aeef4 ,here he subscribed seven propositions in which the doctrine that good works are necessary to salvation1 or to retain salvation1 was rejected4 ,the seven ,eisenach propositions1 signed by ,menius1 read as follows3 #a4 ,although this proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 may be tolerated in the doctrine of the ,law abstractly and ideally 7in doctrina legis abstractive et de idea tolerari potest71 nevertheless there are many weighty reasons why it should be avoided and shunned no less than the other3 ,christ is a creature4 #b4 ,in the forum of justification and salvation this proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 is not at all to be tolerated4 #c4 ,in the forum of new obedience1 after reconciliation1 good works are not at all necessary to salvation but for other causes4 #d4 ,faith alone justifies and saves in the beginning1 middle1 and end4 #e4 ,good works are not necessary to retain salvation 7ad retinendam salutem74 #f4 ,justification and salvation are synonyms and equipollent or convertible terms1 and neither can nor must be separated in any way 7nec ulla ratione distrahi aut possunt aut debent74 #g4 ,may therefore the papistical buskin be banished from our church on account of its manifold offenses and innumerable dissensions and other causes of which the apostles speak ,acts #ae4 7,preger #a1 #chc47 ,in his subscription to these theses ,menius declared3 ,i1 ,justus ,menius1 testify by my present signature that this confession is true and orthodox1 and that1 according to the gift given me by ,god1 ,i have heretofore by word and writing publicly defended it1 and shall continue to defend it4 ,in this subscription ,menius also promised to correct the offensive expressions in his ,sermon on ,salvation4 ,however1 dissatisfied with the intolerable situation thus created1 he resigned1 and soon after became ,superintendent in ,leipzig4 ,in three violently polemical books1 published there in #aeeg and #aeeh1 he freely vented his long pent-up feelings of anger and animosity1 especially against ,flacius4 7#chd;f47 ,in these publications1 ,menius denied that he had ever used the proposition of ,major4 ,however1 he not only refused to reject it1 but defended the same error1 though in somewhat different terms4 ,he merely replaced the phrase good works by new life1 new righteousness1 new obedience1 and affirmed that it is necessary to our salvation that such be wrought in us by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he wrote3 ,the ,holy ,spirit renews those who have become children of ,god by faith in ,christ1 and that this is performed in them this1 ,i say1 they need for their salvation--sei ihnen zur ,seligkeit vonnoeten4 7,frank #b1 #bbc47 ,again3 ,he the ,holy ,spirit begins righteousness and life in the believers1 which beginning is in this life 7as long as we dwell on earth in this sinful flesh7 very weak and imperfect1 but nevertheless necessary to salvation1 and will be perfect after the resurrection1 that we may walk in it before ,god eternally and be saved4 7#bbb47 ,works1 said ,menius1 must not be introduced into the article of justification1 reconciliation1 and redemption2 but when dealing with the article of sanctification1 then it is correct to say3 ,sanctification1 or renewal of the ,holy ,spirit1 is necessary to salvation4 7,preger #a1 #chh47 ,with respect to the proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 ,menius stated that he could not simply condemn it as altogether false and heretical4 ,moreover1 he argued3 ,if it is correct to say3 ,sanctification1 or renewal by the ,holy ,spirit1 is necessary to salvation1 then it cannot be false to say3 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 since it is certain and cannot be gainsaid that sanctification and renewal do not and cannot exist without good works4 7#chf47 ,indeed1 he himself maintained that good works are necessary to salvation in order that we may not lose it again4 7#chg4 #cia47 ,at the same time ,menius1 as stated above1 claimed that he had never employed ,major's proposition1 and counseled others to abstain from its use in order to avoid misinterpretation4 ,the same advice he gave with respect to his own formula that new obedience is necessary to salvation4 7,frank #b1 #afe4 #bbc47 ,menius also confounded justification and sanctification4 ,he wrote3 ,by faith in ,christ alone we become just before ,god and are saved4 ,why8 ,because by faith one receives first1 forgiveness of sins and the righteousness or obedience of ,christ1 with which ,he fulfilled the ,law for us2 thereupon1 one also receives the ,holy ,spirit1 who effects and fulfils in us the righteousness required by the ,law1 here in this life imperfectly and perfectly in the life to come4 7,preger #a1 #chg47 ,at the synod of ,eisenach1 #aeef1 the theologians accordingly declared3 ,although it is true that grace and the gift through grace cannot be separated1 but are always together1 nevertheless the gift of the ,holy ,spirit is not a piece or part1 much less a co-cause of justification and salvation1 but an appendix1 a consequence1 and an additional gift of grace4-- ,wiewohl es wahr ist1 dass gratia und donum per gratiam nicht koennen getrennt werden1 sondern allezeit beieinander sind1 so ist doch die ,gabe des ,heiligen ,geistes nicht ein ,stueck oder ,teil1 viel weniger eine ,mitursache der ,justifikation und ,salvation1 sondern ist ein ,anhang1 ,folge und ,zugab be der ,gnade4 7,seeberg #d1 #dhg47 #adg4 ,attitude of ,anti-,majorists4 ,with the exception of ,menius and other adherents in ,electoral ,saxony1 ,major was firmly opposed by ,lutheran ministers and theologians everywhere4 ,even when he was still their superintendent1 the ministers of ,mansfeld took issue with him2 and after he was dismissed by ,count ,albrecht1 they drafted an ,opinion1 in which they declared that ,major's proposition obscures the doctrine of ,god's grace and ,christ's merit4 ,also the clergy of ,luebeck1 ,hamburg1 ,lueneburg1 and ,magdeburg united in an ,opinion1 in which they rejected ,major's proposition4 ,chief among the theologians who opposed him were1 as stated1 ,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 ,wigand1 ,gallus1 ,moerlin and ,chemnitz4 ,in their publications they unanimously denounced the proposition that good works are necessary to salvation1 and its equivalents1 as dangerous1 godless1 blasphemous1 and popish4 ,yet before the controversy they themselves had not all nor always been consistent and correct in their terminology4 ,the ,formula of ,concord says3 ,before this controversy quite a few pure teachers employed such and similar expressions that faith is preserved by good works1 etc4 in the exposition of the ,holy ,scriptures1 in no way1 however1 intending thereby to confirm the above-mentioned errors of the ,papists4 7#idi1 #cf47 ,concerning the word faith1 #aedi1 ,flacius1 for example had said that our effort to obey ,god might be called a causa sine qua non1 or something which serves salvation4 ,his words are3 ,atque hinc apparet1 quatenus nostrum studium obediendi ,deo dici possit causa sine qua non1 seu huperetikon ti1 id est1 quiddam subserviens ad salutem4 ,but when his attention was called to this passage1 he first eliminated the causa sine qua non and substituted ad vitam aeternam for ad salutem1 and afterwards changed this phrase into ad veram pietatem4 7,frank #b1 #bah4 #afi47 ,however1 as soon as the controversy began1 the ,lutherans1 notably ,flacius1 clearly saw the utter falsity of ,major's statements4 ,flacius wrote3 ,salvation is forgiveness of sins1 as ,paul testifies1 ,rom4 #d1 and ,david1 ,ps4 #cb3 ',blessed are they whose sins are forgiven4' ',thy faith hath made thee whole4' ,matt4 #i2 ,mark #e4 #aj1 ,luke #g4 #h4 #ah4 ,jesus saves sinners and the lost4 ,matt4 #a1 #ah2 #a ,tim4 #a4 ,since1 now1 salvation and forgiveness of sins are one and the same thing1 consider1 dear ,christian1 what kind of doctrine this is3 ,no one has received forgiveness of sins without good works2 it is impossible for any one to receive forgiveness of sins or to be saved without good works2 good works are necessary to forgiveness of sins4 7,preger #a1 #cge47 ,again3 ,young children and those who are converted in their last hour 7who certainly constitute the greater part71 must confess that they neither possess1 nor will possess1 any good works1 for they die forthwith4 ,indeed1 ,st4 ,bernard also wrote when on his deathbed3 ,perdite vixi--,i have led a wicked life6 ,and what is still more1 all ,christians1 when in their dying moments1 they are striving with sins1 must say3 ',all our good works are like filthy rags2 in my life there is nothing good2' and1 as ,david says1 ,ps4#ea3 ',before ,thee ,i am nothing but sin1' as ,dr4 ,luther explains it4 7#cgf47 ,again3 ,we are concerned about this1 that poor and afflicted consciences may have a firm and certain consolation against sin1 death1 devil1 and hell1 and thus be saved4 ,for if a condition or appendix concerning our good works and worthiness is required as necessary to salvation1 then1 as ,dr4 ,major frequently discusses this matter very excellently1 it is impossible to have a firm and solid consolation4 7#cgf47 ,flacius showed that ,major's proposition taken as it reads1 can be interpreted only in a papistical sense1 and that no amount of explanations is able to cure it of its ingrained falsity4 ,major1 said he1 must choose between his proposition or the interpretations which he places upon it2 for the former does not admit of the latter4 ,he added that a proposition which is in constant need of explanations in order not to be misunderstood is not adapted for religious instruction4 ,from the fact1 says ,flacius1 that the justified are obliged to obey the ,law1 it follows indeed that good works are necessary1 but not that they are necessary to salvation 7as ,major and ,menius inferred74 ,from the premises that ,christians are in duty bound to obey the ,law and to render the new obedience it merely follows that this obedience is necessary2 but nothing is here said of salvation4 7#cib47 ,flacius showed that ,major's proposition1 even with the proviso that each and every merit of works was to be excluded1 remained objectionable4 ,the words necessary to1 necessaria ad1 always1 he insisted1 designate something that precedes1 moves1 works1 effects4 ,the proposition3 ,justification1 salvation1 and faith are necessary to good works1 cannot be reversed1 because good works are not antecedents1 but consequents of justification1 salvation1 and faith4 ,for the same reason ,flacius objected to the phrase that good works are necessary as causa sine qua non4 ,dear ,dr4 ,g4 7,major71 says he1 ask the highly learned ,greek philosophers for a little information as to what they say de causa sine qua non1 hon ouk aneu4 ,ask ,i say1 the learned and the unlearned1 ask philosophy1 reason1 and common languages1 whether it is not true that it causa sine qua non must precede4 7#cgg47 ,no one1 said he would understand the propositions of ,major and ,menius correctly4 ,illustrating this point ,flacius wrote3 ,can one become a carpenter without the house which he builds afterwards8 ,can one make a wagon or ship without driving or sailing8 ,i say1 yes6 ,or1 dear ,doctor1 are we accustomed to say3 ,driving and sailing is necessary to the wagon and ship respectively1 and it is impossible for a wagon or ship to be made without driving or sailing8 ,i hear3 ,no6 7#cge47 ,nobody says3 ,fruits and leaves are necessary to the tree2 wine and grapes are necessary to the vineyard2 or dwelling is necessary to a house2 driving and sailing1 to a wagon and ship2 riding is necessary to a horse2 but thus they speak3 ,wagons and horses are necessary to riding1 a ship is necessary to sailing4 7#cia47 ,the charge that ,major's proposition robbed ,christians of their assurance of salvation was urged also by ,nicholas ,gallus4 ,he says3 ,it is giving with one hand and taking again with the other when ,major adds to his proposition concerning the necessity of good works to salvation that our conscience is not to look upon our works1 but on ,christ alone4 7,frank #b1 #bbd47 ,the same point was stressed in the ,opinion of the ministers of ,luebeck1 ,hamburg1 ,lueneburg1 and ,magdeburg1 published by ,flacius and ,gallus in #aeec4 7#bbj47 ,the ,hamburg theologians declared3 ,this appendix necessary to salvation1 ad salutem indicates a cause and a merit4 ,they added that in this sense also the phrase was generally understood by the ,papists4 7,planck1 ,geschichte des prot4 ,lehrbegriffes #e1 #eje4 #dig47 ,gallus also explained that it was papistical to infer3 ,by sins we lose salvation1 hence it is retained by good works2 or1 ,sins condemn1 hence good works save4 7,frank #b1 #aga47 ,hesshusius wrote to ,wigand3 ,i regard ,eber's assertion that good works are necessary to justification because they must be present1 as false and detrimental4 ,for ,paul expressly excludes good works from the justification of a sinner before ,god1 not only when considered a merit cause1 glory1 dignity1 price1 object or trust1 and medium of application1 etc41 but also as to the necessity of their presence 7verum etiam quoad necessitatem praesentiae74 ,if it is necessary that good works be present with him who is to be justified1 then ,paul errs when he declares that a man is justified without the works of the ,law4 7#agb47 ,regarding this point1 that good works are necessary to justification in so far as they must be present1 the ,majorists appealed to ,luther1 who1 however1 had merely stated that faith is never alone1 though it alone justifies4 ,his axiom was3 ,faith alone justifies1 but it is not alone-- ,fides sola iustificat1 sed non est sola4 ,according to ,luther good works1 wherever they are found1 are present in virtue of faith2 where they are not present1 they are absent because faith is lacking2 nor can they preserve the faith by which alone they are produced4 ,at the ,altenburg ,colloquy 7#aefh to #aefi7 the theologians of ,electoral ,saxony insisted that1 since true faith does not and cannot exist in those who persevere in sins against their conscience1 good works must not be altogether and absolutely excluded from justification1 at least their necessity and presence must not be regarded as unnecessary4 7#ahi47 ,the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony1 however1 denied that in the article and act of justification our good works are necessary by necessity of presence4 ,sed impugnamus istam propositionem1 in articulo et actu iustificationis bona nostra opera necessaria esse necessitate praesentiae4 ,on the other hand1 however1 they1 too1 were solicitous to affirm the impossibility of faith's coexisting with an evil purpose to sin against ,god in one and the same mind at the same time4 7#bcg2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bea47 ,in the ,apology of the ,book of ,concord the ,lutheran theologians declared3 ,the proposition 7,justification of faith requires the presence of good works7 was rejected in the ,formula of ,concord because it cannot be understood otherwise than of the cause of justification4 ,for whatever is present in justification as necessary in such a manner that without its presence justification can neither be nor occur1 that must indeed be understood as being a cause of justification itself4 7#bch7 #adh4 ,major's ,concessions ,not ,satisfactory4 ,in order to put an end to the controversy1 ,major offered a concession in his ,confession concerning the ,article of ,justification1 that is1 concerning the doctrine that by faith alone1 without any merit1 for the sake of ,christ1 a man has forgiveness of sins1 and is just before ,god and an heir of eternal salvation1 #aeeh4 ,here he states that he had not used the controverted formula for several years and1 in order not to give further cause for public contention1 he promised not to employ the words1 ',good works are necessary to salvation1' any more1 on account of the false interpretations placed upon it4 7,preger #a1 #cif47 ,in making this concession1 however1 ,major did not at all intend to retract his teaching or to condemn his proposition as false4 ,he promised to abstain from its use1 not because he was now convinced of his error and viewed his propositions as false and incorrect as such1 but merely because it was ambiguous and liable to abuse1 and because he wished to end the conflict4 7,frank #b1 #aff;f4 #bbc47 ,nor did ,major later on ever admit that he had erred in the matter4 ,in an oration delivered #aefg he boasted of his intimate relation and doctrinal agreement with ,luther and ,melanchthon1 adding3 ,neither did ,i ever deviate1 nor1 ,god assisting me1 shall ,i ever deviate1 from the truth once acknowledged4 ,nec discessi umquam nec ,deo iuvante discedam ab agnita semel veritate4 ,he had never thought or taught1 said he1 that good works are a cause of justification4 ,and concerning the proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 he had expressly declared that he intended to abstain from its use because it had offended some on account of its ambiguity1 cum propter ambiguitatem offenderit aliquos4 ,he continued3 ,the facts show that we the professors of ,wittenberg ,university are and have remained guardians of that doctrine which ,luther and ,melanchthon 444 delivered to us1 in whose writings from the time of the ,augsburg ,confession there is neither a dissonance nor a discrepancy1 either among themselves or from the foundation1 nor anything obscure or perplexing4 7,frank #b1 #bbd4 #afg47 ,also in his ,testament 7,testamentum ,doctoris ,georgii ,majoris71 published #aegj1 ,major emphatically denied that he had ever harbored or taught any false views concerning justification1 salvation1 and good works4 ,of his own accord he had also abandoned the phrases3 ,good works are necessary to salvation2 it is impossible to be saved without good works2 no one has ever been saved without good works--,bona opera sunt necessaria ad salutem2 impossibile est1 sine bonis operibus salvum fieri2 nemo umquam sine bonis operibus salvatus est4 ,he had done this in order to obviate the misapprehension as though he taught that good works are a cause of salvation which contribute to merit and effect salvation4 ,according to this ,testament1 he desired his doctrines and writings to be judged4 ,in future he would not dispute with anybody about these phrases4 7#afh47 ,thus in his ,testament1 too1 ,major withdrew his statements not because they were simply false1 but only because they had been interpreted to mean that good works are the efficient cause of justification and salvation4 ,and while ,major in later writings did eliminate the appendix ad salutem1 to salvation1 or ad vitam aeternam1 to eternal life1 he retained1 and continued to teach1 essentially the same error in another garb1 namely1 that good works are necessary in order to retain faith4 ,enumerating1 in his ,explanation of the ,letter to the ,galatians1 of #aefj1 the purposes on account of which good works ought to be rendered1 he mentions as the first1 in order to retain faith1 the ,holy ,spirit1 the grace bestowed1 and a good conscience4 7#bah47 ,thus ,major was willing to abandon as dangerous and ambiguous1 and to abstain from the use of the formula1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 but refused to reject it as false and to make a public admission and confession of his error4 ,this1 however1 was precisely what his opponents demanded2 for they were convinced that they could be satisfied with nothing less4 ,as a result the controversy continued till ,major's death1 in #aegd4 ,the ,jena professors1 notably ,flacius1 have been charged with prolonging the controversy from motives of personal revenge4 7,schaff1 #bgf47 ,no doubt1 the ,wittenbergers had gone to the very limit of rousing the animosity and resentment of ,flacius 7who himself1 indeed1 was not blameless in the language used against his opponents74 ,major had depicted ,flacius as a most base and wicked man1 as a cunning and sly adventurer2 as a tyrant1 who1 after having suppressed the ,wittenbergers1 would1 as a pope1 lord it over all ,germany2 as an ,antinomian and a despiser of all good works1 etc4 7,preger #a1 #cig47 ,in the address of ,october #ah1 #aefg already referred to1 ,major said3 ,there was in this school ,wittenberg a vagabond of uncertain origin1 fatherland1 religion1 and faith who called himself ,flacius ,illyricus4444 ,he was the first one to spew out against this school1 against its principal ,doctors1 against the churches of these regions1 against the princes themselves1 the poison which he had brewed and imbibed some time ago1 and1 having gnawed and consumed with the bite of a serpent the womb of his mother1 to destroy the harmony of these churches1 at first by spreading his dreams1 fables1 and gossip but now also by calumnies and manifest lies4 7,frank #b1 #bag47 ,melanchthon1 too1 had repeatedly written in a similar vein4 ,in an ,opinion of his1 dated ,march #d1 #aeeh1 we read3 ,even if they ,flacius and his adherents condemn and banish me1 ,i am well satisfied2 for ,i do not desire to associate with them1 because ,i well know that the said ,illyricus with his adherents does not seek the honor of ,god1 but publicly opposes the truth1 and as yet has never declared himself concerning the entire sum of ,christian doctrine4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #dfc4 #dgf4 #caa47 ,in an ,opinion of ,march #i1 #aeei1 ,melanchthon even insinuated that ,flacius denied the ,trinity4 7#gfc47 ,before this1 ,august1 #aedi1 he had written to ,fabricius3 ,the ,slavic runagate 7,slavus drapetes7 received many benefits from our ,academy and from me4 ,but we have nursed a serpent in our bosom4 ,he deserves to be branded on his forehead as the ,macedonian king did with a soldier3 ',ungrateful stranger1 xevnos acharistos4' ,nor do ,i believe that the source of his hatred is any other than that the place of ,cruciger was not given to him4 ,but ,i omit these disagreeable narrations4 7#g1 #ddi4 #dgh ff47 ,this personal abuse1 however1 was not the reason why ,flacius persisted in his opposition despite the concessions made by ,major and ,menius1-- concessions with which even such moderate men as ,martin ,chemnitz were not satisfied4 ,flacius continued his opposition because he could not do otherwise without sacrificing his own principles1 compromising the truth1 and jeopardizing the doctrine of justification4 ,he did not yield because he was satisfied with nothing less than a complete victory of the divine truth and an unqualified retraction of error4 ,the truly objective manner in which he dealt with this matter appears from his ,strictures on the ,testament of ,dr4 ,major 7,censura de ,testamento ,d4 ,majoris74 ,here we read1 in substance3 ,in his ,testament ,major covers his error with the same sophism which he employed in his former writings4 ,for he says that he ascribes the entire efficient cause1 merit1 and price of our justification and salvation to ,christ alone1 and therefore excludes and removes all our works and virtues4 ,this he has set forth more fully and more clearly in his previous writings1 saying that the proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 can be understood in a double sense2 viz41 that they are necessary to salvation as a certain merit1 price1 or efficient cause of justification or salvation 7as the ,papists understand and teach it71 or that they are necessary to salvation as a certain debt or an indispensable cause 7causa sine qua non71 or a cause without which it is impossible for the effect of salvation to follow or for any one to obtain it4 ,he now confesses this same opinion4 ,he does not expressly eliminate the indispensable cause1 or the obligation without the fulfilment of which it is impossible for any one to be preserved1 as he asserted repeatedly before this1 from which it appears that he adheres to his old error4 ,et non diserte tollit causam sine qua non seu debitum1 sine cuius persolutione sit impossibile quemquam servari1 quod toties antea asseruit2 facile patet1 eum pristinum illum suum errorem retinere4 7,schlb4 #g1 #bff2 ,preger #a1 #cih47 ,flacius demanded an unqualified rejection of the statement1 ,good works are necessary to salvation--a demand with which ,major as well as ,melanchthon refused to comply4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #dgd f47 ,the ,formula of ,concord1 however1 sanctioned the attitude of ,flacius4 ,it flatly rejected the false and dubious formulas of ,melanchthon1 ,major1 and ,menius concerning the necessity of good works to salvation1 and fully restored ,luther's doctrine4 ,luther's words concerning good works are quoted as follows3 ,we concede indeed that instruction should be given also concerning love and good works1 yet in such a way that this be done when and where it is necessary1 namely1 when otherwise and outside of this matter of justification we have to do with works4 ,but here the chief matter dealt with is the question not whether we should also do good works and exercise love1 but by what means we can be justified before ,god and saved4 ,and here we answer with ,st4 ,paul3 that we are justified by faith in ,christ alone1 and not by the deeds of the ,law or by love4 ,not that we hereby entirely reject works and love1 as the adversaries falsely slander and accuse us1 but that we do not allow ourselves to be led away1 as ,satan desires1 from the chief matter1 with which we have to do here1 to another and foreign affair1 which does not at all belong to this matter4 ,therefore1 whereas and as long as we are occupied with this article of justification1 we reject and condemn works1 since this article is so constituted that it can admit of no disputation or treatment whatever regard ing works4 ,therefore in this matter we cut short all ,law and works of the ,law4 7#ibe1 #bi47 ,the ,formula of ,concord rejects the ,majoristic formula1 not because it is ambiguous1 but because it is false4 ,concerning ambiguous phrases it declares3 ,to avoid strife about words1 aequivocationes vocabulorum1 i4e41 words and expressions which are applied and used in various meanings1 should be carefully and distinctly explained4 7#hgd1 #ea47 ,an ambiguous phrase or statement need not be condemned1 because it may be made immune from error and misapprehension by a careful explanation4 ,the statement1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 however1 does not admit of such treatment4 ,it is inherently false and cannot be cured by any amount of explanation or interpretation4 ,because of this inherent falsity it must be rejected as such4 ,logically and grammatically the phrase1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 reverses the correct theological order1 by placing works before faith and sanctification before justification4 ,it turns things topsy-turvy4 ,it makes the effect the cause2 the consequent1 the antecedent1 and vice versa4 ,not personal animosity1 but this fundamental falsity of the ,majoristic formula was1 in the last analysis1 the reason why the explanations and concessions made by ,major and ,menius did not and could not satisfy their opponents4 ,they maintained1 as explained above1 that the words necessary to always imply something that precedes1 moves1 effects1 works1 and that1 accordingly1 the obnoxious propositions of ,major place good works before the remission of sins and before salvation4 7,preger #a1 #cgg47 ,even ,planck admits that only force could make the proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 say1 ,good works must follow faith and justification4 ,according to the usage of every language1 says he1 a phrase saying that one thing is necessary to another designates a causal connection4 ,whoever dreamt of asserting that heat is necessary to make it day1 because it is a necessary effect of the rays of the sun1 by the spreading of which it becomes day4 7#d1 #edb4 #dhe47 ,without compromising the truth and jeopardizing the doctrine of justification1 therefore1 the ,lutherans were able to regard as satisfactory only a clear and unequivocal rejection of ,majorism as it is found in the ,formula of ,concord4 #adi4 ,absurd ,proposition of ,amsdorf4 ,nicholas ,amsdorf1 the intimate and trusted friend of ,luther1 was among the most zealous of the opponents of ,majorism4 ,he was born ,december #c1 #adhc2 professor in ,wittenberg2 #aeba in ,worms with ,luther2 superintendent in ,magdeburg2 #aedb bishop at ,naumburg2 banished by ,maurice in #aedg1 he removed to ,magdeburg2 soon after professor and superintendent in ,jena2 opposed the ,interimists1 ,adiaphorists1 ,osiandrists1 ,majorists1 ,synergists1 ,sacramentarians1 ,anabaptists1 and ,schwenckfeldians2 died at ,eisenach ,may #ad1 #aefe4 ,regarding the bold statements of ,major as a blow at the very heart of true ,lutheranism1 ,amsdorf antagonized his teaching as a most pernicious error1 and denounced ,major as a ,pelagian and a double ,papist4 ,but1 alas1 the momentum of his uncontrolled zeal carried him a step too far--over the precipice4 ,he declared that good works are detrimental and injurious to salvation1 bona opera perniciosa 7noxia7 esse ad salutem4 ,he defended his paradoxical statement in a publication of #aeei against ,menius1 with whose subscription to the ,eisenach propositions1 referred to above1 he was not satisfied2 chiefly because ,menius said there that he had taught and defended them also in the past4 ,the flagrant blunder of ,amsdorf was all the more offensive because it appeared on the title of his tract1 reading as follows3 ,dass diese ,propositio3 ',gute ,werke sind zur ,seligkeit schaedlich1' eine rechte1 wahre christliche ,propositio sei1 durch die heiligen ,paulum und ,lutherum gelehrt und gepredigt4 ,niclas von ,amsdorf1 #aeei4 ,that this proposition1 ',good works are injurious to salvation1' is a correct1 true1 ,christian proposition taught and preached by ,sts4 ,paul and ,luther4 7,frank #b1 #bbh47 ,luther1 to whose writings ,amsdorf appealed1 had spoken very guardedly and correctly in this matter4 ,he had declared3 ,good works are detrimental to the righteousness of faith1 if one presumes to be justified by them1 si quis per ea praesumat iustificari4 ,wherever ,luther speaks of the injuriousness of good works1 it is always sub specie iustificationis1 that is to say1 viewing good works as entering the article of justification1 or the forgiveness of sins4 7,weimar #g1 #ei2 #aj1 #c1 #cgc4 #cgd4 #chg2 ,e4 #af1 #dfe4 #dhd2 ,tschackert1 #eaf47 ,what vitiated the proposition as found in ,amsdorf's tract was the fact that he had omitted the modification added by ,luther4 ,amsdorf made a flat statement of what ,luther had asserted1 not flatly1 nude et simpliciter1 but with a limitation1 secundum quid4 ,self-evidently the venerable ,amsdorf1 too1 who from the very beginning of the ,reformation had set an example in preaching as well as in living a truly ,christian life1 did not in the least intend to minimize1 or discourage the doing of1 good works by his offensive phrase1 but merely to eliminate good works from the article of justification4 ,as a matter of fact1 his extravagant statement1 when taken as it reads1 flatly contradicted his own clear teaching4 ,in #aeeb he had declared against ,major1 as recorded above3 ,who has ever taught or said that one should or need not do good works8 ,for we all say and confess that after his renewal and new birth a ,christian should love and fear ,god and do all manner of good works1 etc4 ,what ,amsdorf wished to emphasize was not that good works are dangerous in themselves and as such1 but in the article of salvation4 ,for this reason he added3 ad salutem1 to salvation4 ,by this appendix he meant to emphasize that good works are dangerous when introduced as a factor in justification and trusted in for one's salvation4 ,melanchthon refers to the proposition of ,amsdorf as filthy speech1 unflaetige ,rede4 ,in #aeeg1 at ,worms1 he wrote3 ,now ,amsdorf writes3 ,good works are detrimental to salvation4444 ,the ,antinomians and their like must avoid the filthy speech1 ',good works are detrimental to salvation4' 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #dje ff47 ,though unanimously rejecting his blundering proposition1 ,amsdorf's colleagues treated the venerable veteran of ,lutheranism with consideration and moderation4 ,no one1 says ,frank1 disputed the statement in the sense in which ,amsdorf took it1 and its form was so apparently false that it could but be generally disapproved4 7#b1 #agf47 ,the result was that the paradox assertion remained without any special historical consequences4 ,true1 ,major endeavored to foist ,amsdorf's teaching also on ,flacius4 ,he wrote3 ,flacius endeavors with all his powers to subvert this proposition1 that good works are necessary to those who are to be saved2 and tries to establish the opposite blasphemy1 that good works are dangerous to those who are to be saved1 and that they area hindrance to eternal salvation--evertere summis viribus hanc propositionem conatur3 bona opera salvandis esse necessaria4 ,ac contra stabilire oppositam blasphemiam studet3 ,bona opera salvandis periculosa sunt et aeternae saluti officiunt4 ,major continues3 ,let pious minds permit ,flacius and his compeers1 at their own risk1 to prostitute their eternal salvation to the devils1 and by their execrations and anathemas to sacrifice themselves to the devil and his angels4 7,frank #b1 #bba47 ,this1 however1 was slander pure and simple1 for ,flacius was among the first publicly to disown ,amsdorf when he made his extravagant statement against ,menius4 7,preger #a1 #cib4 #chd47 ,the ,formula of ,concord most emphatically rejects the error of ,amsdorf 7the bare statement that good works are injurious to salvation7 as offensive and detrimental to ,christian discipline4 ,and justly so2 for the question was not what ,amsdorf meant to say3 but what he really did say4 ,the ,formula adds3 ,for especially in these last times it is no less1 needful to admonish men to ,christian discipline and good works1 and remind them how necessary it is that they exercise themselves in good works as a declaration of their faith and gratitude to ,god1 than that works be not mingled in the article of justification2 because men may be damned by an ,epicurean delusion concerning faith1 as well as by papistic and ,pharisaical confidence in their own works and merits4 7#hja1 #ah47 #aej4 ,other ,points of ,dispute4 ,is it correct to say3 ,god requires good works1 or1 ,good works are necessary1 and1 ,christians are obliged or in duty bound to do good works 7bona opera sunt necessaria et debita78 ,this question1 too1 was a point of dispute in the ,majoristic controversy4 ,originally the controversy concerning these terms and phrases was a mere logomachy1 which1 however1 later on 7when1 after the error lurking in the absolute rejection of them had been pointed out1 the phrases were still flatly condemned71 developed into a violent controversy4 ,the ,formula of ,concord explains3 ,it has also been argued by some that good works are not necessary 7noetig71 but are voluntary 7freiwillig71 because they are not extorted by fear and the penalty of the ,law1 but are to be done from a voluntary spirit and a joyful heart4 ,over against this the other side contended that good works are necessary4 ,this controversy was originally occasioned by the words necessitas and libertas notwendig und frei1 that is1 necessary and free1 because especially the word necessitas1 necessary1 signifies not only the eternal1 immutable order according to which all men are obliged and in duty bound to obey ,god1 but sometimes also a coercion1 by which the ,law forces men to good works4 ,but afterwards there was a disputation not only concerning the words1 but the doctrine itself was attacked in the most violent manner1 and it was contended that the new obedience in the regenerate is not necessary because of the above-mentioned divine order4 7#ici1 #d;f47 ,from the very beginning of the ,reformation the ,romanists had slandered ,luther also by maintaining that he condemned good works and simply denied their necessity4 ,a similar charge was made by the ,majorists against their opponents generally4 ,and ,melanchthon's writings1 too1 frequently create the same impression4 ,but it was an inference of their own4 ,they argued3 ,if good works are not necessary to salvation1 they cannot be necessary at all4 ,wigand wrote3 ,it is a most malicious and insidious trait in the new teachers the ,majorists that they1 in order to gloss over their case1 cry out with the ,papists that the controversy is whether good works are necessary4 ,but this is not in dispute1 for no ,christian ever denied it4 ,good works are necessary2 that is certainly true4 ,but the conflict arises from the appendix attached to it1 and the patch pasted to it1 viz41 'to salvation4' ,and here all ,god-fearing men say that it is a detrimental1 offensive1 damnable1 papistic appendix4 7,planck #d1 #dih4 #edd47 ,it is true1 however1 that the ,antinomians 7who will be dealt with more extensively in a following chapter7 as well as several other opponents of the ,majorists were unwilling to allow the statement1 ,good works are necessary4 ,falsely interpreting the proposition as necessarily implying1 not merely moral obligation1 but also compulsion and coercion1 they rejected it as unevangelical and semipopish4 ,the word must is here not in place1 they protested4 ,agricola1 as well as the later ,antinomians 7,poach and ,otto71 rejected the expressions necessarium1 necessary and duty1 debitum1 when employed in connection with good works4 ,january #ac1 #aeee1 ,melanchthon wrote3 ,some object to the words1 ',good works are necessary1' or1 ',one must do good works4' ,they object to the two words necessitas and debitum4 ,and the ,court-preacher ,agricola at that time juggled with the word must3 'das ,muss ist versalzen4' ,he understood necessarium and debitum as meaning1 coerced by fear of punishment1 extortum coactione 7extorted by coercion71 and spoke high-sounding words1 such as1 how good works came without the ,law4 ,yet the first meaning of necessarium and debitum is not extortum coactione1 but the eternal and immutable order of divine wisdom2 and the ,lord ,christ and ,paul themselves employ these words necessarium and debitum4 ,in ,december1 #aeeg1 he wrote3 ,they the ,antinomians object to the proposition3 ',new obedience is necessary2' again3 ',new obedience is a debt 7debitum74' ,and now ,amsdorf writes3 ',good works are detrimental to salvation1'and it was ,eisleben's ,agricola's slogan3 ',das ,muss ist versalzen4' ,in ,nordhausen some one has publicly announced a disputation which contains the proposition3 ',summa ars ,chriatianorum est nescire legem4--,the highest art of a ,christian is not to know the ,law4' ,march #d1 #aeeh3 ,some1 for instance1 ,amsdorf and ,gallus1 object to the word debitum4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #daa4 #aid4 #hdb2 #i1 #dje4 #dgd47 ,andrew ,musculus1 professor in ,frankfurt on the ,oder1 is reported to have said in a sermon1 #aeeh3 ,they are all the devil's own who teach3 ',new obedience is necessary 7nova obedientia est necessaria7'2 the word 'must 7necessary7' does not belong here4 ',good works are necessary to salvation1' and1 ',good works are necessary1 but not to salvation'--these are both of a cloth--das sind zwei ,hosen aus ,,einem ,tuch4 7,meusel1 ,handlexikon #d1 #gaj2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #baf47 ,over against this extreme position1 ,melanchthon1 ,flacius1 ,wigand1 ,moerlin1 and others held that it was entirely correct to say that good works are necessary4 ,in the ,opinion of ,november #ac1 #aeei1 referred to above1 ,melanchthon1 after stating that he does not employ the phrase1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 continues as follows3 ,but ,i do affirm that these propositions are true1 and that one may properly and without sophistry say1 ',the new obedience or good works are necessary1' because obedience is due to ,god and because it is necessary that1 after the ,holy ,spirit has been received1 regeneration or conversion be followed by motions corresponding to the ,holy ,spirit4444 ,and the words 'duty' and 'necessity' signify the order of ,god's wisdom and justice2 they do not signify an obedience which is compelled or extorted by fear4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ifi47 ,the ,frankfurt ,rezess of #aeeh ,rezess1 ,rueckzug1 ,vergleich ,agreement1 written by ,melanchthon and signed by the ,lutheran princes1 declared3 ,these propositions1 ',nova obedientia est necessaria1 nova obedientia est debitum1 ,new obedience is necessary1 is a debt1' shall not be rejected4 ,the ,rezess explained3 ,it is certainly a divine1 immovable truth that new obedience is necessary in those who are justified2 and these words are to be retained in their true meaning4 ',necessary' signifies divine order4 ,new obedience is necessary and is a debt for the very reason that it is an immutable divine order that the rational creature obeys ,god4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #dif4 #dih47 ,in a similar way this matter was explained by ,flacius and other theologians4 ,they all maintained that it is correct to say1 ,good works are necessary4 ,even ,amsdorf wrote #aeeb in his ,brief ,instruction against ,major3 ,for we all say and confess that a ,christian after his renewal and new birth should and must 7soll und muss7 love and fear ,god and do all manner of good works1 but not in order to be saved thereby1 for he is saved already by faith4 7,schlb4 #g1 #baj47 ,this view1 which was also plainly taught in the ,augsburg ,confession1 prevailed and received the sanction of our ,church in ,article ,,iv of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,when a ,christian spontaneously and by the free impulse of his own faith does 7and would do1 even if there were no law at all7 what1 according to the holy will of ,god1 revealed in the ,ten ,commandments1 he is obliged and in duty bound to do--such works1 and such only1 are1 according to the ,formula of ,concord1 truly good works1 works pleasing to ,god4 ,it was the doctrine of ,luther1 who had written1 e4g41 in his ,church ,postil of #aeba3 ,no1 dear man1 you cannot earn heaven by your good works1 but you must have heaven and already be saved before you do good works4 ,works do not merit heaven1 but1 on the contrary1 heaven1 imparted by pure grace1 does good works spontaneouslv1 seeking no merit1 but only the welfare of the neighbor and the glory of ,god4 ,nein1 lieber ,mensch1 du musst den ,himmel haben und schon selig sein1 ehe du gute ,werke tust4 ,die ,werke verdienen nicht den ,himmel1 sondern wiederum umgekehrt1 der ,himmel1 aus lauter ,gnaden gegeben1 tut die guten ,werke dahin1 ohne ,gesuch des ,verdienstes1 nur dem ,naechsten zu ,nutz und ,gott zu ,ehren4 7,e4 #g1 #agd47 ,again1 in ,de ,servio ,arbitrio of #aebe3 ,the children of ,god do good entirely voluntarily1 seeking no reward1 but only the glory and will of ,god1 ready to do the good even if1 assuming the impossible1 there were neither heaven nor hell4 ,filii autem ,dei gratuita voluntate faciunt bonum1 nullum praemium quaerentes1 sed solam gloriam et voluntatem ,dei1 parati bonum facere1 si per impossibile neque regnum neque infernus esset4 7,e4 v4 a4 #g1 #bcd47 ,,xiv4 ,the ,synergistic ,controversy4 #aea4 ,relation of ,majorism and ,synergism4 ,the theological connection between ,majorism and synergism is much closer than is generally realized4 ,both maintain that1 in part1 or in a certain respect1 salvation depends not on grace alone1 but also on man and his efforts4 ,the ,majorists declared good works to be necessary to salvation1 or at least to the preservation of faith and of salvation4 ,thus salvation would1 in a way1 depend on the right conduct of a ,christian after his conversion4 ,the ,synergists asserted3 ,man1 too1 must do his bit and cooperate with the ,holy ,spirit if he desires to be saved4 ,conversion and salvation1 therefore1 would depend1 at least in part1 on man's conduct toward converting grace1 and he would be justified and saved1 not by grace alone1 but by a faith which to a certain extent is a work of his own4 ,the burden of both1 ,majorism and synergism1 was the denial of the sola gratia4 ,both coordinated man and ,god as the causes of our salvation4 ,indeed1 consistently carried out1 both destroyed the central ,christian truth of justification by grace alone and1 with it1 the assurance of a gracious ,god and of eternal salvation--the supreme religious concern of ,luther and the entire ,lutheran theology4 ,majorists and ,synergists employed also the same line of argument4 ,both derived their doctrine1 not from any clear statements of the ,bible1 but by a process of anti-,scriptural and fallacious reasoning4 ,the ,majorists inferred3 ,since evil works and sins against conscience destroy faith and justification1 good works are required for their preservation4 ,the ,synergists argued3 ,since all who are not converted or finally saved must blame1 not ,god1 but themselves for rejecting grace1 those1 too1 who are converted must be credited with at least a small share in the work of their salvation1 that is to say1 with a better conduct toward grace than the conduct of those who are lost4 ,however1 while ,majorism as well as synergism1 as stated1 represented essentially the same error and argued against the doctrine of grace in the same unscriptural manner1 the more subtle1 veiled1 and hence the more dangerous of the two1 no doubt1 was synergism1 which reduced man's cooperation to a seemingly harmless minimum and1 especially in the beginning1 endeavored to clothe itself in ambiguous phrases and apparently pious and plausible formulas4 ,perhaps this accounts also for the fact that1 though ,melanchthon and the ,majorists felt constrained to abandon as described in the preceding chapter1 the coarser and more offensive ,majoristic propositions1 they had at the same time no compunctions about retaining and defending essentially the same error in their doctrine of conversion2 and that1 on the other hand1 their opponents1 who by that time fully realized also the viciousness of synergism1 were not satisfied with ,major's concessions in the controversy on good works1 because he and his colleagues in ,wittenberg were known to identify themselves with the ,synergists4 ,for the same reason the dangerous error lurking in the synergistic phrases does not seem from the first to have been recognized by the ,lutherans in the same degree as was the error contained in the ,majoristic propositions1 which indeed had even during ,luther's life to some extent become a subject of dispute4 ,yet it seems hardly possible that for years they should not have detected the synergistic deviations in ,wittenberg from ,luther's doctrine of free will4 ,perhaps the fact that at the time when ,melanchthon came out boldly with his synergism1 #aedh1 the ,lutherans were engrossed with the ,adiaphoristic and ,majoristic controversies may help to explain1 at least to some extent1 why the synergistic error caused small concern1 and was given but little consideration in the beginning4 ,as a matter of fact1 although a considerable amount of synergistic material had been published by #aedh1 the controversy did not begin till #aeef1 while the error that good works are necessary to salvation was publicly opposed soon after its reappearance in the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,at the ,weimar ,disputation1 #aefj1 ,strigel referred to this silence1 saying3 ,i am astonished that ,i am pressed so much in this matter concerning synergism1 since three years ago at ,worms no mention whatever 8 was made of this controversy1 while many severe commands were given regarding others4 7,richard1 ,conf4 ,prin41 #cdi47 ,the matter was mentioned at ,worms1 but ,melanchthon is reported to have satisfied ,brenz and others by declaring that in the passages of his ,loci suspected of synergism he meant the regenerated will4 #aeb4 ,luther's ,monergism4 ,according to ,lutheran theology1 the true opposite of synergism is not ,calvinism with its double election1 irresistible grace1 denial of universal redemption1 etc41 but the monergism of grace1 embracing particularly the tenets that in consequence of ,adam's fall man is spiritually dead and utterly unable to contribute in any degree or manner toward his own justification and conversion2 moreover1 that1 being an enemy of ,god1 man1 of his own natural powers1 is active only in resisting the saving efforts of ,god1 as well as able and prone only to do so2 that ,god alone and in every respect is the ,author of man's conversion1 perseverance1 and final salvation2 and that1 since the grace of ,god is universal and earnestly proffered1 man alone is responsible for1 and the cause of1 his own damnation4 ,sola fides iustificat1 ,faith alone justifies--that was the great slogan of the ,reformation sounded forth by ,luther and his followers with ever increasing boldness1 force and volume4 ,and the distinct meaning of this proposition1 which ,luther called hoc meum dogma1 this my dogma1 was just this1 that we are saved not by any effort or work of our own1 but in every respect by ,god's grace alone4 ,the restoration of this wonderful truth1 taught by ,st4 ,paul1 made ,luther the ,reformer of the ,church4 ,this truth alone1 as ,luther had experienced1 is able to impart solid comfort to a terror-stricken conscience1 engender divine assurance of ,god's pardon and acceptance1 and thus translate a poor miserable sinner from the terrors of hell into paradise4 ,in the ,seven ,penitential ,psalms1 written #aeag1 ,luther says3 ,if ,god's mercy is to be praised1 then all human merits and worthiness must come to naught4 7,weimar #a1 #afa47 ,not such are blessed as have no sins or extricate themselves by their own labors1 but only those whose sins are graciously forgiven by ,god4 7#afg47 ,it is characteristic of ,god 7es ist ,gottes ,natur7 to make something out of nothing4 ,hence ,god cannot make anything out of him who is not as yet nothing4444 ,therefore ,god receives none but the forsaken1 heals none but the ill1 gives sight to none but the blind1 quickens none but the dead1 makes pious none but the sinners1 makes wise none but the ignorant1--in short1 ,he has mercy on none but the miserable1 and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace4 ,whoever therefore1 is a proud saint1 wise or just1 cannot become ,god's material and receive ,god's work within himself1 but remains in his own work and makes an imaginary1 seeming1 false1 and painted saint of himself1 i4e41 a hypocrite4 7#ahc47 ,for he whom ,thou ,god dost justify will never become righteous by his works2 hence it is called ,thy righteousness1 since ,thou givest it to us by grace1 and we do not obtain it by works4 7#aib47 ,israel the true new man1 does not take refuge in himself1 nor in his strength1 nor in his righteousness and wisdom4444 ,for help and grace is not with themselves4 ,they are sinners and damned in themselves1 as ,he also says through ,hosea3 ,o ,israel1 with thee there is nothing but damnation1 but with ,me is thine help4 7#baj47 ,he1 ,he1 ,god ,himself1 not they themselves1 will deliver the true ,israel4444 ,mark well1 ,israel has sin and cannot help itself4 7#baa47 ,in his explanation of ,ps4 #aji 7#aaj71 #aeah1 ,luther says3 ,he calls these children conceived from spiritual seed1 the ,word of ,god dew1 since no soul is converted and transformed from ,adam's sinful childhood to the gracious childhood of ,christ by human work1 but only by ,god1 who works from heaven like the dew1 as ,micah writes3 ',the children of ,israel will be like the dew given by ,god which does not wait for the hands of men4' 7#gja47 ,again3 ,in every single man ,god precedes with grace and works before we pray for grace or cooperate4 ,the ,doctors call this gratiam primam et praevenientem1 that is1 the first and prevenient grace4 ,augustine3 ,gratia ,dei praevenit1 ut velimus1 ne frustra velimus4 ,god's grace prevenes that we will1 lest we will in vain4 7#gaj47 ,in his #dj theses for the ,heidelberg disputation1 also of #aeah1 ,luther says of man's powers in spiritual matters3 #ac4 ,free will after sin the ,fall is a mere titular affair an empty title only1 and sins mortally when it does what it is able to do4 ,liberum arbitrium post peccatum res est de solo titulo et dum facit1 quod in se est1 peccat mortaliter4 #af4 ,a man desirous of obtaining grace by doing what he is able to do adds sin to sin1 becoming doubly guilty4 ,homo putans1 se ad gratiam velle pervenire faciendo1 quod est in se1 peccatum addit peccato1 ut duplo reus fiat4 #ah4 ,it is certain that a man must utterly despair of himself in order to become apt to acquire the grace of ,christ4 ,certum est1 hominem de se penitus oportere desperare1 ut aptus fiat ad consequendam gratiam ,christi4 7,w4 #a1 #ced47 ,by way of explanation ,luther added to thesis #ac3 ,the first part of this thesis1 that free will is a mere empty title is apparent1 because the will is a captive and a servant to sin1 not that it is nothing1 but that it is free only to do evil--non quod sit nihil1 sed quod non sit liberum nisi ad malum4 ,john #h1 #cd4 #cf3 ',whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin4 ,if the ,son shall make you free1 ye shall be free indeed4' ,hence1 ,st4 ,augustine says in his book ,de ,spiritu et ,litera3 ,free will without grace can only sin--non nisi ad peccandum valet4 ,and in his second book against ,julianus3 ,you call that a free will which in truth is captive1 etc4 ,to thesis #af ,luther added3 ,when man does what he is able to do 7dum facit1 quod est in se71 he sins1 seeking altogether his own4 ,and if he is minded to become worthy of1 and apt for1 grace by a sin1 he adds proud presumption4 ,in his sermon of #aeai on ,genesis #d1 ,luther remarked3 ,this passage ',the ,lord had respect unto ,abel' subverts the entire liberty of our human will4 ,hic locus semel invertit universam libertatem voluntatis nostrae4 7,weimar #i1 #ccg47 ,in a sermon of ,september #h1 #aebj1 we read3 ,by nature we are born accursed2444 through ,christ we are born again children of life4 ,thus we are born not by free will1 not by works1 not by our efforts4 ,as a child in the womb is not born by its own works1 but suffers itself to be carried and to be given birth1 so we are justified by suffering1 not by doing4 7#dgd47 ,where1 then1 ,luther exclaimed about the same time in his ,operationes in ,psalmos1 will free will remain8 where the doing what one can8 ,ubi ergo manebit liberum arbitrium1 ubi facere quod in se8 7#e1 #edd4 #gd47 ,in a sermon of ,february #b1 #aeba1 he said3 ,whatever grace is in us comes from ,god alone4 ,here free will is entirely dead4 ,all that we attempt to establish with our powers is lost unless ,he prevenes and makes us alive through ,his grace4 ,grace is ,his own work1 which we receive in our hearts by faith4 ,this grace the soul did not possess before1 for it is the new man4444 ,the great proud saints will not do this ascribe everything to ,god and ,his mercy4 ,they1 too1 would have a share in it1 saying to our ,lord3 ',this ,i have done by my free will1 this ,i have deserved4' 7#i1 #egc2 #e1 #edd47 ,thus ,luther1 from the very beginning of the ,reformation1 stood for the doctrine of justification1 conversion1 and salvation by grace alone4 ,most emphatically he denied that man though free to a certain extent in human and temporal affairs1 is able to cooperate with the powers of his natural1 unregenerate will in matters spiritual and pertaining to ,god4 ,this was also the position which ,luther victoriously defended against ,erasmus in his ,de ,servo ,arbitrio of #aebe4 ,goaded on by the ,romanists to come out publicly against the ,german heretic1 the great ,humanist1 in his ,diatribe of #aebd1 had shrewdly planned to attack his opponent at the most vulnerable point4 ,as such he regarded ,luther's monergistic doctrine1 according to which it is ,god alone who justifies1 converts1 preserves1 and saves men1 without any works of their own4 ,in reality1 however1 as presently appeared from his glorious classic on the sola-gratia doctrine1 ,erasmus had assaulted the strongest gate of ,luther's fortress4 ,for the source of the wonderful power which ,luther displayed throughout the ,reformation was none other than the divine conviction born of the ,word of ,god that in every respect grace alone is the cause of our justification and salvation4 ,and if ever this blessed doctrine was firmly established1 successfully defended1 and greatly glorified1 it was in ,luther's book against ,erasmus4 ,justification1 conversion1 perseverance in faith1 and final salvation1 obtained not by any effort of ours1 but in every respect received as a gracious gift of ,god alone--that was the teaching also to which ,luther faithfully1 most determinedly1 and without any wavering adhered throughout his life4 ,in his ,large ,confession of #aebh1 for example1 we read3 ,herewith ,i reject and condemn as nothing but error all dogmas which extol our free will1 as they directly conflict with this help and grace of our ,savior ,jesus ,christ4 ,for since outside of ,christ death and sin are our lords1 and the devil our god and prince1 there can be no power or might1 no wisdom or understanding1 whereby we can qualify ourselves for1 or strive after1 righteousness and life2 but we must be blinded people and prisoners of sin and the devil's own1 to do and to think what pleases them and is contrary to ,god and ,his commandments4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #hig1 #dc47 #aec4 ,luther's ,doctrine ,endorsed4 ,to adhere faithfully to ,luther's doctrine of conversion and salvation by grace alone was also the determination of the loyal ,lutherans in their opposition to the ,synergists4 ,planck correctly remarks that the doctrine which ,flacius and the ,anti-,synergists defended was the very doctrine which ,luther advocated in his conflict with ,erasmus4 7,prot4 ,lehrbegriff #d1 #ffg47 ,this was substantially conceded even by the opponents4 ,when1 for example1 at the colloquy in ,worms1 #aeeg1 the ,romanists demanded that ,flacius's doctrine of free will be condemned by the ,lutherans1 ,melanchthon declared that herein one ought not to submit to the ,papists1 who slyly1 under the name of ,illyricus ,flacius1 demanded the condemnation of ,luther1 whose opinion in the doctrine of free will he ,melanchthon was neither able nor willing to condemn4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bcb47 ,in their ,confession1 published in ,march1 #aefi1 the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony 7,wigand1 ,coelestin1 ,irenaeus1 ,kirchner1 etc47 declared3 ,we also add that we embrace the doctrine and opinion of ,dr4 ,luther1 the ,elias of these latter days of the world1 as it is most luminously and skilfully set forth in the book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 against ,erasmus1 in the ,commentary on ,genesis1 and in other books2 and we hold that this teaching of ,luther agrees with the eternal ,word of ,god4 7,schluesselburg1 ,catalogus #e1 #acc47 ,luther's sola-gratia-doctrine was embodied also in the ,formula of ,concord1 and this with a special endorsement of his book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 ,for here we read3 ,even so ,dr4 ,luther wrote of this matter the doctrine that our free will has no power whatever to qualify itself for righteousness1 etc4 also in his book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio2 i4e41 ,of the ,captive ,will of ,man1 in opposition to ,erasmus1 and elucidated and supported this position well and thoroughly egregie et solide2 and afterward he repeated and explained it in his glorious exposition of the book of ,genesis1 especially of chapter #bf4 ,there likewise his meaning and understanding of some other peculiar disputations introduced incidentally by ,erasmus1 as of absolute necessity1 etc41 have been secured by him in the best and most careful way against all misunderstanding and perversion2 to which we also hereby appeal and refer others4 7#hig1 #dd2 #iha1 #bh47 ,in the passage of his ,commentary on ,genesis referred to by the ,formula1 ,luther does not1 as has been claimed1 retract or modify his former statements concerning the inability of the human will and the monergism of grace1 but emphasizes that1 in reading ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 one must heed and not overlook his frequent admonitions to concern oneself with ,god as ,he has revealed ,himself in the ,gospel1 and not speculate concerning ,god in ,his transcendence1 absoluteness1 and majesty1 as the ,one in whom we live and move and have our being1 and without whom nothing can either exist or occur1 and whose wonderful ways are past finding out4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #hih47 ,and the fact that the ,lutheran theologians1 living at the time and immediately after the framing of the ,formula of ,concord1 objected neither to the book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio itself nor to its public endorsement by the ,formula of ,concord1 is an additional proof of the fact that they were in complete agreement with ,luther's teaching of conversion and salvation by grace alone4 7,frank #a1 #abj47 ,this sola-gratia-doctrine1 the vital truth of ,christianity1 rediscovered and proclaimed once more by ,luther1 was1 as stated1 the target at which ,erasmus directed his shafts4 ,in his ,diatribe he defined the power of free will to be the faculty of applying oneself to grace 7facultas applicandi se ad gratiam71 and declared that those are the best theologians who1 while ascribing as much as possible to the grace of ,god1 do not eliminate this human factor4 ,he wrote3 ,free will is the ability of the human will according to which man is able either to turn himself to what leads to eternal salvation or to turn away from it4 7,st4,l4 #ah1 #afab47 ,again3 ,those1 therefore1 who are farthest apart from the views of ,pelagius ascribe to grace the most1 but to free will almost nothing2 yet they do not abolish it entirely4 ,they say that man cannot will anything good without special grace1 cannot begin anything good1 cannot continue in it1 cannot complete anything without the chief thing1 the constant help of divine grace4 ,this opinion seems to be pretty probable because it leaves to man a striving and an effort1 and yet does not admit that he is to ascribe even the least to his own powers4 7#afai47 ,one must avoid extremes1 and seek the middle of the road1 said ,erasmus4 ,pelagius had fallen into ,scylla1 and ,luther into ,charybdis4 ,i am pleased with the opinion of those who ascribe to free will something1 but to grace by far the most4 7#afff47 ,essentially1 this was the error held1 nursed1 and defended also by the ,synergists1 though frequently in more guarded and ambiguous phrases4 ,but their theory of conversion also involved1 as ,schaff and ,schmauk put it1 the idea of a partnership between ,god and man1 and a corresponding division of work and merit4 7,conf4 ,principle1 #fjj47 ,however1 these attempts to revamp the ,semi-,pelagian teaching resulted in a controversy which more and longer than any other endangered and disquieted the ,lutheran ,church1 before as well as after the adoption of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,whether the unregenerate man1 when the ,word of ,god is preached1 and the grace of ,god is offered him1 is able to prepare himself for grace1 accept it1 and assent thereto1 was1 according to the ,formula of ,concord1 the question upon which1 for quite a number of years now1 there has been a controversy among some theologians in the churches of the ,augsburg ,confession4 7#hha1 #b47 ,and of all the controversies after ,luther's death the synergistic controversy was most momentous and consequential4 ,for the doctrine of grace with which it dealt is the vital breath of every ,christian4 ,without it neither faith nor the ,christian religion can live and remain4 ,if we believe1 says ,luther in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 that ,christ has redeemed men by ,his blood1 then we must confess that the entire man was lost2 otherwise we make ,christ superfluous or the ,redeemer of but the meanest part of us1 which is blasphemous and sacrilegious4 ,reading the book of ,erasmus1 in which he bent every effort toward exploding the doctrine of grace1 ,luther felt the hand of his opponent clutching his throat4 ,in the closing paragraph of ,de ,servo ,arbitrio ,luther wrote3 ,i highly laud and extol you for this thing also1 that of all others you alone have gone to the heart of the subject4444 ,you alone have discerned the core of the matter and have aimed at the throat1 for which ,i thank you heartily4--,unus tu et solus cardinem rerum vidisti1 et ipsum iugulum petisti1 pro quo ex animo tibi gratias ago1 in hac enim causa libentius versor1 quantum favet tempus et otium4 7,e4 v4 a4 #g1 #cfg4 #acg2 ,st4 ,l4 #ah1 #aifg2 ,pieper1 ,dogm4 #b1 #edc47 ,and so the ,synergists1 who renewed the doctrine of ,erasmus1 also flew at the throat of ,christianity4 ,genuine ,lutheranism would have been strangled if synergism had emerged victorious from this great controversy of grace versus free will4 #aed4 ,the ,father of ,synergism4 ,during the first period of his activity in ,wittenberg1 ,melanchthon was in perfect agreement with ,luther also on the question of man's inability in spiritual matters and the sole activity1 or monergism1 of grace in the work of his salvation4 ,as late as #aecj he incorporated these views in the ,augsburg ,confession1 as appears1 in particular1 from ,articles ,,ii1 ,v1 ,,xviii1 and ,,xix4 ,his later doctrine concerning the three concurring causes of conversion 7the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,word1 and the consenting will of man71 as well as his theory explaining synergistically1 from an alleged dissimilar action in man1 the difference why some are saved while others are lost1 is not so much as hinted at in the ,confession4 ,but even at this early date 7#aecj7 or soon after1 ,melanchthon also does not seem any longer to have agreed whole-heartedly with ,luther in the doctrine of grace and free will4 ,and in the course of time his theology drifted farther and farther from its original monergistic moorings4 ,nor was ,luther wholly unaware of the secret trend of his colleague and friend toward--,erasmus4 ,in #aecf1 when the deviations of ,melanchthon and ,cruciger1 dealt with in our previous chapter1 were brought to his notice1 ,luther exclaimed3 ,haec est ipsissima theologia ,erasmi4 ,this is the identical theology of ,erasmus1 nor can there be anything more opposed to our doctrine4 7,kolde1 ,analecta1 #bff47 ,that ,melanchthon's theology was verging toward ,erasmus appears from his letter of ,june #bb1 #aecg1 to ,veit ,dietrich1 in which he said that he desired a more thorough exposition also of the doctrines of predestination and of the consent of the will4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #chc47 ,before this1 in his ,commentary on ,romans of #aecb1 he had written that there is some cause of election also in man2 viz41 in as far as he does not repudiate the grace offered--tamen eatenus aliquam causam in accipiente esse quatenus promissionem oblatam non repudiat4 7,seeberg #d1 #ddb47 ,in an addition to his ,loci of #aecc he also spoke of a cause of justification and election residing in man4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #ccb47 ,in the revised editions of #aece and #aedc he plainly began to prepare the way for his later bold and unmistakable deviations4 ,for even though unable to point out a clean-cut and unequivocal synergistic statement1 one cannot read these editions without scenting a ,semi-,pelagian and ,erasmian atmosphere4 ,what ,melanchthon began to teach was the doctrine that man1 when approached by the ,word of ,god1 is able to assume either an attitude of pro or con1 i4e41 for or against the grace of ,god4 ,the same applies to the ,variata of #aedj in which the frequent adiuvari there employed1 though not incorrect as such1 was not without a synergistic flavor4 ,tschackert remarks of the ,loci of #aece3 ,melanchthon wants to make man responsible for his state of grace4 ,nor does the human will in consequence of original sin lose the ability to decide itself when incited2 the will produces nothing new by its own power1 but assumes an attitude toward what approaches it4 ,when man hears the ,word of ,god1 and the ,holy ,spirit produces spiritual affections in his heart1 the will can either assent or turn against it4 ,in this way ,melanchthon arrives at the formula1 ever after stereotype with him1 that there are three concurring causes in the process of conversion3 'the ,word of ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and the human will1 which1 indeed1 is not idle1 but strives against its infirmity4' 7#ebj47 ,however1 during the life of ,luther1 ,melanchthon made no further measurable progress towards synergism4 ,perhaps the unpleasant experiences following upon his innovations in the doctrine of good works acted as a check also on the public development of his synergistic tendencies4 ,during ,luther's life ,melanchthon1 as he himself admitted to ,carlowitz 7#ajf71 dissimulated1 keeping his deviating views to himself and his intimate friends4 ,after ,luther's death1 however1 he came out unmistakably and publicly1 also in favor of synergism1 endorsing even the ,erasmian definition of free will as the power in man to apply himself to grace4 ,he plainly taught that1 when drawn by the ,holy ,spirit1 the will is able to decide pro or con1 to obey or to resist4 ,especially in his lectures1 ,melanchthon--not indeed directly1 but mentioning the name of ,flacius--continually lashed such phrases of ,luther as purely passive1 block1 resistance1--a fact to which ,schluesselburg1 who had studied in ,wittenberg1 refers in support of his assertion that ,melanchthon had departed from ,luther's teaching on free will4 7,catalogus #e1 #cb47 ,while ,melanchthon formerly 7in his ,loci of #aedc7 had spoken of three causes of a good action 7bonae actionis7 he now publicly advocated the doctrine of three concurring causes of conversion4 ,now he boldly maintained that1 since the grace of ,god is universal1 one must assume1 and also teach1 that there are different actions in different men1 which accounts for the fact that some are converted and saved while others are lost4 ,according to the later ,melanchthon1 therefore1 man's eternal salvation evidently does not depend on the gracious operations of ,god's ,holy ,spirit and ,word alone1 but also on his own correct conduct toward grace4 ,in his heart1 especially when approaching the mercy-seat in prayer1 ,melanchthon1 no doubt1 forgot and disavowed his own teaching1 and believed and practised ,luther's sola-gratia-doctrine4 ,but it cannot be denied that1 in his endeavors to harmonize universal grace with the fact that not all1 but some only1 are saved1 ,melanchthon repudiated the monergism of ,luther1 espoused and defended the powers of free will in spiritual matters1 and thought1 argued1 spoke1 and wrote in terms of synergism4 ,indeed1 ,melanchthon must be regarded as the father of both synergism and the rationalistic methods employed in its defense1 and as the true father also of the modern rationalistico-synergistic theology represented by such distinguished men as ,von ,hofmann1 ,thomasius1 ,kahnis1 ,luthardt1 etc4 7,pieper #b1 #ehb2 ,frank #a1 #bca47 #aee4 ,unsound ,statements of ,melanchthon4 ,following are some of the ambiguous and false deliverances of ,melanchthon3 ,in the ,loci of #aece the so-called human cause of conversion which must be added to the ,word and ,spirit is described as endeavoring1 striving1 and wishing to obey and believe4 ,we read3 ,we do not say this to ensnare the consciences1 or to deter men from the endeavor to obey and believe1 or from making an effort4 ,on the contrary1 since we are to begin with the ,word1 we certainly must not resist the ,word of ,god1 but strive to obey it4444 ,we see that these causes are united3 the ,word1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and the will1 which is certainly not idle1 but strives against its infirmity4 ,in this manner ecclesiastical writers are accustomed to join these causes4 ,basil says3 ',only will1 and ,god will precede1' ,god precedes1 calls1 moves1 assists us1 but let us beware lest we resist4444 ,chrysostom says3 ,he who draws1 draws him who is willing4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #cgf47 ,in conversion and salvation ,god certainly must do and does ,his share1 but man must beware lest he fail to do what is required of him4 ,this is also the impression received from ,melanchthon's statements in the third elaboration of his ,loci1 #aedc4 ,we read3 ,here three causes of a good action concur 7hic concurrunt tres causae bonae actionis73 the ,word of ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and the human will assenting to and not resisting the ,word of ,god 7humana voluntas assentiens1 nec repugnans ,verbo ,dei74 ,for it could expel the ,spirit1 as ,saul expelled ,him of his own free will4 ,but when the mind hearing and sustaining itself does not resist1 does not give way to diffidence1 but1 the ,holy ,spirit assisting1 endeavors to assent1--in such a struggle the will is not inactive 7in hoc certamine voluntas non est otiosa74 ,the ancients have said that good works are done when grace precedes and the will follows4 ,so also ,basil says3 ',monon theleson1 kai theos proapanta1 ,only will1 and ,god anticipates4 ,god precedes1 calls1 moves1 assists us2 but as for us1 let us see to it that we do not resist4 ,deus antevertit nos1 vocat1 movet1 adiuvat1 ,,sed ,,nos ,,viderimus1 ne repugnemus1' 7#ba1 #feh47 ,and ,phil4 #a1 #f3 ',he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of ,jesus ,christ1' i4e41 we are assisted by ,god 7adiuvamur a ,deo71 but we must hear the ,word of ,god and not resist the drawing ,god4 7#iaf47 ,god draws our minds that they will1 but we must assent1 not resist4 ,deus trahit mentes1 ut velint1 sed assentiri nos1 non repugnare oportet4 7#iag47 ,here we also meet the remark3 ,but the will1 when assisted by the ,holy ,spirit1 becomes more free4 ,fit autem voluntas adiuvata ,spiritu ,sancto magis libera4 7#ffc47 ,frank comments pertinently that the magis presupposes a certain degree of liberty of the will before the assistance of the ,holy ,spirit4 7#a1 #aih47 ,the boldest synergistic statements are found in the ,loci of #aedh4 ,it was the year of the ,leipzig ,interim1 in which the same error was embodied as follows3 ,the merciful ,god does not deal with man as with a block1 but draws him in such a way that his will1 too1 cooperates4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #ea4 #bfj47 ,as to the ,loci of this year1 ,bindseil remarks in the ,corpus ,reformatorum3 ,this edition is famous on account of certain paragraphs inserted by the author in the article on ,free ,will4 ,for these additions contain the ,erasmian definition of free will 7that it is the faculty of applying oneself to grace71 on account of which ,melanchthon was charged with synergism by the ,flacians4444 ,for this reason the edition is called by ,j4 ,t4 ,mayer 'the worst of all 7omnium pessima74' ,at the ,weimar colloquy1 #aefj1 even ,strigel was not willing to identify himself openly with the ,erasmian definition of free will 7facultas applicandi se ad gratiam7 as found in one of these sections4 ,when ,flacius quoted the passage1 ,strigel retorted excitedly3 ,i do not defend that definition which you have quoted from the recent edition #aedh4 ,when did you hear it from me8 ,when have ,i undertaken to defend it8 7,frank #a1 #aii4 #ace47 ,at the ,herzberg colloquy ,andreae remarked3 ,the ,loci ,communes of ,melanchthon are useful4 ,but whoever reads the locus de libero arbitrio must confess1 even if he judges most mildly1 that the statements are dubious and ambiguous4 ,and what of the four paragraphs which were inserted after ,luther's death8 ,for here we read3 ',there must of necessity be a cause of difference in us why a ,saul is rejected1 a ,david received4' 7,pieper #b1 #ehg47 ,from these additions of #aedh we cite3 ,nor does conversion occur in ,david in such a manner as when a stone is turned into a fig3 but free will does something in ,david2 for when he hears the rebuke and the promise1 he willingly and freely confesses his fault4 ,and his will does something when he sustains himself with this word3 ,the ,lord hath taken away your sin4 ,and when he endeavors to sustain himself with this word1 he is already assisted by the ,holy ,spirit4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #fei47 ,again3 ,i therefore answer those who excuse their idleness because they think that free will does nothing1 as follows3 ,it certainly is the eternal and immovable will of ,god that you obey the voice of the ,gospel1 that you hear the ,son of ,god1 that you acknowledge the ,mediator4 ,how black is that sin which refuses to behold the ,mediator1 the ,son of ,god1 presented to the human race6 ,you will answer3 ',i cannot4' ,but in a manner you can 7immo aliquo modo potes71 and when you sustain yourself with the voice of the ,gospel1 then pray that ,god would assist you1 and know that the ,holy ,spirit is efficacious in such consolation4 ,know that just in this manner ,god intends to convert us1 when we1 roused by the promise wrestle with ourselves1 pray and resist our diffidence and other vicious affections4 ,for this reason some of the ancient ,fathers have said that free will in man is the faculty to apply himself to grace 7liberum arbitrium in homine facultatem esse applicandi se ad gratiam72 i4e41 he hears the promise1 endeavors to assent1 and abandons sins against conscience4 ,such things do not occur in devils4 ,the difference therefore between the devils and the human race ought to be considered4 ,these matters however1 become still clearer when the promise is considered4 ,for since the promise is universal1 and since there are no contradictory wills in ,god1 there must of necessity be in us some cause of difference why ,saul is rejected and ,david is received2 i4e41 there must of necessity be some dissimilar action in these two4 ,cum promissio sit universalis1 nec sint in ,deo contradictoriae voluntates1 necesse est in nobis esse aliquam discriminis causam1 cur ,saul abiiciatur4 ,david recipiatur1 id est1 necesse est aliquam esse actionem dissimilem in his duobus4 ,properly understood1 this is true1 and the use usus in the exercises of faith and in true consolation 7when our minds acquiesce in the ,son of ,god1 shown in the promise7 will illustrate this copulation of causes3 the ,word of ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and the will4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #fei;f47 ,at the colloquy of ,worms1 #aeeg1 ,melanchthon1 interpellated by ,brenz1 is reported to have said that the passage in his ,loci of #aedh defining free will as the faculty of applying oneself to grace referred to the regenerated will 7voluntas renata71 as1 he said1 appeared from the context4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bbe2 ,frank #a1 #aih47 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 the context clearly excludes this interpretation4 ,in the passage quoted1 ,melanchthon1 moreover1 plainly teaches3 #a4 that in conversion man1 too1 can do1 and really does1 something by willingly confessing his fault1 by sustaining himself with the ,word1 by praying that ,god would assist him1 by wrestling with himself1 by striving against diffidence1 etc42 #b4 that the nature of fallen man differs from that of the devils in this1 that his free will is still able to apply itself to grace1 endeavor to assent to it1 etc42 #c4 that the dissimilar actions resulting from the different use of this natural ability accounts for the fact that some are saved while others are lost4 ,such was the plain teaching of ,melanchthon from which he never receded1 but which he1 apart from other publications1 reaffirmed in every new edition of his ,loci4 ,for all1 including the last one to appear during his life 7#aeei71 contain the additions of #aedh4 ,the passage added by the author ,melanchthon1 #aedh after ,luther's death is repeated in all subsequent editions1 says ,bindseil4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #egj47 ,the sections which were added to the ,loci after #aedh also breathe the same synergistic spirit4 ,in #aeec ,melanchthon inserted a paragraph which says that1 when approached by the ,holy ,spirit1 the will can obey or resist4 ,we read3 ,the liberty of the human will after the ,fall1 also in the non-regenerate1 is the faculty by virtue of which man is able to govern his motions1 i4e41 he can enjoin upon his external members such actions as agree1 or such as do not agree1 with the ,law of ,god4 ,but he cannot banish doubts from his mind and evil inclinations from his heart without the light of the ,gospel and without the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but when the will is drawn by the holy ,spirit1 it can obey or resist4 ,cum autem trahitur a ,spiritu ,sancto1 potest obsequi et repugnare4 7#ba1 #ajgh2 #ac1 #afb47 ,other publications contain the same doctrine4 ,while in his ,loci of #aedc he had spoken only of three causes of a good action 7bonae actionis71 ,melanchthon1 in his ,enarratio ,symboli ,nicaeni of #aeej1 substituted conversion for good action4 ,we read3 ,in conversion these causes concur3 the ,holy ,spirit1 the voice of the ,gospel1 and the will of man1 which does not resist the divine voice1 but somehow1 with trepidation1 assents4 ,concurrunt in conversione hae causae3 ,spiritus ,sanctus 444 vox ,evangelii 444 et voluntas hominis1 quae non repugnat voci divinae1 sed inter trepidationem utcumque assentitur4 ,again3 ,and concerning this copulation of causes it is said3 ,the ,spirit comes to the assistance of our infirmity4 ,and ,chrysostom truly says3 ,god draws1 but he draws him who is willing4 ,again3 ,god's promise is universal1 and there are no contradictory wills in ,god2 hence1 though ,paul is drawn in a different manner than ,zacchaeus1 nevertheless there is some assent of the will 7tamen aliqua est voluntatis assensio74 ,god therefore begins and draws by the voice of the ,gospel but ,he draws him who is willing1 and assists him who assents4 ,nor is anything detracted from the glory of ,god1 but it is truly affirmed that the assistance of ,god always concurs in the beginning and afterwards 7auxilium ,dei semper initio et deinceps concurrere74 7#bc1 #bhj ff47 ,accordingly1 ,god merely concurs as one of three causes1 among which the will of man is the third4 ,in his ,examen ,ordinandorum of #aeed1 ,melanchthon again replaced the term good action by conversion4 ,he says3 ,in conversion these causes concur3 the ,word of ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the ,father and ,son send to kindle our hearts1 and our will1 assenting and not resisting the ,word of ,god 7et nostra voluntas assentiens et non repugnans ,verbo ,dei74 ,and lest we yield to diffidence1 we must consider that both preachings are universal1 the preaching of repentance as well as the promise of grace4444 ,let us therefore not resist but assent to the promise1 and constantly repeat this prayer3 ,i believe1 ,o ,lord1 but come to the help of my weakness4 7#bc1 #ae47 ,finally in his ,opinion on the ,weimar ,book of ,confutation1 ,march #i1 #aeei1 ,melanchthon remarks3 ,again1 if the will is able to turn from the consolation1 it must be inferred that it works something and follows the ,holy ,spirit when it accepts the consolation4 ,item1 so sich der ,wille vom ,trost abwenden mag1 so ist dagegen zu verstehen1 dass er etwas wirket und folget dem ,heiligen ,geist1 so er den ,trost annimmt4 7#i1 #gfh47 ,w4 ,preger is right when he says3 ,according to ,melanchthon's view1 natural man is able to do the following when the ,word of ,god is preached to him3 he is able not to resist2 he is able to take pains with respect to obedience2 he is able to comfort himself with the ,word4444 ,this according to ,melanchthon is a germ of the positive good will still found in natural man which prevenient grace arouses4 7,flacius ,illyricus #b1 #ahi f47 ,schmauk writes3 ,melanchthon found the cause for the actual variation in the working of ,god's grace in man1 its object4 ,this subtle synergistic spirit attacks the very foundation of ,lutheranism1 flows out into almost every doctrine1 and weakens the ,church at every point4 ,and it was particularly this weakness which the great multitude of ,melanchthon's scholars1 who became the leaders of the generation of which we are speaking1 absorbed1 and which rendered it difficult to return1 finally1 after years of struggle1 to the solid ground1 once more recovered in the ,formula of ,concord4 7,conf4 ,principle1 #fja47 ,r4 ,seeberg characterizes ,melanchthon's doctrine as follows3 ,a synergistic trait therefore appears in his doctrine4 ,in the last analysis1 ,god merely grants the outer and inner possibility of obtaining salvation4 ,without man's cooperation this possibility would not become reality2 and he is able to refuse this cooperation4 ,it is1 therefore1 in conversion equally a cause with the others4 ,sie die ,mitwirkung des ,menschen ist also freilich eine den andern ,ursachen gleichberechtigte ,ursache in der ,bekehrung4 ,god makes conversion possible1 but only the decision of man's free will makes it actual1--such1 according to ,seeberg1 was the synergism of ,melanchthon4 7,seeberg1 ,dogg41 #d1 #ddd4 #ddf47 ,frank says of ,melanchthon's way of solving the question why some are converted and saved while others are lost3 ,the road chosen by ,melanchthon has indeed led to the goal4 ,the contradictions are solved4 ,but let us look where we have landed4 ,we are standing--in the ,roman camp6 ,after quoting a passage from the ,tridentinum1 which speaks of conversion in terms similar to those employed by ,melanchthon1 ,frank continues3 ,the foundation stone of ,luther's original ,reformation doctrine of salvation by grace alone2 viz41 that nothing in us1 not even our will moved and assisted by ,god1 is the causa meritoria of salvation1 is subverted by these propositions2 and it is immaterial to the contrite heart whether much or little is demanded from free will as the faculty of applying oneself to grace4 ,frank adds3 ,what the ,philippists1 synchronously with ,melanchthon and later1 propounded regarding this matter of free will are but variations of the theme struck by ,melanchthon4 ,everywhere the sequence of thought is the same1 with but this difference1 that here the faults of the ,melanchthonian theory together with its consequences come out more clearly4 7#a1 #acd;f47 ,the same is true of modern synergistic theories4 ,without exception they are but variations of notes struck by ,melanchthon1--the father of all the synergists that have raised their heads within the ,lutheran ,church4 #aef4 ,pfeffinger ,champions ,synergistic ,doctrine4 ,prior to #aeef references to the unsound position of the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians are met with but occasionally4 7,planck #d1 #efh47 ,the unmistakably synergistic doctrine embodied in the ,loci of #aedh1 as well as in the ,leipzig ,interim1 did not cause alarm and attract attention immediately4 ,but when1 in #aeee1 ,john ,pfeffinger born #adic2 #aeci superintendent1 and #aedc professor in ,leipzig2 assisted #aedh in framing the ,leipzig ,interim2 died ,january #a1 #aegc published his ,five ,questions ,concerning the ,liberty of the ,human ,will--,de ,libertate ,voluntatis ,humanae ,quaestiones ,quinque4 ,d4 ,johannes ,pfeffinger ,lipsiae ,editae in ,officina ,georgii ,hantschi #aeee1 the controversy flared up instantly4 ,it was a little booklet containing besides a brief introduction1 only #da paragraphs1 or theses4 ,in these ,pfeffinger discussed and defended the synergistic doctrine of ,melanchthon1 maintaining that in conversion man1 too1 must contribute his share though it be ever so little4 ,early in the next year ,pfeffinger was already opposed by the theologians of ,thuringia1 the stanch opponents of the ,philippists1 ,john ,stolz1 court-preacher at ,weimar composing #aaj theses for this purpose4 ,in #aeeh ,amsdorf published his ,public ,confession of the ,true ,doctrine of the ,gospel and ,confutation of the ,fanatics of the ,present ,time1 in which he1 quoting from memory1 charged ,pfeffinger with teaching that man is able to prepare himself for grace by the natural powers of his free will1 just as the godless sophists1 ,thomas ,aquinas1 ,scotus1 and their disciples1 had held4 7,planck #d1 #egc4 #efh47 ,about the same time ,stolz published the #aaj theses just referred to with a preface by ,aurifaber 7,refutatio ,propositionum ,pfeffingeri de ,libero ,arbitrio74 ,flacius1 then professor in ,jena1 added his ,refutation of ,pfeffinger's ,propositions on ,free ,will and ,jena ,disputation on ,free ,will4 ,in the same year1 #aeeh1 ,pfeffinger1 in turn published his ,answer to the ,public ,confession of ,amsdorf1 charging the latter with falsification1 and denouncing ,flacius as the originator and father of all the lies which have troubled the ,lutheran ,church during the last ten years4 ,but at the same time ,pfeffinger showed unmistakably that the charges of his opponents were but too well founded4 ,says ,planck3 ,whatever may have moved ,pfeffinger to do so1 he could not 7even if ,flacius himself had said it for him7 have confessed synergism more clearly and more definitely than he did spontaneously and unasked in this treatise4 7#d1 #egd47 ,frank3 ,pfeffinger goes beyond ,melanchthon and ,strigel2 for the action here demanded of1 and ascribed to1 the natural will is1 according to him1 not even in need of liberation by prevenient grace4444 ,his doctrine may without more ado be designated as ,semi-,pelagianism4 7#a1 #acg47 ,at ,wittenberg1 ,pfeffinger was supported by ,george ,major1 ,paul ,eber1 and ,paul ,crell and before long his cause was espoused also by ,victorin ,strigel in ,jena4 ,disputations by the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig synergists 7whom ,schluesselburg1 #e1 #af1 calls cooperators and die freiwilligen ,herren7 and by their opponents in ,jena increased the animosity4 ,both parties cast moderation to the winds4 ,in a public letter of #aeeh the ,wittenberg professors1 for example1 maligned ,flacius in every possible way1 and branded him as der verloffene undeutsche ,flacius ,illyricus and as the sole author of all the dissensions in the churches of ,germany4 7,planck #d1 #ehc47 #aeg4 ,statements of ,pfeffinger4 ,following are some of the synergistic deliverances made by ,pfeffinger in his ,five ,questions ,concerning the ,liberty of the ,human ,will4 ,par4 #aa reads3 ,thirdly1 when we inquire concerning the spiritual actions1 it is correct to answer that the human will has not such a liberty as to be able to effect the spiritual motions without the help of the ,holy ,spirit 7humanam voluntatem non habere eiusmodi libertatem1 ut motus spirituales sine auxilio ,spiritus ,sancti efficere possit74 ,par4 #ad3 ,therefore some assent or apprehension on our part must concur 7oportet igitur nostram aliquam assensionem seu apprehensionem concurrere7 when the ,holy ,spirit has aroused 7accenderit7 the mind1 the will and the heart4 ,hence ,basil says3 ,only will1 and ,god anticipates2 and ,chrysostom3 ,he who draws1 draws him who is willing2 and ,augustine3 ,he assists those who have received the gift of the call with becoming piety1 and preserve the gifts of ,god as far as man is able4 ,again3 ,when grace precedes1 the will follows--praeeunte gratia1 comitante voluntate4 ,in ,par4 #af we read3 ,the will1 therefore1 is not idle1 but assents faintly4 ,voluntas igitur non est otiosa sed languide assentitur4 ,paragraph #ag runs3 ,if the will were idle or purely passive1 there would be no difference between the pious and the wicked1 or between the elect and the damned1 as1 between ,saul and ,david1 between ,judas and ,peter4 ,god would also become a respecter of persons and the author of contumacy in the wicked and damned2 and to ,god would be ascribed contradictory wills1 --which conflicts with the entire ,scripture4 ,hence it follows that there is in us a cause why some assent while others do not4 ,sequitur ergo in nobis esse aliquam causam1 cur alii assentiantur1 alii non assentiantur4 ,par4 #bd3 ,him the ,holy ,spirit1 therefore1 we must not resist2 but on the part of our will1 which is certainly not like a stone or block1 some assent must be added--sed aliquam etiam assensionem accedere nostrae voluntatis1 quam non sicut saxum aut incudem se habere certum est4 ,par4 #cj3 ,but apprehension on our part must concur4 ,for1 since the promise of grace is universal1 and since we must obey this promise1 some difference between the elect and the rejected must be inferred from our will 7sequitur1 aliquod discrimen inter electos et reiectos a voluntate nostra sumendum esse71 viz41 that those who resist the promise are rejected1 while those who embrace the promise are received4444 ,all this clearly shows that our will is not idle in conversion or like a stone or block in its conduct4 ,ex quibus omnibus manifestissimum apparet1 voluntatem nostram non esse otiosam in conversione1 aut se ut saxum aut incudem habere4 ,par4 #cd reads3 ,some persons1 however1 shout that the assistance of the ,holy ,spirit is extenuated and diminished if even the least particle be attributed to the human will4 ,though this argument may appear specious and plausible1 yet pious minds understand that by our doctrine-- according to which we ascribe some cooperation to our will2 viz41 some assent and apprehension 7qua tribuimus aliquam ,,synergiam voluntati nostrae1 videlicet qualemcumque assensionem et apprehensionem7-- absolutely nothing is taken away from the assistance rendered by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,for we affirm that the first acts 7primas partes7 must be assigned and attributed to ,him who first and primarily1 through the ,word or the voice of the ,gospel1 moves our hearts to believe1 to which thereupon we1 too1 ought to assent as much as we are able 7cui deinde et ,,nos1 ,,quantum ,,in ,,nobis ,,est1 ,,assentiri oportet71 and not resist the ,holy ,spirit1 but submit to the ,word1 ponder1 learn1 and hear it1 as ,christ says3 ',whosoever hath heard of the ,father and learned1 cometh to ,me4' ,par4 #cf3 ,and although original sin has brought upon our nature a ruin so sad and horrible that we can hardly imagine it1 yet we must not think that absolutely all the knowledge 7notitiae7 which was found in the minds of our first parents before the ,fall has on that account been destroyed and extinguished after the ,fall1 or that the human will does not in any way differ from a stone or a block2 for we are1 as ,st4 ,paul has said most seriously1 coworkers with ,god1 which coworking1 indeed1 is assisted and strengthened by the ,holy ,spirit--sumus synergi ,dei1 quae quidem synergia adiuvatur a ,spiritu ,sancto et confirmatur4 ,evidently no comment is necessary to show that the passages cited from ,pfeffinger are conceived1 born1 and bred in ,semi-,pelagianism and rationalism4 ,planck furthermore quotes from ,pfeffinger's ,answer to ,amsdorf1 #aeeh3 ,and there is no other reason why some are saved and some are damned than this one alone1 that some1 when incited by the ,holy ,spirit1 do not resist1 but obey ,him and accept the grace and salvation offered1 while others will not accept it1 but resist the ,holy ,spirit1 and despise the grace4 7#d1 #egh47 ,again3 ,although the will cannot awaken or incite itself to spiritually good works1 but must be awakened and incited thereto by the ,holy ,ghost1 yet man is not altogether excluded from such works of the ,holy ,ghost1 as if he were not engaged in it and were not to contribute his share to it--dass er nicht auch dabei sein und das ,seine nicht auch dabei tun muesse4 7#egf47 ,again3 ,in the hands of the ,holy ,spirit man is not like a block or stone in the hands of a sculptor1 which do not and cannot know1 understand1 or feel what is done with them1 nor in the least further or hinder what the artist endeavors to make of them4 7#egf47 ,but when the heart of man is touched1 awakened1 and moved by the ,holy ,ghost1 man must not be like a dead stone or block1 444 but must obey and follow ,him4 ,and although he perceives his great weakness1 and1 on the other hand1 how powerfully sin in his flesh opposes1 he must nevertheless not desist1 but ask and pray ,god for grace and assistance against sin and flesh4 7#egg47 ,planck remarks3 ,according to ,pfeffinger1 the powers for all this are still found in natural man1 and the only thing required is1 not to recreate them1 but merely to incite them to action4 7#egi47 ,in #aeeh1 in an appendix to his disputation of #aeee1 ,pfeffinger explained and illustrated his position1 in substance1 as follows3 ,i was to prove nothing else than that some use of the will in spiritual matters was left1 and that our nature is not annihilated or extinguished1 but corrupted and marvelously depraved after the ,fall4 ,now1 to be sure1 free will cannot by its own natural powers regain its integrity nor rise after being ruined1 yet as the doctrine the ,gospel can be understood by paying attention to it1 so it can also in a manner 7aliquo modo7 be obeyed by assenting to it4 ,but it is necessary for all who would dwell in the splendor of the eternal light and in the sight of ,god to look up to and not turn away from1 the light4 ,schluesselburg adds3 ,haec certe est synergia--,this is certainly synergism4 7,catalogus #e1 #afa47 ,tschackert summarizes ,pfeffinger's doctrine as follows3 ,when the ,holy ,spirit1 through the ,word of ,god1 influences a man1 then the assenting will becomes operative as a factor of conversion4 ,the reason why some assent while others do not must be in themselves4444 ,evidently ,pfeffinger's opinion was that not only the regenerate1 but even the natural will of man possesses the ability either to obey the divine ,spirit or to resist ,him4 7#eba47 ,according to ,w4 ,preger1 ,pfeffinger taught that the ,holy ,spirit must awaken and incite our nature that it may understand1 think1 will and do what is right and pleasing to ,god1 but that natural free will is able to obey and follow the motions of the ,spirit4 7#b1 #aib4 #aie47 ,no doubt1 ,pfeffinger advocated1 and was a candid exponent and champion of1 nothing but the three-concurring-causes doctrine of ,melanchthon1 according to which ,god never fails to do ,his share in conversion1 while we must beware 7sed nos viderimus1 ,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #feh7 lest we fail to do our share4 ,pfeffinger himself made it a special point to cite ,melanchthon as his authority in this matter4 ,the last 7#dast7 paragraph in his ,five ,questions begins as follows3 ,we have briefly set forth the doctrine concerning the liberty of the human will1 agreeing with the testimonies of the prophetic and apostolic ,scriptures1 a fuller explanation of which students may find in the writings of our preceptor1 ,mr4 ,philip 7prolisciorem explicationem requirant studiosi in scriptis ,d4 ,philippi1 praeceptoris nostri74 ,and when1 in the subsequent controversy ,pfeffinger was publicly assailed by ,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 and others1 everybody knew that their real target was none other than-- ,master ,philip4 ,melanchthon1 too1 was well aware of this fact4 ,in his ,opinion on the ,weimar ,confutation1 of ,march #i1 #aeei1 in which the synergism of the ,philippists is extensively treated1 he said3 ,as to free will1 it is apparent that they attack me1 ,philip1 in particular4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gfc47 #aeh4 ,strigel and ,huegel ,entering ,controversy4 ,the synergistic controversy received new zest and a new impetus when1 in #aeei1 ,victorin ,strigel and ,huegel 7,hugelius71 respectively professor and pastor at ,jena1 the stronghold of the opponents of the ,wittenberg ,philippists1 opposed ,flacius1 espoused the cause of ,pfeffinger1 championed the doctrine of ,melanchthon1 and refused to endorse the so called ,book of ,confutation which ,flacius had caused to be drafted particularly against the ,wittenberg ,philippists and ,synergists1 and to be introduced4 ,the situation thus created was all the more sensational because1 in the preceding controversies1 ,strigel had1 at least apparently1 always sided with the opponents of the ,philippists4 ,the ,konfutationsbuch--,book of ,confutation and ,condemnations of the ,chief ,corruptions1 ,sects1 and ,errors ,breaking in and ,spreading at this ,time was published in #aeei by ,duke ,john ,frederick ,,ii as a doctrinal norm of his duchy4 ,in nine chapters this ,book1 a sort of forerunner of the ,formula of ,concord1 dealt with the errors #a4 of ,servetus1 #b4 of ,schwenckfeld1 #c4 of the ,antinomians1 #d4 of the ,anabaptists1 #e4 of the ,zwinglians1 #f4 of the ,synergists1 #g4 of ,osiander and ,stancarus1 #h4 of the ,majorists1 #i4 of the ,adiaphorists4 ,its chief object1 as expressly stated in the ,preface1 was to warn against the errors introduced by the ,philippists1 whose doctrines1 as also ,planck admits1 were not in any way misrepresented in this document4 7#d1 #eig4 #eie47 ,the sixth part1 directed against synergism bore the title3 ,confutatio ,corruptelarum in ,articulo de ,libero ,arbitrio sive de ,viribus ,humanis--,confutation of the ,corruptions in the ,article ,concerning ,free ,will or ,concerning the ,human ,powers4 ,the ,confutation was framed by the ,jena theologians1 ,strigel and ,huegel also participating in its composition4 ,however1 some of the references to the corruptions of the ,philippists must have been rather vague and ambiguous in the first draft of the book2 for when it was revised at the convention in ,weimar1 ,flacius secured the adoption of additions and changes dealing particularly with the synergism of the ,wittenbergers1 which were energetically opposed by ,strigel4 ,even before the adoption of the ,book of ,confutation1 ,strigel had been polemicizing against ,flacius4 ,but now 7as ,flacius reports7 he began to denounce him at every occasion as the architect of a new theology and an enemy of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,at the same time he also endeavored to incite the students in ,jena against him4 ,flacius1 in turn1 charged ,strigel with scheming to establish a ,philippistic party in ,ducal ,saxony4 ,the public breach came when the ,book of ,confutation was submitted for adoption and publication in the churches and schools4 ,pastor ,huegel refused to read and explain it from the pulpit1 and ,strigel presented his objections to the ,duke1 and asked that his conscience be spared4 ,but when ,strigel failed to maintain silence in the matter1 he as well as ,pastor ,huegel were summarily dealt with by the ,duke4 ,on ,march #bg1 #aeei1 at two o'clock in the morning1 both were suddenly arrested and imprisoned4 ,flacius who was generally regarded as the secret instigator of this act of violence1 declared publicly that the arrest had been made without his counsel and knowledge4 ,about six months later 7,september #e1 #aefi7 ,strigel and ,huegel after making some doctrinal concessions and promising not to enter into any disputation on the ,confutation1 were set at liberty4 7,planck #d1 #eia4 #fjd47 #aei4 ,weimar ,disputation4 ,in order to settle the differences1 ,flacius and his colleagues 7,wigand1 ,judex1 ,simon ,musaeus71 as well as ,strigel1 asked for a public disputation1 which ,john ,frederick1 too was all the more willing to arrange because dissatisfaction with his drastic procedure against ,strigel and ,huegel was openly displayed everywhere outside of ,ducal ,saxony4 ,the disputation was held at ,weimar1 ,august #b to #h1 #aefj4 ,it was attended by the ,saxon ,dukes and their entire courts1 as well as by a large number of other spectators1 not only from ,jena1 but also from ,erfurt1 ,wittenberg and ,leipzig4 ,the subjects of discussion1 for which both parties had submitted theses were3 ,free ,will1 ,gospel1 ,majorism1 ,adiaphorism1 and ,indifferentism 7academica epoche1 toleration of error74 ,the disputing parties 7,flacius and ,strigel7 agreed that the only rule should be the ,word of ,god1 and that a clear1 plain text of the ,holy ,scriptures was to weigh more than all the inferences and authorities of interpreters 7,planck #d1 #fjf47 ,according to the proceedings of the ,weimar ,disputation1 written by ,wigand and published by ,simon ,musaeus #aefb and #aefc under the title3 ,disputatio de ,originali ,peccato et ,libero ,arbitrio inter ,m4 ,flacium ,illyr4 et ,vict4 ,strigelium ,publice ,vinariae ,anno #aefj ,habita1 the only questions discussed were free will and1 incidentally1 original sin4 ,strigel defended the ,melanchthonian doctrine1 according to which the causes of conversion are the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,word of ,god1 and the will of man feebly assenting to the ,gospel and1 at the same time1 seeking strength from ,god4 ,he repeated the formula3 ,concurrunt in conversione haec tria3 ,spiritus ,sanctus movens corda1 vox ,dei1 voluntas hominis1 quae voci divinae assentitur4 ,flacius1 on the other hand1 defended the mere passive of ,luther1 according to which man1 before he is converted and endowed with faith1 does not in any way cooperate with the ,holy ,spirit but merely suffers and experiences ,his operations4 ,at the same time1 however1 he seriously damaged and discredited himself as well as the sacred cause of divine truth by maintaining that original sin is not a mere accident1 such as ,strigel maintained1 but the very substance of man4 ,the discussions were discontinued after the thirteenth session4 ,the ,duke announced that the disputation would be reopened later1 charging both parties in the mean time to maintain silence in public1--a compromise to which ,flacius and his adherents were loath to consent4 ,john ,wigand and ,matthias ,judex however continued to enforce the ,book of ,confutation demanding an unqualified adoption in every point1 per omnia4 ,when the jurist ,matthew ,wesenbecius declined to accept the book in this categorical way1 he was not permitted to serve as sponsor at a baptism4 ,john ,frederick was dissatisfied with this procedure and action of the ministers2 and when they persisted in their demands1 the autocratic ,duke deprived them of the right to excommunicate1 vesting this power in a consistory established at ,weimar4 ,flacius and his adherents protested against this measure as tyranny exercised over the ,church and a suppression of the pure doctrine4 ,as a result ,musaeus1 ,judex1 ,wigand1 and ,flacius were suspended and expelled from ,jena1 ,december1 #aefa4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bdd4 #bdg47 ,their vacant chairs at the university were filled by ,freihub1 ,salmuth1 and ,selneccer1 who had been recommended by the ,wittenberg ,philippists at the request of the ,duke1 who now evidently favored a compromise with the ,synergists4 ,strigel1 too1 was reinstated at ,jena after signing an ambiguous declaration4 ,amsdorf1 ,gallus1 ,hesshusius1 ,flacius1 and the other exiled theologians denounced ,strigel's declaration as insincere and in conflict with ,luther's book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 and demanded a public retraction of his synergistic statements4 ,when the ministers of ,ducal ,saxony also declined to acknowledge ,strigel's orthodoxy1 a more definite ,superdeclaration1 framed by ,moerlin and ,stoessel 7but not signed by ,strigel71 was added as an interpretation of ,strigel's declaration4 ,but even now a minority refused to submit to the demands of the ,duke1 because they felt that they were being deceived by ambiguous terms1 such as capacity and aptitude1 which the wily ,strigel and the ,synergists used in the active or positive1 and not in the passive sense4 ,these conscientious ,lutherans whom the rationalist ,planck brands as almost insane1 beinahe verrueckt1 were also deposed and banished1 #aefb4 ,strigel's declaration of ,march1 #aefb however1 maintaining that the will is passive in so far as ,god alone works all good1 but active in so far as it must be present in its conversion1 must consent1 and not resist1 but accept1 showed that he had not abandoned his synergism4 ,in the same year he applied for1 and accepted1 a professorship in ,leipzig4 ,later on he occupied a chair at the ,reformed university in ,heidelberg1 where he died #aefi1 at the age of only forty-five years4 ,in #aefg1 when ,john ,william became ruler of ,ducal ,saxony1 the ,philippists were dismissed1 and the banished ,lutheran pastors and professors 7with the exception of ,flacius7 were recalled and reinstated4 ,while this rehabilitation of the loyal ,lutherans formally ended the synergistic controversy in ,ducal ,saxony1 occasional echoes of it still lingered1 due especially to the fact that some ministers had considered ,strigel's ambiguous declaration a satisfactory presentation of the ,lutheran truth with regard to the questions involved4 ,that the synergistic teaching of ,melanchthon was continued in ,wittenberg appears1 for example1 from the ,confessio ,wittenbergica of #aegj4 #afj4 ,strigel's ,rationalistic ,principle4 ,although at the opening of the disputation the debaters had agreed to decide all questions by clear ,scripture-passages alone1 ,strigel's guiding principle was in reality not the ,bible but philosophy and reason4 ,his real concern was not1 ,what does ,scripture teach concerning the causes of conversion8 but1 ,how may we harmonize the universal grace of ,god with the fact that only some are converted and saved8 ,self-evidently ,strigel1 too1 quoted ,bible-passages4 ,among others1 he appealed to such texts as ,john #f1 #bi2 ,rom4 #a1 #af2 #aj1 #ag2 ,luke #h1 #ah2 ,heb4 #d1 #b2 ,rev4 #c1 #bj2 ,luke #aa1 #ac2 ,mark #i1 #bd2 #a ,thess4 #b1 #ac2 ,jas4 #a1 #ah4 ,but as we shall show later1 his deductions were philosophical and sophistical rather than exegetical and ,scriptural4 ,preger remarks3 ,in his disputation ,strigel was not able to advance a single decisive passage of ,scripture for the presence and cooperation of a good will at the moment when it is approached and influenced 7ergriffen7 by grace4 7#b1 #baa47 ,and the clear1 irrefutable ,bible-texts on which ,flacius founded his doctrine of the inability of natural will to cooperate in conversion1 ,strigel endeavored to invalidate by philosophical reasoning1 indirect arguing1 and alleged necessary logical consequences4 ,at ,weimar and in his ,confession of ,december #e #aefj1 delivered to the ,duke soon after the disputation1 ,strigel argued3 ,whoever denies that man1 in a way and measure1 is able to cooperate in his own conversion is logically compelled also to deny that the rejection of grace may be imputed to man1 compelled to make ,god responsible for man's damnation2 to surrender the universality of ,god's grace and call2 to admit contradictory wills in ,god1 and to take recourse to an absolute decree of election and reprobation in order to account for the fact that some reject the grace of ,god and are lost while others are converted and saved4 ,at ,weimar ,strigel declared3 ,i do not say that the will is able to assent to the ,word without the ,holy ,spirit1 but that1 being moved and assisted by the ,spirit1 it assents with trepidation4 ,if we were unable to do this1 we would not be responsible for not having received the ,word4 ,si hoc utcumque assentiri inter trepidationes non possemus1 non essemus rei propter ,verbum non receptum4 ,again1 also at ,weimar3 ,if the will is not able to assent in some way1 even when assisted1 then we cannot be responsible for rejecting the ,word1 but the blame must be transferred to another1 and others may judge how religious that is4 ,si voluntas ne quidem adiuta potest aliquo modo annuere1 non possumus esse rei propter ,verbum reiectum1 sed culpa est in alium transferenda quod quam sit religio sum1 alii iudicent4 7,planck #d1 #fhi4 #gai2 ,luthardt1 ,lehre vom freien ,willen1 #bbb47 ,over against this rationalistic method of ,strigel and the ,synergists generally1 the ,lutherans adhered to the principle that nothing but a clear passage of the ,bible can decide a theological question4 ,they rejected as false philosophy and rationalism every argument directed against the clear sense of a clear ,word of ,god4 ,they emphatically objected to the employment of reason for establishing a ,christian doctrine or subverting a statement of the ,bible4 ,at ,weimar1 ,flacius protested again and again that human reason is not an authority in theological matters4 ,let us hear the ,scriptures6 ,audiamus ,scripturam6 ,let the woman be silent in the ,church6 ,mulier taceat in ecclesia6 ,with such slogans he brushed aside the alleged necessary logical inferences and deductions of ,strigel4 ,you take your arguments from philosophy1 he said in the second session1 which ought not to be given a place in matters of religion4 ,disputas ex philosophia1 cui locus in rebus religionis esse non debet4 ,again1 at ,weimar3 ,it is against the nature of inquiring truth to insist on arguing from blind philosophy4 ,what else corrupted such ancient theologians as ,clement1 ,origen1 ,chrysostom1 and afterwards also the ,sophists scholastic theologians but that they endeavored to decide spiritual things by philosophy1 which does not understand the secret and hidden mysteries of ,god4 ,est contra naturam inquirendae veritatis1 si velimus ex caeca philosophia loqui4 ,quid aliud corrupit theologos veteres1 ut ,clementem1 ,originem1 ,chrysosthomum et postea etiam ,sophistas1 nisi quod de rebus divinis ex philosophia voluerunt statuere1 quae non intelligit abstrusissima et occultissima mysteria ,dei4 ,may we therefore observe the rule of ,luther3 ,let the woman be silent in the ,church6 ,for what a miserable thing would it be if we had to judge ecclesiastical matters from logic6 ,itaque observemus legem ,lutheri3 ,taceat mulier in ecclesia6 ,quae enim miseria1 si ex dialectica diiudicandae nobis essent res ecclesiae6 7,planck #d1 #gji47 ,in an antisynergistic confession published by ,schluesselburg1 we read3 ,this doctrine of conversion by ,god's grace alone is simple1 clear1 certain1 and irrefutable if one looks to ,god's ,word alone and derives the ,nosce teipsum1 ,know thyself1 from the wisdom of ,god4 ,but since poor men are blind1 they love their darkness more than the light1 as ,christ says ,john #c1 and insist on criticizing and falsifying ,god's truth by means of blind philosophy1 which1 forsooth1 is a shame and a palpable sin1 if we but had eyes to see and know4444 ,whatsoever blind reason produces in such articles of faith against the ,word of ,god is false and wrong4 ,for it is said3 ,mulier in ecclesia taceat6 ,let philosophy and human wisdom be silent in the ,church4 7,catalogus #e1 #ffe;f47 ,here1 too1 the sophistical objections of the ,synergists are disposed of with such remarks as3 ,in the first place1 this is but spun from reason1 which thus acts wise in these matters4 ,denn fuers erste ist solches nur aus der ,vernunft gesponnen1 die weiss also hierin zu kluegeln4 7#ffh47 ,this is all spun from reason2 but ,god's ,word teaches us better4 ,dies ist alles aus der ,vernunft spintisiert2 ,gottes ,wort aber lehrt es besser4 7#fgj47 ,evidently ,strigel's rationalistic method was identical with that employed by ,melanchthon in his ,loci1 by ,pfeffinger1 and the ,synergists generally4 ,accordingly1 his synergism also could not differ essentially from ,melanchthon's4 ,planck pertinently remarks3 ,it is apparent from this argument of ,strigel that natural man must have power to cooperate in his conversion because otherwise ,god would be responsible for his resistance and damnation that his synergism was none other than that of the ,wittenberg school2 for was not this the identical foundation upon which ,melanchthon had reared his synergism8 7#d1 #fij47 ,like methods lead to the same results1 and vice versa4 ,besides1 ,strigel had always appealed to the ,wittenbergers2 and in his ,opinion on the ,weimar ,confutation #aeei1 ,melanchthon1 in turn1 identified himself with ,strigel's arguments4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gff47 ,the ,confession and ,opinion of the ,wittenbergers ,concerning ,free ,will--,confessio et ,sententia ,wittebergensium de ,libero ,arbitrio of #aefa also maintained the same attitude4 #afa4 ,strigel's ,theory4 ,strigel's views concerning the freedom of man's will in spiritual matters may be summarized as follows3 ,man1 having a will1 is a free agent1 hence always able to decide for or against4 ,this ability is the mode of action essential to man as long as he really is a man and in possession of a will4 ,even in matters pertaining to grace this freedom was not entirely lost in the ,fall4 ,it was impeded and weakened by original sin1 but not annihilated4 ,to be converted1 man therefore requires that these residual or remaining powers be excited and strengthened rather than that new spiritual powers be imparted or a new will be created4 ,accordingly1 persuasion through the ,word is the method of conversion employed by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,when the will is approached by the ,word1 incited and assisted by the ,spirit1 it is able to admit the operations of the ,spirit and assent to the ,word1 though but feebly4 ,hence1 no matter how much of the work of conversion must be ascribed to the ,holy ,spirit and the ,word the will itself1 in the last analysis1 decides for or against grace4 ,man is1 therefore1 not purely passive in his conversion1 but cooperates with the ,holy ,spirit and the ,word1 not merely after1 but also in his conversion1 before he has received the gift of faith4 ,god who1 outside of ,his essence in external actions1 is the freest agent1 said ,strigel created two kinds of natures1 the one free1 the other acting naturally 7naturaliter agentes74 ,the free natures are the angels and men4 ,those acting naturally embrace all the rest of the creatures4 ,a natural agent is one that cannot do anything else than it does1 nor suspend its action e4g41 fire4 ,men and angels were created differently1 after the image of ,god1 that they might be free agents4 ,homines et angeli aliter conditi sunt ad imaginem ,dei1 ut sint liberum agens4 7,planck #d1 #ffi47 ,this freedom1 which distinguishes man essentially from all other creatures1 according to ,strigel1 always implies the power to will or not to will with respect to any object4 ,he says3 ,the act of willing1 be it good or evil1 always belongs to the will1 because the will is so created that it can will or not1 without coercion4 ,ipsum velle1 seu bonum seu malum1 quod ad substantiam attinet1 semper est voluntatis2 quia voluntas sic est condita1 ,,ut ,,possit ,,velle ,,aut ,,non2 sed etiam hoc habet voluntas ex opere creationis quod adhuc reliquum1 et non prorsus abolitum et extinctum est1 ,,ut ,,possit ,,velle ,,aut ,,non ,,sine ,,coactione4 7#fgd47 ,according to ,strigel1 the very essence of the will consists in being able1 in every instance1 to decide in either direction1 for or against4 ,hence the very idea of will involves also a certain ability to cooperate in conversion4 7#fhi47 ,this freedom or ability to decide pro or con1 says ,strigel1 is the mode of action essential to man1 his mode of action also in conversion4 ,and in the controversy on free will he sought to maintain that this alleged mode of action was a part of the very essence of the human will and being4 ,at ,weimar ,strigel declared3 ,i do not wish to detract from the will the mode of action which is different from other natural actions4 ,nolo voluntati detrahi modum agendi1 qui est dissimilis aliis actionibus naturalibus4 7,planck #d1 #ffh47 ,again3 ,the will is not a natural1 but a free agent2 hence the will is converted not as a natural agent1 but as a free agent4444 ,in conversion the will acts in its own mode2 it is not a statue or a log in conversion4 ,hence conversion does not occur in a purely passive manner4 ,voluntas non est agens naturale1 sed liberum2 ergo convertitur voluntas non ut naturaliter agens1 sed ut liberum agens4444 ,et voluntas suo modo agit in conversione1 nec est statua vel truncus in conversione4 ,et per consequens non fit conversio pure passive4 7,luthardt1 #bag4 #bai4 #bji47 ,what ,strigel means is that man1 being a free agent1 must1 also in conversion1 be accorded the ability somehow to decide for grace4 ,according to the ,formula of ,concord the words1 man's mode of action1 signify a way of working something good and salutary in divine things4 7#ije1 #fa47 ,the connection and the manner in which the phrase was employed by ,strigel admitted of no other interpretation4 ,strigel added3 ,this mode of action marks the difference between the will of man and the will of ,satan1 for the devil neither endeavors to assent1 nor prays to ,god for assistance1 while man does4 7,luthardt1 #bbj47 ,natural man is by ,strigel credited with the power of endeavoring to assent1 conari assentiri1 because he is endowed with a will4 ,but shrewd as ,strigel was1 it did not occur to him that1 logically1 his argument compelled him to ascribe also to the devils everything he claimed for natural man1 since they1 too1 have a will and are therefore endowed with the same modus agendi1 which1 according to ,strigel1 belongs to the very idea and essence of will4 ,yet this palpable truth1 which overthrew his entire theory1 failed to open the eyes of ,strigel4 ,if1 as ,strigel maintained1 the human will1 by virtue of its nature as a free agent1 is1 in a way1 able to cooperate in conversion1 then the only question is how to elevate this ability to an actuality1 in other words1 how to influence the will and rouse its powers to move in the right direction4 ,strigel answered3 ,since the will cannot be forced1 moral suasion is the true method required to convert a man4 ,the will1 says he cannot be forced1 hence it is by persuasion1 i4e41 by pointing out something good or evil1 that the will is moved to obey and to submit to the ,gospel1 not coerced1 but somehow willing4 ,voluntas non potest cogi1 ergo voluntas persuadendo1 id est ostensione alicuius boni vel mali flectitur ad obediendum et obtemperandum evangelio1 non coacta1 sed ,,aliquo ,,modo ,,volens4 7,seeberg #d1 #dia47 ,again3 ,although ,god is efficacious through the ,word1 drawing and leading us efficaciously1 yet ,he does not make assenting necessary for such a nature as the will1--a nature so created that it is able not to assent1 if it so wills1 and to expel ,him who dwells in us4 ,this assent therefore is the work of ,god and the ,holy ,spirit1 but in so far as it is a free assent1 not coerced and pressed out by force1 it is also the work of the will4 ,etiam si ,deus est efficax per ,verbum et efficaciter nos trahit et ducit1 tamen non affert necessitatem assentiendi tali naturae1 qualis est voluntas1 id est1 quae sic est condita1 ut possit non assentiri1 si velit1 et excutere sessorem4 ,est igitur hic assensus opus ,dei et ,spiritus ,sancti1 sed quatenus est liber assensus1 non coactus1 expressus vi1 ,,est ,,etiam ,,voluntatis4 7#dia47 ,strigel evidently means3 ,the fact that man is able not to assent to grace of necessity involves that somehow 7aliquo modo7 he is able also to assent1 according to man's peculiar mode of action 7freedom7 he must himself actualize his conversion by previously 7in the logical order7 willing it1 deciding for it1 and assenting to it2 he would be converted by coercion if his assent to grace were an act of the will engendered and created solely by ,god1 rather than an act effected and produced by the powers of the will when incited and assisted by the ,spirit4 ,man is converted by persuasion only1 because ,god does not create assent and faith in him but merely elicits these acts from man by liberating and appealing to the powers of his will to effect and produce them4 ,in defending this freedom of the will1 ,strigel appealed also to the statement of ,luther3 ,the will cannot be coerced2444 if the will could be coerced1 it would not be volition1 but rather nolition4 ,voluntas non potest cogi2444 si posset cogi voluntas1 non esset voluntas sed potius voluntas4 ,however1 what ,luther said of the form or nature of the will1 according to which it always really wills what it wills1 and is therefore never coerced1 was by ,strigel transferred to the spiritual matters and objects of the will4 ,according to ,strigel's theory1 says ,seeberg1 the will must be free even in the first moment of conversion1 free not only in the psychological1 but also in the moral sense4 7#d1 #dib47 ,tschackert1 quoting ,seeberg remarks that ,strigel transformed the natural formal liberty into an ethical material liberty--indem die natuerliche formale ,freiheit sich ihm unter der ,hand 8 verwandelte in die ethische materiale ,freiheit4 7#ebd47 #afb4 ,strigel's ,semi-,pelagianism4 ,strigel's entire position is based on the error that a remnant of spiritual ability still remains in natural man4 ,true1 he taught that in consequence of original sin the powers of man and the proper use and exercise of these powers are greatly impeded1 weakened1 checked1 and insulated1 as it were1 and that this impediment can be removed solely by the operation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,through the ,word the ,holy ,spirit restores to the will the power and faculty of believing1 ,strigel declared4 7,luthardt1 #bej47 ,but this restoration1 he said1 was brought about by liberating1 arousing1 inciting1 and strengthening the powers inherent in man rather than by divine impartation of new spiritual powers or by the creation of a new good volition4 ,strigel plainly denied that natural man is truly spiritually dead4 ,he declared3 ,the will is so created that it can expel the ,holy ,spirit and the ,word1 or1 when assisted by the ,holy ,spirit1 can in some manner will and obey--to receive is the act of the will2 in this ,i cannot concede that man is simply dead--accipere est hominis2 in hoc non possum concedere simpliciter mortuum esse hominem4 7,frank #a1 #aii47 ,natural man1 ,strigel explained1 is indeed not able to grasp the helping hand of ,god with his own hand2 yet the latter is not dead1 but still retains a minimum of power4 7#fgh47 ,again3 ,man is like a new-born child1 whose powers must first be strengthened with nourishment given it by its mother1 and which1 though able to draw this nourishment out of its mother's breast1 is yet unable to lift itself up to it1 or to take hold of the breast1 unless it be given it4 7,preger #b1 #bji47 ,with special reference to the last illustration1 ,flacius declared3 ,strigel1 accordingly1 holds that we have the faculty to desire and receive the food1 i4e41 the benefits of ,god4 ,forsooth1 you thereby attribute to corrupt man a very great power with respect to spiritual things4 ,now1 then1 deny that this opinion is ,pelagian4 7#bji47 ,your statements agree with those of ,pelagius1 yet ,i do not simply say that you are a ,pelagian2 for a good man may fall into an error which he does not see4 ,pelagius held that man1 by his natural powers1 is able to begin and complete his own conversion2 ,cassianus1 the ,semi-,pelagian taught that man is able merely to begin this work2 ,strigel maintained that man can admit the liberating operation of the ,holy ,spirit1 and that after such operation of the ,spirit he is able to cooperate with his natural powers4 ,evidently1 then1 the verdict of ,flacius was not much beside the mark4 ,planck though unwilling to relegate ,strigel to the ,pelagians1 does not hesitate to put him down as a thoroughgoing ,synergist4 7,planck #d1 #fhc;f47 ,synergism1 however1 always includes at least an element of ,pelagianism4 ,strigel illustrated his idea by the following analogy4 ,when garlic-juice is applied to a magnet1 it loses its power of attraction1 but remains a true magnet1 and1 when goat's blood is applied1 immediately regains its efficaciousness4 ,so the will of man is hindered by original sin from beginning that which is good2 but when the impediment has been removed through the operation of the ,holy ,spirit1 the native powers of the will again become efficacious and active4 7,tschackert1 #ebd2 ,planck #d1 #fgb2 ,preger #b1 #aih2 ,luthardt1 #baa47 ,frank remarks3 ,the example of the temporarily impeded power of the magnet1 which was repeated also at this juncture in the disputation at ,weimar1 immediately points to the related papal doctrine1 for the ,catholic ,andradius explains the dogma of the ,tridentinum to this effect3 ,the free will of natural man may be compared to a chained prisoner who1 though still in possession of his locomotive powers1 is nevertheless impeded by his fetters4 7#a1 #acf47 ,also the ,formula of ,concord1 evidently with a squint at ,strigel1 rejects as a ,pelagian error the teaching that original sin is not a despoliation or deficiency but only an external impediment to these spiritual good powers1 as when a magnet is smeared with garlic-juice1 whereby its natural power is not removed1 but only hindered or that this stain can be easily washed away as a spot from the face or a pigment from the wall4 7#hfe1 #bb47 #afc4 ,strigel's ,cooperation4 ,when the impediment caused by original sin has been removed1 and the will liberated and aroused to activity1 man1 according to ,strigel1 is able also to cooperate in his conversion4 ,at ,weimar he formulated the point at issue as follows3 ,the question is whether in conversion the will is present idle1 as an inactive1 indolent subject1 or1 as the common saying is1 in a purely passive way2 or whether1 when grace precedes1 the will follows the efficacy of the ,holy ,spirit1 and in some manner assents--an vero praeeunte gratia voluntas comitetur efficaciam ,spiritus ,sancti et aliquo modo annuat4 7,luthardt1 #bbb47 ,following are some of his answers to this question3 ,when incited by the ,spirit1 the will is able to assent somewhat and to pray for assistance4 ,inter trepidationem utcumque assentitur1 simul petens auxilium4 ,contrition and faith1 as well as other virtues1 are gifts of ,god1 but they are given to those only who hear and contemplate ,god's ,word1 embrace it by assenting to it1 strive against their doubts and in this conflict pray for the help of ,god4 7#bcj47 ,the ,holy ,ghost converts those who hear the ,word of ,god and do not resist stubbornly1 but consent1 and ,god assists such only as follow ,his call and pray for assistance4 7#bbi47 ,the will and heart do not resist altogether1 but desire divine consolation1 when1 indeed1 they are assisted by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the will is neither idle nor contumacious2 but1 in a manner1 desires to obey4 7,planck #d1 #fhb47 ,man is dead spiritually in as far as he is not able to heal his wounds with his own powers2 but when the remedy is offered him by the ,holy ,spirit and the ,word1 then he1 at least in receiving the benefit1 is not altogether dead2 for otherwise a conversion could not occur4 ,for ,i cannot conceive a conversion where the process is that of the flame consuming straw 7denn ich kann mir keine ,bekehrung vorstellen1 bei der es zugeht1 wie wenn die ,flamme das ,stroh ergreift74 ,the nature of the will is such that it can reject the ,holy ,spirit and the ,word2 or1 being supported by the ,holy ,spirit1 can in a manner will and obey4 ,the remedy is heavenly and divine1 but the will--not the will alone1 but the will supported by the ,holy ,spirit--is able to accept it4 ,one must ascribe at least a feeble consent and an ',aye' to the will1 which is already supported by the ,holy ,spirit4 7,preger #b1 #bjh47 ,in a betrothal1 consent is necessary2 conversion is a betrothal of ,christ to the ,church and its individual members2 hence consent is required1 which the will is able to give when assisted by the ,holy ,spirit4 7,luthardt1 #bbd47 ,it is1 however1 only a languid1 wavering1 and weak consent which man is able to render 7qualiscumque assensio languida1 trepida et imbecilla74 ,compared with the divine operation1 ,flacius reports ,strigel as having said1 the cooperation of our powers in conversion is something extremely small 7quiddam pertenue prorsus74 ,if1 after drinking with a rich man1 he paying a taler and ,i a heller1 ,i would afterwards boast that ,i had been drinking and paying with him--such is cooperation1 talis est synergia4 7,planck #d1 #fgg2 ,luthardt1 #bbj4 #bbb47 ,according to ,strigel1 therefore1 man is not purely passive1 but plays an active part in his conversion4 ,with ,melanchthon and ,pfeffinger he maintained3 ,these three concur in conversion3 the ,holy ,spirit1 who moves the hearts2 the voice of ,god2 the will of man1 which assents to the divine voice4 ,concurrunt in conversione haec tria3 ,spiritus ,sanctus movens corda1 vox ,dei1 voluntas hominis1 quae voci divinae assentitur4 7,tschackert1 #ebd47 ,flacius declared with respect to the issue formulated by ,strigel3 ,i explain my entire view as follows3 ,man is purely passive 7homo se habet pure passive74 ,if you consider the native faculty of the will1 its willing and its powers1 then he is purely passive when he receives 7in accipiendo74 ,but if that divinely bestowed willing or spark of faith kindled by the ,spirit is considered1 then this imparted willing and this spark is not purely passive4 ,but the ,adamic will does not only not operate or cooperate1 but1 according to the inborn malice of the heart1 even operates contrarily 7verum etiam pro nativa malitia cordis sui contra operatur74 7,planck #d1 #fig47 ,thus ,flacius clearly distinguished between cooperation before conversion 7which he rejected absolutely7 and cooperation after conversion 7which he allowed74 ,and pressing this point1 he said to ,strigel3 ,i ask whether you say that the will cooperates before the gift of faith or after faith has been received whether you say that the will cooperates from natural powers1 or in so far as the good volition has been bestowed by the renovation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,quaero1 an dicas1 voluntatem cooperari ante donum fidei aut post acceptam fidem2 an dicas1 cooperari ex naturalibus viribus aut quatenus ex renovatione ,spiritus ,sancti datum est bene velle4 7,seeberg #d1 #dib47 ,again3 ,i shall withdraw the charge of ,pelagianism if you will declare it as your opinion that only the regenerated1 sanctified1 renewed will cooperates1 and not the other human1 carnal1 natural will4 ,confess openly and expressly and say clearly3 ',i affirm that man cooperates from faith and the good will bestowed by ,god1 not from the will he brings with him from his natural ,adam--quod homo cooperetur ex fide et bono velle divinitus donato1 non ex eo1 quod attulit ex suo naturali ,adamo4' ,we say1 ,only the regenerate will cooperates2 if you ,strigel say the same1 the controversy is at an end4 ,strigel1 however1 who1 to use a phrase of ,luther 7,st4 ,l4 #ah1 #afgc71 was just as hard to catch as ,proteus of old1 did not reply with a definite yes or no1 but repeated that it was only a weak assent 7qualiscumque assensio languida trepida et imbecilla7 which man was able to render when his will was incited and supported by the prevenient grace of the ,holy ,spirit4 7,preger #b1 #bag2 ,luthardt1 #bag4 #bbb4 #bbg2 ,frank #a1 #aae47 #afd4 ,objections ,answered4 ,at ,weimar1 ,strigel insisted3 ,the human will must not be eliminated as one of the causes of conversion2 for without man's will and intellect no conversion is possible4 ,flacius replied3 ,the will1 indeed1 is present in conversion1 for it is the will that is converted and experiences conversion2 but the inborn power of the natural will contributes nothing to conversion1 and therefore the will is purely passive in the reception of grace4 7,preger #b1 #bag47 ,we are pressed hard with the sophistical objection that man is not converted without his knowledge and will4 ,but who doubts this8 ,the entire question is3 ,whence does that good knowledge originate8 ,whence does that good volition originate8 7#baf47 ,we certainly admit that in conversion there are many motions of the intellect and will1 good and bad4 ,but the dispute among us is not whether in conversion the intellect understands and the will wills2 but whence is the capability to think right1 and whence is that good willing of the will8 ,is it of us1 as of ourselves1 or is this sufficiency of willing and thinking of ,god alone8 7,planck #d1 #gaa47 ,the fact that ,god alone converts man1 said ,flacius1 does not exclude the presence of the will2 but it does exclude all efficaciousness and operation of the natural will in conversion 7non excludit voluntatem1 ne adsit1 sed excludit omnem efficaciam et operationem naturalise voluntatis in conversione74 7,seeberg #d1 #dib47 ,in order to prove man's cooperation in conversion1 ,strigel declared3 ,both to will and to perform are in some way acts of ,god and of ourselves2 for no willing and performing takes place unless we will4 ,utrumque velle et perficere aliquo modo ,dei et nostrum est non fit velle aut perficere nisi nobis volentibus4 ,charging ,strigel with ambiguity1 ,flacius replied3 ,you speak of one kind of synergism and we of another4 ,you cannot affirm with a good conscience that these questions are unknown to you4 ,strigel1 protesting that he was unable to see the difference1 answered3 ,for ,god's sake1 have a little forbearance with me1 ,i cannot see the difference4 ,if that is to my discredit1 let it be to my discredit4--,bitte um ,gottes willen1 man wolle mir's zugut halten2 ich kann's nicht ausmessen4 ,ist mir's eine ,schand'1 so sei mir's eine ,schand'4 7,frank #a1 #acf47 ,strigel1 however1 evidently meant that man1 too1 has a share in producing the good volition1 while ,flacius understood the phraseology as ,luther and ,augustine explained it1 the latter1 e4g41 writing in ,de ,gratia et ,libero ,arbitrio3 ,it is certain that we will when we will2 but ,he who makes us will is ,he of whom it is written3 ,it is ,god who worketh in us to will4 ,certum est nos velle cum volumus2 sed ille facit1 ut velimus1 de quo dictum est3 ,deus est1 qui operatur in nobis velle4 7,frank #a1 #bch47 ,in his objections to the doctrine that man is purely passive in his conversion1 ,strigel protested again and again that man is not like a block or stone when he is converted4 ,that is true1 said ,flacius1 for a block can neither love nor hate ,god1 while man by nature hates ,god1 and scoffs at ,him4 ,rom4 #h1 #a2 #a ,cor4 #b4 ,thus ,god is dealing with one whose will and heart is altogether against ,him4 ,but here in the denial that man is purely passive in conversion is buried a popish meritum de congruo and a particle of free will4 7,preger #b1 #aia47 ,flacius furthermore explained that in his conversion man is able to cooperate just as little as a stone can contribute to its transformation into a statue4 ,indeed1 man's condition is even more miserable than that of a stone or block 7miserior trunco71 because by his natural powers he resists1 and cannot but resist1 the operations of the ,spirit4 7,planck #d1 #fif;f47 ,strigel reasoned3 ,if man is converted without his consent1 and if he cannot but resist the operations of the ,holy ,spirit1 conversion is an impossibility1 a contradiction4 ,he said3 ,if the will1 even when assisted by the ,holy ,spirit1 is unable to assent1 it must of necessity resist ,him perpetually1 drive out1 reject1 and repudiate the ,word and ,holy ,spirit2 for it is impossible that motions extremely conflicting and contradictory1 the one embracing1 the other repudiating and persistently rejecting1 should be in the same will4 ,si voluntas etiam adiuta a ,spiritu ,sancto non potest assentiri1 necesse est1 ut perpetuo ei repugnet1 ut excutiat1 reiiciat et repudiet ,verbum et ,spiritum ,sanctum4 ,nam impossibile est in eadem voluntate esse motus extreme pugnantes et contradictorios1 quorum alter est amplecti1 alter repudiare et quidem perstare in reiectione4 ,flacius replied3 ,you need but distinguish between the sinful natural will inherited from ,adam1 which always resists1 and the new consenting will implanted by ,god in conversion4 ,man consents with the faith given by ,god1 but he resists with the inborn wickedness of his ,old ,adam4 ,your error is that you acknowledge only an inciting grace1 which mere incitation presupposes powers of one's own to do and to perform 7talis incitatio includit proprias vires ad perficiendum74 ,i plead1 said ,flacius1 that by original sin man is not only wounded1 but1 as the ,scriptures affirm1 entirely dead1 and his faculties to do that which is good have been destroyed2 on the other hand1 however1 he is alive and vigorous toward evil 7hominem 444 penitus esse mortuum1 extinctum et interfectum ad bonum et contra insuper vivum et vigentem ad malum74 ,the will is free with respect to things beneath itself1 but not with respect to things above itself4 ,in spiritual matters it is a servant of ,satan4 ,hence1 said ,flacius1 in order to cooperate1 new spiritual life must first be imparted to1 and created in1 man by the grace of ,god4 7,planck #d1 #fic;ff42 ,frank #a1 #bbd;ff41 ,luthardt1 #bbd2 ,preger #b1 #baf47 ,strigel argued3 ,if man is able only to sin and to resist the grace of ,god1 he cannot be held accountable for his actions4 ,but ,flacius replied3 ,also the non-regenerate are justly accused made responsible for their actions for with the remnant of the carnal liberty they are able at least to observe external decency 7,zucht71 which ,god earnestly demands of us1 for example1 to hear ,god's ,word1 to go to church more frequently than into the tavern4 ,furthermore1 there are many carnal transgressions in which natural man could have done something which he has not done4 ,god may justly hold us responsible also with respect to things which we are unable to do because ,he has bestowed uninjured powers upon the human race1 which1 though forewarned1 man has shamefully lost through his own fault4 7,preger #b1 #bad;f47 ,time and again ,strigel told ,flacius that according to his doctrine man is coerced to sin and compelled to resist the grace of ,god4 ,but the latter replied3 ,as far as his own powers are concerned1 the natural will of man indeed sins and resists inevitably and of necessity 7voluntas repugnat necessario et inevitabiliter71 but not by coercion or compulsion4 ,necessity to resist 7necessitas repugnandi71 ,flacius explained1 does not involve coercion to resist 7coactio repugnandi71 since there is such a thing as a necessity of immutability 7necessitas immutabilitatis71 that is to say1 man may be unable to act otherwise and yet act willingly4 ,the impossibility of being able to will otherwise than one really wills1 does1 according to ,flacius1 not at all involve coercion or compulsion4 ,the holy angels are free from compulsion1 although they cannot sin or fall any more4 ,it is the highest degree of freedom and ,christian perfection when1 in the life to come1 our will to remain in union with ,god is elevated to immutability of so willing4 ,again1 though ,satan cannot but sin1 yet he is not coerced to sin4 ,thus too1 of his own powers1 natural man is able only to resist grace1 yet there is no compulsion involved4 ,the fact1 therefore1 that natural man cannot but sin and resist grace does not warrant the inference that he is compelled to sin2 nor does the fact that natural man is not coerced to resist prove that he is able also to assent to grace4 ,the fact1 said ,flacius1 that the wicked willingly will1 think1 and do only what pleases ,satan does not prove an ability to will in the opposite spiritual direction1 but merely reveals the terrible extent of ,satan's tyrannical power over natural man4 7,luthardt #bbd4 #bca47 ,according to ,flacius the will always wills willingly when it wills and what it wills4 ,in brief3 ,the categories coercion and compulsion cannot be applied to the will4 ,this1 however1 does not imply that ,god is not able to create or restore a good will without coercion or compulsion4 ,there was no coercion or compulsion involved when ,god1 creating ,adam1 ,eve1 and the angels1 endowed them with a good will4 ,nor is there any such thing as coercion or compulsion when ,god1 in conversion1 bestows faith and a good will upon man4 ,in his statements on the freedom of the will1 ,flacius merely repeated what ,luther had written before him1 in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio3 ,for if it is not we1 but ,god alone1 who works salvation in us1 then nothing that we do previous to ,his work1 whether we will or not1 is salutary4 ,but when ,i say1 'by necessity1' ,i do not mean by coercion1 but1 as they say by the necessity of immutability1 not by necessity of coercion1 i4e41 man1 destitute of the ,spirit of ,god1 does not sin perforce1 as though seized by the neck stretched upon the rack nor unwillingly1 as a thief or robber is led to his punishment but spontaneously and willingly4 ,and by his own strength he cannot omit1 restrain1 or change this desire or willingness to sin1 but continues to will it and to find pleasure in it4 ,for even if he is compelled by force1 outwardly to do something else1 within1 the will nevertheless remains averse1 and rages against him who compels or resists it4 ,for if it were changed and willingly yielded to force1 it would not be angry4 ,and this we call the necessity of immutability1 i4e41 the will cannot change itself and turn to something else1 but is rather provoked to will more intensely by being resisted1 as is proved by its indignation4 ,si enim non nos1 sed solus ,deus operatur salutem in nobis1 nihil ante opus eius operamur salutare1 velimus nolimus4 ,necessario vero dico1 ,,non ,,coacte1 sed1 ut illi dicunt1 necessitate immutabilitatis1 ,,non ,,coactionis2 id est homo cum vacat ,spiritu ,dei1 ,,non ,,quidem ,,violentia1 velut raptus obtorto collo1 ,,nolens facit peccatum1 quemadmodum fur aut latro nolens ad poenam ducitur1 sed sponte et libenti voluntate facit4 ,verum hanc libentiam seu voluntatem faciendi non potest suis viribus omittere1 coercere aut mutare1 sed pergit volendo et lubendo2 etiamsi ad extra cogatur aliud facere per vim1 tamen voluntas intus manet aversa et indignatur cogenti aut resistenti4 ,non enim indignaretur1 si mutaretur ac volens vim sequeretur4 ,hoc vocamus modo necessitatem immutabilitatis1 id est1 quod voluntas sese mutare et vertere alio non possit1 sed potius irritetur magis ad volendum1 dum ei resistitur1 quod probat eius indignatio4 7,e4 v4 a4 #g1 #aee;f4 #acd4 #aeg2 ,st4 ,l4 #ah #agag4 #afib4 #agah47 ,flacius was also charged with teaching that man is converted resisting 7hominem converti repugnantem74 ,in their ,confession and ,opinion ,concerning ,free ,will1 of #aefa1 the ,wittenberg theologians repeated the assertion that ,flacius taught converti hominem 444 repugnantem et hostiliter ,deo convertenti adversantem4 7,planck #d1 #fhh47 ,but ,flacius protested3 ,i do not simply say that man is converted resisting 7hominem repugnantem converti74 ,but ,i say that he resists with respect to his natural and carnal free will4 ,it is not denied that ,god converts us as willing and understanding 7quin ,deus nos convertat volentes et intelligentes71 but willing and understanding not from the ,old ,adam but from the light given by ,god and from the good volition bestowed through the ,word and the ,holy ,spirit4 7#fib47 ,man is converted or drawn by the ,father to the ,son not as a thief is cast into prison1 but in such a manner that his evil will is changed into a good will by the power of the ,holy ,spirit4 7,preger #b1 #bah47 ,it is the very essence of conversion that by the grace of ,god unwilling men are made willing4 ,in support of his error that natural man is able to cooperate in his conversion ,strigel appealed to ,rom4 #h1 #bf3 ,likewise the ,spirit also helpeth our infirmities1 etc42 and appealing to the ,augustana for the correctness of his interpretation1 he declared that this passage proves that one may speak of a languid and weak assent in man even before he is endowed with faith4 ,flacius replied that this ,bible-passage referred to such only as are already converted1 and that ,strigel's interpretation was found not in the original ,augustana1 but in the ,variata4--,from the admonition #b ,cor4 #e1 #bj3 ,be ye reconciled to ,god1 ,strigel inferred that free will must to a certain extent be capable of accepting the grace offered by ,god4 ,flacius answered that it was a logical fallacy1 conflicting also with the clear ,word of ,god1 to conclude that man by his own powers is able to perform something because ,god demands it and admonishes and urges us to do it4--,from ,acts #e1 #cb3 444the ,holy ,ghost1 whom ,god hath given to them that obey ,him1 ,strigel argued that the will is able to consent to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but ,flacius rejoined that this passage refers to special gifts bestowed upon such as are already converted4--,in support of his synergism1 ,strigel also appealed to the ,parable of the ,prodigal ,son1 who himself repented and returned to his father4 ,but ,flacius answered3 ,if every detail of this parable taken from every-day life were to be interpreted in such a manner1 ,strigel would have to abandon his own teaching concerning prevenient grace1 since according to the parable the repentance and return of the son precedes the grace bestowed by the father4 7,preger #b1 #baj;f47 #afe4 ,teaching of the ,anti-,synergists4 ,while the ,philippists1 also in the ,synergistic ,controversy1 endeavored to supplant the authority and doctrine of ,luther by that of ,melanchthon1 their opponents1 ,amsdorf1 ,flacius1 ,wigand1 ,hesshusius1 and others 7though not always fortunate in the choice of their phraseology71 stood four-square on ,luther's teaching of the sola gratia1 which1 they were fully convinced1 was nothing but the pure truth of the ,gospel itself4 ,they maintained that1 as a result of the ,fall1 man has lost his original holiness and righteousness or the image of ,god2 that both as to his intellect and will he is totally corrupt spiritually2 that of his own powers he is utterly unable to think or will anything that is truly good2 that not a spark of spiritual life is found in natural man by virtue of which he might assent to the ,gospel or cooperate with the ,holy ,spirit in his conversion2 that his carnal mind is enmity toward ,god2 that of his own powers he is active only in resisting the work of the ,holy ,spirit1 nor is he able to do otherwise2 that such resistance continues until he is converted and a new will and heart have been created in him2 that conversion consists in this1 that men who by nature are unwilling and resist ,god's grace become such as willingly consent and obey the ,gospel and the ,holy ,spirit2 that this is done solely by ,god's grace1 through ,word and ,sacrament2 that man is purely passive in his conversion1 inasmuch as he contributes nothing towards it1 and merely suffers and experiences the work of the ,holy ,spirit2 that only after his conversion man is able to cooperate with the ,holy ,spirit2 that such cooperation1 however1 flows not from innate powers of the natural will1 but from the new powers imparted in conversion2 that also in the converted the natural sinful will continues to oppose whatever is truly good1 thus causing a conflict between the flesh and the spirit which lasts till death2 in brief1 that man's conversion and salvation are due to grace alone and in no respect whatever to man and his natural powers4 ,the ,book of ,confutation1 of #aeei1 drafted1 as stated above1 by the theologians of ,jena1 designates the synergistic dogma as a rejection of grace4 ,here we also meet with statements such as the following3 ,human nature is altogether turned aside from ,god1 and is hostile toward ,him and subject to the tyranny of sin and ,satan 7naturam humanam prorsus a ,deo aversam eique inimicam et tyrannidi peccati ac ,satanae subiectam esse74 ,it is impossible for the unregenerate man to understand or to apprehend the will of ,god revealed in the ,word1 or by his own power to convert himself to ,god and to will or perform anything good 7homini non renato impossibile esse intelligere aut apprehendere voluntatem ,dei in ,verbo patefactam aut sua ipsius voluntate ad ,deum se convertere1 boni aliquid velle aut perficere74 ,our will to obey ,god or to choose the good is utterly extinguished and corrupted4 ,voluntas nostra ad ,dei obedientiam aut ad bonum eligendum prorsus extincta et depravata est4 7,tschackert1 #ebc2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bbi47 ,the second of the ,propositions prepared by ,simon ,musaeus and ,flacius for the ,disputation at ,weimar1 #aefj1 reads3 ,corrupt man cannot operate or cooperate toward anything good by true motions1 and such as proceed from the heart2 for his heart is altogether dead spiritually1 and has utterly lost the image of ,god1 or all powers and inclinations toward that which is good4 ,homo corruptus nihil boni potest veris ac ex corde proficiscentibus motibus operari aut cooperari1 nom plane est spiritualiter mortuus et ,dei imaginem seu omnes bonas vires et inclinationes prorsus amisit4 ,the third3 ,not only has he lost entirely all good powers1 but1 in addition1 he has also acquired contrary and most evil powers1 444 so that1 of necessity or inevitably1 he constantly and vehemently opposes ,god and true piety 7ita tr4 note3 sic on punctuation ut necessario seu inevitabiliter ,deo ac verae pietati semper et vehementer adversetur4 ,the fourth thesis states that ,god alone1 through ,his ,word and the ,holy ,spirit1 converts1 draws1 and illumines man1 kindles faith1 justifies1 renews1 and creates him unto good works1 while natural or ,adamic free will is of itself not only inactive1 but resists 7non solum non cooperante ex se naturali aut ,adamico libero arbitrio1 sed etiam contra furente ac fremente74 7,planck #d1 #fib2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bde47 ,the same position was occupied by the ,mansfeld ministers in a statement of ,august #bj1 #aefb1 and by ,hesshusius in his ,confutation of the ,arguments by which the ,synergists ,endeavor to ,defend ,their ,error ,concerning the ,powers of the ,dead ,free ,will4 ,they held that in his conversion man is purely passive and has no mode of action whatever2 that he is but the passive subject who is to be converted 7subiectam patiens1 subiectum convertendum72 that he contributes no more to his conversion than an infant to its own formation in the womb of its mother2 that he is passive1 like a block1 inasmuch as he does not in any way cooperate1 but at the same time differs from1 and is worse than1 a block1 because he is active in resisting the ,holy ,spirit until he has been converted4 ,the ,confession presented by the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony 7,wigand1 ,coelestinus1 ,irenaeus1 ,rosinus1 ,kirchner1 etc47 at the ,altenburg ,colloquy ,march1 #aefi1 occupies the same doctrinal position4 ,as stated before1 these theologians made it a special point also to declare their agreement with ,luther's book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 7,schluesselburg #e1 #caf4 #acc47 #aff4 ,attitude of ,formula of ,concord4 ,the second article of the ,formula of ,concord1 which decided the questions involved in the ,synergistic ,controversy1 takes a clear1 determined1 and consistent stand against all forms and formulas of synergism4 ,at the same time it avoids all extravagant1 improper1 offensive1 and inadequate terms and phrases1 as well as the numerous pitfalls lurking everywhere in the questions concerning free will1 against which also some of the opponents of the ,synergists had not always sufficiently been on their guard4 ,article ,,ii teaches that original sin is an unspeakable evil and such an entire corruption of human nature that in it and all its internal and external powers nothing pure or good remains1 but everything is entirely corrupt1 so that on account of original sin man is in ,god's sight truly spiritually dead1 with all his powers dead to that which is good 7dass der ,mensch durch die ,erbsuende wahrhaftig vor ,gott geistlich tot und zum ,guten mit allen seinen ,kraeften erstorben sei7 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #hgi1 #fj72 that in spiritual and divine things the intellect1 heart1 and will of the unregenerate man are utterly unable1 by their own natural powers1 to understand1 believe1 accept1 think1 will1 begin1 effect1 work1 or concur in working1 anything1 but they are entirely dead to what is good1 and corrupt1 so that in man's nature since the ,fall1 before regeneration1 there is not the least spark of spiritual power remaining1 nor present1 by which1 of himself1 he can prepare himself for ,god's grace1 or accept the offered grace1 nor be capable of it for and of himself1 or apply or accommodate himself thereto1 or by his own powers be able of himself1 as of himself1 to aid1 do1 work1 or concur in working anything towards his conversion either wholly1 or half1 or in any1 even the least or most inconsiderable part2 but that he is the servant and slave of sin1 ,john #h1 #cd1 and a captive of the devil1 by whom he is moved1 ,eph4 #b1 #b2 #b ,tim4 #b1 #bf4 ,hence natural free will according to its perverted disposition and nature is strong and active only with respect to what is displeasing and contrary to ,god 7#hhc1 #g2 #hhg1 #ag72 that before man is enlightened1 converted1 regenerated1 renewed and drawn by the ,holy ,spirit he can of himself and of his own natural powers begin work1 or concur in working in spiritual things and in his own conversion or regeneration just as little as a stone or a block or clay4 7#hia1 #bd72 that1 moreover1 in this respect inasmuch as man resists the ,holy ,spirit it may well be said that man is not a stone or block1 for a stone or block does not resist the person who moves it1 nor does it understand and is sensible of what is being done with it1 as man with his will so long resists ,god the ,lord until he is converted 7donec ad ,deum conversus fuerit7 7#ije1 #ei72 that the ,holy ,scriptures ascribe conversion1 faith in ,christ1 regeneration1 renewal1 and all that belongs to their efficacious beginning and completion1 not to the human powers of the natural free will1 neither entirely1 nor half nor in any1 even the least or most inconsiderable part1 but in solidum1 that is1 entirely and solely1 to the divine working and the ,holy ,spirit 7#hia1 #be72 that the preaching and hearing of ,god's ,word are instruments of the ,holy ,ghost1 by1 with1 and through which ,he desires to work efficaciously1 and to convert men to ,god1 and to work in them both to will and to do 7#ija1 #eb72 that as soon as the ,holy ,ghost 444 has begun in us this ,his work of regeneration and renewal1 it is certain that through the power of the ,holy ,ghost we can and should cooperate 7mitwirken71 although still in great weakness 7#ijg1 #fe72 that this cooperation1 however1 does not occur from our carnal natural powers1 but from the new powers and gifts which the ,holy ,ghost has begun in us in conversion1 and is to be understood in no other way than that the converted man does good to such an extent and so long as ,god by ,his ,holy ,spirit rules1 guides1 and leads him1 and that as soon as ,god would withdraw ,his gracious hand from him1 he could not for a moment persevere in obedience to ,god1 and that hence it is not a power independent from1 and coordinated with1 the ,holy ,spirit1 as though the converted man cooperated with the ,holy ,ghost in the manner as when two horses together draw a wagon 7#ijg1 #ff72 and finally1 that as to the three-concurring-causes doctrine it is manifest1 from the explanations presented that conversion to ,god is a work of ,god the ,holy ,ghost alone1 who is the true ,master that alone works this in us1 for which ,he uses the preaching and hearing of ,his holy ,word as ,his ordinary means and instrument4 ,but the intellect and will of the unregenerate man are nothing else than subiectum convertendum1 that is1 that which is to be converted1 it being the intellect and will of a spiritually dead man1 in whom the ,holy ,ghost works conversion and renewal1 towards which work man's will that is to be converted does nothing1 but suffers ,god alone to work in him until he is regenerated and then he cooperates works also with the ,holy ,ghost that which is pleasing to ,god in other good works that follow in the way and to the extent fully set forth above 7#iae1 #ij74 ,it has been said that originally also the ,formula of ,concord in its ,torgau draft 7,das ,torgausche ,buch1 i4e41 the draft preceding the ,bergic ,book,formula of ,concord7 contained the three-concurring-causes doctrine of ,melanchthon and the ,synergists4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 the ,torgau ,book does not speak of three causes of conversion1 but of three causes in those who are already converted1--a doctrine entirely in agreement with the ,formula of ,concord1 which1 as shown1 plainly teaches that after conversion the will of man also cooperates with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in the ,torgau ,book the passage in question reads3 ,thus also three causes concur to effect this internal new obedience in the converted4 ,the first and chief cause is ,god ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4444 ,the second is ,god's ,word4444 ,the third is man's intellect1 enlightened by the ,holy ,spirit1 which ponders and understands ,god's command threat and promise1 and our new and regenerate will1 which is governed by the ,holy ,spirit1 and now desires with a glad and willing heart 7herzlich gern und willig71 though in great weakness1 to submit to1 and obey1 the ,word and will of ,god4 ,in the same sense1 at the colloquy in ,a,itenburg1 #aefh to #aefi1 the ,jena theologians also mentioned as a third cause the mind of man1 which is regenerated and renewed1 and yields to1 and obeys1 the ,holy ,spirit and the ,word of ,god 7des ,menschen ,gemuet1 so wiedergeboren und erneuert ist und dem ,heiligen ,geiste und ,gottes ,wort ,folge tut und gehorsam ist74 7,frank #a1 #bad;f47 ,,xv4 ,the ,flacian ,controversy4 #afg4 ,flacius ,entrapped by ,strigel4 ,matthias ,flacius ,illyricus1 one of the most learned and capable theologians of his day and the most faithful1 devoted1 staunch1 zealous1 and able exponent and defender of genuine ,lutheranism1 was the author of the malignant controversy which bears his name4 ,flacius was born ,march #c1 #aebj1 in ,illyria hence called ,illyricus4 ,he studied in ,basel1 ,tuebingen1 and ,wittenberg4 ,at ,wittenberg he was convinced that the doctrine of the ,lutheran ,church is in complete agreement with the ,word of ,god4 ,here1 too1 he was appointed ,professor of ,hebrew in #aedd4 ,in ,april1 #aedi1 he left the city on account of the ,interim4 ,he removed to ,magdeburg where he became the energetic and successful leader of the opponents of the ,interimists and ,adiaphorists4 ,he was appointed professor at the ,university of ,jena1 founded #aedg1 partly in opposition to ,philippism4 ,in ,december #aefa1 he and his adherents were banished from ,jena4 ,when the latter returned in #aefg1 he was not recalled4 ,persecuted by his enemies 7especially ,elector ,august of ,saxony7 and forsaken by his friends1 he now moved from one place to another3 from ,jena to ,regensburg1 thence to ,antwerp1 to ,frankfort-on-the-,main1 to ,strassburg 7from where he was expelled in the spring of #aegc71 and again to ,frankfort-on-the-,main1 where he found a last asylum for himself and his family 7wife and eight children71 and where he also died in a hospital1 ,march #aa1 #aege4 ,in the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy ,flacius had time and again urged the ,lutherans to die rather than deny and surrender the truth4 ,and when in the controversy about original sin all shunned him and turned against him he gave ample proof of the fact that he himself was imbued with the spirit he had endeavored to kindle in others1 being willing to suffer and to be banished and persecuted rather than sacrifice what he believed to be the truth4--,the most important of his numerous books are3 ,catalogus ,testium ,veritatis1 qui ante nostram aetatem reclamarunt ,papae1 #aeef2 ,ecclesiastica ,historia1 or the so-called ,magdeburg ,centuries 7,centuriones71 comprising the history of the first thirteen centuries1 and published #aeei-aegd2 ,clavis ,scripturae1 of #aefg2 and ,glossa ,novi ,testamenti4 ,walther remarks3 ,it was a great pity that ,flacius1 who had hitherto been such a faithful champion of the pure doctrine1 exposed himself to the enemies in such a manner4 ,henceforth the errorists were accustomed to brand all those as ,flacianists who were zealous in defending the pure doctrine of ,luther4 7,kern und ,stern1 #cd47 ,the ,flacian ,controversy sprang from1 and must be regarded as an episode of1 the ,synergistic ,controversy1 in which also some champions of ,luther's theology 7,amsdorf1 ,wigand1 ,hesshusius1 and others7 had occasionally employed unguarded1 extreme1 and inadequate expressions4 ,following are some of the immoderate and extravagant statements made by ,flacius3 ,god alone converts man1 the ,adamic free will not only not cooperating1 but also raging and roaring against it 7sed etiam contra furente ac fremente74 7,preger #b1 #bab47 ,the malice of our free will is a diabolical malice 7nostra diabolica malitia carnis aut liberi arbitrii74 ,by original sin man is transformed into the image of ,satan 7ad imaginem ,satanae transformatus1 eiusque charactere foeda ,satanae imagine signatus74 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bde47 ,by original sin the substance of man is destroyed 7substantiam hominis ablatam esse72 after the ,fall original sin is the substance of man2 man's nature is identical with sin2 in conversion a new substance is created by ,god4 ,in particular1 the assertions concerning the substantiality of original sin gave rise to the so-called ,flacian ,controversy4 ,after ,strigel1 at the second session of the disputation in ,weimar1 had dilated on the philosophical definitions of the terms substance and accident 7accidens1 quod adest vel abest praeter subiecti corruptionem71 and had declared that original sin was an accident which merely impeded free will in its activity1 ,flacius1 in the heat of the controversy1 exclaimed3 ,originale peccatum non est accidens4 ,original sin is not an accident1 for the ,scriptures call it flesh1 the evil heart1 etc4 ,thus he fell into the pitfall which the wily ,strigel had adroitly laid for him4 ,though ,flacius seemed to be loath to enter upon the matter any further1 and protested against the use of philosophical definitions in theology1 ,strigel now was eager to entangle him still further1 plying him with the question3 ,an negas peccatum originis esse accidens8 ,do you deny that original sin is an accident8 ,flacius answered3 ,lutherus diserte negat esse accidens4 ,luther expressly denies that it is an accident4 ,strigel3 ,visne negare peccatum esse accidens8 ,do you mean to deny that sin is an accident8 ,flacius3 ,quod sit substantia1 dixi ,scripturam et ,lutherum affirmare4 ,i have said that ,scripture and ,luther affirm that it is a substance4 7,luthardt1 #bac4 #baf47 ,after the session in which the fatal phrase had fallen from his lips1 ,wigand and ,musaeus expostulated with ,flacius1 designating 7according to later reports of theirs7 his statement as this new1 perilous1 and blasphemous proposition of the ancient ,manicheans 7haec nova1 periculosa et blasphema veterum ,manichaeorum propositio74 7,planck #d1 #faa47 ,flacius declared that1 in the sudden and pressing exigency1 in the interest of truth1 and against ,pelagian enthusiasm1 he had taken this expression concerning the substantiality of original sin from ,luther's doctrine and books4 7,preger #b1 #cbd47 ,in the following 7third7 session1 however1 he repeated his error1 declaring3 ,i must stand by my statement that original sin is not an accident1 but a substance1 because the testimonies of the ,holy ,scriptures which employ terms denoting substance 7quae verbis substantialibus utuntur7 are so numerous4 7,planck #d1 #faj2 ,luthardt1 #baf47 ,also later on ,flacius always maintained that his doctrine was nothing but the teaching of the ,bible and of ,luther4 ,as to ,scripture-proofs1 he referred to passages in which the ,scriptures designate sin as flesh1 stony heart1 etc4 ,regarding the teaching of ,luther1 he quoted statements in which he describes original sin as man's nature1 essence1 substantial sin1 all that is born of father and mother1 etc4 7,preger #b1 #cah47 ,however1 the palpable mistake of ,flacius was that he took the substantial terms on which he based his theory in their original and proper sense1 while the ,bible and ,luther employ them in a figurative meaning1 as the ,formula of ,concord carefully explains in its first article1 which decided and settled this controversy4 7#hgd1 #ej47 ,here we read3 ,also to avoid strife about words1 aequivocationes vocabulorum1 that is1 words and expressions which are applied and used in various meanings1 should be carefully and distinctly explained1 as when it is said3 ,god creates the nature of men1 there by the term nature the essence1 body1 and soul of men are understood4 ,but often the disposition or vicious quality of a thing is called its nature1 as when it is said3 ,it is the nature of the serpent to bite and poison4 ,thus ,luther says that sin and sinning are the disposition and nature of corrupt man4 ,therefore original sin properly signifies the deep corruption of our nature as it is described in the ,smalcald ,articles4 ,but sometimes the concrete person or the subject that is1 man himself with body and soul in which sin is and inheres1 is also comprised under this term1 for the reason that man is corrupted by sin1 poisoned and sinful1 as when ,luther says3 ',thy birth1 thy nature1 and thy entire essence is sin1' that is1 sinful and unclean4 ,luther himself explains that by nature-sin1 person-sin1 essential sin he means that not only the words1 thoughts1 and works are sin1 but that the entire nature1 person and essence of man are altogether corrupted from the root by original sin4 7#hge1 #ea;f47 #afh4 ,context in which ,statement was ,made4 ,in making his statement concerning the substantiality of original sin1 the purpose of ,flacius was to wipe out the last vestige of spiritual powers ascribed to natural man by ,strigel1 and to emphasize the doctrine of total corruption1 which ,strigel denied4 ,his fatal blunder was that he did so in terms which were universally regarded as savoring of ,manicheism4 ,as was fully explained in the chapter of the ,synergistic ,controversy ,strigel taught that free will1 which belongs to the substance and essence of man1 and hence cannot be lost without the annihilation of man himself1 always includes the capacity to choose in both directions1 that also with respect to divine grace and the operations of the ,holy ,spirit man is and always remains a liberum agens in the sense that he is able to decide in utramque partem2 that this ability1 constituting the very essence of free will1 may be weakened and impeded in its activity1 but never lost entirely4 ,if it were lost1 ,strigel argued1 the very substance of man and free will as such would have to be regarded as annihilated4 ,but now man1 also after the ,fall1 is still a real man1 possessed of intellect and will4 ,hence original sin cannot have despoiled him of this liberty of choosing pro or con also in matters spiritual4 ,the loss of original righteousness does not1 according to ,strigel1 involve the total spiritual disability of the will and its sole tendency and activity toward what is spiritually evil4 ,moreover1 despite original corruption1 it is and remains an indestructible property of man to be able1 at least in a measure1 to assent to and to admit1 the operations of the ,holy ,spirit1 and therefore and in this sense to be converted aliquo modo volens4 7,planck #d1 #ffg4 #fge4 #fha47 ,it was in opposition to this ,semi-,pelagian teaching that ,flacius declared original sin to be not a mere accident1 but the substance of man4 ,entering upon the train of thought and the phraseology suggested by his opponent1 he called substance what in reality was an accident1 though not an accident such as ,strigel contended4 ,from his own standpoint it was therefore a shrewd move to hide his own synergism and to entrap his opponent1 when ,strigel plied ,flacius with the question whether he denied that original sin was an accident4 ,for in the context and the sense in which it was proposed the question involved a vicious dilemma4 ,answering with yes or no1 ,flacius was compelled either to affirm ,strigel's synergism or to expose himself to the charge of ,manicheism4 ,instead of replying as he did1 ,flacius should have cleared the sophistical atmosphere by explaining3 ,if ,i say1 ',original sin is an accident1' you ,strigel will infer what ,i reject1 viz41 that the corrupt will of man retains the power to decide also in favor of the operations of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and if ,i answer that original sin is not an accident 7such as you have in mind71 you will again infer what ,i disavow1 viz41 that man1 who by the ,fall has lost the ability to will in the spiritual direction1 has eo ipso lost the will and its freedom entirely and as such4 ,as it was1 however1 ,flacius instead of adhering strictly to the real issue--the question concerning man's cooperation in conversion--and exposing the sophistry implied in the question put by ,strigel1 most unfortunately suffered himself to be caught on the horns of the dilemma4 ,he blindly walked into the trap set for him by ,strigel1 from which also later on he never succeeded in fully extricating himself4 ,with all his soul ,flacius rejected the synergism involved in ,strigel's question4 ,his blunder was1 as stated1 that he did so in terms universally regarded as ,manichean4 ,he was right when he maintained that original sin is the inherited tendency and motion of the human mind1 will1 and heart1 not toward1 but against ,god1--a direction1 too1 which man is utterly unable to change4 ,but he erred fatally by identifying this inborn evil tendency with the substance of fallen man and the essence of his will as such4 ,it will always be regarded as a redeeming feature that it was in antagonizing synergism and championing the ,lutheran sola gratia that ,flacius coined his unhappy proposition4 ,and in properly estimating his error1 it must not be overlooked that he1 as will be shown in the following1 employed the terms substance and accident not in their generally accepted meaning but in a sense1 and according to a philosophical terminology1 of his own4 #afi4 ,formal and ,material ,substance4 ,the terms substance and accident are defined in ,melanchthon's ,erotemata ,dialectices as follows3 ,substantia est ens1 quod revera proprium esse habet1 nec est in alio1 ut habens esse a subiecto4 ,substance is something which in reality has a being of its own and is not in another as having its being from the subject4 7,c4 ,r4 #ac1 #ebh47 ,accidens est quod non per sese subsistit1 nec est pars substantiae1 sed in alio est mutabiliter4 ,accident is something which does not exist as such nor is a part of the substance1 but is changeable in something else4 7#ebb47 ,melanchthon continues3 ,accidentium alia sunt separabilia ut frigus ab aqua1 notitia a mente1 laetitia1 tristitia a corde4 ,alia accidentia sunt inseparabilia1 ut quantitas seu magnitudo a substantia corporea1 calor ab igni1 humiditas ab aqua1 non separantur444 ,et quia separabilia accidentia magis conspicua sunt1 ideo inde sumpta est puerilis descriptio3 ,accidens est1 quod adest et abest praeter subiecti corruptionem4 ,whatever is present or absent without the corruption of the subject is an accident4 7,c4 ,r4 #ac1 #ebc2 ,preger #b1 #cif4 #djg2 ,seeberg #d1 #did47 ,evidently this last definition1 which was employed also by ,strigel1 is ambiguous1 inasmuch as the word corruption may signify an annihilation1 or merely a perversion1 or a corruption in the ordinary meaning of the word4 ,in the latter sense the term applied to original sin would be tantamount to a denial of the ,lutheran doctrine of total corruption4 ,when ,jacob ,andreae1 in his disputation with ,flacius1 #aega1 at ,strassburg1 declared that accident is something which is present or absent without corruption of the subject1 he employed the term in the sense of destruction or annihilation4 ,in the same year ,hesshusius stated that by original sin the whole nature body and soul1 substance as well as accidents1 are defiled1 corrupted1 and dead1 of course1 spiritually4 ,and what he understood by substance appears from his assertion3 ,the being itself1 the substance and nature itself1 in as far as it is nature1 is not an evil conflicting with the ,law of ,god4444 ,not even in the devil the substance itself1 in as far as it is substance1 is a bad thing1 i4e41 a thing conflicting with the ,law4 7,preger #b1 #cig47 ,the ,formula of ,concord carefully and correctly defines3 ,everything that is must be either substantia1 that is1 a self-existent essence1 or accidens1 that is1 an accidental matter1 which does not exist by itself essentially but is in another self-existent essence and can be distinguished from it4 ,now1 then1 since it is the indisputable truth that everything that is1 is either a substance or an accidens that is1 either a self-existing essence or something accidental in it 7as has just been shown and proved by testimonies of the church-teachers1 and no truly intelligent man has ever had any doubts concerning this71 necessity here constrains1 and no one can evade it if the question be asked whether original sin is a substance1 that is1 such a thing as exists by itself1 and is not in another1 or whether it is an accidens1 that is1 such a thing as does not exist by itself1 but is in another1 and cannot exist or be by itself1 he must confess straight and pat that original sin is no substance1 but an accident4 7#hgg1 #ed2 #eg47 ,flacius1 however1 took the words substance and accident in a different sense4 ,he distinguished between the material and formal substance1 and the latter he regarded as man's true original essence4 ,this essence he explained1 consisted in the original righteousness and holiness of man1 in the image of ,god or the will as truly free and in proper relation toward ,god4 ,he said3 ,ipsum hominem essentialiter sic esse formatum1 ut recta voluntas esset imago ,dei1 non tantum eius accidens4 7,seeberg #d1 #did47 ,he drew the conclusion that original sin1 by which the image of ,god 7not the human understanding and will as such7 is lost1 cannot be a mere accident1 but constitutes the very essence and substance of fallen man4 ,he argued3 ,the image of ,god is the formal essence of man1 or the soul itself according to its best part1 by original sin this image is changed into its opposite3 hence the change wrought by original sin is not accidental1 but substantial1--just as substantial and essential as when wine is changed into vinegar or fire into frost4 ,what man has lost1 said ,flacius1 is not indeed his material substance 7substantia materialis71 but his true formal substance or substantial form 7substantia formalis or forma substantialis74 ,hence also original sin1 or the corruption resulting from the ,fall1 in reality is1 and must be designated1 the formal substance or substantial form of natural man4 ,not all gifts of creation were lost to man by his ,fall2 the most essential boon1 however1 the image of ,god1 was destroyed and changed into the image of ,satan4 ,in homine1 said ,flacius1 et mansit aliquid1 et tamen quod optimum in ratione et essentia fuit1 nempe imago ,dei1 non tantum evanuit1 sed etiam in contrarium1 nempe in imaginem diaboli1 commutatum est4 ,the devil1 ,flacius continued1 has robbed man of his original form 7forma71 the image of ,god1 and stamped him with his own diabolical form and nature4 7,luthardt #bae2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bec47 #agj4 ,further ,explanations of ,flacius4 ,the manner in which ,flacius distinguished between material and formal substance appears from the tract on original sin 7,de ,peccati ,originalis aut ,veteris ,adami ,appellationibus et ,essentia71 which he appended to his ,clavis ,scripturae of #aefg4 ,there we read3 ,in this disputation concerning the corruption of man ,i do not deny that this meaner matter 7illam viliorem materiam7 or mass of man created in the beginning has indeed remained until now1 although it is exceedingly vitiated1 as when in wine or aromas the spirituous 7airy7 or fiery substance escapes1 and nothing remains but the earthy and watery substance2 but ,i hold that the substantial form or the formal substance 7formam substantialem aut substantiam formalem7 has been lost1 yea1 changed into its opposite4 ,but ,i do not speak of that external and coarse form 7although it too1 is corrupted and weakened very much7 which a girl admires in a youth1 or philosophy also in the entire man1 according to which he consists of body and soul1 has an erect stature two feet1 hands1 eyes1 ears1 and the like1 is an animal laughing1 counting1 reasoning1 etc42 but ,i speak of that most noble substantial form 7nobilissima substantialis forma7 according to which especially the heart itself or rather the rational soul1 was formed in such a manner that his very essence might be the image of ,god and represent ,him1 and that his substantial powers1 intellect and will1 and his affections might be conformed to the properties of ,god1 represent1 truly acknowledge1 and most willingly embrace ,him4 7,preger #b1 #cad2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bed47 ,again3 ,in this manner1 therefore1 ,i believe and assert that original sin is a substance1 because the rational soul 7as united with ,god7 and especially its noblest substantial powers1 namely1 the intellect and will which before had been formed so gloriously that they were the true image of ,god and the fountain of all justice1 uprightness1 and piety1 and altogether essentially like unto gold and gems1 are now1 by deceit of ,satan1 so utterly perverted that they are the true and living image of ,satan1 and1 as it were1 filthy or rather consisting of an infernal flame1 not otherwise than when the sweetest and purest mass1 infected with the most venomous ferment1 is altogether and substantially changed and transformed into a lump of the same ferment4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bed47 ,original sin is not a mere accident in man1 but his inverted and transformed essence or new form itself1 just as when a most wholesome medicine is changed into the most baneful poison4 ,the matter remains1 but it receives a new form1 namely1 the image of ,satan4 ,man1 who in his essential form was the image of ,god1 has in his essential form become the image of ,satan4 ,this change may be compared to the change which the golden image of a beautiful man undergoes when it is transformed into the image of a dragon1 the matter at the same time being corrupted4 7,preger #b1 #bad4 #bag4 #cbe47 ,dilating on the substantiality of original sin1 ,flacius furthermore declared3 ,original malice in man is not something different from the evil mind or stony heart itself1 not something that destroys him spiritually as a disease consumes him bodily1 but it is ruined and destroyed nature itself 7sed est tantum ipsa perditissima et iam destructissima natura74 ,original malice was not1 as many now think infused from without into ,adam in such a way as when poison or some other bad substance is thrown or poured into good liquor1 so that by reason of the added bad substance also the rest becomes noxious1 but in such a way as when good liquor or bread itself is perverted so that now it is bad as such and poisonous or rather poison 7ut illud per se iam malum ac venenatum aut potius venenum sit74 7,preger #b1 #cac47 ,also concerning the body and soul of fallen man ,flacius does not hesitate to affirm that1 since they are permeated and corrupted by original sin1 these parts themselves are sin1 eas ipsas partes1 corpus et animam esse illud nativum malum1 quod cum ,deo pugnat4 ,some object1 says ,flacius1 that the creature of ,god must be distinguished from sin1 which is not of ,god4 ,i answer3 now do separate1 if you can1 the devil from his inherent wickedness6444 ,how can the same thing be separated from itself6 ,we therefore can not distinguish them in any other way than by stating that with respect to his first creation and also his present preservation man1 even as the devil himself1 is of ,god1 but that with respect to this horrible transformation 7ratione istius horrendae metamorphoseos7 he is of the devil1 who1 by the force of the efficacious sentence and punishment of angry ,god3 ',thou shalt die1' not only captured us to be his vilest slaves1 but also recast1 rebaked1 and changed1 or1 so to speak1 metamorphosed us into another man1 as the ,scripture says1 even as he the devil himself is inverted4 ,all parts1 talents1 and abilities of man1 ,flacius contends1 are evil and mere sins1 because they all oppose ,god4 ,what else are they than armed unrighteousness6 he exclaims4 ,even the natural knowledge of ,god is nothing but the abominable source of idolatry and of all superstitions4 7,preger #caf;f42 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bee47 ,that the fundamental view of ,flacius1 however1 was much farther apart from ,manicheism than some of his radical phrases imply1 appears from his ,gnowthi seauton1 ,de ,essentia ,originalis ,institutiae1 of #aefh4 ,after admitting that ,augustine1 ,luther1 and the ,apology of the ,augsburg ,confession are correct when they define original sin as an inordinate disposition1 a disorder 7ataxia71 perversion1 and confusion of the parts of man1 ,flacius proceeds3 ,the substantial form of a certain thing for the most part1 consists in the right position and disposition of the parts2 as1 for example1 if a human body were born which had its eyes1 ears1 and mouth on the belly or feet1 and1 vice versa1 the toes on the head1 no one would say that it was properly a man1 but rather a monster4 444 ,it appears1 therefore1 that the inordinate disposition of the parts produces an altogether new body or thing4 ,thus1 forsooth1 the horrible perturbation of the soul has also produced1 as it were a new kind of monster fighting against ,god4 7,preger #b1 #dji47 ,accordingly1 it was not man's body and soul as such1 but the alteration of the relation of his powers toward one another and the consequent corruption of these powers1 that ,flacius had in mind when he designated original sin as the new substantial form1 or substance1 of sinful man4 ,flacius expressly denied that the fall of man or his conversion involved a physical change4 ,i do not teach a physical regeneration1 he declared1 nor do ,i say that two hearts are created1 but ,i say that this most excellent part of the soul or of man is once more established1 or that the image of ,god is recast and transformed out of the image of ,satan1 even as before the image of ,god was transformed into the image of ,satan4 ,physicam renascentiam non assero nec dico duo corda creari1 sed dico istam praestantissimam animae aut hominis partem denuo condi aut ex imagine ,satanae refundi aut transformari imaginem ,dei1 sicut antea imago ,dei fuit transformata in imaginem ,satanae4 7,seeberg #d1 #die47 ,gieseler pertinently remarks3 ,it is apparent that ,flacius did not deviate from the common concept of original sin1 but from the concepts of substance and accident1 but that here1 too1 he was uncertain1 inasmuch as he employed the terms substantia1 forma substantialis1 and substantia formalis promiscuously4 7#c1 #b1 #bee47 ,if not necessarily involved in1 it was at least in keeping with his extreme position and extravagant phraseology concerning original sin when ,flacius1 in his ,de ,primo et ,secundo ,capite ad ,romanos1 quatenus ,libero ,arbitrio ,patrocinari ,videntur1 rejected the doctrine of an inborn idea of ,god and of ,his ,law inscribed in the heart of natural man4 ,on ,rom4 #a1 #ai he comments3 ,it is only from the effects in the world that man infers the existence of a supreme cause4 ,and with respect to ,rom4 #b1 #ae he maintains that ,paul's statements were to be understood1 not of a law written in the heart of man1 but of a knowledge which the heathen had derived by inference1 from experience1 or from tradition of the fathers4 ,on this point ,strigel1 no doubt was correct when he objected3 ,if the knowledge of ,god's existence were really extinguished from the heart1 there could be no discipline among men2 and if man had no inborn knowledge of the ,law1 then there could be no such thing as conscience which condemns him when he sins4 ,the fact that man fears punishments even when there is no government to fear1 as was the case with ,alexander when he had murdered ,clitus1 proves that in the heart there is a certain knowledge both of ,god and of ,his ,law4 7,preger #b1 #bac47 ,however1 ,flacius did not1 as ,strigel seems to insinuate1 deny that natural man has an obscure knowledge of ,god's existence and ,law1 but merely maintained that this knowledge was not inborn or inherited1 but acquired from without4 #aga4 ,controversy ,precipitated by ,flacius4 ,though ,flacius1 when he first made his statement concerning the substantiality of original sin may not have felt absolutely sure of the exact meaning1 bearing1 and correctness of his position1 yet the facts do not warrant the assumption that afterwards he was in any way diffident or wavering in his attitude4 ,whatever his views on this subject may have been before #aefj--;after the fatal phrase had fallen from his lips1 he never flinched nor flagged in zealously defending it4 ,nor was he ever disposed to compromise the matter as far as the substance of his doctrine was concerned4 ,in #aegj ,spangenberg of ,mansfeld1 who sided with ,flacius1 suggested that he retain his meaning1 but change his language3 ,teneat ,illyricus mentem1 mutet linguam4 ,to this ,flacius consented4 ,on ,september #bh #aegj1 he published his ,brief ,confession1 in which he agreed to abstain from the use of the term substance4 ,however1 what he suggested as a substitute1 viz41 that original sin be defined as the nature of man 7the word nature1 as he particularly emphasized1 to be taken not in a figurative1 but in its proper meaning71 was in reality but another way of repeating his error4 ,the same was the case in #aegb1 when ,flacius1 opposed and sorely pressed by the ministerium of ,strassburg 7whence he was banished the following year71 offered to substitute for the word substance the phrase essential powers4 7,preger #b1 #cga47 ,two years later1 at the public disputation in ,langenau1 ,silesia1 where ,flacius defended his doctrine with favorable results for himself against ,jacob ,coler born #aecg2 studied in ,frankfort-on-the-,oder1 #aefd pastor in ,lauban1 ,upper ,lausatia 7,oberlausitz72 #aegc in ,neukirch2 #aegd he opposed ,leonard ,crentzheim and ,flacius2 #aege professor in ,frankfort2 afterwards active first as ,praepositus in ,berlin and later on as ,superintendent in ,mecklenburg1 published ,disputatio ,de ,libero ,arbitrio2 died ,march #g1 #afab1 he declared that he did not insist on his phrase as long as the doctrine itself was adopted and original sin was not declared to be a mere accident4 ,but this1 too1 was no real retraction of his error4 7,preger #b1 #chg47 ,in a similar way ,flacius repeatedly declared himself willing to abstain from the use of the word substance in connection with his doctrine concerning original sin1 but with conditions and limitations which made his concessions illusory1 and neither did nor could satisfy his opponents4 ,at the disputation in ,weimar1 #aefj1 ,wigand and ,musaeus1 as stated1 warned ,flacius immediately after the session in which he had made his statement4 ,schluesselburg relates3 ,immediately during the disputation1 as ,i frequently heard from their own lips1 ,dr4 ,wigand1 ,dr4 ,simon ,musaeus1 and other colleagues of his who attended the disputation 444 admonished ,illyricus in a brotherly and faithful manner to abstain from this new1 perilous and blasphemous proposition of the ancient ,manicheans1 which would cause great turmoil in the ,church of ,god1 and to refute the error of ,victorin ,strigel concerning free will not by means of a false proposition1 but with the ,word of ,god4 ,however1 intoxicated with ambition1 and relying1 in the heat of the conflict1 too much on the acumen and sagacity of his own mind1 ,illyricus haughtily spurned the brotherly and faithful admonitions of all his colleagues4 7,catalogus #b1 #d47 ,in his book ,de ,manichaeismo ,renovato ,wigand himself reports3 ,illyricus answered to the admonition of his colleagues to abstain from the ,manichean phrase that he had been drawn into this discussion by his opponent against his own will4 ,but what happened8 ,contrary to the expectations of his colleagues1 ,illyricus in the following session continued1 as he had begun1 to defend this insanity4 7,preger #b1 #cbd2 ,planck #d1 #faa47 ,however1 it does not appear that after the disputation his friends pressed the matter any further1 or that they made any efforts publicly to disavow the ,flacian proposition4 ,in #aefg ,flacius published his tract ,de ,peccati ,originalis aut ,veteris ,adami ,appellationibus et ,essentia1 ,on the ,appellations and ,essence of ,original ,sin or the ,old ,adam1 appending it to his famous ,clavis ,scripturae of the same year4 ,he had written this tract probably even before #aefd4 ,in #aeff he sent it to ,simon ,musaeus1 requesting his opinion and the opinion of ,hesshusius1 who at that time was celebrating his marriage with the daughter of ,musaeus4 ,in his answer1 ,musaeus approved the tract1 but desired that the term substance be explained as meaning not the matter1 but the form of the substance to which ,hesshusius also agreed4 ,after the tract had appeared1 ,musaeus again wrote to ,flacius1 ,june #ba1 #aefh1 saying that he agreed with his presentation of original sin4 ,at the same time1 however1 he expressed the fear that the bold statement which ,flacius had retained1 ,sin is substance1 would be dangerously misinterpreted4 7,preger #b1 #cbg47 ,and before long a storm was brewing1 in which animosity registered its highest point1 and a veritable flood of controversial literature 7one publication following the other in rapid succession7 was poured out upon the ,church1 which was already distracted and divided by numerous and serious theological conflicts4 ,by the publication of this treatise ,flacius1 who before long also was harassed and ostracized everywhere1 had himself made a public controversy unavoidable4 ,in the conflict which it precipitated1 he was opposed by all parties1 not only by his old enemies1 the ,philippists1 but also by his former friends4 ,according to the maxim3 ,amicus ,plato1 amicus ,socrates1 sed magis amica veritas1 they now felt constrained1 in the interest of truth1 to turn their weapons against their former comrade and leader4 ,flacius himself had made it impossible for his friends to spare him any longer4 ,nor did he deceive himself as to the real situation4 ,in a letter written to ,wigand he reveals his fear that the ,lutherans and ,philippists1 then assembled at the ,colloquium in ,altenburg 7held from ,october #ba1 #aefh1 to ,march1 #aefi1 between the theologians of ,thuringia and those of ,electoral ,saxony71 would unite in a public declaration against his teaching4 ,wigand whose warning ,flacius had disregarded at ,weimar1 wrote to ,gallus3 ,flacius has forfeited the right to request that nothing be published against him1 because he himself has already spread his views in print4 ,and before long ,wigand began to denounce publicly the ,flacian doctrine as new and prolific monsters1 monstra nova et fecunda4 #agb4 ,publications ,pro and ,con4 ,according to ,preger the first decided opposition to the ,flacian teaching came from ,moerlin and ,chemnitz1 in ,brunswick1 to whom ,flacius had also submitted his tract for approval4 ,chemnitz closed his criticism by saying3 ,it is enough if we are able to retain what ,luther has won 7parta tueri71 let us abandon all desires to go beyond 7ulterius quaerere7 and to improve upon him4 7,preger #b1 #cbh47 ,moerlin characterized ,flacius as a vain man1 and dangerous in many respects4 ,flacius answered in an objective manner1 betraying no irritation whatever4 7#ccb47 ,in a letter of ,august #aj1 #aefh1 ,hesshusius1 who now had read the tract more carefully charged ,flacius with teaching that ,satan was a creator of substance1 and before long refused to treat with him any further4 ,in ,september of the same year ,flacius published his ,gnothi seauton against the attacks of the ,synergists and ,philippists1 notably ,christopher ,lasius who studied at ,strassburg and ,wittenberg1 was active in ,goerlitz1 ,greussen1 ,spandau1 ,kuestrin1 ,cottbus1 and ,senftenberg1 wrote ,praelibationes ,dogmatis ,flaciani de ,prodigiosa ,hominis ,conversione2 died #aegb4 ,in the same year ,hesshusius prepared his ,analysis1 which was approved by ,gallus and the ,jena theologians4 ,realizing that all his former friends had broken with him entirely1 ,flacius1 in ,january #aegj1 published his ,demonstrations ,concerning the ,essence of the ,image of ,god and the ,devil1 in which he attacked his opponents1 but without mentioning their names4 ,his request for a private discussion was bluntly rejected by the ,jena theologians4 ,wigand1 in his ,propositions on ,sin of ,may #e1 #aegj1 was the first publicly to attack ,flacius by name4 ,about the same time ,moerlin's ,themata de ,imagine ,dei and ,chemnitz's ,resolutio appeared4 ,the former was directed against the impious and absurd proposition that sin is a substance1 the latter1 against the assertion that original sin is the very substance of man1 and that the soul of man itself is original sin4 ,hesshusius also published his ,letter to ,m4 ,flacius ,illyricus in the ,controversy whether ,original ,sin is a ,substance4 ,flacius answered in his ,defense of the ,sound ,doctrine ,concerning ,original ,righteousness and ,unrighteousness1 or ,sin1 of ,september #a1 #aegj4 ,hesshusius published his ,analysis1 in which he repeated the charge that ,flacius made the devil a creator of substance4 ,in his ,brief ,confession1 of ,september #bh #aegj1 ,flacius now offered to abstain from the use of the term substance in the manner indicated above4 ,a colloquium1 however1 requested by ,flacius and his friends on the basis of this ,confession1 was declined by the theologians of ,jena4 ,moreover1 in answer to the ,brief ,confession1 ,hesshusius published 7,april #ba1 #aega7 his ,true ,counter-,report1 in which he again repeated his accusation that ,flacius made the devil a creator of substance4 ,he summarized his arguments as follows3 ,i have therefore proved from one book ,flacius's tract of #aefg more than six times that ,illyricus says3 ,satan condidit1 fabricavit1 transformavit veterem hominem1 ,satan est figulus1 that is3 ,the devil created and made man1 the devil is man's potter4 ,the idea of a creation out of nothing1 however1 was not taught in the statements to which ,hesshusius referred4 7,preger #b1 #cdh47 ,further publications by ,andrew ,schoppe died after #afae1 ,wigand1 ,moerlin1 ,hesshusius1 and ,chemnitz1 which destroyed all hopes of a peaceful settlement1 caused ,flacius to write his ,orthodox ,confession ,concerning ,original ,sin4 ,in this comprehensive answer1 which appeared ,august #a1 #aega1 he declares that either image1 the image of ,god as well as of ,satan1 is an essence1 and that the opposite opinion diminishes the merit of ,christ4 ,at the same time he complained that his statements were garbled and misinterpreted by his opponents1 that his was the position of the man who asked concerning garlic and received an answer concerning onions1 that his opponents were but disputing with imaginations of their own4 7#cdi;f47 ,in the same year1 #aega1 ,wigand published a voluminous book1 ,on ,original ,sin1 in which he charged ,flacius with teaching that original sin is the entire carnal substance of man according to both his body and soul4 ,in his description of the ,flacian doctrine we read3 ,original sin is a substance1 as they teach4 ,accordingly1 original sin is an animal1 and that1 too1 an intelligent animal4 ,you must also add ears1 eyes1 mouth1 nose1 arms1 belly1 and feet4 ,original sin laughs1 talks1 sews1 sows1 works1 reads1 writes1 preaches1 baptizes1 administers the ,lord's ,supper1 etc4 ,for it is the substance of man that does such things4 ,behold1 where such men end6 ,flacius replied in his ,christian and ,reliable ,answer to ,all manner of ,sophistries of the ,pelagian ,accident1 #aegb1 protesting that the doctrine ascribed to him was a misrepresentation of his teaching4 ,in the same year ,wigand published ,reasons ,why ,this ,proposition1 in ,controversy with the ,manicheans3 ,original ,sin ,is the ,corrupt ,nature1 ,cannot ,stand4 ,here ,wigand truly says3 ,evil of the substance and evil substance are not identical4 ,malum substantiae et mala substantia non sunt idem4 7,preger #b1 #cec4 #daj47 ,in several publications of the same year ,hesshusius asserted 7quoting testimonies to this effect from ,augustine71 that the ,flacian doctrine was identical with the tenets of the ,manicheans1 in substance as well as terms4 ,flacius answered in ,de ,augustini et ,manichaeorum ,sententia1 in ,controversia ,peccati1 #aegb1 in which he declared3 ,i most solemnly condemn the ,manichean insanity concerning two creators4 ,i have always denied that original sin is something1 or has ever been something outside of man2 ,i have never ascribed to this sin any materiality of its own4 7#cee47 ,this book was followed by another attack by ,hesshusius and an answer1 in turn1 by ,flacius4 ,in the same year ,hesshusius1 in order to prevent further accessions to ,flacianism1 published his ,antidote 7,antidoton7 against the ,impious and ,blasphemous ,dogma of ,matthias ,flacius ,illyricus by which ,he ,asserts that ,original ,sin ,is ,substance4 ,in this book1 which was republished in #aegf and again in #aegi1 ,hesshusius correctly argued3 ,if original sin is the substance of the soul1 then we are compelled to assert one of two things1 viz41 either that ,satan is the creator of substances or that ,god is the creator and preserver of sin4 ,si substantia animae est peccatum originis1 alterum a duobus necesse est poni1 videlicet1 aut ,satanam esse conditorem substantiarum1 aut ,deum esse peccati creatorem et sustentatorem4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bef47 ,at this late hour1 #aegb1 ,simon ,musaeus1 too1 entered the arena with his ,opinion ,concerning ,original ,sin1 ,sententia de ,peccato ,originali4 ,in it he taught that original sin is not a substance1 but the utmost corruption of it1 in matter as well as form1 and that therefore ,pelagianism no less than ,manicheism is to be excluded and condemned4 ,when the ministerium of ,strassburg turned against ,flacius1 he again published several books defending his position on the controverted questions1 which resulted in his expulsion from the city4 ,in #aegc ,flacius published an answer to ,hesshusius's ,antidote entitled1 ,solid ,refutation of the ,groundless ,sophistries1 ,calumnies1 and ,figments1 as also of the ,most ,corrupt ,errors of the ,antidote and of ,other ,neopelagian ,writers4 ,flacius charged ,hesshusius with misrepresentation1 and demanded that he swear whether he really believed to have found the alleged errors in his writings4 7,preger #b1 #cfd;ff47 ,till his death1 on ,march #aa1 #aege1 at ,frankfort-on-the-,main1 ,flacius consistently adhered to his false terminology as well as teaching1 apparently never for a moment doubting that he was but defending ,luther's doctrine4 ,one of his last books was entitled1 ,some ,clear and ,splendid ,testimonies of ,martin ,luther ,concerning the ,evil ,essence1 ,image1 ,form1 or ,shape 7,wesen1 essentia1 ,bild1 ,form oder ,gestalt7 of the ,earthly ,dead ,adam and ,concerning the ,essential ,transformation of ,man4 7#chi47 ,as stated above1 the mistake of ,flacius was that he took literally terms denoting substance which the ,bible and ,luther employ in a figurative sense4 #agc4 ,adherents of ,flacius4 ,the chief supporters of ,flacius were the ,mansfeldians1 ,count ,vollrath and ,cyriacus ,spangenberg born #aebh2 studied in ,wittenberg2 served in ,eisleben1 then in ,mansfeld2 died in ,strassburg ,february #aj1 #afjd4 ,in the serious dissensions which arose in ,mansfeld in consequence of the controversy on original sin1 the ,count and ,spangenberg were opposed by the ,jena theologians and ,superintendent ,menzel ,jerome ,menzel1 born #aeag2 studied in ,wittenberg2 wrote against ,spangenberg2 died #aeij4 ,as stated above1 it was ,spangenberg who endeavored to bring about an understanding between the contending parties on the principle3 ,teneat ,illyricus mentem1 mutet linguam4 ,a colloquy was held #aegb at ,castle ,mansfeld1 in which ,flacius and his adherents were pitted against ,menzel1 ,rhode1 ,fabricius1 and others4 ,when ,fabricius declared in the discussions3 ,only in so far as our nature is not in conformity with the ,law of ,god is it corrupt1 ,flacius exclaimed3 ,non quantum1 not in as far2 but ,i say it is not in conformity because it is corrupt1 quia corrupta est4 7,preger #b1 #cge47 ,count ,vollrath and his adviser1 ,caspar ,pflug gave ,flacius a written testimony that at the colloquy he had not been convinced1 but found to be correct in the controversy on original sin4 ,the publication of this testimony by ,flacius as also of the minutes of the ,colloquy by ,count ,vollrath1 in #aegc1 resulted in a number of further publications by ,flacius and his friends as well as his opponents4 ,at ,mansfeld the animosity against the ,flacians did not subside even after the death of ,flacius in #aege4 ,they were punished with excommunication1 incarceration1 and the refusal of a ,christian burial4 ,count ,vollrath left #aegg1 and died at ,strassburg #aegh4 ,spangenberg1 who also had secretly fled from ,mansfeld1 defended the doctrine of ,flacius in a tract1 ,de ,peccato ,originali1 ,concerning ,original ,sin1 which he published #aehf under a pseudonym4 ,he died without retracting or changing his views4 ,another adherent of ,flacius was ,f4 ,coelestinus1 professor at ,jena4 ,after his suspension he left the city and participated in the controversy4 ,he published ,colloquium inter ,se et ,tilem4 ,hesshusium4 ,he died #aegb4 ,in ,august1 #aega1 ,court-preacher ,christopher ,irenaeus and ,pastors ,guenther and ,reinecker were dismissed in ,weimar because of ,flacianism4 ,irenaeus published ,examen ,libri ,concordiae and many other books1 in which he contends that original sin is a substance4 ,pastors ,wolf in ,kahla1 ,schneider in ,altendorf1 and ,franke in ,oberrosla were dismissed in #aegb for the same reason4 ,they1 too1 entered the public arena in favor of ,flacius4 ,at ,lindau four preachers1 who had identified themselves with ,flacius1 were also deposed4 ,one of them1 ,tobias ,rupp1 held a public disputation with ,andreae4 ,in ,antwerp the elders forbade their ministers to indulge in any public polemics against ,flacius4 ,among the supporters of ,flacius were also his son1 ,matthias ,flacius1 and ,caspar ,heldelin4 ,it may be noted here that ,saliger 7,beatus7 and ,fredeland1 who were deposed at ,luebeck in #aefh also taught that original sin is the very substance of the body and soul of man1 and that ,christ had assumed the flesh of another species than ours4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #beg47 ,in ,regensburg four adherents of ,flacius were dismissed in #aegd1 among them ,joshua ,opitz born #aedc2 died #aehe4 ,these and others emigrated to the ,archduchy of ,austria1 where the ,lutherans were numerous and influential1 ,opitz frequently preaching to an audience of #g1jjj4 ,no less than #dj of the ,lutheran ministers of ,austria are said to have shared the views of ,flacius4 7,preger #b1 #cic47 ,only a few of them revealed symptoms of fanaticism1 which resulted in their dismissal4 ,among the latter was ,joachim ,magdeburgius1 then an exile at ,efferding4 ,he taught that the bodies of believing ,christians after their death were still essential original sin1 and that ,god's wrath remained over them till the ,day of ,judgment4 7,joecher1 ,lexicon #c1 #cb47 ,at the same time he branded as errorists ,spangenberg1 ,opitz1 and ,irenaeus1 who declared their dissent4 ,in #aeha the ,flacians in ,austria issued a declaration against the ,formula of ,concord1 charging its teaching to be inconsistent with ,luther's doctrine on original sin4 ,as late as #afjd there were numerous ,flacianists in ,german ,austria4 #agd4 ,decision of ,formula of ,concord4 ,seeberg remarks3 ,flacius was not a heretic1 but in the wrangle of his day he was branded as such1 and this has been frequently repeated4 7#d1 #b1 #die47 ,a similar verdict is passed by ,gieseler and other historians4 ,but whatever may be said in extenuation of his error1 it cannot be disputed that the unfortunate phrases of ,flacius produced1 and were bound to produce1 most serious religious offense1 as well as theological strife1 and hopeless doctrinal confusion4 ,even when viewed in the light of his distinction between formal substance 7man as endowed with the image of ,god7 and material substance 7man as possessed of body and soul1 together with will and intellect71 the odiousness of his terminology is not entirely removed4 ,it was and remained a form of doctrine and trope or mode of teaching which the ,lutherans were no more minded to tolerate than the error of ,strigel4 ,accordingly1 the first article of the ,formula of ,concord rejects both the synergistic as well as the ,manichean aberrations in the doctrine of original sin4 ,in its ,thorough ,declaration we read3 ,now this doctrine of original sin must be so maintained and guarded that it may not deflect either to the ,pelagian or the ,manichean side4 ,for this reason the contrary doctrine 444 should also be briefly stated4 7#hfe1 #af47 ,accordingly1 in a series of arguments1 the ,flacian error is thoroughly refuted and decidedly rejected4 ,at the same time the ,formula of ,concord points out the offensiveness of the ,flacian phraseology4 ,it refers to the controversy regarding this question as scandalous and very mischievous1 and declares3 ,therefore it is unchristian and horrible to hear that original sin is baptized in the name of the ,holy ,trinity1 sanctified1 and saved1 and other similar expressions found in the writings of the recent ,manicheans1 with which we will not offend simple-minded people4 7#hgc1 #de4 #ei47 ,on the other hand1 the ,formula of ,concord is just as determined in opposing every effort at extenuating the corruption wrought by original sin4 ,it is solicitous to explain that in designating original sin as an accident1 its corruption is not minimized in the least1 if the answer concerning the nature of this accident is not derived from philosophy or human reason1 but from the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,for the ,scriptures1 says the ,formula1 testify that original sin is an unspeakable evil and such an entire corruption of human nature that in it and all its internal and external powers nothing pure or good remains1 but everything is entirely corrupt1 so that on account of original sin man in ,god's sight is truly spiritually dead 7plane sit emortuus71 with all his powers dead to that which is good4 7#hgi1 #fj47 ,accordingly1 the ,formula of ,concord rejects the errors of ,strigel and the ,semi-,pelagians1 that original sin is only external1 a slight1 insignificant spot sprinkled1 or a stain dashed1 upon the nature of man 444 along with and beneath which the nature nevertheless possesses and retains its integrity and power even in spiritual things4 ,or that original sin is not a despoliation or deficiency1 but only an external impediment to these spiritual good powers4444 ,they are rebuked and rejected likewise who teach that the nature has indeed been greatly weakened and corrupted through the ,fall1 but that nevertheless it has not entirely lost all good with respect to divine1 spiritual things1 and that what is sung in our churches1 ',through ,adam's fall is all corrupt1 nature and essence human1' is not true1 but from natural birth it still has something good1 small1 little1 and inconsiderable though it be1 namely1 capacity1 skill1 aptness1 or ability to begin1 to effect1 or to help effect something in spiritual things4 7#hfe1 #ba;ff47 ,while the ,formula of ,concord does not deny the capacity of fallen man for salvation1 it is careful in defining that this is not an active1 but a passive capacity4 ,that is to say3 ,man is utterly incapable of qualifying himself for1 or of contributing in the least toward1 his own spiritual restoration2 but what is impossible for man is not impossible with ,god who1 indeed1 is able to convert man1 endow him with new spiritual powers1 and lead him to eternal salvation1--a goal for the attainment of which1 in contradistinction from inanimate and other creatures1 man1 being a rational creature1 endowed with intellect and will1 was created by ,god and redeemed by ,christ4 ,in the ,formula of ,concord we read3 ,and although ,god1 according to ,his just1 strict sentence1 has utterly cast away the fallen evil spirits forever1 ,he has nevertheless1 out of special1 pure mercy1 willed that poor fallen human nature might again become and be capable and participant of conversion1 the grace of ,god1 and eternal life2 not from its own natural1 active or effective skill1 aptness1 or capacity 7for the nature of man is obstinate enmity against ,god71 but from pure grace1 through the gracious efficacious working of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and this ,dr4 ,luther calls capacitatem 7non activam1 sed passivam71 which he explains thus3 ,quando patres liberum arbitrium defendunt1 capacitatem libertatis eius praedicant1 quod scilicet verti potest ad bonum per gratiam ,dei et fieri revera liberum1 ad quod creatum est4 ,that is3 ,when the ,fathers defend the free will1 they are speaking of this1 that it is capable of freedom in this sense1 that by ,god's grace it can be converted to good1 and become truly free1 for which it was created in the beginning4 7#hhi1 #bj47 ,this accords with ,luther's words in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio3 ,it would be correct if we should designate as the power of free will that power by which man1 who is created for life or eternal death1 is apt to be moved by the ,spirit and imbued with the grace of ,god4 ,for we1 too1 confess this power1 i4e41 aptitude or1 as the ,sophists ,scholastic theologians say1 disposition and passive aptitude4 ,and who does not know that trees and animals are not endowed with it8 ,for1 as the saying goes1 heaven is not created for geese4 ,hanc enim vim1 hoc est1 aptitudinem1 seu1 ut ,sophistae loquuntur1 dispositivam qualitatem et passivam aptitudinem1 et nos confitemur2 quam non arboribus neque bestiis inditam esse1 quis est1 qui nesciat8 ,neque enim pro anseribus1 ut dicitur1 coelum creavit4 7,e4 v4 a4 #aeh3 ,st4 ,l4 #ah4 #agbj47 ,,xvi4 ,the ,osiandrian and ,stancarian ,controversies4 #age4 ,osiander in ,nuernberg and in ,koenigsberg4 ,in the writings of ,luther we often find passages foreboding a future corruption of the doctrine of justification1 concerning which he declared in the ,smalcald ,articles3 ,of this article nothing can be yielded or surrendered1 even though heaven and earth1 and whatever will not abide1 should sink to ruin4444 ,and upon this article all things depend which we teach and practise in opposition to the ,pope1 the devil1 and the world4 ,therefore we must be sure concerning this doctrine1 and not doubt1 for otherwise all is lost1 and the ,pope and devil and all things gain the victory and suit over us4 7#dfa1 #e47 ,martin ,chemnitz remarks3 ,i frequently shudder1 because ,luther--,i do not know by what kind of presentiment--in his commentaries on the ,letter to the ,galatians and on the ,first ,book of ,moses so often repeats the statement3 ',this doctrine of justification will be obscured again after my death4' 7,walther1 ,kern und ,stern1 #bf47 ,andrew ,osiander was the first to fulfil ,luther's prophecy4 ,in #aedi he began publicly to propound a doctrine in which he abandoned the forensic conception of justification by imputation of the merits of ,christ1 and returned to the ,roman view of justification by infusion i4e41 by infusion of the eternal essential righteousness of the divine nature of ,christ4 ,according to his own statement1 he had harbored these views ever since about #aebb4 ,he is said also to have presented them in a sermon delivered at the convention in ,smalcald1 #aecg4 7,planck #d1 #beg47 ,yet he made no special effort to develop and publicly to disseminate his ideas during the life of ,luther4 ,after the death of the ,reformer1 however1 ,osiander is reported to have said3 ,now that the lion is dead1 ,i shall easily dispose of the foxes and hares--i4e41 ,melanchthon and the other ,lutheran theologians4 7#beg47 ,osiander was the originator of the controversy ,concerning the ,righteousness of ,faith before ,god1 which was finally settled in ,article ,,iii of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,osiander1 lauded by modern historians as the only real systematizer among the ,lutherans of the first generation1 was a man as proud1 overbearing1 and passionate as he was gifted1 keen1 sagacious1 learned1 eloquent1 and energetic4 ,he was born ,december #ai1 #adih1 at ,gunzenhausen1 ,franconia1 and died ,october #ag1 #aeeb1 at ,koenigsberg1 where he was also buried with high honors in the ,old ,city ,church4 ,in #aebb he was appointed priest at ,st4 ,lawrence's ,church in the ,free ,city of ,nuernberg4 ,here he immediately acted the part of a determined champion of the ,reformation4 ,subsequently he also participated in some of the most important transactions of his day4 ,he was present at the ,marburg ,colloquy1 #aebi1 where he made the personal acquaintance of ,luther and the ,wittenbergers4 ,he also took part in the discussions at the ,diet in ,augsburg1 #aecj2 at ,smalcald1 #aecg2 at ,hagenau and ,worms1 #aedj4 ,nor were his interests confined to theological questions4 ,when1 at ,nuernberg1 #aedc1 the work of ,copernicus1 ,de ,revolutionibus ,orbium ,coelestium1 ,concerning the ,revolutions of the ,heavenly ,bodies1 was published for the first time1 ,osiander read the proof-sheets and wrote the ,preface1 in which he designated the new theory as hypotheses1 thus facilitating its circulation also among the ,catholics1 until in the #agth century the book was placed on the ,index ,librorum ,prohibitorum1 where it remained till the #ahth century4 ,when the ,augsburg ,interim was introduced in ,nuernberg1 ,osiander resigned1 and with words of deep emotion 7in a letter of ,november #bb1 #aedh1 addressed to the city council7 he left the place where he had labored more than a quarter of a century4 ,january #bg #aedi1 he arrived in ,koenigsberg4 ,here he was joyously received by ,count ,albrecht of ,prussia1 whom he had gained for the ,reformation in #aebc4 ,moved by gratitude toward ,osiander1 whom he honored as his spiritual father1 ,count ,albrecht appointed him pastor of the ,old ,city ,church and1 soon after1 first professor of theology at the ,university of ,koenigsberg1 with a double salary1 though ,osiander had never received an academic degree4 ,the dissatisfaction which this unusual preferment caused among his colleagues1 ,briessman1 ,hegemon1 ,isinder1 and ,moerlin1 soon developed into decided antipathy against ,osiander1 especially because of his overbearing1 domineering ways as well as his intriguing methods4 ,no doubt1 this personal element added largely to the animosity and violence of the controversy that was soon to follow1 and during which the professors in ,koenigsberg are said to have carried firearms into their academic sessions4 7,schaff1 ,creeds #a1 #bgc47 ,yet it cannot be regarded as the real cause or even as the immediate occasion1 of the conflict1 which was really brought about by the unsound1 speculative1 and mystical views of ,osiander on the image of ,god and1 particularly1 on justification and the righteousness of faith1--doctrinal points on which he deviated from the ,lutheran teaching to such an extent that a controversy was unavoidable4 ,evidently1 his was either a case of relapse into ,romanism1 or1 what seems to be the more probable alternative1 ,osiander never attained to a clear apprehension of the ,lutheran truth nor ever fully freed himself from the ,roman doctrine1 especially in its finer and more veiled form of mysticism4 #agf4 ,opposed by ,moerlin and ,lutherans ,generally4 ,osiander1 as stated1 had conceived the fundamental thoughts of his system long before he reached ,koenigsberg4 ,in #aebd1 when only twenty-six years of age1 he laid down the outlines of his theory in a publication entitled3 ,a ,good ,instruction 7,ein gut ,unterricht7 and ,faithful ,advice from the ,holy ,divine ,scriptures ,what ,attitude to ,take in ,these ,dissensions ,concerning ,our ,holy ,faith and ,christian ,doctrine1 dealing especially with the questions what is ,god's ,word and what human doctrine1 what ,christ and what ,antichrist4 ,here he says3 ,whoever hears1 retains1 and believes the ,word1 receives ,god ,himself1 for ,god is the ,word4 ,if1 therefore1 the ,word of ,god1 ,christ1 our ,lord1 dwells in us by faith and we are one with ,him1 we may say with ,paul3 ',i live1 though not ,i1 but ,christ lives in me1' and then we are justified by faith4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bgj47 ,in the following year1 #aebe1 he wrote in his ,action of the ,honorable ,wise ,council in ,nuernberg with their ,preachers 7,handlung eines ehrsamen weisen ,rats zu ,nuernberg mit ihren ,praedikanten73 ,the one and only righteousness availing before ,god is ,god ,himself4 ,but ,christ is the ,word which we apprehend by faith1 and thus ,christ in us1 ,god ,himself1 is our ,righteousness which avails before ,god4 ,the ,gospel has two parts2 the first1 that ,christ has satisfied the justice of ,god2 the other1 that ,he has cleansed us from sin1 and justifies us by dwelling in us 7und uns rechtfertigt1 so er in uns wohnet74 7#bga47 ,the embryonic ideas of these early publications concerning the image of ,god and justification were fully developed by ,osiander in his book of #aeej1 ,whether the ,son of ,god would have had to be ,incarnated 7,an ,filius ,dei fuerit ,incarnandus71 if ,sin had ,not ,entered the ,world2 and especially in his confession of ,september1 #aeea1 ,concerning the ,only ,mediator ,jesus ,christ 7,von dem einigen ,mittler ,jesu ,christo7 and ,justification of ,faith which appeared also in ,latin under the title ,de ,unico ,mediatore1 in ,october of the same year4 ,the public conflict began immediately after ,osiander had entered upon his duties at the university4 ,in his inaugural disputation of ,april #e1 #aedi1 ,concerning the ,law and ,gospel 7,de ,lege et ,evangelio71 ,osiander's vanity prompted him at least to hint at his peculiar views1 which he well knew were not in agreement with the doctrine taught at ,wittenberg and in the ,lutheran ,church at large4 ,his colleague1 ,matthias ,lauterwald1 a ,wittenberg master1 who died #aeee1 immediately took issue with him4 ,on the day following the disputation1 he published theses in which he declared3 ,osiander denied that faith is a part of repentance4 ,october #bd of the following year ,osiander held a second disputation 7,on ,justification1 ,de ,iustificatione7 in which he came out clearly against the doctrine hitherto taught in the ,lutheran ,church4 ,but now also a much more able and determined combatant appeared in the arena1 ,joachim ,moerlin1 who henceforth devoted his entire life to defeat ,osiandrism and to vindicate ,luther's forensic view of justification4 ,moerlin 7,moehrlein7 was born at ,wittenberg ,april #f1 #aead1 he studied under ,luther and was made ,master in #aecg and ,doctor in #aedj2 till #aedc he was superintendent in ,arnstadt1 ,thuringia1 and superintendent in ,goettingen till #aedi1 when he was compelled to leave because of his opposition to the ,augsburg ,interim4 ,recommended by ,elizabeth ,duchess of ,braunschweig-,lueneburg1 the mother-in-law of ,duke ,albrecht1 he was appointed preacher at the ,dome of ,koenigsberg in #aeej4 ,clearly understanding that solid comfort in life and death is possible only as long as our faith rests solely on the aliena iustitia1 on the objective righteousness of ,christ1 which is without us1 and is offered in the ,gospel and received by faith2 and fully realizing also that ,christian assurance is incompatible with such a doctrine as ,osiander taught1 according to which our faith is to rely on a righteous condition within ourselves1 ,moerlin publicly attacked ,osiander from his pulpit1 and in every way emphasized the fact that his teaching could never be tolerated in the ,lutheran ,church4 ,osiander replied in his lectures4 ,the situation thus created was most intolerable4 ,at the command of the ,duke discussions were held between ,moerlin and ,osiander1 but without result4 ,in order to settle the dispute1 ,duke ,albrecht1 accordingly1 on ,october #e1 #aeea1 placed the entire matter before the evangelical princes and cities with the request that the points involved be discussed at the various synods and their verdicts forwarded to ,koenigsberg4 ,this aroused the general interest and the deepest concern of the entire ,lutheran ,church in ,germany4 ,numerous opinions of the various synods and theologians arrived during the winter of #aeea to #aeeb4 ,with the exception of the ,wuerttemberg ,response 7,responsum71 written by ,john ,brenz1 and the ,opinion of ,matthew ,vogel1 both of whom regarded ,osiander's teaching as differing from the doctrine received by the ,lutheran ,church in terms and phrases rather than in substance1 they were unfavorable to ,osiander4 ,at the same time all1 including the opinions of ,brenz and ,vogel1 revealed the fact that the ,lutherans1 the theologians of ,wittenberg as well as those of ,jena1 ,brandenburg1 ,pomerania1 ,hamburg1 etc41 were firmly united in maintaining ,luther's doctrine1 viz41 that the righteousness of faith is not the essential righteousness of the ,son of ,god1 as ,osiander held but the obedience of ,christ the ,god-man imputed by grace to all true believers as their sole righteousness before ,god4 ,feeling safe under the protection of ,duke ,albrecht1 and apparently not in the least impressed by the general opposition which his innovations met with at the hands of the ,lutherans1 ,osiander continued the controversy by publishing his ,proof 7,beweisung7 that for ,thirty ,years ,i have ,always ,taught the ,same ,doctrine4 ,and irritated by an opinion of ,melanchthon 7whom ,osiander denounced as a pestilential heretic71 published with offensive explanations added by the ,wittenbergers1 he in the same year 7,april1 #aeeb7 wrote his ,refutation 7,widerlegung7 of the ,unfounded1 ,unprofitable ,answer of ,philip ,melanchthon4 ,in this immoderate publication ,osiander boasted that only the ,philippian rabble1 dancing according to the piping of ,melanchthon1 was opposed to him4 ,before long1 however1 also such opponents of the ,philippists as ,flacius1 ,gallus1 ,amsdorf1 and ,wigand were prominently arraigned against ,osiander4 ,meanwhile 7,may #bc1 #aeeb7 ,moerlin published a large volume entitled3 ,concerning the ,justification of ,faith4 ,osiander replied in his ,schmeckbier of ,june #bd #aeeb1 a book as keen as it was coarse4 ,in #aeeb and #aeec ,flacius issued no less than twelve publications against ,osiander1 one of them bearing the title3 ,zwo fuernehmliche ,gruende ,osiandri verlegt1 zu einem ,schmeckbier2 another3 ,antidotum auf ,osiandri giftiges ,schmeckbier4 7,preger #b1 #eea7 ,when the controversy had just about reached its climax1 ,osiander died1 ,october #ag1 #aeeb4 ,soon after1 the ,duke enjoined silence on both parties1 and ,moerlin was banished4 ,he accepted a position as superintendent in ,brunswick1 where he zealously continued his opposition to ,osiandrism as well as to other corruptions of genuine ,lutheranism4 ,at ,koenigsberg the ,osiandrists continued to enjoy the protection and favor of ,duke ,albrecht and gradually developed into a quasi-political party4 ,the leader of the small band was ,john ,funck1 the son-in-law of ,osiander and the chaplain of the ,duke4 ,in #aeff1 however1 the king of ,poland intervened1 and ,funck was executed as a disturber of the public peace4 ,moerlin was recalled and served as bishop of ,samland at ,koenigsberg from #aefg till his death in #aega4 ,the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,pruthenicum1 or ,borussicum1 framed by ,moerlin and ,chemnitz and adopted #aefg at ,koenigsberg1 rejected the doctrines of ,osiander4 ,moerlin also wrote a history of ,osiandrism entitled3 ,historia1 welcher gestalt sich die ,osiandrische ,schwaermerei im ,lande zu ,preussen erhaben4 #agg4 ,corruptions ,involved in ,osiander's ,teaching4 ,osiander's theory of justification according to which the righteousness of faith is the eternal1 essential holiness of the divine nature of ,christ inhering and dwelling in man1 consistently compelled him to maintain that justification is not an act by which ,god declares a man just1 but an act by which ,he actually makes him inherently just and righteous2 that it is not an imputation of a righteousness existing outside of man1 but an actual infusion of a righteousness dwelling in man2 that it is not a mere acquittal from sin and guilt1 but regeneration1 renewal1 sanctification and internal1 physical cleansing from sin that it is not a forensic or judicial act outside of man or a declaration concerning man's standing before ,god and his relation to ,him but a sort of medicinal process within man1 that the righteousness of faith is not the alien 7strange1 foreign7 righteousness1 aliena iustitia 7a term employed also by ,luther71 consisting in the obedience of ,christ1 but a quality1 condition1 or change effected in believers by the essential righteousness of the divine nature dwelling in them through faith in ,christ2 that faith does not justify on account of the thing outside of man in which it trusts and upon which it relies1 but by reason of the thing which it introduces and produces in man2 that1 accordingly1 justification is never instantaneous and complete1 but gradual and progressive4 ,osiander plainly teaches that the righteousness of faith 7our righteousness before ,god7 is not the obedience rendered by ,christ to the divine ,law1 but the indwelling righteousness of ,god 7iustitia ,dei inhabitans71--essentially the same original righteousness or image that inhered in ,adam and ,eve before the ,fall4 ,it consists1 not indeed in good works or in doing and suffering1 but in a quality 7,art7 which renders him who receives it just1 and moves him to do and to suffer what is right4 ,it is the holiness 7,frommigkeit7 which consists in the renewal of man1 in the gifts of grace1 in the new spiritual life1 in the regenerated nature of man4 ,by ,his suffering and death1 said ,osiander1 ,christ made satisfaction and acquired forgiveness for us1 but ,he did not thereby effect our justification4 ,his obedience as such does not constitute our righteousness before ,god1 but merely serves to restore it4 ,it was necessary that ,god might be able to dwell in us1 and so become our life and righteousness4 ,faith justifies1 not inasmuch as it apprehends the merits of ,christ1 but inasmuch as it unites us with the divine nature1 the infinite essential righteousness of ,god1 in which our sins are diluted1 as it were1 and lost1 as an impure drop disappears when poured into an ocean of liquid purity4 ,according to the teaching of ,osiander therefore1 also the assurance that we are justified and accepted by ,god does not rest exclusively on the merits of ,christ and the pardon offered in the ,gospel1 but must be based on the righteous quality inhering in us4 ,our assurance is conditioned not alone upon what ,christ has done outside of us and for us but rather upon what ,he is in us and produces in us4 ,the satisfaction rendered by ,christ many centuries ago is neither the only ground on which ,god regards us as just1 nor a sufficient basis of our certainty that we are accepted by ,god4 ,not the ,christ for us1 but rather the ,christ in us1 is the basis both of our justification and assurance4 ,accordingly in order to satisfy an alarmed sinner1 it is not sufficient to proclaim the ,gospel-promise of divine absolution4 ,in addition1 an investigation is required whether the righteousness and holiness of ,god is also really found dwelling in him4 ,while ,luther had urged alarmed consciences to trust in the merits of ,christ alone for their justification and salvation1 ,osiander led them to rely on the new life of divine wisdom1 holiness1 and righteousness dwelling in their own hearts4 ,from the very beginning of the controversy1 ,moerlin1 ,melanchthon1 and the ,lutherans generally were solicitous to point out that ,osiander's doctrine robs ,christians of this glorious and only solid comfort that it is not a subjective quality in their own hearts1 but solely and only the objective and absolutely perfect obedience rendered by ,christ many hundred years ago1 which ,god regards when ,he justifies the wicked1 and upon which man must rely for the assurance of his acceptance and salvation4 ,consistently developed1 therefore1 the innovation of ,osiander was bound to vitiate in every particular the doctrine of justification restored once more by ,luther4 ,in fact1 his theory was but a revamping of just such teaching as had driven the ,lutherans out of the ,church of ,rome4 ,true1 ,osiander denied that by our own works we merit justification2 that our righteousness consists in our good works2 that our good works are imputed to us as righteousness4 ,but the fact that he held a subjective condition to be our righteousness before ,god gives to his doctrine an essentially ,roman stamp1 no matter how widely it may differ from it in other respects4 ,moehler1 the renowned ,catholic apologist1 declared that properly interpreted and illucidated1 ,osiander's doctrine was identical with the ,roman ,catholic doctrine4 7,frank #b1 #e4 #ia47 ,as stated before1 his teaching was ,romanism in its finer and more veiled form of mysticism4 #agh4 ,excerpts from ,osiander's ,writings4 ,in his publication of ,january #aj1 #aeeb ,wider den lichtfluechtigen ,nachtraben1 ,osiander endeavors to prove that he is in complete doctrinal agreement with ,luther4 ,in it he gives the following summary1 but guarded1 presentation of his views4 ,i understand it this way1 says he4 #a4 ,it flowed from ,his pure grace and mercy that ,god sacrificed ,his only ,son for us4 #b4 ,the ,son became man and was made under the ,law1 and ,he has redeemed us from the ,law and from the curse of the ,law4 #c4 ,he took upon ,himself the sins of the whole world1 for which ,he suffered1 died1 shed ,his blood1 descended into hell1 rose again1 and thus overcame sin1 death1 and hell1 and merited for us forgiveness of sin1 reconciliation with ,god1 the grace and gift of justification1 and eternal life4 #d4 ,this is to be preached in all the world4 #e4 ,whoever believes this and is baptized1 is justified and blessed 7selig7 by virtue of such faith4 #f4 ,faith apprehends ,christ so that ,he dwells in our hearts through faith1 ,eph4 #c1 #ag4 #g4 ,christ1 living in us through faith1 is our ,wisdom1 ,righteousness1 ,holiness1 and ,redemption1 #a ,cor4 #a1 #cj1 ,jer4 #bc1 #f2 #cc1 #af4 #h4 ,christ1 true ,god and man1 dwelling in us through faith1 is our ,righteousness according to ,his divine nature1 as ,dr4 ,luther says3 ',i rely on the righteousness which is ,god ,himself2 this ,he cannot reject4 ,such is1 says ,luther1 the simple1 correct understanding2 do not suffer yourself to be led away from it4' 7,frank #b1 #g;f47 ,seeberg cites the following passage3 ,but if the question be asked what is righteousness1 one must answer3 ,christ dwelling in us by faith is our ,righteousness according to ,his divinity2 and the forgiveness of sins1 which is not ,christ ,himself1 but merited by ,christ1 is a preparation and cause that ,god offers us ,his righteousness1 which ,he is ,himself4 7,dogg4 #d1 #dih47 ,incidentally ,osiander's appeal to ,luther is unwarranted4 ,for according to him ,christ is our ,righteousness because ,his obedience is ,god's obedience1 the work not only of ,his human nature1 but1 at the same time1 also of ,his divine nature1 while according to ,osiander everything that ,christ did for us merely serves to bring about the indwelling of the divine nature of ,christ1 whose essential holiness is our righteousness before ,god4 ,that ,osiander was not in agreement with ,luther1 as he claimed1 appears also from his assertion that such statements of ,luther as3 ,christ's death is our life1 forgiveness of sins is our righteousness1 etc41 must be explained figuratively1 as words flowing from a joyous heart4 7#b1 #bc47 ,the manner in which ,osiander maintained that ,christ is our ,righteousness only according to ,his divine nature appears from the following excerpts3 ,if the question be asked according to what nature ,christ1 ,his whole undivided person1 is our ,righteousness1 then just as when one asks according to what nature ,he is the ,creator of heaven and earth1 the clear1 correct1 and plain answer is that ,he is our ,righteousness according to ,his divine1 and not according to ,his human nature1 although we are unable to find1 obtain or apprehend such divine righteousness apart from ,his humanity4 7,frank #b1 #ab47 ,again3 ,when we say3 ,christ is our ,righteousness1 we must understand ,his deity1 which enters us through ,his humanity4 ,when ,christ says3 ,i am the ,bread of ,life1 we must understand ,his deity which comes into us through ,his humanity and is our life4 ,when ,he says3 ,my flesh is meat indeed1 and ,my blood is drink indeed1 we must take it to mean ,his deity which is in the flesh and blood and is meat and drink for us4 ,thus1 too1 when ,john says1 #a ,john #a1 #g3 ,the blood of ,christ cleanseth us from all sin1 we must understand the deity of ,christ which is in the blood2 for ,john does not speak of the blood of ,christ as it was shed on the cross1 but as it1 united with the flesh of ,christ1 is our heavenly meat and drink by faith4 7#bc47 ,osiander1 therefore1 is but consistent when he reiterates that the ,son of ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and the ,father are our ,righteousness1 because their divine essence which by faith dwells in ,christians1 is one and the same4 ,osiander emphasizes that the essential righteousness of the divine nature of ,christ alone is able to save us4 ,he says3 ,for of what help would it be to you if you had all the righteousness which men and angels can imagine1 but lacked this eternal righteousness which is itself the ,son of ,god1 according to ,his divine nature1 with the ,father and the ,holy ,ghost8 ,for no other righteousness can lift you up to heaven and bring you to the ,father4 ,but when you apprehend this righteousness through faith1 and ,christ is in you1 what can you then be lacking which you do not possess richly1 superabundantly1 and infinitely in ,his deity8 ,again3 ,since ,christ is ours and is in us1 ,god ,himself and all ,his angels behold nothing in us but righteousness on account of the highest1 eternal1 and infinite righteousness of ,christ1 which is ,his deity itself dwelling in us4 ,and although sin still remains in1 and clings to1 our flesh1 it is like an impure little drop compared with a great pure ocean1 and on account of the righteousness of ,christ which is in us ,god does not want to see it4 7,frank #b1 #ajj4 #ajb47 ,to this peculiarity of ,osiander1 according to which he seems to have had in mind a justification by a sort of mystico-physical dilution rather than by imputation1 the ,formula of ,concord refers as follows3 ,for one side has contended that the righteousness of faith1 which the apostle calls the righteousness of ,god1 is ,god's essential righteousness1 which is ,christ ,himself as the true1 natural1 and essential ,son of ,god1 who dwells in the elect by faith and impels them to do right1 and thus is their righteousness1 compared with which righteousness the sins of all men are as a drop of water compared with the great ocean4 7#iag1 #b2 #gij1 #b47 ,in his confession ,concerning the ,only ,mediator1 of #aeea1 ,osiander expatiates on justification1 and defines it as an act by which righteousness is infused into believers4 ,we read3 ,it is apparent that whatever part ,christ1 as the faithful ,mediator1 acted with regard to ,god1 ,his heavenly ,father1 for our sakes1 by fulfilling the ,law and by ,his suffering and death1 was accomplished more than #a1ejj years ago1 when we were not in existence4 ,for this reason it cannot1 properly speaking1 have been1 nor be called1 our justification1 but only our redemption and the atonement for us and our sins4 ,for whoever would be justified must believe2 but if he is to believe1 he must already be born and live4 ,therefore ,christ has not justified us who now live and die2 but we are redeemed by it ,his work #a1ejj years ago from ,god's wrath1 death1 and hell4444 ,this1 however1 is true and undoubted that by the fulfilment of the ,law and by ,his suffering and death ,he merited and earned from ,god1 ,his heavenly ,father1 this great and superabounding grace1 namely1 that ,he not only has forgiven our sin and taken from us the unbearable burden of the ,law1 but that ,he also wishes to justify us by faith in ,christ1 to infuse justification or the righteousness 7sondern auch uns durch den ,glauben an ,christum will rechtfertigen1 die ,gerechtmachung eingiessen71 and1 if only we obey1 through the operation of ,his ,holy ,spirit and through the death of ,christ1 in which we are embodied by the baptism of ,christ1 to mortify1 purge out1 and entirely destroy sin which is already forgiven us1 but nevertheless still dwells in our flesh and adheres to us4 ,therefore the other part of the office of our dear faithful ,lord and ,mediator ,jesus ,christ is now to turn toward us in order to deal also with us poor sinners as with the guilty party1 that we acknowledge such great grace and gratefully receive it by faith1 in order that ,he by faith may make us alive and just from the death of sin1 and that sin1 which is already forgiven1 but nevertheless still dwells and inheres in our flesh1 may be altogether mortified and destroyed in us4 ,and this1 first of all1 is the act of our justification4 7,tschackert1 #dib;f42 ,planck #d1 #bfh47 ,that ,osiander practically identified justification with regeneration1 renewal1 and gradual sanctification appears from the following quotations4 ,to justify1 says he1 means to make a just man out of an unjust one1 that is to recall a dead man to life--ex impio iustum facere1 hoc est1 mortuum ad vitam revocare4 7,seeberg #d1 #dii47 ,again3 ,thus the ,gospel further shows its power and also justifies us1 i4e41 it makes us just1 even as1 and in the same degree as1 ,he also makes us alive 7eben und in aller ,masse1 wie er uns auch lebendig macht74 7,frank #b1 #ah47 ,and here you see again how terribly those err who endeavor to prove by this passage of ,david and ,paul that our righteousness is nothing else than forgiveness of sin2 for they have overlooked the covering of sin with the essential righteousness of ,christ whom we put on in ,baptism2 they have also removed from justification the renewal of the inner man effected by regeneration4 7#ajb47 ,osiander was fanatical in denouncing those who identified justification with the forgiveness of sins4 ,in his ,disputation of ,october #bd1 #aeej1 he declared3 ,the entire fulness of the deity dwells in ,christ bodily1 hence in those also in whom ,christ dwells4444 ,therefore we are just by ,his essential righteousness4444 ,whoever does not hold this manner of our justification is certainly a ,zwinglian at heart1 no matter what he may confess with his mouth4444 ,they also teach things colder than ice who hold that we are regarded as righteous only on account of the forgiveness of sins1 and not on account of the essential righteousness of ,christ who dwells in us through faith4 ,glacie frigidiora docent nos tantum propter remissionem peccatorum reputari iustos1 et non etiam propter iustitiam ,christi per fidem in nobis inhabitantis4 ,non enim tam iniquus ,deus est1 ut eum pro iusto habeat1 in quo verae iustitiae prorsus nil est4 7,frank #b1 #ig2 ,tschackert1 #did2 ,seeberg #d1 #dig47 ,they are errorists1 ,osiander declared1 who say1 teach1 and write that the righteousness is outside of us4 7,frank #b1 #ajj47 ,the essential righteousness of ,christ is indeed1 imputed to us1 but only when it is in us4 ,for ,god is not so unrighteous1 nor such a lover of unrighteousness that ,he regards him as just in whom there is absolutely nothing of the true righteousness2 as it is written1 ,ps4 #e1 #d3 ',for ,thou art not a ,god that hath pleasure in wickedness2 neither shall evil dwell with ,thee1' 7,planck #d1 #bgc47 ,evidently1 ,osiander rejected or had never fully grasped ,paul's clear statement and teaching concerning the ,god who justifies the ungodly1 ,rom4 #d1 #e3 ,but to him that worketh not1 but believeth on ,him that justifieth the ungodly1 his faith is counted for righteousness4 #agi4 ,attitude of ,brenz and ,melanchthon4 ,with the exception of ,brenz and ,vogel1 who1 as stated before1 regarded ,osiander's doctrine as differing from the generally received view in phraseology and mode of presentation rather than in substance1 the ,lutherans everywhere were unanimous in rejecting ,osiander's theory as a recrudescence of the ,romish justification not by imputation1 but by infusion4 ,and as to ,brenz1 who put a milder construction on the statements of ,osiander1 ,melanchthon wrote ,october #a1 #aeeg3 ,concerning the affair with ,osiander1 my writings are publicly known1 which ,i hope will be of benefit to many4 ,brenz also is agreed with us doctrinally4 ,he said he had advised peace1 for he did not take ,osiander's expressions to be as dangerous as the opponents did1 and for this reason could not as yet condemn his person2 but in doctrine he was agreed with us and would unite in condemning ,osiander if the charges made against him were proved4 ,melanchthon himself fully realized the viciousness of ,osiander's error1 although at the colloquy in ,worms1 #aeeg1 he1 too1 was opposed to condemning ,osiandrism together with ,zwinglianism1 ,majorism1 and ,adiaphorism1 as the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony demanded4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #caa4 #djb47 ,in ,may1 #aeea1 ,melanchthon wrote to ,osiander that by the essential righteousness of ,christ renewal is effected in us1 but that we have forgiveness of sins and are reputed to be righteous on account of the merit of ,christ whose blood and death appeased the wrath of ,god4 ,in his confutation of the ,osiandric doctrine1 written in ,september1 #aeee1 we read3 ,osiander's definition of righteousness is3 ,righteousness is that which makes us do what is righteous4444 ,hence man is righteous by doing what is righteous4444 ,thereupon ,osiander1 in order to say something also concerning forgiveness of sins1 tears remission of sins from righteousness4 ,he expressly declares that the sins are forgiven to all men2 ,nero however1 is damned because he does not possess the essential righteousness2 and this1 he says1 is ,god ,himself1 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit4444 ,osiander contends that man is just on account of the indwelling of ,god1 or on account of the indwelling ,god1 not on account of the obedience of the ,mediator1 not by the imputed righteousness of the ,mediator through grace4 ,and he corrupts the proposition1 ',by faith we are justified1' into1 ,by faith we are prepared that we may become just by something else1 viz41 the inhabiting ,god4 ,thus he in reality says what the ,papists say3 ',we are righteous by our renewal1' except that he mentions the cause where the ,papists mention the effect4 ,ita re ipsa dicit1 quod ,papistae dicunt1 sumus iusti novitate1 nisi quod nominat causam1 ubi nominant ,papistae effectum4 ,we are just when ,god renews us4 ,he therefore detracts from the honor due to the ,mediator1 obscures the greatness of sin1 destroys the chief consolation of the pious1 and leads them into perpetual doubt4 ,for faith cannot exist unless it looks upon the promise of mercy concerning the ,mediator4 ,nor is there an inhabitation unless the consolation is received by this faith4 ,and it is a preposterous way of teaching that one is to believe first the inhabitation1 afterwards forgiveness of sins 7prius credere inhabitationem1 postea remissionem peccatorum74 ,since therefore this dogma of ,osiander is both false and pernicious to consciences1 it must be shunned and damned4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #gha2 #h1 #egi;ff47 ,in another essay1 of ,september1 #aeef1 signed also by ,melanchthon1 the following propositions are rejected3 #a4 ,man becomes righteous on account of the essential righteousness4 #b4 ,man becomes righteous on account of the essential righteousness of ,god the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit4 #c4 ,man becomes righteous before ,god on account of the indwelling of ,god4 #d4 ,righteousness consists in the indwelling of ,christ1 on account of which ,god imputes righteousness to us4444 #e4 ,nor must one say there are two or more parts of justification3 faith1 inhabitation1 good works1 etc4 ,for justification before ,god is to receive forgiveness of sins and to become acceptable to ,god on account of ,christ4444 #f4 ,this proposition1 too1 is false3 ,the regenerate after the ,fall are righteous in the same manner as ,adam was before the ,fall1 namely1 not by imputation1 but by inhabitation or original righteousness4444 #h4 ,it is also false when some say we are righteous by faith1 namely1 in a preparative way in order afterwards to be righteous by the essential righteousness4 ,at bottom this is ,popish and destructive of faith4444 #i4 ,the following propositions must be rejected altogether3 ,the obedience of ,christ is called righteousness in a tropical sense2 ,christ justifies accidentally 7per accidens74 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #efa;f42 #i1 #cl#i4 #dea4 #dee4 #deg47 #ahj4 ,osiander's ,views on ,image of ,god4 ,osiander's corruption of the doctrine of justification was closely connected with his peculiar view concerning the image of ,god 7the central idea of his entire system71 of which1 however1 he declared that he did not consider it essential1 and would not contend with anybody about it4 ,nor were the questions involved disputed to any extent or dealt with in the ,formula of ,concord4 ,as to ,osiander1 however1 the train of his thoughts runs as follows3-- ,the ,logos1 the divine ,word1 is the image of ,god1 into whom ,his entire essence flows in a manner and process eternal4 ,in a temporal and historical way the same image is destined to be realized in the nature of man4 ,divine essential righteousness indwelling and efficacious in humanity--such was the eternal plan of ,god4 ,for the realization of this purpose the ,logos1 ,god's image1 was to become man1 even if the human race should not have fallen4 ,this was necessary because in finite man there is absolutely no similarity with the infinite essence of the non-incarnate ,logos4 ,without the incarnation1 therefore1 this infinite dissimilarity would have remained forever 7esset et maneret simpliciter infinita dissimilitudo inter hominem et ,verbum ,dei74 ,and in order that man might be capable of ,god and share ,his divine nature 7capax ,dei et divinae naturae consors71 ,god created him according to ,his image2 i4e41 according to the idea of the incarnate ,logos4 ,god formed the body of man1 said ,osiander1 that it should be altogether like unto the future body of ,christ4 ,thereupon ,he breathed into it the breath of life1 i4e41 a rational soul together with the human spirit1 adorned with the proper powers1 in such a manner that it1 too1 should be like unto the future soul of ,christ in everything4 7,frank #b1 #ajd47 ,in the incarnate ,logos1 however1 according to whom man was created1 humanity and divinity are personally united4 ,when the ,word was made flesh1 the divine essence was imparted to ,his human nature4 ,and ,christ1 in turn1 imparts the same essence to all who by faith are one with ,him4 ,from eternity the incarnate ,word was destined to be the head of the congregation in order that the essential righteousness of ,god might flow from ,him into ,his body1 the believers4 ,before the ,fall the ,son of ,god dwelled in ,adam1 making him just by ,god's essential righteousness4 ,by the ,fall this righteousness was lost4 ,hence the redemption and atonement of ,christ were required in order again to pave the way for the renewal of the lost image or the indwelling of ,god's essential righteousness in man4 ,the real source of this righteousness and divine life in man1 however1 is not the human1 but the divine nature of ,christ4 ,in the process of justification or of making man righteous1 the human nature of ,christ merely serves as a medium1 or as it were1 a canal1 through which the eternal essential wisdom1 holiness1 and righteousness of ,christ's divine nature flows into our hearts4 ,christ1 the inner ,word 7,john #a71 says ,osiander1 approaches man in the external ,word 7the words spoken by ,jesus and ,his apostles71 and through it enters the believing soul4 ,for through ,word1 ,sacrament1 and faith we are united with ,his humanity4 ,in the ,lord's ,supper1 for instance1 we become the flesh and blood of ,christ1 just as we draw the nourishment out of natural food and transform it into our flesh and blood4 ,and since the humanity of ,christ1 with which we become one in the manner described1 is personally united with the deity1 it imparts to us also the divine essence1 and1 as a result1 we1 too1 are the abode of the essential righteousness of ,god4 ,we cannot receive the divine nature from ,christ1 says ,osiander1 if we are not embodied in ,him by faith and ,baptism1 thus becoming flesh and blood and bone of ,his flesh1 blood1 and bone4 ,as the branches could not partake of the nature of the vine if they were not of the wood of the vine1 even so we could not share the divine nature of ,christ if we had not1 incorporated in ,him by faith and ,baptism1 become flesh1 blood1 and bone of ,his flesh1 blood1 and bone4 ,accordingly1 as ,christ's humanity became righteous through the union with ,god1 the essential righteousness which moved ,him to obedience toward ,god1 thus we also become righteous through our union with ,christ and in ,him with ,god4 7,frank #b1 #ajd4 #bj;ff42 ,seeberg #d1 #dig;f47 ,in view of such speculative teaching1 in which justification is transformed into a sort of mystico-physical process1 it is not surprising that the charge of pantheism was also raised against ,osiander4 ,the theologians of ,brandenburg asserted that he inferred from his doctrine that the believers in ,christ are also divine persons1 because the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost dwell in them essentially4 ,but ,osiander protested3 ,creatures we are and creatures we remain1 no matter how wonderfully we are renewed2 but the seed of ,god and the entire divine essence which is in us by grace in the same manner as it is in ,christ by nature and remains eternally in us 7das also aus ,gnaden in uns ist wie in ,christo von ,natur und bleibt ewiglich in uns7 is ,god ,himself1 and no creature1 and will not become a creature in us or on account of us but will eternally remain in us true ,god4 ,frank says concerning the doctrine of ,osiander3 ,it is not pantheism or a mixture of the divine and human nature1 but it is a subjectivism by which the objective foundation of salvation as taught by the ,lutheran ,church is rent to the very bottom4 ,it is a mysticism which transforms the ,christ for us into the ,christ in us1 and1 though unintentionally1 makes the consciousness of the inhabitatio essentialis iustitiae 7indwelling of the essential righteousness7 the basis of peace with ,god4 7#b1 #ai4 #aj4 #ac4 #ie4 #ajc47 ,in his teaching concerning the image of ,god and justification1 ,osiander replaced the comforting doctrine of the ,bible concerning the substitutionary and atoning work of ,christ in ,his active and passive obedience unto death with vain philosophical speculations concerning divinity and humanity or the two natures of ,christ4 ,it was not so very far beside the mark1 therefore1 when ,justus ,menius characteized his theory as a new alchmistic theology4 7,planck #d1 #beg47 #aha4 ,error of ,stancarus4 ,the ,stancarian dispute was incidental to the ,osiandric conflict4 ,its author was ,francesco ,stancaro 7born in ,mantua1 #aeja71 an ,italian ex-priest1 who had emigrated from ,italy on account of his ,protestant views4 ,vain1 opinionated1 haughty1 stubborn1 and insolent as he was1 he roamed about1 creating trouble wherever he appeared1 first in ,cracow as professor of ,hebrew1 #aeea in ,koenigsberg then in ,frankfort-on-the-,oder1 next at various places in ,poland1 ,hungary1 and ,transylvania4 ,he died at ,stobnitz1 ,poland1 ,november #ab1 #aegd4 ,stancarus treated all of his opponents as ignoramuses and spoke contemptuously of ,luther and ,melanchthon1 branding the latter as an antichrist4 ,in ,koenigsberg he immediately felt called upon to interfere in the controversy which had just flared up4 ,he opposed ,osiander in a fanatical manner1 declaring him to be the personal antichrist4 ,the opponents of ,osiander at ,koenigsberg however1 were not elated over his comradeship1 particularly because he fell into an opposite error4 ,they were glad when he resigned and left for ,frankfort the same year he had arrived at ,koenigsberg4 ,in ,frankfort1 ,stancarus continued the controversy1 publishing1 #aeeb1 his ,apology against ,osiander--,apologia contra ,osiandrum4 ,but he was ignored rather than opposed by the ,lutheran theologians4 ,in #aeec ,melanchthon wrote his ,answer 7,responsio7 ,concerning ,stancar's ,controversy4 ,later on1 #aefa1 when ,stancarus was spreading his errors in ,poland1 ,hungary1 and ,transylvania1 ,calvin and the ministers of ,zurich also wrote against him4 ,the chief publication in which ,stancarus set forth and defended his views appeared #aefb1 at ,cracow1 under the title3 ,concerning the ,trinity 7,de ,trinitate7 and the ,mediator1 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,as late as #aehe ,wigand published his book ,concerning ,stancarism--,de ,stancarismo4 ,stancarus had been trained in scholastic theology and was a great admirer of ,peter ,lombard4 ,in his book ,de ,trinitate et ,mediatore he says3 ,one ,peter ,lombard is worth more than a hundred ,luthers1 two hundred ,melanchthons1 three hundred ,bullingers1 four hundred ,peter ,martyrs1 five hundred ,calvins out of whom1 if they were all brayed in a mortar1 not one drop of true theology would be squeezed4 ,plus valet unus ,petrus ,lombardus quam centum ,lutheri1 ducenti ,melanchthones1 trecenti ,bullingeri1 quadringenti ,petri ,martyres et quingenti ,calvini1 qui omnes1 si in mortario contunderentur1 non exprimeretur una mica verae theologiae4 7,j4 ,g4 ,walch1 ,religionsstreitigkeiten #d1 #agg47 ,concerning ,christ's obedience ,peter ,lombard taught3 ,christus ,mediator dicitur secundum humanitatem1 non secundum divinitatem4444 ,mediator est ergo1 in quantum homo1 et non in quantum ,deus4 ,christ is called ,mediator according to ,his humanity1 not according to ,his divinity4444 ,he is therefore ,mediator inasmuch as ,he is man1 and not inasmuch as ,he is ,god4 7,planck #d1 #dea2 ,seeberg #d1 #ejg47 ,in accordance with this teaching1 ,stancarus maintained1 in pointed opposition to ,osiander1 that ,christ is our ,righteousness only according to ,his human nature1 and not according to ,his divine nature4 ,the divine nature of ,christ1 ,stancarus declared must be excluded from the office of ,christ's mediation and priesthood2 for if ,god the ,son were ,mediator and would do something which the ,father and the ,holy ,spirit could not do1 then ,he would have a will and an operation and hence also a nature and essence different from that of the ,father and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he wrote3 ,christ1 ,god and man1 is ,mediator and ,redeemer only according to the other nature1 namely1 the human1 not according to the divine2 ,christ made satisfaction for us according to ,his human nature1 but not according to ,his divine nature2 according to ,his divine nature ,christ was not under the ,law1 was not obedient unto death1 etc4 7,frank #b1 #aaa47 ,stancarus argued3 ,christ is one ,god with the ,father and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,apart from the three personal properties of 'paternitas1 filiatio1 and spiratio passiva' the three divine persons are absolutely identical in their being and operation4 ,their work is the sending of the ,mediator1 whose divine nature itself1 in an active way1 participates in this sending2 hence only the human nature of the ,god-man is sent1 and only the human nature of the ,mediator acts in a reconciling way4 ,men are reconciled by ,christ's death on the cross2 but the blood shed on the cross and death are peculiar to the human nature1 not to the divine nature2 hence we are reconciled by the human nature of ,christ only1 and not by ,his divine nature 7ergo per naturam humanam ,christi tantum sumus reconciliati et non per divinam74 7,schluesselburg #i1 #baf;ff47 ,consistently1 the ,stancarian doctrine destroys both the unity of the person of ,christ and the sufficiency of ,his atonement4 ,it not only corrupts the doctrine of the infinite and truly redeeming value of the obedience of the ,god-man1 but also denies the personal union of the divine and human natures in ,christ4 ,for if the divine nature is excluded from the work of ,christ1 then it must be excluded also from ,his person1 since works are always acts of a person4 ,and if it was a mere human nature that died for us1 then the price of our redemption is altogether inadequate1 and we are not redeemed1 as ,luther so earnestly emphasized against ,zwingli4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ajbh1 #dd47 ,true1 ,stancarus protested3 ,christ is ,mediator according to the human nature only2 this exclusive 'only' does not exclude the divine nature from the person of ,christ1 but from ,his office as ,mediator4 7,frank #b1 #aaa47 ,however1 just this was ,luther's contention1 that ,christ is our ,mediator also according to ,his divine nature1 and that the denial of this truth both invalidates ,his satisfaction and divides ,his person4 ,the ,third ,article of the ,formula of ,concord1 therefore1 rejects the error of ,stancarus as well as that of ,osiander4 ,against the latter it maintains that the active and passive obedience of ,christ is our righteousness before ,god3 and over against the former1 that this obedience was the act of the entire person of ,christ1 and not of ,his human nature alone4 ,we read3 ,in opposition to both these parties ,osiander and ,stancarus it has been unanimously taught by the other teachers of the ,augsburg ,confession that ,christ is our ,righteousness not according to ,his divine nature alone1 nor according to ,his human nature alone1 but according to both natures2 for ,he has redeemed1 justified1 and saved us from our sins as ,god and man1 through ,his complete obedience2 that therefore the righteousness of faith is the forgiveness of sins1 reconciliation with ,god1 and our adoption as ,god's children only on account of the obedience of ,christ1 which through faith alone1 out of pure grace is imputed for righteousness to all true believers1 and on account of it they are absolved from all their unrighteousness4 7#iag1 #d47 #ahb4 ,deviations of ,parsimonious and ,hamburg ,ministers4 ,in #aefc a collateral controversy concerning the obedience of ,christ was raised by ,parsimonius 7,george ,karg74 ,he was born #aeab2 studied under ,luther in ,wittenberg2 #aedg he became pastor in ,schwabach1 and #aeef superintendent in ,ansbach2 #aefc he was deposed because of erroneous theses published in that year2 he was opposed by ,hesshusius and ,ketzmann in ,ansbach2 #aegj1 having discussed his difference with the theologians in ,wittenberg1 ,karg retracted and was restored to his office2 he died #aegf4 ,in his theses on justification ,parsimonius deviated from the ,lutheran doctrine by teaching that ,christ redeemed us by ,his passive obedience only1 and by denying that ,his active obedience had any vicarious merit1 since as man ,he ,himself owed such obedience to the ,law of ,god1--a view afterwards defended also by such ,reformed divines as ,john ,piscator1 ,john ,camero1 and perhaps ,ursinus4 7,schaff #a1 #bgd47 ,over against this error the ,formula of ,concord explains and declares3 ,therefore the righteousness which is imputed to faith or to the believer out of pure grace is the obedience suffering1 and resurrection of ,christ1 since ,he has made satisfaction for us to the ,law1 and paid for our sins4 ,for since ,christ is not man alone1 but ,god and man in one undivided person1 ,he was as little subject to the ,law 7because ,he is the ,lord of the ,law7 as ,he had to suffer and die as far as ,his person is concerned4 ,for this reason1 then1 ,his obedience1 not only in suffering and dying1 but also in this1 that ,he in our stead was voluntarily made under the ,law and fulfilled it by this obedience1 is imputed to us for righteousness1 so that1 on account of this complete obedience which ,he rendered ,his heavenly ,father for us1 by doing and suffering1 in living and dying1 ,god forgives our sins1 regards us as godly and righteous1 and eternally saves us4 7#iai1 #af47-- ,in their zealous opposition to the doctrine of ,osiander according to which the indwelling essential holiness of the divine nature of ,christ is our righteousness before ,god1 also the ,hamburg ministers went a step too far in the opposite direction4 ,they denied1 or at any rate seemed to deny1 the indwelling of the ,holy ,trinity as such in believers4 ,in their ,response 7,responsio7 of #aeeb they declared3 ,god is said to dwell where ,he is present by ,his grace and benevolence1 where ,he gives the ,word of ,his grace1 and reveals ,his promises concerning ,his mercy and the remission of sins1 where ,he works by ,his ,spirit1 etc4 7,frank #b1 #ajg47 ,again3 ,that ,his indwelling pertains to ,his efficacy and operation appears from many passages which describe without a figure the efficacy and operation of ,christ and of the ,holy ,spirit dwelling in believers4 ,the dwelling of the ,holy ,spirit in believers signifies that they are led by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,but it cannot be proved by the ,scripture that the fulness of ,god dwells bodily in us as it dwells in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the inhabitation of ,god in us is a matter of grace1 not of nature2 of gift1 not of property4 7#ajg47 ,in #aeea ,melanchthon had written3 ,it must be admitted that ,god dwells in our hearts1 not only in such a manner that ,he there is efficacious1 though not present with ,his own essence1 but that ,he is both present and efficacious4 ,a personal union1 however1 does not take place in us1 but ,god is present in us in a separable manner as in a separable domicile4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #gha47 ,this was the view of the ,lutheran theologians generally4 ,article ,,iii of the ,formula of ,concord1 too1 is emphatic in disavowing a personal union of the deity and humanity in believers1 as well as in asserting that ,god ,himself1 not merely ,his gifts1 dwell in ,christians4 7#ice1 #ed2 #icg1 #fe47 ,in addition to the aberrations enumerated1 ,article ,,iii rejects also some of the ,roman and the ,romanizing errors concerning justification in the ,leipzig ,interim1 and some views entertained by ,majorists which are extensively and ex professo dealt with in ,article ,,iv4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #iag1 #e47 ,,xvii4 ,the ,antinomistic ,controversy4 #ahc4 ,distinction between ,law and ,gospel of ,paramount ,import4 ,zwingli1 who was a moralist and a ,humanist rather than a truly evangelical reformer1 taught3 ,in itself the ,law is nothing else than a ,gospel2 that is1 a good1 certain message from ,god by means of which ,he instructs us concerning ,his will4 7,frank #b1 #cab47 ,while ,zwingli thus practically identified ,law and ,gospel1 ,luther1 throughout his life1 held that the difference between both is as great as that between life and death or the merits of ,christ and our own sinful works2 and that no one can be a true minister of the ,christian ,church who is unable properly to distinguish and apply them4 ,for1 according to ,luther1 a commingling of the ,law and the ,gospel necessarily leads to a corruption of the doctrine of justification1 the very heart of ,christianity4 ,and as both must be carefully distinguished1 so both must also be upheld and preached in the ,church2 for the ,gospel presupposes the ,law and is rendered meaningless without it4 ,wherever the ,law is despised1 disparaged1 and corrupted1 the ,gospel1 too1 cannot be kept intact4 ,whenever the ,law is assailed1 even if this be done in the name of the ,gospel1 the latter is1 in reality1 hit harder than the former4 ,the cocoon of antinomianism always bursts into antigospelism4 ,majorism1 the mingling of sanctification and justification1 and synergism1 the mingling of nature and grace1 were but veiled efforts to open once more the doors of the ,lutheran ,church to the ,roman work-righteousness1 which ,luther had expelled4 ,the same is true of antinomianism in all its forms4 ,it amounts to nothing less than apostasy from true ,evangelicalism and a return to ,romanism4 ,when ,luther opposed ,agricola1 the father of the ,antinomians in the days of the ,reformation1 he did so with the clear knowledge that the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ with its doctrine of justification by grace and faith alone was at stake and in need of defense4 ,by these spirits1 said he1 the devil does not intend to rob us of the ,law1 but of ,christ1 who fulfilled the ,law4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afad2 ,pieper1 ,dogm4 #c1 #bgi2 ,frank #b1 #bfh4 #cbe47 ,with the same interest in view1 to save the ,gospel from corruption1 the ,formula of ,concord opposes antinomianism and urges that the distinction between the ,law and the ,gospel be carefully preserved4 ,the opening paragraph of ,article ,v1 ,of the ,law and the ,gospel1 reads3 ,as the distinction between the ,law and ,gospel is a special brilliant light which serves to the end that ,god's ,word may be rightly divided1 and the ,scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles may be properly explained and understood1 we must guard it with especial care1 in order that these two doctrines may not be mingled with one another1 or a ,law be made out of the ,gospel1 whereby the merit of ,christ is obscured and troubled consciences are robbed of their comfort1 which they otherwise have in the holy ,gospel when it is preached genuinely and in its purity1 and by which they can support themselves in their most grievous trials against the terrors of the ,law4 7#iea1 #a47 ,the concluding paragraph of this article declares that the proper distinction between the ,law and the ,gospel must be preserved1 in order that both doctrines1 that of the ,law and that of the ,gospel1 be not mingled and confounded with one another1 and what belongs to the one may not be ascribed to the other1 whereby the merit and benefits of ,christ are easily obscured and the ,gospel is again turned into a doctrine of the ,law1 as has occurred in the ,papacy1 and thus ,christians are deprived of the true comfort which they have in the ,gospel against the terrors of the ,law1 and the door is again opened in the ,church of ,god to the ,papacy4 7#ifa1 #bg47 ,the blessed ,gospel1 our only comfort and consolation against the terrors of the ,law1 will be corrupted wherever the ,law and the ,gospel are not properly distinguished1--such1 then1 was the view also of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,articles ,v and ,,vi of the ,formula treat and dispose of the issues raised by the ,antinomians4 ,in both ,luther's doctrine is maintained and reaffirmed4 ,article ,v1 ,of the ,law and ,gospel1 teaches that1 in the proper sense of the term1 everything is ,law that reveals and rebukes sin1 the sin of unbelief in ,christ and the ,gospel included2 that ,gospel1 in the proper and narrow sense1 is nothing but a proclamation and preaching of grace and forgiveness of sin1 that1 accordingly1 the ,law as well as the ,gospel are needed and must be retained and preached in the ,church4 ,this was precisely what ,luther had taught4 ,in one of his theses against ,agricola he says3 ,whatever discloses sin1 wrath1 or death exercises the office of the ,law2 ,law and the disclosing of sin or the revelation of wrath are convertible terms4 ,quidquid ostendit peccatum1 iram seu mortem1 id exercet officium legis2 lex et ostensio peccati seu revelatio irae sunt termini convertibiles4 ,article ,,vi ,of the ,third ,use of the ,law1 teaches that although ,christians1 in as far as they are regenerate1 do the will of ,god spontaneously1 the ,law must nevertheless be preached to them on account of their ,old ,adam1 not only as a mirror revealing their sins and as a check on the lusts of the flesh1 but also as a rule of their lives4 ,this1 too1 is precisely what ,luther had maintained against ,agricola3 ,the ,law1 said he1 must be retained in the ,church1 that the saints may know which are the works ,god requires4 7,drews1 ,disputationen ,dr4 ,martin ,luthers1 #dah2 ,herzog ,r4 ,i1 #ehh2 ,frank #b1 #bgb2 ,tschackert1 #dhb47 #ahd4 ,agricola ,breeding ,trouble4 ,in the ,lutheran ,church antinomianism appeared in a double form3 one chiefly before the other after the death of ,luther4 ,the first of these conflicts was originated by ,agricola who spoke most contemptuously and disparagingly of the ,law of ,god1 teaching1 in particular1 that true knowledge of sin and genuine contrition is produced1 not by the ,law1 but by the ,gospel only1 and that hence there is in the ,church no use whatever for the ,law of ,god4 ,after ,luther's death similar antinomistic errors were entertained and defended by the ,philippists in ,wittenberg1 who maintained that the sin of unbelief is rebuked not by the ,law1 but by the ,gospel4 ,poach1 ,otto1 and others denied that1 with respect to good works1 the ,law was of any service whatever to ,christians after their conversion4 ,barring ,carlstadt and similar spirits1 ,john ,agricola 7,schnitter1 ,kornschneider1 ,magister ,islebius--,luther called him ,grickel7 was the first to strike a discordant note and breed trouble within the ,lutheran ,church4 ,born ,april #bj1 #adib1 at ,eisleben1 he studied at ,leipzig1 and from #aeae to #aeaf at ,wittenberg4 ,here he became an enthusiastic adherent and a close friend of ,luther and also of ,melanchthon1 after the latter's arrival in #aeah4 ,in #aeci ,luther himself declared that ,agricola had been one of his best and closest friends4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afab47 ,in #aeai he accompanied both to the great debate in ,leipzig4 ,in #aebe he became teacher of the ,latin school and though never ordained1 pastor of the church in ,eisleben4 ,being a speaker of some renown he was frequently engaged by the ,elector of ,saxony1 especially on his journeys--to ,speyer #aebf and #aebi1 to ,augsburg #aecj1 to ,vienna #aece4 ,at ,eisleben1 ,agricola was active also in a literary way1 publishing sermons1 a catechism1 and1 #aebf1 a famous collection of #cjj ,german proverbs 7the ,wittenberg edition of #aeib contains #gej proverbs74 ,when the new theological professorship created #aebf at ,wittenberg was given to ,melanchthon1 ,agricola felt slighted and much disappointed4 ,in the following year he made his first antinomian attack upon ,melanchthon4 ,the dispute was settled by ,luther1 but only for a time4 ,in #aecf ,agricola1 through the influence of ,luther 7whose hospitality also he and his large family on their arrival in ,wittenberg enjoyed for more than six weeks71 received an appointment at the university4 ,he rewarded his generous friend with intrigues and repeated renewals of the antinomian quarrels1 now directing his attacks also against his benefactor4 ,by #aedj matters had come to such a pass that the ,elector felt constrained to institute a formal trial against the secret plotter1 which ,agricola escaped only by accepting a call of ,joachim ,,ii as courtpreacher and superintendent at ,berlin4 ,after ,luther's death1 ,agricola1 as described in a preceding chapter1 degraded and discredited himself by helping ,pflug and ,sidonius to prepare the ,augsburg ,interim 7#aedg71 and by endeavoring to enforce this infamous document in ,brandenburg4 ,he died ,september #bb1 #aeff4 ,vanity1 ambition1 conceit1 insincerity1 impudence1 arrogance1 and ungratefulness were the outstanding traits of ,agricola's character4 ,luther said that ,agricola1 swelled with vanity and ambition1 was more vexatious to him than any pope2 that he was fit only for the profession of a jester1 etc4 ,december #f1 #aedj1 ,luther wrote to ,jacob ,stratner1 courtpreacher in ,berlin3 ,master ,grickel is not1 nor ever will be1 the man that he may appear1 or the ,margrave may consider him to be4 ,for if you wish to know what vanity itself is you can recognize it in no surer image than that of ,eisleben4 ,si enim velis scire1 quidnam ipsa vanitas sit1 nulla certiore imagine cognosces quam ,islebii4 7,st4 ,l4 #ba;b1 #becf47 ,flacius reports that shortly before ,luther's death1 when some endeavored to excuse ,agricola1 the former answered angrily3 ,why endeavor to excuse ,eisleben8 ,eisleben is incited by the devil1 who has taken possession of him entirely4 ,you will see what a stir he will make after my death6 ,ihr werdet wohl erfahren1 was er nach meinem ,tod fuer einen ,laerm wird anrichten6 7,preger #a1 #aai47 #ahe4 ,agricola's ,conflict with ,melanchthon4 ,the antinomian views that repentance 7contrition7 is not wrought by the ,law1 but by the ,gospel1 and that hence there is no room for the ,law and its preaching in the ,christian ,church1 were uttered by ,agricola as early as #aebe4 ,in his ,annotations to the ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke of that year he had written3 ,the ,decalog belongs in the courthouse1 not in the pulpit4 ,all those who are occupied with ,moses are bound to go to the devil4 ,to the gallows with ,moses6 7,tschackert #dha2 ,herzog ,r4 #a1 #fhh2 ,e4 #d1 #dbc47 ,the public dispute began two years later when ,agricola criticized ,melanchthon because in the latter's ,instructions to the ,visitors of the ,churches of ,saxony 7,articles of ,visitation1 ,articuli1 de quibus ,egerunt per ,visitatores in ,regione ,saxionae1 #aebg7 the ministers were urged first to preach the ,law to their spiritually callous people in order to produce repentance 7contrition71 and thus to prepare them for saving faith in the ,gospel the only source of truly good works4 ,melanchthon had written3 ,pastors must follow the example of ,christ4 ,since ,he taught repentance and remission of sins1 pastors also must teach these to their churches4 ,at present it is common to vociferate concerning faith1 and yet one cannot understand what faith is1 unless repentance is preached4 ,plainly they pour new wine into old bottles who preach faith without repentance1 without the doctrine of the fear of ,god1 without the doctrine of the ,law1 and accustom the people to a certain carnal security1 which is worse than all former errors under the ,pope have been4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #i47 ,agricola considered these and similar exhortations of ,melanchthon unfriendly and ,romanizing1 and published his dissent in his #acj ,questions for ,young ,children1 where he displayed a shocking contempt for the ,old ,testament and the ,law of ,god4 ,in particular1 he stressed the doctrine that genuine repentance 7contrition7 is wrought1 not by the ,law1 but by the ,gospel only4 ,in letters to his friends1 ,agricola at the same time charged ,melanchthon with corrupting the evangelical doctrine4 7,frank #b1 #beb47 ,at a meeting held at ,torgau1 ,november #bf to #bh1 #aebg1 the differences were discussed by ,agricola and ,melanchthon in the presence of ,luther and ,bugenhagen4 ,the exact issue was3 ,does faith presuppose contrition8 ,melanchthon affirmed the question1 and ,agricola denied it4 ,luther finally effected an agreement by distinguishing between general and justifying faith1 and by explaining that repentance 7contrition71 indeed1 presupposes a general faith in ,god1 but that justifying faith presupposes the terrors of conscience 7contrition7 wrought by the ,law4 ,his decision ran that the term faith should be applied to justifying faith which consoles us in these terrors produced by the threats of the ,law but that the word repentance correctly includes a general faith1 viz41 that there is a ,god who threatens transgressors1 etc4 7,c4 ,r4 #a1 #iaf47 ,in agreement herewith ,melanchthon wrote in the ,german ,unterricht der ,visitatoren1 published #aebh at ,wittenberg1 that1 in the wider and more general sense1 the term faith embraces contrition and the ,law1 but that in the interest of the common people the word faith should be reserved for the special ,christian or justifying faith in ,christ4 ,we read3 ,denn wiewohl etliche achten1 man solle nichts lehren vor dem ,glauben1 sondern die ,busse aus und nach dem ,glauben folgend lehren1 auf dass die ,widersacher ,papisten nicht sagen moegen1 man widerrufe unsere vorige ,lehre1 so ist aber doch anzusehen1 weil dass die ,busse und ,gesetz auch zu dem gemeinen ,glauben gehoeren4 ,denn man muss ja zuvor glauben1 dass ,gott sei1 der da drohe1 gebiete1 schrecke usw4 ,so sei es fuer den gemeinen1 groben ,mann1 dass man solche ,stuecke des ,glaubens lasse bleiben unter dem ,namen ,busse1 ,gebot1 ,gesetz1 ,furcht usw41 auf dass sie desto unterschiedlicher den ,glauben ,christi verstehen1 welchen die ,apostel iustificantem fidem1 das ist1 der da gerecht macht und ,suende vertilgt1 nennen1 welches der ,glaube von dem ,gebot und ,busse nicht tut und doch der gemeine ,mann ueber dem ,wort ,glauben irre wird und ,fragen aufbringt ohne ,nutzen4 7,c4 ,r4 #bf1 #ea;f47 #ahf4 ,luther's ,first ,disputation against the ,antinomians4 ,at ,wittenberg1 in #aecg1 ,agricola renewed his antinomianism by secretly and anonymously circulating a number of propositions 7,positiones inter ,fratres ,sparsae7 directed against both ,luther and ,melanchthon1 whom he branded as contortors of the words of ,christ1 urging all to resist them in order to preserve the pure doctrine4 ,quotations from ,luther and ,melanchthon were appended to the theses in order to show that their teaching concerning the mode of justification 7modus iustificationis7 was sometimes pure1 sometimes impure4 ,agricola wrote3 ,impure among the statements of ,melanchthon and ,luther are3 #a4 ,in the ,saxon ,visitation3 ',since ,christ commands that repentance and remission of sins is to be preached in ,his name1 hence the ,decalog is to be taught1' #b4 ,again 444 ',as the ,gospel therefore teaches that the ,law has been given to humiliate us1 in order that we may seek ,christ1' etc4 #c4 ,in his ,commentary on the ,epistle to the ,galatians ,luther says that it is the office of the ,law to torment and to terrify the conscience1 that it may know ,christ more readily4 ,many similar passages are found in this commentary1 which we reject as false1 in order to maintain the purity of the doctrine4 7,e41 v4 a4 #d1 #dbb;f42 ,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afbg47 ,luther answered by publishing1 ,december #a1 #aecg1 the theses of ,agricola together with ,other ,antinomian ,articles 7,alii ,articuli ,antinomi71 compiled from written and verbal expressions of ,agricola and his followers4 ,in his introductory remarks ,luther not only disowned and emphatically condemned 7nos ab eiusmodi portentis prorsus abhorrere7 ,agricola's ,positiones inter ,fratres ,sparsae1 but also announced a number of disputations against antinomianism4 7,e4 #d1 #dbj47 ,the first was held ,december #ah1 #aecg1 in which ,luther maintained3 ,contrition is wrought by the preaching of the ,law2 but a man is able to make a good resolution and to hate sin out of love toward ,god only after the ,gospel has comforted his alarmed conscience4 ,following are some of the #ci theses discussed by ,luther in his first disputation against the ,antinomians3 #d4 ,the first part of repentance1 contrition1 is wrought by the ,law alone4 ,the other part1 the good purpose1 cannot be wrought by the ,law4 #bd4 ,and they the ,antinomians teach perniciously that the ,law of ,god is simply to be removed from the church1 which is blasphemous and sacrilegious4 #be4 ,for the entire ,scripture teaches that repentance must begin from the ,law1 which also the order of the matter itself as well as experience shows4 #ca4 ,necessarily1 then1 sin and death cannot be revealed by the ,word of ,grace and ,solace1 but by the ,law4 #cb4 ,experience teaches that ,adam is first reproved as a transgressor of the ,law and afterwards cheered by the promised ,seed of the woman4 #cc4 ,also ,david is first killed by the ,law through ,nathan1 saying3 ',thou art the man1' etc4--afterwards he is saved by the ,gospel1 declaring3 ',thou shalt not die1' etc4 #b ,sam4 #ab1 #g4 #ac4 #cd4 ,paul1 prostrated by the ,law1 first hears3 ',why persecutest thou ,me8' ,afterwards he is revived by the ,gospel3 ',arise1' etc4 ,acts #i1 #d4 #f4 #ce4 ,and ,christ ,himself says1 ,mark #a1 #ae3 ',repent ye and believe the ,gospel1 for the kingdom of ,god is at hand4' #cf4 ,again3 ',repentance and remission of sins should be preached in ,his name1' ,luke #bd1 #dg4 #cg4 ,likewise the ,spirit first reproves the world of sin1 in order to teach faith in ,christ1 i4e41 forgiveness of sin4 ,john #af1 #h4 #ch4 ,in the ,epistle to the ,romans ,paul observes this method1 first to teach that all are sinners1 and thereupon1 that they are to be justified solely through ,christ4 7,drews1 #bec;ff42 ,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afbh;ff47 #ahg4 ,luther's ,second ,disputation against the ,antinomians4 ,since ,agricola did not appear at the first public disputation against the ,antinomians1 moreover secretly im ,winkel continued his opposition and intrigues1 ,luther insisted that his privilege of lecturing at the university be withdrawn4 ,thus brought to terms ,agricola1 through his wife1 sued for reconciliation4 ,luther demanded a retraction to be made at his next disputation1 which was held ,january #ab1 #aech4 7,drews1 #bdh4 #ccd;f42 ,c4 ,r4 #be1 #fd2 #c1 #dhb;f47 ,here ,luther explained that1 though not necessary to justification1 the ,law must not be cast out of the church1 its chief object being to reveal the guilt of sin2 moreover1 that the ,law must be taught to maintain outward discipline1 to reveal sin1 and to show ,christians what works are pleasing to ,god4 7,drews1 #dah47 ,following are some of the #dh theses discussed by ,luther in his second disputation3 #c4 ,when treating of justification1 one cannot say too much against the inability of the ,law to save and against the most pernicious trust in the ,law4 #d4 ,for the ,law was not given to justify or vivify or help in any way toward righteousness4 #e4 ,but to reveal sin and work wrath1 i4e41 to render the conscience guilty4 ,rom4 #c1 #bj2 #d1 #ae4 #h4 ,in brief1 as far as heaven is from the earth1 so far must the ,law be separated from justification4 #i4 ,and nothing is to be taught1 said1 or thought in the matter of justification but only the word of the grace exhibited in ,christ4 #aj4 ,from this1 however1 it does not follow that the ,law is to be abolished and excluded from the preaching of done in the church4 #aa4 ,indeed1 just for the reason that not only is it not necessary to justification1 but also cannot effect it1 it is the more necessary to teach and urge it4 #ab4 ,in order that man1 who is proud and trusts in his own powers1 may be instructed that he cannot be justified by the ,law4 #ah4 ,whatever reveals sin1 wrath1 or death exercises the office of the ,law1 whether it be in the ,old or in the ,new ,testament4 #ai4 ,for to reveal sin is nothing else1 nor can it be anything else1 than the ,law or an effect and the peculiar power of the ,law4 #bj4 ,law and revelation of sin or of wrath are convertible terms4 #bd4 ,so that it is impossible for sin to be1 or to be known1 without the ,law written or inscribed in the heart4 #bg4 ,and since the ,law of ,god requires our obedience toward ,god1 these ,antinomians 7nomomachi7 abolish also obedience toward ,god4 #bh4 ,from this it is manifest that ,satan through these his instruments teaches about sin1 repentance1 and ,christ in words only 7verbaliter tantum74 #bi4 ,but in reality he takes away ,christ1 repentance1 sin1 and the entire ,scripture1 together with ,god1 its ,author4 #df4 ,for the ,law1 as it was before ,christ1 did indeed accuse us2 but under ,christ it is appeased through the forgiveness of sins1 and thereafter it is to be fulfilled through the ,spirit4 #dg4 ,therefore the ,law will never1 in all eternity1 be abolished1 but will remain1 either to be fulfilled by the damned1 or already fulfilled by the blessed4 #dh4 ,these pupils of the devil however1 seem to think that the ,law is temporary only1 which ceased under ,christ even as circumcision did4 7,drews1 #ccf;ff42 ,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afcb;ff47 ,following is a summary of the views expressed by ,luther in his second disputation3 ,why is the ,law to be taught8 ,the ,law is to be taught on account of discipline1 according to the word of ,paul1 #a ,tim4 #a1 #i3 ',the ,law is made for the lawless1' and that by this pedagogy men might come to ,christ as ,paul says to the ,galatians 7#c1 #bd73 ',the ,law was our schoolmaster to bring us to ,christ1' ,in the second place1 the ,law is to be taught to reveal sin1 to accuse1 terrify1 and damn the consciences1 ,rom4 #c1 #bj3 ',by the ,law is the knowledge of sin2' again1 chapter #d1 #ae3 ',the ,law worketh wrath1' ,in the third place1 the ,law is to be retained that the saints may know what kind of works ,god requires in which they may exercise their obedience toward ,god4 ,lex est retinenda1 ut sciant sancti1 quaenam opera requirat ,deus1 in quibus obedientiam exercere erga ,deum possint4 7,drews1 #dah2 ,herzog ,r4 #a1 #fhh47 #ahh4 ,third and ,fourth ,series of ,luther's ,theses against ,antinomianism4 ,having complied with the conditions1 and publicly 7also in two sermons delivered ,april #bc7 retracted his error1 and declared his assent to the views expressed in ,luther's second disputation1 ,agricola was again permitted to preach and teach4 ,as a result1 ,luther also1 though he had no faith in the sincerity of ,agricola's retraction1 did not carry out his original plan of discussing a third and fourth series of theses which he had prepared against antinomianism4 7,drews1 #dai;ff42 ,e4 #d1 #dcj;ff47 ,from the third series1 comprising #dj theses1 we quote the following3 #a4 ,the repentance of the ,papists1 ,turks1 ,jews1 and of all unbelievers and hypocrites is alike in every respect4 #b4 ,it consists in this1 that they are sorry and make satisfaction for one or several sins1 and afterwards are secure as to other sins or original sin4 #e4 ,the repentance of believers in ,christ goes beyond the actual sins1 and continues throughout life1 till death4 #h4 ,for the sin in our flesh remains during the entire time of our life1 warring against the ,spirit1 who resists it4 ,rom4 #g1 #bc4 #i4 ,therefore all works after justification are nothing else than a continuous repentance1 or a good purpose against sin4 #aj4 ,for nothing else is done than that sin1 revealed by the ,law and forgiven in ,christ1 is swept out4 #ag4 ,the ,lord's ,prayer1 taught by the ,lord ,himself to the saints and believers1 is a part of repentance1 containing much of the doctrine of the ,law4 #ah4 ,for whoever prays it aright confesses with his own mouth that he sins against the ,law and repents4 #bg4 ,therefore also the ,lord's ,prayer itself teaches that the ,law is before1 below1 and after the ,gospel 7legem esse ante1 sub et post evangelium71 and that from it repentance must begin4 #cj4 ,from this it follows that these enemies of the ,law ,antinomians must abolish also the ,lord's ,prayer if they abolish the ,law4 #ca4 ,indeed1 they are compelled to expunge the greatest part of the sermons of ,christ ,himself from the ,gospel-story4 #cb4 ,for ,matt4 #e1 #ag;ff4 ,he does not only recite the ,law of ,moses1 but explains it perfectly1 and teaches that it must not be destroyed4 #cd4 ,everywhere throughout the ,gospel ,he also reproves1 rebukes1 threatens1 and exercises similar offices of the ,law4 #ce4 ,so that there never has been nor ever will be more impudent men than those who teach that the ,law should be abolished4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afcf;ff42 ,e4 #d1 #dcj;ff47 ,from the fourth series of #da theses directed by ,luther against the ,antinomians we quote3 #ab4 ,therefore we must beware of the doctrine of the ,papists concerning repentance as of hell and the devil himself4 #ac4 ,much more1 however1 must we avoid those who leave no repentance whatever in the ,church4 #ad4 ,for those who deny that the ,law is to be taught in reality simply wish that there be no repentance4 #ae4 ,the argument3 ',whatever is not necessary to justification1 neither in the beginning1 nor in the middle1 nor in the end1 must not be taught1' etc41 amounts to nothing4 #ag4 ,it is the same as though you would argue3 ,the truth that man is dead in sin is not necessary to justification1 neither in the beginning1 nor in the middle1 nor in the end2 hence it must not be taught4 #ah4 ,to honor parents1 to live chaste1 to abstain from murders1 adulteries1 and thefts is not necessary to justification2 hence such things must not be taught4 #bb4 ,although the ,law helps nothing toward justification it does not follow therefrom that it ought to be abolished and not to be taught4 #bf4 ,everywhere in ,paul the phrase 'without the ,law' must be understood 7as ,augustine correctly explains7 'without the assistance of the ,law1' as we have always done4 #bg4 ,for the ,law demands fulfilment1 but helps nothing toward its own fulfilment4 #ce4 ,but faith in ,christ alone justifies1 alone fulfils the ,law1 alone does good works1 without the ,law4 #cg4 ,it is true that after justification good works follow spontaneously1 without the ,law1 i4e41 without the help or coercion of the ,law4 #ch4 ,in brief1 the ,law is neither useful nor necessary for justification1 nor for any good works1 much less for salvation4 #ci4 ,on the contrary1 justification1 good works1 and salvation are necessary for the fulfilment of the ,law4 #dj4 ,for ,christ came to save that which was lost ,luke #ai1 #aj1 and for the restitution of all things1 as ,st4 ,peter says ,acts #c1 #ba4 #da4 ,therefore the ,law is not destroyed by ,christ1 but established1 in order that ,adam may become such as he was1 and even better4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj4 #afci;ff42 ,e4 #d4 #dcc47 #ahi4 ,luther's ,third ,public ,disputation against the ,antinomians4 ,soon after his second disputation ,luther obtained evidence of ,agricola's relapse into his former errors and ways4 ,the upshot was another disputation on a fifth series of theses held ,september #ac1 #aech1 in which ,luther denounced the ,antinomians as deceivers1 who lulled their hearers into carnal security4 ,he also explained that the passages culled from his own writings were torn from their historical context1 and hence misinterpreted4 ,his former statements1 said ,luther1 had been addressed to consciences already alarmed1 and therefore in immediate need of the consolation of the ,gospel2 while now the ,antinomians applied them to secure consciences1 who1 first of all1 were in need of the terrifying power of the ,law4 7,drews1 #dba;f42 ,tschackert1 #dhb47 ,from the #gj theses treated by ,luther in his third disputation1 we submit the following3 #a4 ,the ,law has dominion over man as long as he lives4 ,rom4 #g1 #a4 #b4 ,but he is freed from the ,law when he dies4 #c4 ,necessarily1 therefore1 man must die if he would be free from the ,law4 #g4 ,these three3 ,law1 sin1 and death1 are inseparable4 #h4 ,accordingly so far as death is still in man1 in so far sin and the ,law are in man4 #i4 ,indeed1 in ,christ the ,law is fulfilled1 sin abolished1 and death destroyed4 #aa4 ,that is1 when1 through faith we are crucified and have died in ,christ1 such things the ,law fulfilled1 sin abolished1 and death destroyed are true also in us4 #ac4 ,but the fact itself and experience testify that the just are still daily delivered to death4 #ad4 ,necessarily1 therefore1 in as far as they are under death1 they are still also under the ,law and sin4 #ae4 ,they the ,antinomians are altogether inexperienced men and deceivers of souls who endeavor to abolish the ,law from the church4 #af4 ,for this is not only foolish and wicked1 but also absolutely impossible4 #ag4 ,for if you would abolish the ,law1 you will be compelled to abolish also sin and death4 #ah4 ,for death and sin are present by virtue of the ,law1 as ,paul says #b ,cor4 #c1 #f3 ',the letter killeth1' and #a ,cor4 #ae1 #ef3 ',the strength of sin is the ,law1' #ai4 ,but since you see that the just die daily what a folly is it to imagine that they are without the ,law6 #bj4 ,for if there were no ,law1 there would be neither sin nor death4 #ba4 ,hence they should have first proved that the just are altogether without sin and death4 #bb4 ,or that they no longer live in the flesh1 but are removed from the world4 #bc4 ,then it might justly be taught that also the ,law is altogether removed from them and must not be taught in any way4 #bd4 ,this they cannot prove1 but experience itself shows the contrary to their very faces4 #be4 ,so1 then1 the impudence of the teachers who wish to remove the ,law from the church is extraordinary4 #bf4 ,yet it is a much greater impudence1 or rather insanity1 when they assert that even the wicked should be freed from the ,law1 and that it should not be preached to them4 #bi4 ,if1 however1 they pretend that their church or their hearers simply are all pious men and ,christians1 without the ,law1 #cj4 ,then it is evident that they are altogether of unsound mind and do not know what they say or affirm4 #ca4 ,for this is nothing else than to imagine that all their hearers have been removed from this life4 #ce4 ,thus it the ,law is also given to the pious1 in so far as they are not yet dead and still live in the flesh4 #dj4 ,now1 in as far as ,christ is raised in us1 in so far we are without ,law1 sin1 and death4 #da4 ,but in as far as ,he is not yet raised in us1 in so far we are under the ,law1 sin1 and death4 #db4 ,therefore the ,law 7as also the ,gospel7 must be preached1 without discrimination1 to the righteous as well as to the wicked4 #dd4 ,to the pious1 that they may thereby be reminded to crucify their flesh with its affections and lusts1 lest they become secure4 ,gal4 #e1 #bd4 #de4 ,for security abolishes faith and the fear of ,god1 and renders the latter end worse than the beginning4 #b ,pet4 #b1 #bj4 #df4 ,it appears very clearly that the ,antinomians imagine sin to have been removed through ,christ essentially and philosophically or juridically 7formaliter et philosophice seu iuridice7 #dg4 ,and that they do not at all know that sin is removed only inasmuch as the merciful ,god does not impute it ,ps4 #cb1 #b1 and forgives it 7solum reputatione et ignoscentia ,dei miserentis74 #fa4 ,for if the ,law is removed1 no one knows what ,christ is1 or what ,he did when ,he fulfilled the ,law for us4 #ff4 ,the doctrine of the ,law1 therefore1 is necessary in the churches1 and by all means is to be retained1 as without it ,christ cannot be retained4 #fg4 ,for what will you retain of ,christ when 7the ,law having been removed which ,he fulfilled7 you do not know what ,he has fulfilled8 #fi4 ,in brief1 to remove the ,law and to let sin and death remain1 is to hide the disease of sin and death to men unto their perdition4 #gj4 ,when death and sin are abolished 7as was done by ,christ71 then the ,law would be removed happily2 moreover1 it would be established1 ,rom4 #c1 #ca4 7,drews #dbc;ff42 ,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afdb;ff42 ,e4 #d1 #dcf;ff47 #aij4 ,agricola's ,retraction ,written and ,published by ,luther4 ,seeing his position in the ,wittenberg ,university endangered1 ,agricola was again ready to submit4 ,and when a public retraction was demanded1 he even left it to ,luther to formulate the recantation4 ,luther did so in a public letter to ,caspar ,guettel in ,eisleben1 entitled1 ,against the ,antinomians--,wider die ,antinomer1 which he published in the beginning of ,january1 #aeci4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afaj47 ,in a crushing manner ,luther here denounced the specter of the new spirits who dare thrust the ,law or the ,ten ,commandments out of the church and relegate it to the courthouse4 ,complaining of false brethren1 ,luther here says3 ,and ,i fear that1 if ,i had died at ,smalcald #aecg1 ,i should forever have been called the patron of such antinomian spirits1 because they appeal to my books4 ,and all this they do behind my back1 without my knowledge and against my will1 not even considering it worth while to inform me with as much as a word or syllable1 or at least to ask me regarding the matter4 ,thus ,i am compelled to proceed against ,magister ,john ,agricola1 etc4 7#afaa47 ,but since he was afraid that he might not express it in a manner such as would be considered satisfactory1 he has fully authorized and also requested me to do it write the retraction for ,agricola as well as ,i could1 which1 he being satisfied1 ,i agreed to do1 and herewith have done1 especially for the reason that after my death neither ,master ,eisleben himself nor anybody else might be able to pretend that ,i had done nothing in this matter and simply allowed everything to pass and go on as fully satisfactory to me4 7#afab47 ,referring to his former statements appealed to by ,agricola1 ,luther continues3 ,i have indeed taught1 and still teach1 that sinners should be led to repentance by the preaching of1 and meditation upon1 the suffering of ,christ1 so that they may realize how great ,god's wrath is over sin1 seeing that there is no other help against it than that ,god's ,son must die for it4444 ,but how does it follow from this that the ,law must be abandoned8 ,i am unable to discover such an inference in my logic1 and would like to see and hear the master who would be able to prove it4 ,when ,isaiah says1 chap4 #ec1 #h3 ',for the transgression of ,my people was ,he stricken1' tell me1 dear friend1 is the ,law abandoned when here the suffering of ,christ is preached8 ,what does 'for the transgression of ,my people' mean8 ,does it not mean3 because ,my people have sinned against1 and not kept1 ,my ,law8 ,or can any one imagine that sin is something where there is no law8 ,whoever abolishes the ,law must with it also abolish sins4 ,if he would allow sins to remain1 he must much more allow the ,law to remain4 ,for ,rom4 #f1 #ac #d1 #ae we read3 ',sin is not imputed where there is no law4' ,if there is no sin ,christ is nothing4 ,for why does ,he die if there be neither ,law nor sin for which ,he was to die8 ,from this we see that by this spiritism ,geisterei the devil does not mean to take away the ,law1 but ,christ1 who fulfilled the ,law4 ,matt4 #e1 #ag4 ,for he well knows that ,christ may well and easily be taken away1 but not so the ,law1 which is written in the heart4 7#afac;f47 ,therefore ,i request of you1 my dear ,doctor ,guettel1 that1 as you have done heretofore1 you would continue in the pure doctrine and preach that sinners should and must be led to repentance not only by the sweet grace and suffering of ,christ1 who has died for us1 but also by the terrors of the ,law4 7#afae47 ,for whence do we know what sin is if there is no ,law and conscience8 ,and whence shall we learn what ,christ is1 what ,he has done for us1 if we are not to know what the ,law is which ,he has fulfilled for us1 or what sin is1 for which ,he has atoned8 ,and even if we did not need the ,law for us and were able to tear it out of our hearts 7which is impossible71 we nevertheless must preach it for the sake of ,christ 7as also is done and must be done71 in order that we may know what ,he has done and suffered for us4 ,for who could know what and for what purpose ,christ has suffered for us if no one were to know what sin or the ,law is8 ,therefore the ,law must certainly be preached if we would preach ,christ4 7#afaf47 ,this1 too1 is a peculiar blindness and folly1 that they imagine the revelation of wrath to be something else than the ,law 7which is impossible72 for the revelation of wrath is the ,law when realized and felt1 as ,paul says ,rom4 #d1 #ae3 ',lex iram operatur4 ,the ,law worketh wrath4' 7#afah47 ,by way of conclusion ,luther remarked3 ,let this suffice at present1 for ,i hope that since ,master ,eisleben is converted and retracts1 the others1 too1 who received it the antinomian error from him1 will abandon it1 which ,god may help them to do6 ,amen4 7#afai47 ,at the same time1 however he did not withhold the opinion that ,agricola's self humiliation would hardly be of long duration4 ,if he continues in such humility1 said ,luther1 ,god certainly can and will exalt him2 if he abandons it1 then ,god is able to hurl him down again4 7#afab47 #aia4 ,luther's ,fourth ,disputation against the ,antinomians4 ,luther's distrust was not unfounded1 for ,agricola continued secretly to teach his antinomianism1 abetted in his sentiments among others also by ,jacob ,schenck since #aecf first ,lutheran pastor in ,freiberg1 ,saxony2 #aech dismissed on account of his antinomianism #aedj professor in ,leipzig2 later on deposed and finally banished from ,saxony4 ,indeed in ,march1 #aedj1 ,agricola even lodged a complaint with the ,elector1 charging ,luther with calumnies4 ,in the first part of the following month ,luther answered these charges in a ,report to ,doctor ,brueck ,concerning ,magister ,john ,eisleben's ,doctrine and ,intrigues4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afdh;ff47 ,about the same time2 ,count ,albrecht of ,mansfeld denounced ,agricola to the ,elector as a dangerous1 troublesome man4 ,hereupon the ,elector on ,june #ae #aedj1 opened formal legal proceedings against ,agricola1 who1 as stated above1 removed to ,berlin in ,august without awaiting the trial1 although he had promised with an oath not to leave before a legal decision had been rendered4 7,drews1 #faa47 ,incensed by the treacherous conduct of ,agricola1 ,luther1 ,september #aj1 #aedj1 held a final disputation on a sixth series of theses against the ,antinomians1 charging them with destroying all order human as well as divine4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afdg2 ,e4 #d1 #dda47 ,regarding ,agricola's duplicity1 ,luther1 in his ,report to ,brueck1 said in substance3 ,according to the statements of ,caspar ,guettel and ,wendelin ,faber1 ,agricola had for years secretly agitated against the ,wittenbergers and founded a sect at ,eisleben calling themselves ,minorish ,minorists2 he had branded and slandered their doctrine as false and impure1 and this1 too1 without conferring with them or previously admonishing them2 he had come to ,wittenberg for the purpose of corrupting and distracting the ,church2 his adherents had made the statement that ,eisleben would teach the ,wittenbergers theology and logic2 he had inveigled ,hans ,lufft into printing his ,postil by falsely stating that it had been read and approved by ,luther2 in his dealings with the ,wittenbergers he had acted not as an honest man1 let alone a pious ,christian and theologian1 but treacherously and in keeping with his antinomian principles2 parading as a loyal ,lutheran at public conventions and laughing and dining with them1 he had misled his old1 faithful friend ,luther to confide in him1 while secretly he was acting the traitor by maligning him and undermining his work4 ,in the ,report we read3 ,agricola blasphemes and damns our doctrine as impure and false 7i4e41 the ,holy ,spirit ,himself in ,his holy ,law72 he slanders and defames us ,wittenbergers most infamously wherever he can2 and all this he does treacherously and secretly1 although we have done him no harm1 but only did well by him1 as he himself must admit4 ,he deceives and attacks us me1 his best friend and father1 making me believe that he is our true friend4 ,nor does he warn me1 but1 like a desperate treacherous villain1 secretly works behind our back to cause the people to forsake our doctrine and to adhere to him1 thus treating us with an ungratefulness1 pride1 and haughtiness such as ,i have not frequently met with before4 7#afef47 ,in his charge against ,luther1 ,agricola had said that it was dangerous to preach the ,law without the ,gospel1 because it was a ministry of death 7ministerium mortis74 ,luther answered in his ,report to ,brueck3 ,behold now what the mad fool does4 ,god has given ,his ,law for the very purpose that it should bite1 cut1 strike1 kill1 and sacrifice the old man4 ,for it should terrify and punish the proud ignorant1 secure ,old ,adam and show him his sin and death1 so that1 being humiliated1 he may despair of himself1 and thus become desirous of grace1 as ,st4 ,paul says3 ',the strength of sin is the ,law2 the sting of death is sin1'#a ,cor4 #ae1 #ef4 ,for this reason he also calls it bonam1 iustam1 sanctam--good1 just1 holy4 ,again1 ,jeremiah #bc1 #bi3 ',my ,word is like a hammer that breaketh the rock to pieces4' ,again3 ',ego ignis consumens1 etc4--,i am a consuming fire1' ,ps4 #i1 #ba #bj3 ',constitue legislatorem super eos1 ut sciant gentes1 se esse homines1 non deos1 nec ,deo similes--,put them in fear1 ,o ,lord1 that the nations may know themselves to be but men4' ,thus ,st4 ,paul does ,rom4 #a and #b and #c making all the world sinners by the ,law1 casting them under the wrath of ,god1 and entirely killing them before ,god4 ,but here our dear ,master ,grickel appears on the scene and invents a new theology out of his own mad and reckless fool's head and teaches3 ,one must not kill and reprove the people1 i4e41 one must not preach the ,law4 ,here he himself confesses publicly in his suit against ,luther that he has condemned and prohibited the preaching of the ,law4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afeg47 ,the ,report continues3 ,since1 now1 the little angry devil who rides ,master ,grickel will not tolerate the ,law1 i4e41 mortificantem1 irascentem1 accusantem1 terrentem1 occidentem legem1--the mortifying1 raging1 accusing1 terrifying1 killing ,law1--it is quite evident what he intends to do through ,master ,grickel's folly 7for he nevertheless wishes to be praised as preaching the ,law after and under the ,gospel1 etc471 viz41 to hide original sin and to teach the ,law no further than against future actual sins1 for such is the manner of his entire ,postil2 even as the ,turks1 ,jews1 philosophers1 and ,papists teach who regard our nature as sound2 but ,master ,grickel does not see that it is just this which his little spirit devil aims at by his bragging and boasting1 that he1 too1 is preaching the ,law4444 ,thus ,christ and ,god are altogether vain and lost4 ,and is not this blindness beyond all blindness that he does not want to preach the ,law without and before the ,gospel8 ,for are these not impossible things8 ,how is it possible to preach of forgiveness of sins if previously there have been no sins8 ,how can one proclaim life if previously there is no death8 ,are we to preach to angels who have neither sin nor death concerning forgiveness of sins and redemption from death8 ,but how can one preach of sins or know that there are sins1 if the ,law does not reveal them8 ,for according to its proper office the ,gospel does not say who is a sinner and what is sin2 it does1 however1 indicate that there must be some great hurt1 since so great a remedy is required2 but it does not say how the sin is called1 or what it is4 ,the ,law must do this4 ,thus ,master ,eisleben must in fact 7re ipsa7 allow the ,law to perform its duty 7occidere1 to kill1 etc47 prior to the preaching of the ,gospel1 no matter how decidedly he1 with words only1 denies it1 to spite the ,wittenbergers1 in order that he also1 as novus autor 7new author71 may produce something of his own and confuse the people and separate the churches4 7#afeh47 ,from the #bj theses which ,luther treated in his last disputation against the ,antinomians we cull the following3 #a4 ,the inference of ,st4 ,paul3 ',for where no law is there is no transgression' ,rom4 #d1 #ae is valid not only theologically1 but also politically and naturally 7non solum theologice1 sed etiam politice et naturaliter74 #b4 ,likewise this too3 ,where there is no sin1 there is neither punishment nor remission4 #c4 ,likewise this too3 ,where there is neither punishment nor remission1 there is neither wrath nor grace4 #d4 ,likewise this too3 ,where there is neither wrath nor grace1 there is neither divine nor human government4 #e4 ,likewise this too3 ,where there is neither divine nor human government1 there is neither ,god nor man4 #f4 ,likewise this too3 ,where there is neither ,god nor man1 there is nothing except perhaps the devil4 #g4 ,hence it is that the ,antinomians1 the enemies of the ,law1 evidently are either devils themselves or the brothers of the devil4 #h4 ,it avails the ,antinomians nothing to boast that they teach very much of ,god1 ,christ1 grace1 ,law1 etc4 #aj4 ,this confession of the ,antinomians is like the one when the devils cried3 ',thou art the ,son of the living ,god1' ,luke #d1 #cd2 #h1 #bh4 #ab4 ,whoever denies that the damning ,law must be taught in reality simply denies the ,law4 #ad4 ,a law which does not damn is an imagined and painted law as the chimera or tragelaphus4 #ae4 ,nor is the political or natural law anything unless it damns and terrifies sinners ,rom4 #ac1 #a4 #e2 #a ,pet4 #b1 #ac;ff4 #ag4 ,what the ,antinomians say concerning ,god1 ,christ1 faith1 ,law1 grace1 etc41 they say without any meaning as the parrot says its 'chaire1 ,good day6' #ah4 ,hence it is impossible to learn theology or civil polity 7theologiam aut politiam7 from the ,antinomians4 #ai4 ,therefore they must be avoided as most pestilential teachers of licentious living who permit the perpetration of all crimes4 #bj4 ,for they serve not ,christ1 but their own belly ,rom4 #af1 #ah1 and1 madmen that they are1 seek to please men1 in order that from them1 as a man's judgment1 they may gain glory4 7,drews1 #fac2 ,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afdg2 ,e4 #d1 #dda47--,regarding ,luther's disputations against the ,antinomians ,planck pertinently remarks that they compel admiration for his clear and penetrating mind1 and rank among the very best of his writings4 7#a1 #ah2 ,frank #b1 #caa47 #aib4 ,grickel ,remained ,grickel4 ,at the instance of ,elector ,joachim1 negotiations were begun with ,luther1 which finally led to a sort of peaceful settlement4 ,agricola was required to send 7which he also did7 a revocation to the preachers1 the council1 and the congregation at ,eisleben4 ,however1 the new and enlarged edition 7#aeda7 of the catechism which ,agricola had published in #aebg revealed the fact that also this last recantation was insincere2 for in it he repeated his antinomistic teaching1 though not in the original defiant manner4 ,little wonder1 then1 that despite the formal settlement1 cordial relations were not restored between ,luther and ,agricola4 ,when the latter visited ,wittenberg in #aede1 ,luther refused to see the man whom he regarded incurably dishonest4 ,grickel1 said he1 will remain ,grickel to all eternity1 ,grickel wird in alle ,ewigkeit ,grickel bleiben4 ,and ,grickel he did remain2 for in #aefe he published a sermon in which he said3 ,every one who is to be appointed as teacher and preacher shall be asked3 ,what do you intend to teach in the church8 ,he shall answer3 ,the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,but when further asked3 ,what does the ,gospel preach8 he shall answer3 ,the ,gospel preaches repentance and forgiveness of sins4 ,considering this a further evidence that ,agricola still adhered to1 and was now ready once more to champion1 his old errors1 the preachers of ,mansfeld registered their protest in a publication of the same year4 ,a controversy1 however1 did not materialize1 for ,agricola died the following year4 7,planck #e1 #a1 #dg2 ,frank #b1 #bfg47 #aic4 ,false ,propositions of ,agricola4 ,following are some of ,agricola's radical statements concerning the ,law and the ,gospel4 ,the first thesis of his ,positions of #aecg reads3 ,repentance is to be taught not from the ,decalog or from any law of ,moses1 but from the violation of the ,son through the ,gospel4 ,poenitentia docenda est non ex decalogo aut ulla lege ,mosis1 sed ex violatione ,filii per evangelium4 7,e4 #d4 #dbj47 ,thesis #ac3 ,in order to keep the ,christian doctrine pure1 we must resist those ,luther and ,melanchthon who teach that the ,gospel must be preached only to such whose hearts have previously been terrified and broken by the ,law4 ,quare pro conservanda puritate doctrinae resistendum est iis1 qui docent1 evangelium non praedicandum nisi animis prius quassatis et contritis per legem4 7#dba47 ,thesis #af3 ,the ,law merely rebukes sin1 and that1 too1 without the ,holy ,spirit2 hence it rebukes to damnation4 ,thesis #ag3 ,but there is need of a doctrine which does not only condemn with great efficacy1 but which saves at the same time2 this1 however1 is the ,gospel1 a doctrine which teaches conjointly repentance and remission of sins4 7#dba47 ,in his ,brief ,summary of the ,gospel1 ,agricola says3 ,in the ,new ,testament and among ,christians or in the ,gospel we must not preach the violation of the ,law when a man breaks or transgresses the ,law1 but the violation of the ,son1 to wit that he who does not for the sake of the kingdom of heaven willingly omit what he should omit1 and does not do what he should do1 crucifies ,christ anew4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #afbb;ff42 ,frank #b1 #cac1 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #acg2 ,pieper1 ,dogm4 #c1 #bfe;ff47 ,a commingling of the ,law and ,gospel always results in a corruption of the doctrines of conversion1 faith1 and justification4 ,such was the case also with respect to ,agricola1 who taught that justification follows a contrition which flows from1 and hence is preceded by1 love toward ,god4 ,turning matters topsy-turvy1 he taught3 ,repentance consists in this1 that the heart of man1 experiencing the kindness of ,god which calls us to ,christ and presents us with ,his grace1 turns about1 apprehends ,god's grace1 thanks ,him heartily for having spared it so graciously1 begins to repent1 and to grieve heartily and sorrowfully on account of its sins1 wishes to abstain from them1 and renounces its former sinful life4 ,this1 says ,agricola1 is repentance 7poenitentia1 ,buessen7 and the first stage of the new birth1 the true breathing and afflation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,after this he acquires a hearty confidence in ,god1 believing that ,he will condone his folly and not blame him for it1 since he did not know any better1 although he is much ashamed of it and wishes that it had never happened2 he also resolves1 since he has fared so well1 never to sin any more or to do anything that might make him unworthy of the benefit received as if he were ungrateful and forgetful2 he furthermore learns to work out1 confirm1 and preserve his salvation in fear and trembling4443 this is forgiveness of sins4 7,frank #b1 #bdg47 ,these confused ideas plainly show that ,agricola had a false conception1 not only of the ,law and ,gospel1 but also of original sin1 repentance1 faith1 regeneration1 and justification4 ,essentially1 his was the ,roman doctrine1 which makes an antecedent of what in reality is an effect and a consequence of conversion and justification4 ,viewed from this angle1 it occasions little surprise that ,agricola consented to help formulate and introduce the ,augsburg ,interim in which the essentials of ,lutheranism were denied4 #aid4 ,poach1 ,otto1 ,musculus1 ,neander4 ,the antinomistic doctrines rejected1 in particular1 by ,article ,,vi of the ,formula of ,concord1 were represented chiefly by ,andrew ,poach1 ,anton ,otto1 ,andrew ,musculus1 and ,michael ,neander4 ,poach1 born #aeaf1 studied under ,luther and was an opponent of the ,philippists1 he became pastor in ,halle in #aeda2 in ,nordhausen1 #aedg2 in ,erfurt1 #aeej2 ,uttenbach1 near ,jena1 #aegb1 where he died #aehe4 ,at ,erfurt1 ,poach was deposed in #aegb on account of dissensions due to the antinomistic controversies4 ,he signed the ,book of ,concord4--,otto ,otho2 also called ,herzberger1 because he was born in ,herzberg1 #aeje studied under ,luther2 served as pastor in ,graefenthal1 and from #aedc in ,nordhausen where he was deposed in #aefh for adherence to ,flacius4 ,however1 when ,otto1 while antagonizing ,majorism and synergism1 in sermons on the ,letter to the ,galatians of #aefe rejected the ,third ,use of the ,law1 he was opposed also by ,flacius1 who reminded him of the fact that here on earth the new man resembles a child1 aye1 an embryo1 rather than a full-fledged man4 ,in his zealous opposition to the ,majorists1 ,andrew ,musculus 7,meusel1 born #aead2 studied at ,leipzig #aecb-aech1 then at ,wittenberg2 became a zealous and passionate adherent of ,luther1 whom he considered the greatest man since the days of the apostles2 from #aedj till his death1 ,september #bi1 #aeha1 professor and pastor1 later on1 ,general ,superintendent1 in ,frankfurt-on-the-,oder7 also made some extreme statements4 ,later on1 however1 he cooperated in preparing and revising the ,formula of ,concord4 ,musculus wrote of ,luther3 ,there is as great a difference between the dear old teachers and ,luther as there is between the light of the sun and that of the moon2 and beyond all doubt1 the ancient fathers1 even the best and foremost among them1 as ,hilary and ,augustine1 had they lived contemporaneously with him1 would not have hesitated to deliver the lamp to him1 as the saying is4 7,meusel1 ,handl4 #d1 #gji2 ,richard1 #dej47 ,the most prominent opponents of these ,antinomians were the well-known theologians ,moerlin1 ,flacius1 ,wigand1 and ,westphal 7chiefly in letters to ,poach74 ,the controversy was carried on with moderation1 and without any special efforts to cause trouble among the people4 ,the main issue was not--as in the conflict with ,agricola--whether the ,law is necessary in order to effect contrition and prepare men for the ,gospel1 but the so-called ,third ,use of the ,law 7tertius usus legis71 i4e41 whether the ,law is1 and is intended to be1 of service to ,christians after their regeneration2 in particular1 whether the regenerate still need the ,law with respect to their new obedience4 ,the conflict with ,poach arose from the ,majoristic controversy4 ,dealing in particular with the aberrations of ,menius1 the ,synod at ,eisenach1 #aeef1 adopted seven theses which ,menius was required to subscribe4 ,the first declared3 ,although the proposition1 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 may be tolerated hypothetically and in an abstract way in the doctrine of the ,law 7in doctrina legis abstractive et de idea tolerari potest71 nevertheless there are many weighty reasons why it ought and should be avoided no less than this one3 ,christ is a creature4 7,preger #a1 #chc47 ,while ,flacius1 ,wigand1 and ,moerlin defended the thesis1 ,amsdorf 7who first1 too1 adopted it1 but later on withdrew his assent2 ,seeberg #d1 #dhh71 ,aurifaber1 and especially ,poach rejected it4 ,this marked the beginning of the so-called ,second ,antinomistic ,controversy4 ,poach denied that the ,law has any promise of salvation4 ,even the most perfect fulfilment of the ,law1 said he1 is but the fulfilment of a duty which merits no reward4 ,the only thing one may acquire by a perfect fulfilment is freedom from guilt and punishment4 ,fulfilment of our duty 7solutio debiti7 does not warrant any claim on salvation4 ,yet ,poach was careful to declare that this did not apply to the fulfilment of the ,law which ,christ rendered for us4 ,why8 ,poach answered3 ,because ,christ1 being the ,son of ,god1 was not obliged to fulfil the ,law4 ,when1 therefore1 ,he did fulfil it in our stead1 ,he rendered satisfaction to divine justice1 so that righteousness can now be imputed to us and we become partakers of eternal life4 ,poach wrote3 ,it would not be correct to say3 ,in the doctrine of the ,law all the works commanded in the ,law are necessary to salvation4 ,in doctrina legis omnia opera mandata in lege sunt necessaria ad salutem4 7,schluesselburg #d1 #cdc47 ,again3 ,the works of ,christ1 which are the fulfilment of the ,law1 are the merit of our salvation4 ,our works1 which ought to have been the fulfilment of the ,law1 do not merit salvation1 even though they were most perfect1 as the ,law requires1--which1 however1 is impossible4 ,the reason is that we are debtors to the ,law4 ,christ1 however1 is not a debtor to the ,law4 ,even if we most perfectly fulfilled all the commandments of ,god and completely satisfied the righteousness of ,god1 we would not be worthy of grace and salvation on that account1 nor would ,god be obliged to give us grace and salvation as a debt4 ,he justly demands the fulfilment of ,his ,law from us as obedience due ,him from ,his creature1 which is bound to obey its ,creator4 ,etiamsi nos omnia mandata ,dei perfectissime impleremus et iustitiae ,dei penitus satisfaceremus1 tamen non ideo digni essemus gratia et salute1 nec ,deus obligatus esset1 ut nobis gratiam et salutem daret ex debito4 ,sed iure requirit impletionem legis suae a nobis1 ut debitam obedientiam a sua creatura1 quae conditori suo obedire tenetur4 7#bgd47 ,again3 ,the ,law has not the necessity of salvation1 but the necessity of obligation 7non habet lex necessitatem salutis1 sed necessitatem debiti74 ,for1 as said1 even though a man would most perfectly do the works of the ,law1 he would not obtain salvation on account of these works4 ,nor is ,god under obligation to man1 but man is under obligation to ,god4 ,and in the ,law ,god requires of man the obedience he owes2 ,he does not require an obedience with the promise of salvation4 7#bgf47 ,as to ,otto1 he distinguished1 in a series of ,latin theses a double office of the ,law1 the ecclesiastical2 and political--officium ecclesiasticum and officium politicum4 ,the former is to give knowledge of sin2 the latter1 to coerce the old man and maintain order among the obstinate4 ,he denied that the ,law in any way serves ,christians with respect to good works4 ,otto declared3 ,the ,law is useful and necessary neither for justification nor for any good works4 ,but faith in ,christ the ,mediator alone is useful and necessary both for justification and the good works themselves4 ,lex enim non modo ad iustificationem sed neque ad ulla bona opera utilis et necessaria est4 ,sed sola fides in ,christum mediatorem utilis et necessaria est tam ad iustificationem quam ad ipsa bona opera4 ,quoting ,luther1 he said3 ,the highest art of ,christians is to know nothing of the ,law1 to ignore works4 ,summa ars ,christianorum est nescire legem1 ignorare opera1 i4e41 in the article of justification1 as ,otto did not fail to add by way of explanation4 7,luther1 ,weimar #dj1 #a1 #dc2 ,tschackert1 #dhe47 ,seeberg remarks that in reality1 ,poach and ,otto were merely opposed to such an interpretation of the ,third ,use of the ,law as made the ,law a motive of good works1 and hence could not be charged with antinomianism proper4 7#d1 #dhh;f47 ,planck1 ,frank1 and other historians have fathered upon ,otto also a series of radical ,german theses1 which1 however1 were composed1 not by ,otto1 but probably by some of his adherents4 ,these theses1 in which all of the errors of ,agricola are revamped1 were discussed at the ,altenburg colloquy1 #aefh to #aefi2 their author1 however1 was not mentioned4 ,we submit the following3 #a4 ,the ,law does not teach good works1 nor should it be preached in order that we may do good works4 #c4 ,moses knew nothing of our faith and religion4 #e4 ,evangelical preachers are to preach the ,gospel only1 and no ,law4 #g4 ,a ,christian who believes should do absolutely nothing1 neither what is good nor what is evil4 #aj4 ,we should pray ,god that we may remain steadfast in faith till our end1 without all works4 #ad4 ,the ,holy ,spirit does not work according to the norm or rule of the ,law1 but by ,himself1 without the assistance of the ,law4 #af4 ,a believing ,christian is supra omnem obedientiam1 above all ,law and all obedience4 #ag4 ,the rebuking sermons of the prophets do not at all pertain to ,christians4 #ba4 ,the ,law1 good works1 and new obedience have no place in the kingdom of ,christ1 but in the world just as ,moses and the government of the ,pope4 #be4 ,the ,law has no place in the ,church or in the pulpit1 but in the court-house 7,rathaus74 #bh4 ,the ,third ,use of the ,law is a blasphemy in theology and a monstrosity in the realm of nature 7portentum in rerum natura74 #bi4 ,no man can be saved if the ,third ,use of the ,law is true and is to be taught in the ,church4 ,the ,holy ,spirit in man knows nothing of the ,law2 the flesh1 however1 is betimes in need of the ,law4 7,tschackert1 #dhe2 ,planck #e1 #a1 #fb47 ,frank also quotes3 ,the ,christians or the regenerate are deified 7vergoettert72 yea1 they are themselves ,god and cannot sin4 ,god has not given you ,his ,word that you should be saved thereby 7dass du dadurch sollst selig werden72 and whoever seeks no more from ,god than salvation 7,seligkeit7 seeks just as much as a louse in a scab4 ,such ,christians are the devil's own1 together with all their good works4 7#b1 #cbf4 #bge47 ,also ,musculus is numbered among the theologians who were not always sufficiently discreet and guarded in their statements concerning the necessity of good works and the use of the ,law4 ,all expressions of the ,apostle ,paul regarding the spiritual use of the ,law1 said ,musculus1 must be understood as referring to such only as are to be justified1 not to those who are justified 7de iustificandis1 non de iustificatis74 ,but he added3 ,for these1 in as far as they remain in ,christ1 are far outside of and above every law4 ,hi enim1 quatenus in ,christo manent1 longe extra et supra omnem legem sunt4 7,tschackert4 #dhf47 ,michael ,neander of ,ilfeld1 a friend of ,otto was also suspected of antinomianism4 ,he denied that there is any relation whatever between the ,law and a regenerate ,christian4 ,but he1 too1 was careful enough to add3 in as far as he is just or lives by the spirit1 quatenus est iustus seu spiritu vivit4 ,in a letter1 ,neander said3 ,i adhere to the opinion that the ,law is not given to the just in any use or office whatsoever1 in so far as he is just or lives by the spirit4444 ',for the ,law1' as ,luther says in his marginal note to ,jeremiah1 chap4 #ca1 'is no longer over us1 but under us1 and does not surround us any more4' ,love rules and governs all laws1 and frequently something is true according to the ,law1 but false according to love 7saepeque aliquid lege verum1 dilectione tamen falsum est74 ,for love is the statute1 measure1 norm1 and rule of all things on earth4444 ,the ,law only accuses and damns1 and apart from this it has no other use or office1 i4e41 the ,law remains the norm of good works to all eternity1 also in hell after the ,last ,day1 but for the unjust and reprobate1 and for the flesh in every man4 ,to the just1 regenerated1 and new man1 however1 it is not the norm of good works1 i4e41 the ,law does not govern1 regulate1 and teach the just man2 i4e41 it is not active with respect to him as it is with respect to an unjust man1 but is rather regulated and governed and taught by the just man4 ,it no longer drives the just 7as it did before conversion and as it still drives the flesh71 but is now driven and suffers1 since as just men we are no longer under the ,law1 but above the ,law and lords of the ,law4 ,how1 therefore1 can the ,law be a norm to the just man when he is the lord of the ,law1 commands the ,law1 and frequently does what is contrary to the ,law 7cum iustus legis sit dominus1 legi imperet et saepe legi contraria faciat78444 ,when the just man meditates in the ,law of the ,lord day and night1 when he establishes the ,law by faith1 when he loves the ,law and admires the inexhaustible wisdom of the divine ,law1 when he does good works written and prescribed in the ,law 7as indeed he alone can71 when he uses the ,law aright1--all these are neither the third1 nor the fourth1 nor the twelfth1 nor the fiftieth use or office of the ,law1444 but fruits of faith1 of the ,spirit1 or regeneration4444 ,but the ,old ,man1 who is not yet new1 or a part of him which is not as yet regenerated1 has need of this ,law1 and he is to be commanded3 ',put on the new man2 put off the old4' 7,schluesselburg #d1 #fa2 ,tschackert1 #dhd47 #aie4 ,melanchthon and the ,philippists4 ,a further controversy concerning the proper distinction between the ,law and the ,gospel was caused by the ,philippists in ,wittenberg whose teaching was somewhat akin to that of ,agricola4 ,they held that the ,gospel1 in the narrow sense of the term1 and as distinguished from the ,law1 is the most powerful preaching of repentance4 7,frank #b1 #cbg47 ,taking his cue from ,luther1 ,melanchthon1 in his ,loci of #aeba as well as in later writings1 clearly distinguished between ,law and ,gospel4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #aci2 #bc1 #di2 #ab1 #egf47 ,true1 he had taught1 also in the ,apology1 that1 in the wider sense1 the ,gospel is both a preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sin4 ,but this1 as the ,formula of ,concord explains1 was perfectly correct and in keeping with the ,scriptures4 ,however1 in repeating the statement that the ,gospel embraces both the preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins1 ,melanchthon was not always sufficiently careful to preclude misapprehension and misunderstanding4 ,indeed1 some of the statements he made after ,luther's death are misleading1 and did not escape the challenge of loyal ,lutherans4 ,during a disputation in #aedh1 at which ,melanchthon presided1 ,flacius criticized the unqualified assertion that the ,gospel was a preaching of repentance1 but was satisfied when ,melanchthon explained that the term ,gospel was here used in the wider sense1 as comprising the entire doctrine of ,christ4 ,however1 when ,melanchthon1 during another disputation1 #aeef1 declared3 ,the ministry of the ,gospel rebukes the other sins which the ,law shows1 as well as the saddest of sins which is revealed by the ,gospel 7hoc tristissimum peccatum1 quod in ,evangelio ostenditur71 viz41 that the world ignores and despises the ,son of ,god4 ,flacius considered it his plain duty to register a public protest4 ,it was a teaching which was1 at least in part1 the same error that ,luther1 and formerly also ,melanchthon himself1 had denounced when espoused by ,agricola1 viz41 that genuine contrition is wrought1 not by the ,law1 but by the ,gospel2 by the preaching1 not of the violation of the ,law1 but of the violation of the ,son4 7,c4 ,r4 #ab1 #fcd4 #fdj47 ,these misleading statements of ,melanchthon were religiously cultivated and zealously defended by the ,wittenberg ,philippists4 ,with a good deal of animosity they emphasized that the ,gospel in its most proper sense is also a preaching of repentance 7praedicatio poenitentiae1 ,busspredigt71 inasmuch as it revealed the baseness of sin and the greatness of its offense against ,god1 and1 in particular1 inasmuch as the ,gospel alone uncovered1 rebuked1 and condemned the hidden sin 7arcanum peccatum7 and the chief sin of all1 the sin of unbelief 7incredulitas et neglectio ,filii71 which alone condemns a man4 ,these views1 which evidently involved a commingling of the ,law and the ,gospel1 were set forth by ,paul ,crell in his ,disputation against ,john ,wigand1 #aega1 and were defended in the ,propositions ,concerning the ,chief ,controversies of ,these ,times 7also of #aega71 by ,pezel and other ,wittenberg theologians4 7,frank #b1 #bgg4 #cbc47 ,as a consequence1 the ,philippists1 too1 were charged with antinomianism1 and were strenuously opposed by such theologians as ,flacius1 ,amsdorf1 and ,wigand4 ,wigand attacked the ,wittenberg ,propositions in his book of #aega1 ,concerning ,antinomianism1 ,old and ,new4 ,pezel answered in his ,apology of the ,true ,doctrine on the ,definition of the ,gospel1 #aega2 and ,paul ,crell1 in ,spongia1 or #aej ,propositions ,concerning the ,definition of the ,gospel1 ,opposed to the ,stupid ,accusation of ,john ,wigand1 #aega4 ,the teaching of the ,philippists was formulated by ,paul ,crell as follows3 ,since this greatest and chief sin unbelief is revealed1 rebuked1 and condemned by the ,gospel alone1 therefore also the ,gospel alone is expressly and particularly1 truly and properly1 a preaching and a voice of repentance or conversion in its true and proper sense4 ,a solo evangelio1 cum peccatum hoc summum et praecipuum monstretur1 arguatur et damnetur expresse ac nominatim solum etiam evangelium vere ac proprie praedicatio ac vox est poenitentiae sive conversionis vere et proprie ita dictae4 7#bgg4 #cbg47 ,this doctrine of the ,philippists1 according to which the ,gospel in the narrow and proper sense1 and as distinguished from the ,law1 is a preaching of repentance1 was rejected by ,article ,v of the ,formula of ,concord as follows3 ,but if the ,law and the ,gospel1 likewise also ,moses himself as a teacher of the ,law and ,christ as a preacher of the ,gospel1 are contrasted with one another1 we believe1 teach1 and confess that the ,gospel is not a preaching of repentance or reproof1 but properly nothing else than a preaching of consolation1 and a joyful message which does not reprove or terrify1 but comforts consciences against the terrors of the ,law1 points alone to the merit of ,christ1 and raises them up again by the lovely preaching of the grace and favor of ,god1 obtained through ,christ's merit4 7#hjc1 #g47 ,,xviii4 ,the ,crypto-,calvinistic ,controversy4 #aif4 ,contents and ,purpose of ,articles ,,vii and ,,viii4 ,in all of its articles the ,formula of ,concord is but a reafflrmation of the doctrines taught and defended by ,luther4 ,the fire of prolonged and hot controversies through which these doctrines passed after his death had but strengthened the ,lutherans in their conviction that in every point ,luther's teaching was indeed nothing but the pure ,word of ,god itself4 ,it had increased the consciousness that1 in believing and teaching as they did1 they were not following mere human authorities1 such as ,luther and the ,lutheran ,confessions1 but the ,holy ,scriptures1 by which alone their consciences were bound4 ,articles ,,vii and ,,viii of the ,formula of ,concord1 too1 reassert ,luther's doctrines on the ,lord's ,supper and the person of ,christ as being in every particular the clear and unmistakable teaching of the divine ,word1--two doctrines1 by the way1 which perhaps more than any other serve as the acid test whether the fundamental attitude of a church or a theologian is truly ,scriptural and fully free from every rationalistic and enthusiastic infection4 ,the ,seventh ,article teaches the real and substantial presence of the true body and blood of ,christ2 their sacramental union in1 with1 and under the elements of bread and wine2 the oral manducation or eating and drinking of both substances by unbelieving as well as believing communicants4 ,it maintains that this presence of the body and blood of ,christ1 though real1 is neither an impanation nor a companation1 neither a local inclusion nor a mixture of the two substances1 but illocal and transcendent4 ,it holds that the eating of the body and the drinking of the blood of ,christ1 though truly done with the mouth of the body1 is not ,capernaitic1 or natural1 but supernatural4 ,it affirms that this real presence is effected1 not by any human power1 but by the omnipotent power of ,christ in accordance with the words of the institution of the ,sacrament4 ,the ,eighth ,article treats of the person of ,christ1 of the personal union of ,his two natures1 of the communication of these natures as well as of their attributes1 and1 in particular1 of the impartation of the truly divine majesty to ,his human nature and the terminology resulting therefrom4 ,one particular object of ,article ,,viii is also to show that the doctrine of the real presence of the body and blood of ,christ in the ,holy ,supper1 as taught by the ,lutheran ,church1 does not1 as was contended by her ,zwinglian and ,calvinistic adversaries1 conflict in any way with what the ,scriptures teach concerning the person of ,christ1 ,his human nature1 ,his ascension1 and ,his sitting at the right hand of ,god the ,father ,almighty4 ,the so-called ,appendix1 or ,catalogus1 a collection of passages from the ,bible and from the fathers of the ancient ,church1 prepared by ,andreae and ,chemnitz was added to the ,formula of ,concord 7though not as an authoritative part of it7 in further support of the ,lutheran doctrine particularly concerning the divine majesty of the human nature of ,christ4 ,both articles1 the seventh as well as the eighth1 were incorporated in the ,formula of ,concord in order thoroughly to purify the ,lutheran ,church from ,reformed errors concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the person of ,christ1 which after ,luther's death had wormed their way into some of her schools and churches1 especially those of ,electoral ,saxony1 and to make her forever immune against the infection of ,calvinism 7,crypto-,calvinism7--a term which1 during the controversies preceding the ,formula of ,concord did not1 as is generally the case to-day1 refer to ,calvin's absolute decree of election and reprobation1 but to his doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 as formulated by himself in the ,consensus ,tigurinus 7,zurich ,consensus71 issued #aedi4 ,the subtitle of this confession reads3 ,consensio ,mutua in ,re ,sacramentaria ,ministrorum ,tigurinae ,ecclesiae1 et ,d4 ,iohannis ,calvini ,ministri ,genevensis ,ecclesiae1 iam nunc ab ipsis autoribus edita4 ,in this confession1 therefore1 ,calvin declares his agreement with the teaching of ,zwingli as represented by his followers in ,zurich1 notably ,bullinger4 ,strenuous efforts were made by the ,calvinists and ,reformed everywhere to make the ,consensus ,tigurinus the basis of a pan-,protestant union1 and at the same time the banner under which to conquer all ,protestant countries1 ,lutheran ,germany included1 for what must be regarded as being essentially ,zwinglianism4 ,the ,consensus was adopted in ,switzerland1 ,england1 ,france1 and ,holland4 ,in ,lutheran territories1 too1 its teaching was rapidly gaining friends1 notably in ,southern ,germany1 where ,bucer had prepared the way for it1 and in ,electoral ,saxony where the ,philippists offered no resistance4 ,garnished as it was with glittering and seemingly orthodox phrases1 the ,consensus ,tigurinus lent itself admirably for such ,reformed propaganda4 ,the consequence was1 says the ,formula of ,concord1 that many great men were deceived by these fine1 plausible words--splendidis et magnificis verbis4 7#igc1 #f47 ,to counteract this deception1 to establish ,luther's doctrine of the real presence of the body and blood of ,christ1 and to defend it against the sophistries of the ,sacramentarians3 ,zwinglians1 ,calvinists1 and ,crypto-,calvinists--such was the object of ,articles ,,vii and ,,viii of the ,formula of ,concord4 #aig4 ,john ,calvin4 ,calvin was born ,july #aj1 #aeji1 in ,noyon1 ,france4 ,he began his studies in ,paris1 #aebc preparing for theology4 ,in #aebi his father induced him to take up law in ,orleans and ,bourges4 ,in #aeca he returned to his theological studies in ,paris4 ,here he experienced what he himself describes as a sudden conversion4 ,he joined the ,reformed congregation1 and before long was its acknowledged leader4 ,in #aecc he was compelled to leave ,france because of his anti-,roman testimony4 ,in ,basel1 #aece1 he wrote the first draft of his ,institutio ,religionis ,christianae4 ,in ,geneva where he was constrained to remain by ,william ,farel born #adhi2 active as a fiery ,protestant preacher in ,meaux1 ,strassburg1 ,zurich1 ,bern1 ,basel1 ,moempelgard1 ,geneva1 ,metz1 etc42 died #aefe1 ,calvin developed and endeavored to put into practise his legalistic ideal of a theocratic and rigorous puritanical government4 ,as a result he was banished1 #aech4 ,he removed to ,strassburg1 where he was held and engaged by ,bucer4 ,he attended the conventions in ,frankfort1 #aeci2 ,hagenau1 #aedj2 ,worms1 #aedj2 and ,regensburg1 #aeda4 ,here he got acquainted with the ,lutherans notably ,melanchthon4 ,september #ac1 #aeda1 he returned to ,geneva1 where1 woefully mixing ,state and ,church1 he continued his reformatory and puritanical efforts4 ,one of the victims of his theocratic government was the anti-,trinitarian ,michael ,servetus1 who1 at the instance of ,calvin1 was burned at the stake1 ,october #bg1 #aeec4 ,in #aeei ,calvin established the ,geneva ,school1 which exercised a far-reaching theological influence4 ,he died ,may #bg1 #aefd4 ,calvin repeatedly expressed his unbounded admiration for ,luther as a preeminent servant of ,christ--praeclarus ,christi servus4 7,c4 ,r4 #cg1 #ed47 ,in his ,answer of #aedc against the ,romanist ,pighius he said3 ,concerning ,luther we testify without dissimulation now as heretofore that we esteem him as a distinguished apostle of ,christ1 by whose labor and service1 above all1 the purity of the ,gospel has been restored at this time4 ,de ,luthero nunc quoque sicut hactenus non dissimulanter testamur1 eum nos habere pro insigni ,christi apostolo1 cuius maxime opera et ministerio restituta hoc tempore fuerit ,evangelii puritas4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #afi47 ,even after ,luther had published his ,brief ,confession1 in which he unsparingly denounces the ,sacramentarians 7deniers of the real presence of ,christ's body and blood in the ,lord's ,supper71 and severs all connection with them1 ,calvin admonished ,bullinger in a letter dated ,november #be1 #aedd1 to bear in mind what a great and wonderfully gifted man ,luther was1 and with what fortitude1 ability1 and powerful teaching he had shattered the kingdom of ,antichrist and propagated the salutary doctrine4 ,i am frequently accustomed to say1 he declared1 that1 even if he should call me a devil ,i would accord him the honor of acknowledging him to be an eminent servant of ,god4 ,in the original the remarkable words of ,calvin read as follows3 ,sed haec cupio vobis in mentem venire1 primum quantus sit vir ,lutherus1 et quantis dotibus excellat1 quanta animi fortitudine et constantia quanta dexteritate1 quanta doctrinae efficacia hactenus ad profligandum ,antichristi regnum et simul propagandam salutis doctrinam incubuerit4 ,saepe dicere solitus sum1 etiamsi me diabolum vocaret1 me tamen hoc illi honoris habiturum1 ut insignem ,dei servum agnoscam1 qui tamen1 ut pollet eximiis virtutibus1 ita magnis vitiis laboret4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #afi2 ,c4 ,r4 #ci ,calvini ,opp4 #aa1 #ggd47 ,however1 though he admired the personality of ,luther1 ,calvin1 like ,zwingli and ,oecolampadius at ,marburg #aebi1 revealed a theological spirit which was altogether different from ,luther's4 ,in particular1 he was violently opposed to ,luther's doctrines of the real presence in the ,lord's ,supper and of the majesty of the human nature of ,christ4 ,revealing his animus1 ,calvin branded the staunch and earnest defenders of these doctrines as the apes of ,luther4 ,in his ,second ,defense against ,westphal1 #aeef1 he exclaimed3 ,o ,luther1 how few imitators of your excellences1 but how many apes of your pious ostentation have you left behind6 ,o ,luthere1 quam paucos tuae praestantiae imitatores1 quam multas vero sanctae tuae iactantiae simias reliquisti6 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bji47 ,true1 when in ,strassburg1 ,calvin signed the ,augsburg ,confession 7#aeci or #aedj71 and was generally considered a ,lutheran4 ,however1 in his ,last ,admonition to ,westphal1 of #aeeg and in a letter of the same year to ,martin ,schalling1 ,calvin wrote3 ,nor do ,i repudiate the ,augsburg ,confession1 to which ,i have previously subscribed1 in the sense in which the author himself ,melanchthon in the ,variata of #aedj has interpreted it4 ,nec vero ,augustanam ,confessionem repudio1 cui pridem volens ac libens subscripsi1 sicut eam auctor ipse interpretatus est4 7,c4 ,r4 #cg1 #adh47 ,according to his own confession1 therefore1 ,calvin's subscription to the ,augustana1 at least as far as the article of the ,lord's ,supper is concerned1 was insincere and nugatory4 ,in fact ,calvin must be regarded as the real originator of the second controversy on the ,lord's ,supper between the ,lutherans and the ,reformed1 even as the first conflict on this question was begun1 not by ,luther1 but by his opponents1 ,carlstadt1 ,zwingli1 and ,oecolampadius4 ,for the adoption of the ,consensus ,tigurinus in #aedi1 referred to above1 cannot but be viewed as an overt act by which the ,wittenberg ,concord1 signed #aecf by representative ,lutheran and ,reformed theologians1 was publicly repudiated and abandoned by ,calvin and his adherents1 and whereby an anti-,lutheran propaganda on an essentially ,zwinglian basis was inaugurated4 ,calvin confirmed the schism between the ,lutherans and the ,reformed which ,carlstadt1 ,zwingli1 and ,oecolampadius had originated4 #aih4 ,calvin's ,zwinglianism4 ,the doctrine of ,calvin and his adherents concerning the ,lord's ,supper is frequently characterized as a materially modified ,zwinglianism4 ,schaff maintains that ,calvin's theory took a middle course1 retaining1 on the basis of ,zwingli's exegesis1 the religious substance of ,luther's faith1 and giving it a more intellectual and spiritual form1 triumphed in ,switzerland1 gained much favor in ,germany and opened a fair prospect for union4 7,creeds #a1 #bhj47 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 a fact admitted also by such ,calvinists as ,hodge and ,shedd1 ,calvin's doctrine was a denial in toto of the real presence as taught by ,luther4 7,pieper1 ,dogm4 #c1 #ced47 ,calvin held that after ,his ascension ,christ1 according to ,his human nature1 was locally enclosed in heaven1 far away from the earth4 ,hence he denied also the real presence of ,christ's body and blood in the ,holy ,supper4 ,in fact1 ,calvin's doctrine was nothing but a polished form of ,zwingli's crude teaching1 couched in phrases approaching the ,lutheran terminology as closely as possible4 ,even where he paraded as ,luther1 ,calvin was but ,zwingli disguised 7and poorly at that7 in a seemingly orthodox garb and promenading with several imitation ,lutheran feathers in his hat4 ,in the ,formula of ,concord we read3 ,although some ,sacramentarians strive to employ words that come as close as possible to the ,augsburg ,confession and the form and mode of speech in its churches1 and confess that in the ,holy ,supper the body of ,christ is truly received by believers1 still1 when we insist that they state their meaning properly1 sincerely1 and clearly1 they all declare themselves unanimously thus3 that the true essential body and blood of ,christ is absent from the consecrated bread and wine in the ,holy ,supper as far as the highest heaven is from the earth4444 ,therefore they understand this presence of the body of ,christ not as a presence here upon earth1 but only respectu fidei 7with respect to faith71 that is1 that our faith1 reminded and excited by the visible signs1 just as by the ,word preached1 elevates itself and ascends above all heavens1 and receives and enjoys the body of ,christ1 which is there in heaven present1 yea1 ,christ ,himself1 together with all ,his benefits1 in a manner true and essential1 but nevertheless spiritual only2444 consequently nothing else is received by the mouth in the ,holy ,supper than bread and wine4 7#iga1 #b;f47 ,this is1 and was intended to be1 a presentation of ,calvinism as being nothing but ,zwinglianism clothed in seemingly orthodox phrases4 ,that this picture drawn by the ,formula of ,concord is not a caricature or in any point a misrepresentation of ,calvinism appears from the ,consensus ,tigurinus itself1 where we read3 ,in as far as ,christ is a man1 ,he is to be sought nowhere else than in heaven and in no other manner than with the mind and the understanding of faith4 ,therefore it is a perverse and impious superstition to include ,him under elements of this world4 ,christus1 quatenus homo est1 non alibi quam in coelo nec aliter quam mente et fidei intelligentia quaerendus est4 ,quare perversa et impia superstitio est1 ipsum sub elementis huius mundi includere4 ,again3 ,we repudiate those who urge the literal interpretation of the words of institution as preposterous interpreters4 ,for beyond controversy1 they are to be taken figuratively1444 as when by metonymy the name of the symbolized thing is transferred to the sign--ut per metonymiam ad signum transferatur rei figuratae nomen4 ,again3 ,nor do we regard it as less absurd to place ,christ under1 and to unite ,him with1 the bread than to change the bread into ,his body4 ,neque enim minus absurdum iudicamus1 ,christum sub pane locare vel cum pane copulare1 quam panem transubstantiare in corpus eius4 ,again3 ,when we say that ,christ is to be sought in heaven1 this mode of speech expresses a distance of place1444 because the body of ,christ1444 being finite and contained in heaven1 as in a place1 must of necessity be removed from us by as great a distance as the heaven is removed from the earth--necesse est1 a nobis tanto locorum intervallo distare1 quanto caelum abest a terra4 7,niemeyer1 ,collectio ,confessionum1 #aif47 ,such was the teaching cunningly advocated by ,calvin and his adherents the ,crypto-,calvinists in ,germany included but boldly and firmly opposed by the loyal ,lutherans1 and finally disposed of by ,articles ,,vii and ,,viii of the ,formula of ,concord4 #aii4 ,melanchthon's ,public ,attitude4 ,as stated1 ,calvin's doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper was received with increasing favor also in ,lutheran territories1 notably in ,southern ,germany and ,electoral ,saxony1 where the number of theologians and laymen who secretly adopted and began to spread it was rapidly increasing4 ,they were called ,crypto-,calvinists 7secret or masked ,calvinists7 because1 while they subscribed to the ,augsburg ,confession1 claimed to be loyal ,lutherans1 and occupied most important positions in the ,lutheran ,church1 they in reality were propagandists of ,calvinism1 zealously endeavoring to suppress ,luther's books and doctrines1 and to substitute for them the views of ,calvin4 ,indeed1 ,calvin claimed both privately and publicly that ,melanchthon himself was his ally4 ,and1 entirely apart from what the latter may privately have confided to him1 there can be little doubt that ,calvin's assertions were not altogether without foundation4 ,in fact1 theologically as well as ethically1 ,melanchthon must be regarded as the spiritual father also of the ,crypto-,calvinists4 ,true1 originally ,melanchthon fully shared ,luther's views on the ,lord's ,supper4 ,at ,marburg1 #aebi1 he was still violently opposed to the ,zwinglians and their profane teaching in an ,opinion on ,carlstadt's doctrine1 of ,october #i1 #afbe1 he affirms that ,christ1 both as ,god and man1 i4e41 with ,his body and blood is present in the ,supper4 7,c4 ,r4 #a1 #gfj47 ,in ,september of the following year he wrote to ,philip ,eberbach3 ,know that ,luther's teaching concerning the ,lord's ,supper is very old in the ,church4 ,hoc scito1 ,lutheri sententiam perveterem in ecclesia esse4 7#hbc47 ,this he repeats in a letter of ,november #aa1 also to ,eberbach4 ,in an ,opinion of ,may #ae #aebi3 ,i am satisfied that ,i shall not agree with the ,strassburgers all my life1 and ,i know that ,zwingli and his compeers write falsely concerning the ,sacrament4 7#ajfg47 ,june #bj #aebi1 to ,jerome ,baumgaertner3 ,i would rather die than see our people become contaminated by the society of the ,zwinglian cause4 ,nam mori malim1 quam societate ,cinglianae causae nostros contaminare4 ,my dear ,jerome1 it is a great cause1 but few consider it4 ,i shall be lashed to death on account of this matter4 7,c4 ,r4 #a1 #ajgg2 #b1 #ah47 ,november #b1 #aebi1 to ,john ,fesel3 ,i admonish you most earnestly to avoid the ,zwinglian dogmas4 ,your ,judimagister ,eberbach1 ,i fear1 loves these profane disputations too much4 ,i know that the teaching of ,zwingli can be upheld neither with the ,scriptures nor with the authority of the ancients4 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 therefore1 teach as ,luther does4 7#a1 #aaji47 ,in ,february1 #aecj1 he wrote3 ,the testimonies of ancient writers concerning the ,lord's ,supper which ,i have compiled are now being printed4 7#b1 #ah47 ,in this publication ,melanchthon endeavored to show by quotations from ,cyril1 ,chrysostom ,vulgarius1 ,hilary1 ,cyprian1 ,irenaeus1 and ,augustine that ,zwingli's interpretation of the words of institution does not agree with that of the ancient ,church4 7#bc1 #gcb47 ,according to his own statement1 ,melanchthon embodied ,luther's doctrine in the ,augsburg ,confession and rejected that of the ,zwinglians4 7#b1 #adb4 #bab47 ,at ,augsburg1 ,melanchthon was much provoked also when he heard that ,bucer claimed to be in doctrinal agreement with the ,lutherans4 ,in his ,opinion ,concerning the ,doctrine of the ,sacramentarians1 written in ,august1 #aecj1 we read3 #a4 ,the ,zwinglians believe that the body of the ,lord can be present in but one place4 #b4 ,likewise that the body of ,christ cannot be anywhere except locally only4 ,they vehemently contend that it is contrary to the nature of a body to be anywhere in a manner not local2 also1 that it is inconsistent with the nature of a body to be in different places at the same time4 #c4 ,for this reason they conclude that the body of ,christ is circumscribed in heaven in a certain place1 so that it can in no way be elsewhere at the same time and that in truth and reality it is far away from the bread1 and not in the bread and with the bread4 #d4 ,bucer is therefore manifestly wrong in contending that they the ,zwinglians are in agreement with us4 ,for we say that it is not necessary for the body of ,christ to be in but one place4 ,we say that it can be in different places1 whether this occurs locally or in some other secret way by which different places are as one point present at the same time to the person of ,christ4 ,we1 therefore1 affirm a true and real presence of the body of ,christ with the bread4 #e4 ,if ,bucer wishes to accept the opinion of ,zwingli and ,oecolampadius1 he will never dare to say that the body of ,christ is really with the bread without geometric distance4 #i4 ,here they the ,zwinglians wish the word 'presence' to be understood only concerning efficacy and the ,holy ,spirit4 #aj4 ,we1 however1 require not only the presence of power1 but of the body4 ,this ,bucer purposely disguises4 #aa4 ,they simply hold that the body of ,christ is in heaven1 and that in reality it is neither with the bread nor in the bread4 #ab4 ,nevertheless they say that the body of ,christ is truly present1 but by contemplation of faith1 i4e41 by imagination4 #ac4 ,such is simply their opinion4 ,they deceive men by saying that the body is truly present1 yet adding afterwards1 'by contemplation of faith1' i4e41 by imagination4 #ad4 ,we teach that ,christ's body is truly and really present with the bread or in the bread4 #ae4 ,although we say that the body of ,christ is really present1 ,luther does not say that it is present locally1 namely1 in some mass1 by circumscription2 but in the manner by which ,christ's person or the entire ,christ is present to all creatures4444 ,we deny transubstantiation1 and that the body is locally in the bread1 etc4 7#b1 #bbb4 #caa4 #cae47 ,such were the views of ,melanchthon in and before #aecj4 ,and publicly and formally he continued to adhere to ,luther's teaching4 ,in an ,opinion written #aecd1 prior to his convention with ,bucer at ,cassel1 he said3 ,if ,christ were a mere creature and not ,god1 ,he would not be with us essentially1 even if ,he had the government2 but since ,he is ,god1 ,he gives ,his body as a testimony that ,he is essentially with us always4 ,this sense of the ,sacrament is both simple and comforting4444 ,therefore ,i conclude that ,christ's body and blood are truly with the bread and wine1 that is to say1 ,christ essentially1 not figuratively4 ,but here we must cast aside the thoughts proffered by reason1 viz41 how ,christ ascends and descends1 hides ,himself in the bread1 and is nowhere else4 7#b4 #hja47 ,in #aecf ,melanchthon signed the ,wittenberg ,concord1 which plainly taught that the body and blood of ,christ are received also by unworthy guests4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #igg1 #ab;ff47 ,in #aecg he subscribed to the ,smalcald ,articles1 in which ,luther brought out his doctrine of the real presence in most unequivocal terms1 declaring that bread and wine in the ,supper are the true body and blood of ,christ1 and are given and received not only by the godly1 but also by wicked ,christians4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #dic1 #a47 ,in his letter to ,flacius of ,september #e1 #aeef1 ,melanchthon solemnly declared3 ,i have never changed the doctrine of the ,confession4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #hda47 ,september #f1 #aeeg1 he wrote3 ,we all embrace and retain the ,confession together with the ,apology and the confession of ,luther written previous to the ,synod at ,mantua4 7#i1 #bfj47 ,again1 in ,november of the same year3 ,regarding the ,lord's ,supper1 we retain the ,augsburg ,confession and ,apology4 7#i1 #cga47 ,in an ,opinion of ,march #d1 #aeeh1 ,melanchthon declared that in the ,holy ,supper the ,son of ,god is truly and substantially present in such a manner that when we use it1 ,he gives us with the bread and wine ,his body1 etc41 and that ,zwingli was wrong when he declared that it is a mere outward sign1 and that ,christ is not essentially present in it1 and that it is a mere sign by which ,christians know each other4 7#i1 #dgb;f47 ,several months before his death1 in his preface to the ,corpus ,philippicum1 ,melanchthon declared that in the ,holy ,supper ,christ is truly and substantially present and truly administered to those who take the body and blood of ,christ1 and that in it ,he gives ,his body and blood to him who eats and drinks4 7,richard4 #chi47 #bjj4 ,melanchthon's ,private ,views4 ,while ,melanchthon in a public and formal way1 continued1 in the manner indicated1 to maintain orthodox appearances till his death1 he had inwardly and in reality since #aecj come to be more and more of a stranger to ,luther's firmness of conviction1 also with respect to the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,influenced by an undue respect for the authority of the ancient fathers and misled by his reason or1 as ,luther put it1 by his philosophy1 he gradually lost his firm hold on the clear words of the institution of the ,holy ,supper4 ,as a result he became a wavering reed1 driven to and fro with the wind1 now verging toward ,luther1 now toward ,calvin4 ,always oscillating between truth and error1 he was unable to rise to the certainty of firm doctrinal conviction1 and the immovable stand which characterized ,luther4 ,in a letter dated ,may #bd1 #aech1 in which he revealed the torments of his distracted and doubting soul1 he wrote to ,veit ,dietrich3 ,know that for ten years neither a night nor a day has passed in which ,i did not reflect on this matter1 the ,lord's ,supper4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #ecg47 ,and his doubts led to a departure from his own former position1--a fact for which also sufficient evidences are not wholly lacking4 ,already in #aeca1 says ,seeberg1 ,melanchthon secretly expressed his opinion plainly enough to the effect that it was sufficient to acknowledge a presence of the divinity of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper1 but not a union of the body and the bread4 ,ep41 p4#he4 7,dogg4 #d1 #b1 #ddg47 ,that ,melanchthon's later public statements and protestations concerning his faithful adherence to the doctrine of the ,augsburg ,confession must be more or less discounted1 appears1 apart from other considerations1 from his own admission that he was wont to dissimulate in these and other matters2 from his private letters1 in which he favorably refers to the symbolical interpretation of the words of institution2 from his communication to ,philip of ,hesse with regard to ,luther's article on the ,lord's ,supper at ,smalcald1 referred to in a previous chapter2 from the changes which he made #aedj in ,article ,x of the ,augsburg ,confession2 from his later indefinite statements concerning the real presence in the ,holy ,supper2 from his intimate relations and his cordial correspondence with ,calvin2 from his public indifference and neutrality during the eucharistic controversy with the ,calvinists2 and from his unfriendly attitude toward the champions of ,luther in this conflict4 #bja4 ,misled by ,oecolampadius and ,bucer4 ,that ,melanchthon permitted himself to be guided by human authorities rather than by the clear ,word of ,god alone1 appears from the fact that ,oecolampadius's ,dialogus of #aecj--which endeavored to show that the symbolical interpretation of the words of institution is found also in the writings of the ,church ,fathers1 notably in those of ,st4 ,augustine1 and which ,melanchthon1 in a letter to ,luther 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #bag71 says1 was written with greater exactness 7accuratius7 than he is otherwise wont to write--made such a profound impression on him that ever since1 as is shown by some of his private letters1 to which we shall presently refer1 he looked with increasing favor on the figurative interpretation4 ,as a result1 ,melanchthon's attitude toward the ,southern ,germans and the ,zwinglians also underwent a marked change4 ,when he left to attend the conference with ,bucer at ,cassel1 in ,december1 #aecd1 ,luther in strong terms enjoined him to defend the sacramental union and the oral eating and drinking2 namely1 that in and with the bread the body of ,christ is truly present1 distributed1 and eaten4 ,luther's ,opinion in this matter1 dated ,december #ag1 #aecd1 concludes as follows ,und ist ,summa das unsere ,meinung1 dass wahrhaftig in und mit dem ,brot der ,leib ,christi gegessen wird1 also dass alles1 was das ,brot wirkt und leidet1 der ,leib ,christi wirke und leide1 dass er ausgeteilt gegessen und mit den ,zaehnen zerbissen werde4 7,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #bjeb47 ,self-evidently1 when writing thus1 ,luther had no ,capernaitic eating and drinking in mind1 his object merely being1 as stated to emphasize the reality of the sacramental union4 ,january #aj1 #aece1 however1 the day after his return from ,cassel1 ,melanchthon wrote to his intimate friend ,camerarius that at ,cassel he had been the messenger not of his own1 but of a foreign opinion4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #hbb7 ,as a matter of fact1 ,melanchthon returned to ,wittenberg a convert to the compromise formula of ,bucer1 according to which ,christ's body and blood are truly and substantially received in the ,sacrament1 but are not really connected with the bread and wine1 the signs or signa exhibitiva1 as ,bucer called them4 ,stating the difference between ,luther and ,bucer1 as he now saw it1 ,melanchthon said3 ,the only remaining question therefore is the one concerning the physical union of the bread and body1--and of what need is this question8 ,tantum igitur reliqua est quaestio de physica coniunctione panis et corporis1 qua quaestione quid opus est8 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #hbg4 #hdb2 ,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #bjeg47 ,to ,erhard ,schnepf he had written3 ,he ,bucer confesses that1 when these things1 bread and wine1 are given1 ,christ is truly and substantially present4 ,as for me ,i would not demand anything further4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #ghg47 ,in ,february he wrote to ,brenz3 ,i plainly judge that they ,bucer1 etc4 are not far from the view of our men2 indeed in the matter itself they agree with us 7reipsa convenire72 nor do ,i condemn them4 7#b1 #hdc2 ,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #bjfe47 ,this1 however1 was not ,luther's view4 ,in a following letter ,melanchthon said3 ,although ,luther does not openly condemn it the formula of ,bucer1 yet he did not wish to give his opinion upon it as yet4 ,lutherus1 etsi non plane damnat1 tamen nondum voluit pronuntiare4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #hdc2 ,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #bjfb47 ,a letter of ,february #a1 #aece1 to ,philip of ,hesse and another of ,february #c1 to ,bucer1 also both reveal1 on the one hand1 ,melanchthon's desire for a union on ,bucer's platform and1 on the other1 ,luther's attitude of aloofness and distrust4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #hcf4 #hda47 #bjb4 ,secret ,letters and the ,variata of #aedj4 ,in the letter to ,camerarius of ,january #aj1 #aece1 referred to in the preceding paragraph1 ,melanchthon plainly indicates that his views of the ,holy ,supper no longer agreed with ,luther's4 ,do not ask for my opinion now1 says he1 for ,i was the messenger of an opinion foreign to me1 although1 forsooth1 ,i will not hide what ,i think when ,i shall have heard what our men answer4 ,but concerning this entire matter either personally or when ,i shall have more reliable messengers4 ,meam sententiam noli nunc requirere2 fui enim nuntius alienae1 etsi profecto non dissimulabo1 quid sentiam1 ubi audiero1 quid respondeant nostri4 ,ac de hac re tota aut coram1 aut cum habebo certiores tabellarios4 7#b1 #hbb47 ,two days later1 ,january #ab1 #aece1 ,melanchthon wrote a letter to ,brenz 7partly in ,greek1 which language he employed when he imparted thoughts which he regarded as dangerous1 as1 e4g41 in his defamatory letter to ,camerarius1 ,july #bd1 #aebe1 on ,luther's marriage2 ,c4 ,r4 #a1 #ged71 in which he lifted the veil still more and gave a clear glimpse of his own true inwardness4 ,from this letter it plainly appears that ,melanchthon was no longer sure of the correctness of the literal interpretation of the words of institution1 the very foundation of ,luther's entire doctrine concerning the ,holy ,supper4 ,the letter reads1 in part1 as follows3 ,you have written several times concerning the ,sacramentarians1 and you disadvise the ,concord1 even though they should incline towards ,luther's opinion4 ,my dear ,brenz1 if there are any who differ from us regarding the ,trinity or other articles1 ,i will have no alliance with them1 but regard them as such who are to be execrated4444 ,concerning the ,concord1 however1 no action whatever has as yet been taken4 ,i have only brought ,bucer's opinions here to ,wittenberg4 ,but ,i wish that ,i could talk to you personally concerning the controversy4 ,i do not constitute myself a judge1 and readily yield to you1 who govern the ,church1 and ,i affirm the real presence of ,christ in the ,supper4 ,i do not desire to be the author or defender of a new dogma in the ,church1 but ,i see that there are many testimonies of the ancient writers who without any ambiguity explain the mystery typically and tropically peri tupou kai tropikos1 while the opposing testimonies are either more modern or spurious4 ,you1 too1 will have to investigate whether you defend the ancient opinion4 ,but ,i do wish earnestly that the pious ,church would decide this case without sophistry and tyranny4 ,in ,france and at other places many are killed on account of this opinion4 ,and many applaud such judgments without any good reason1 and strengthen the fury of the tyrants4 ,to tell the truth1 this matter pains me not a little4 ,therefore my only request is that you do not pass on this matter rashly1 but consult also the ancient ,church4 ,i most fervently desire that a concord be effected without any sophistry4 ,but ,i desire also that good men may be able to confer on this great matter in a friendly manner4 ,thus a concord might be established without sophistry4 ,for ,i do not doubt that the adversaries would gladly abandon the entire dogma if they believed that it was new4 ,you know that among them are many very good men4 ,now they incline toward ,luther1 being moved by a few testimonies of ecclesiastical writers4 ,what1 then1 do you think1 ought to be done8 ,will you forbid also that we confer together8 ,as for me1 ,i desire that we may be able frequently to confer together on this matter as well as on many others4 ,you see that in other articles they as well as we now explain many things more skilfully 7dexterius7 since they have begun to be agitated among us more diligently4 ,however1 ,i conclude and ask you to put the best construction on this letter1 and1 after reading it1 to tear it up immediately1 and to show it to nobody4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #hbc;f42 ,luther1 ,st4 ,l4 #ag1 #bjfj47 ,in a letter to ,veit ,dietrich1 dated ,april #bc1 #aech1 ,melanchthon declares3 ,in order not to deviate too far from the ancients1 ,i have maintained a sacramental presence in the use1 and said that1 when these things are given1 ,christ is truly present and efficacious4 ,that is certainly enough4 ,i have not added an inclusion or a connection by which the body is affixed to1 concatenated or mixed with1 the bread4 ,sacraments are covenants assuring us that something else is present when the things are received4 ,nec addidi inclusionem aut coniunctionem talem1 qua affigeretur to arto1 to soma1 aut ferruminaretur1 aut misceretur4 ,sacramenta pacta sunt1 ut rebus sumptis adsit aliud4444 ,what more do you desire8 ,and this will have to be resorted to lest you defend what some even now are saying1 viz41 that the body and blood are tendered separately--separatim tradi corpus et sanguinem4 ,this too1 is new and will not even please the ,papists4 ,error is fruitful1 as the saying goes4 ,that physical connection 7illa physica coniunctio7 breeds many questions3 ,whether the parts are separate2 whether included2 when in what moment they are present2 whether they are present apart from the use4 ,of this nothing is read among the ancients4 ,nor do ,i1 my dear ,veit1 carry these disputations into the ,church2 and in the ,loci ,i have spoken so sparingly on this matter in order to lead the youth away from these questions4 ,such is in brief and categorically what ,i think4 ,but ,i wish that the two most cruel tyrants1 animosity and sophistry1 would be removed for a while1 and a just deliberation held concerning the entire matter4 ,if ,i have not satisfied you by this simple answer1 ,i shall expect of you a longer discussion4 ,i judge that in this manner ,i am speaking piously1 carefully1 and modestly concerning the symbols1 and approach as closely as possible to the opinion of the ancients4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #ead;f47 ,a month later1 ,may #bd1 ,melanchthon again added3 ,i have simply written you what ,i think1 nor do ,i detract anything from the words4 ,for ,i know that ,christ is truly and substantially present and efficacious when we use the symbols4 ,you also admit a synecdoche4 ,but to add a division and separation of the body and blood1 that is something altogether new and unheard of in the universal ancient ,church4 7#c1 #ecf2 #g1 #hhb47 ,evidently1 then1 ,melanchchton's attitude toward the ,reformed and his views concerning the ,lord's ,supper had undergone remarkable changes since #aecj4 ,and in order to clear the track for his own changed sentiments and to enable the ,reformed1 in the interest of an ultimate union1 to subscribe the ,augsburg ,confession1 ,melanchthon1 in #aedj1 altered its ,tenth ,article in the manner set forth in a previous chapter4 ,schaff remarks3 ,calvin's view of the ,lord's ,supper was in various ways officially recognized in the ,augsburg ,confession of #aedj4 7#a1 #bhj47 ,such at any rate was the construction the ,reformed everywhere put on the alteration4 ,it was generally regarded by them to be an essential concession to ,calvinism4 ,melanchthon1 too1 was well aware of this2 but he did absolutely nothing to obviate this interpretation--no doubt1 because it certainly was not very far from the truth4 #bjc4 ,not in ,sympathy with ,lutheran ,champions4 ,when ,westphal1 in #aeeb1 pointed out the ,calvinistic menace and sounded the tocsin1 loyal ,lutherans everywhere enlisted in the controversy to defend ,luther's doctrine concerning the real presence and the divine majesty of ,christ's human nature4 ,but ,melanchthon again utterly failed the ,lutheran ,church both as a leader and a private4 ,for although ,lutheranism in this controversy was fighting for its very existence1 ,master ,philip remained silent1 non-committal1 neutral4 ,viewed in the light of the conditions then prevailing1 it was impossible to construe this attitude as pro-,lutheran4 ,moreover1 whenever and wherever ,melanchthon1 in his letters and opinions written during this controversy1 did show his colors to some extent1 it was but too apparent that his mind and heart was with the enemies rather than with the champions of ,lutheranism4 ,for while his letters abound with flings and thrusts against the men who defended the doctrines of the sacramental union and the omnipresence of the human nature of ,christ1 he led ,calvin and his adherents to believe that he was in sympathy with them and their cause4 ,melanchthon's animosity ran high not only against such extremists as ,saliger 7,beatus7 and ,fredeland 7both were deposed in ,luebeck #aefh and ,saliger again in ,rostock #aefi7 who taught that in virtue of the consecration before the use 7ante usum7 bread and wine are the body and blood of ,christ1 denouncing all who denied this as ,sacramentarians 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #beg71 but also against all those who faithfully adhered to1 and defended1 ,luther's phraseology concerning the ,lord's ,supper4 ,he rejected the teaching of ,westphal and the ,hamburg ministers1 according to which in the ,lord's ,supper1 the bread is properly called the body of ,christ and the wine the blood of ,christ1 and stigmatized their doctrine as bread-worship1 artolatreia4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #cfb4 #ffj4 #gia2 #i1 #dgj4 #ifb47 ,in a similar manner ,melanchthon ridiculed the old ,lutheran teaching of the omnipresence of ,christ according to ,his human nature as a new and foolish doctrine4 ,concerning the ,confession and ,report of the ,wuerttemberg ,theologians1 framed by ,brenz and adopted #aeei1 which emphatically asserted the real presence1 as well as the omnipresence of ,christ also according to ,his human nature1 ,melanchthon remarked contemptuously in a letter to ,jacob ,runge1 dated ,february #a1 #aefj and in a letter to ,g4 ,cracow1 dated ,february #c1 #aefj1 that he could not characterize the decree of the ,wuerttemberg ,fathers 7,abbates ,wirtebergenses7 more aptly than as ,hechinger ,latin 7,hechingense ,latinum1 ,hechinger ,latein71 i4e41 as absurd and insipid teaching4 7#i1 #ajce;f42 #g1 #ghj4 #hhd47 #bjd4 ,melanchthon ,claimed by ,calvin4 ,in #aeed ,nicholas ,gallus of ,regensburg republished1 with a preface of his own1 ,philip ,melanchthon's ,opinions of ,some ,ancient ,writers ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the timely reappearance of this book1 which ,melanchthon1 in #aecj1 had directed against the ,zwinglians1 was most embarrassing to him as well as to his friend ,calvin4 ,the latter1 therefore1 now urged him to break his silence and come out openly against his public assailants4 ,but ,melanchthon did not consider it expedient to comply with this request4 ,privately1 however1 he answered1 ,october #ad1 #aeed3 ,as regards your admonition in your last letter that ,i repress the ignorant clamors of those who renew the strife concerning the bread-worship1 know that some of them carry on this disputation out of hatred toward me in order to have a plausible reason for oppressing me4 ,quod me hortaris1 ut reprimam ineruditos clamores illorum1 qui renovant certamen peri artolatreias1 scito1 quosdam praecipue odio mei eam disputationem movere1 ut habeant plausibilem causam ad me opprimendum4 7#h1 #cfb47 ,fully persuaded that he was in complete doctrinal agreement with his ,wittenberg friend on the controverted questions1 ,calvin finally1 in his ,last ,admonition 7,ultima ,admonitio7 to ,westphal1 #aeeg1 publicly claimed ,melanchthon as his ally1 and implored him to give public testimony that they the ,calvinists and ,zwinglians teach nothing foreign to the ,augsburg ,confession1 nihil alienum nos tradere a ,confessione ,augustana4 ,i confirm1 ,calvin here declared1 that in this cause concerning the ,lord's ,supper ,philip can no more be torn from me than from his own bowels4 ,confirmo1 non magis a me ,philippum quam a propriis visceribus in hoc causa posse divelli4 7,c4 ,r4 #cg ,calvini ,opp4 #i1 #adh4 #adi4 #aic4 #dff2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bai1 ,tschackert1 #ecf47 ,melanchthon1 however1 continued to preserve his sphinxlike silence1 which indeed declared as loud as words could have done that he favored the ,calvinists1 and was opposed to those who defended ,luther's doctrine4 ,to ,mordeisen he wrote1 ,november #ae1 #aeeg3 ,if you will permit me to live at a different place1 ,i shall reply1 both truthfully and earnestly to these unlearned sycophants1 and say things that are useful to the ,church4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #cgd47 ,after the death of ,melanchthon1 ,calvin wrote in his ,dilucida ,explicatio against ,hesshusius1 #aefa3 ,o ,philip ,melanchthon6 ,for it is to you that ,i appeal1 who art living with ,christ in the presence of ,god and there waiting for us until we shall be assembled with you into blessed rest4 ,a hundred times you have said1 when1 fatigued with labor and overwhelmed with cares1 you1 as an intimate friend1 familiarly laid your head upon my breast3 ,would to ,god ,i might die on this bosom6 ,but afterwards ,i have wished a thousand times that we might be granted to be together4 ,you would certainly have been more courageous to engage in battle and stronger to despise envy1 and disregard false accusations4 ,in this way1 too1 the wickedness of many would have been restrained whose audacity to revile grew from your pliability1 as they called it4 ,o ,philippe ,melanchthon6 ,te enim appello1 qui apud ,deum cum ,christo vivis1 nosque illic exspectas1 donec tecum in beatam quietem colligamur4 ,dixisti centies1 quum fessus laboribus et molestiis oppressus caput familiariter in sinum meum deponeres3 ,utinam1 utinam moriar in hoc sinu6 ,ego vero millies postea optavi nobis contingere1 ut simul essemus4 ,certe animosior fuisses ad obeunda certamina et ad spernendam invidiam falsasque criminationes pro nihilo ducendas fortior4 ,hoc quoque modo cohibita fuisset multorum improbitos1 quibus ex tua mollitie1 quam vocabant1 crevit insultandi audacia4 7,c4 ,r4 #cg ,calvini ,opp4 #i1 #dfa;f47 ,it was not ,melanchthon1 but ,westphal1 who disputed ,calvin's claim by publishing 7#aeeg7 extracts from ,melanchthon's former writings under the title3 ,clarissimi ,viri ,ph4 ,melanchthonis ,sententia de ,coena ,domini1 ex scriptis eius collecta4 ,but1 alas1 the voice of the later ,melanchthon was not that of the former6 #bje4 ,advising the ,crypto-,calvinists4 ,in various other ways ,melanchthon showed his impatience with the defenders of ,luther's doctrine and his sympathy with their ,calvinistic opponents4 ,when ,timann of ,bremen1 who sided with ,westphal1 opposed ,hardenberg1 a secret1 but decided ,calvinist1 ,melanchthon admonished the latter not to rush into a conflict with his colleagues1 but to dissimulate4 ,he says in a letter of ,april #bc1 #aeef3 ,te autem oro1 ne properes ad certamen cum collegis4 ,oro etiam1 ut multa dissimules4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #gcf47 ,another letter 7,may #i1 #aeeg71 in which he advises ,hardenberg how to proceed against his opponents1 begins as follows3 ,reverend ,sir and ,dear ,brother4 ,as you see1 not only the controversy1 but also the madness 7rabies7 of the writers who establish the bread-worship is growing4 7#i1 #aed47 ,he meant theologians who1 like ,timann and ,westphal1 defended ,luther's doctrine that in the ,lord's ,supper the bread is truly the body of ,christ and the wine truly the blood of ,christ and that ,christ is truly present also according to ,his human nature4 ,again1 when at ,heidelberg1 in #aefi1 ,hesshusius refused to acknowledge the ,calvinist ,klebitz 7who had publicly defended the ,reformed doctrine7 as his assistant in the distribution of the ,lord's ,supper1 and ,elector ,frederick ,,iii1 the patron of the ,crypto-,calvinists1 who soon after joined the ,reformed ,church1 demanded that ,hesshusius come to an agreement with ,klebitz1 and finally deposed the former and dismissed the latter1 ,melanchthon approved of the unionistic methods of the ,elector1 and prepared ambiguous formulas to satisfy both parties4 ,in the ,opinion requested by the ,elector1 dated ,november #a1 #aeei1 ,melanchthon said3 ,to answer is not difficult1 but dangerous4444 ,therefore ,i approve of the measure of the illustrious ,elector1 commanding silence to the disputants on both sides ,hesshusius and the ,calvinist ,klebitz1 lest dissension occur in the weak church4444 ,the contentious men having been removed1 it will be profitable that the rest agree on one form of words4 ,it would be best in this controversy to retain the words of ,paul3 ',the bread which we break is the communion 7koinonia7 of ,christ4' ,much ought to be said concerning the fruit of the ,supper to invite men to love this pledge and to use it frequently4 ,and the word 'communion' must be explained3 ,paul does not say that the nature of the bread is changed1 as the ,papists say2 ,he does not say1 as those of ,bremen do1 that the bread is the substantial body of ,christ2 he does not say that the bread is the true body of ,christ1 as ,hesshusius does2 but that it is the communion1 i4e41 that by which the union occurs 7consociatio fit7 with the body of ,christ1 which occurs in the use1 and certainly not without thinking1 as when mice gnaw the bread4444 ,the ,son of ,god is present in the ministry of the ,gospel1 and there ,he is certainly efficacious in the believers1 and ,he is present not on account of the bread1 but on account of man1 as ,he says1 ',abide in ,me and ,i in you1' ,again3 ',i am in ,my ,father1 and you in ,me1 and ,i in you1' ,and in these true consolations ,he makes us members of ,his1 and testifies that ,he will raise our bodies4 ,thus the ancients explain the ,lord's ,supper4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ifa47 ,no doubt1 ,calvin1 too1 would readily have subscribed to these ambiguous and indefinite statements4 ,c4 ,p4 ,krauth pertinently remarks3 ,whatever may be the meaning of ,melanchthon's words in the disputed cases1 this much is certain1 that they practically operated as if the worse sense were the real one1 and their mischievousness was not diminished1 but aggravated1 by their obscurity and double meaning4 ,they did the work of avowed error1 and yet could not be reached as candid error might4 7,cons4 ,ref41 #bia47 #bjf4 ,historians on ,melanchthon's ,doctrinal ,departures4 ,modern historians are generally agreed that also with respect to the ,lord's ,supper the later ,melanchthon was not identical with the earlier4 ,tschackert3 ,melanchthon had long ago before the outbreak of the second controversy on the ,lord's ,supper receded from the peculiarities of the ,lutheran doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper2 he was satisfied with maintaining the personal presence of ,christ during the ,supper1 leaving the mode of ,his presence and efficacy in doubt4 7#ecb47 ,seeberg1 who maintains that ,melanchthon as early as #aeca departed from ,luther's teaching concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 declares3 ,melanchthon merely does not want to admit that the body of ,christ is really eaten in the ,supper1 and that it is omnipresent as such4 7#d1 #b1 #ddi47 ,theo4 ,kolde3 ,it should never have been denied that these alterations in ,article ,x of the ,augustana involved real changes4444 ,in view of his gradually changed conception of the ,lord's ,supper1 there can be no doubt that he sought to leave open for himself and others the possibility of associating also with the ,swiss4 7#be47 ,schaff3 ,melanchthon's later view of the ,lord's ,supper agreed essentially with that of ,calvin4 7#a1 #bhj47 ,such1 then1 being the attitude of ,melanchthon as to the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper1 it was but natural and consistent that his pupils1 who looked up to ,master ,philip with unbounded admiration1 should become decided ,calvinists4 ,melanchthon1 chiefly1 must be held responsible for the ,calvinistic menace which threatened the ,lutheran ,church after the death of ,luther4 ,in the interest of fraternal relations with the ,swiss1 he was ready to compromise and modify the ,lutheran truth4 ,sadly he had his way1 and had not the tendency which he inaugurated been checked1 the ,lutheran ,church would have lost its character and been transformed into a ,reformed or1 at least1 a unionistic body4 ,in a degree1 this guilt was shared also by his older ,wittenberg colleagues3 ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,sr41 ,paul ,eber1 ,john ,foerster1 and others1 who evidently inclined toward ,melanchthon's view and attitude also in the matter concerning the ,lord's ,supper4 ,caspar ,cruciger1 for example1 as appears from his letter to ,veit ,dietrich1 dated ,april #ah1 #aech1 taught the bodily presence of ,christ in the use of the ,lord's ,supper1 but not the division or separation of the body and blood4 7,c4 ,r4 #c1 #faj47 ,shortly before his death1 as related in a previous chapter1 ,luther had charged these men with culpable silence with regard to the truth1 declaring3 ,if you believe as you speak in my presence then speak the same way in church1 in public lectures1 in sermons1 and in private discussions1 and strengthen your brethren1 and lead the erring back to the right way1 and contradict the wilful spirits2 otherwise your confession is a mere sham and will be of no value whatever4 7,walther1 #dj47 ,refusal to confess the truth will ultimately always result in rejection of the truth4 ,silence here is the first step to open denial4 #bjg4 ,westphal ,first to ,sound ,tocsin4 ,foremost among the men who saw through ,calvin's plan of propagating the ,reformed doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper under phrases coming as close as possible to the ,lutheran terminology1 and who boldly1 determinedly and ably opposed the ,calvinistic propaganda was ,joachim ,westphal of ,hamburg born #aeaj2 #aebg in ,wittenberg2 since #aeda pastor in ,hamburg2 died ,january #af1 #aegd4 ,fully realizing the danger which threatened the entire ,lutheran ,church1 he regarded it as his sacred duty to raise his voice and warn the ,lutherans against the ,calvinistic menace4 ,he did so in a publication entitled3 ,farrago ,confusanearum et inter se ,dissidentium ,opinionum de ,coena ,domini--,medley of ,confused and ,mutually ,dissenting ,opinions on the ,lord's ,supper1 compiled from the books of the ,sacramentarians1 #aeeb4 ,in it he proved that in reality ,calvin and his adherents1 despite their seemingly orthodox phrases1 denied the real presence of the body and blood of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper just as emphatically and decidedly as ,zwingli had done4 ,at the same time he refuted in strong terms the ,reformed doctrine in the manner indicated by the title1 and maintained the ,lutheran doctrine of the real presence1 the oral eating and drinking 7manducatio oralis71 also of unbelievers4 ,finally he appealed to the ,lutheran theologians and magistrates everywhere to guard their churches against the ,calvinistic peril4 ,the ,farrago1 says ,kruske1 signified the beginning of the end of ,calvin's domination in ,germany4 ,schaff3 ,the controversy of ,westphal against ,calvin and the subsequent overthrow of ,melanchthonianism completed and consolidated the separation of the two ,confessions1 ,lutheran and ,reformed4 7,creeds #a1 #bhj47 ,thus ,westphal stands preeminent among the men who saved the ,lutheran ,church from the ,calvinistic peril4 ,to add fuel to the anti-,calvinistic movement1 ,westphal1 in the year following1 published a second book3 ,correct ,faith 7,recta ,fides7 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 demonstrated and confirmed from the words of the ,apostle ,paul and the ,evangelists1 #aeec4 ,here he again called upon all true disciples of ,luther to save his doctrine from the onslaughts of the ,calvinists1 who1 he declared1 stooped to every method in order to conquer ,germany for ,zwinglianism4 ,westphal's fiery appeals for ,lutheran loyalty received a special emphasis and wide publicity when the ,pole1 ,john of ,lasco 7,laski71 who in #aeec1 together with #age members of his ,london congregation1 had been driven from ,england by ,bloody ,mary1 reached the ,continent4 ,the liberty which ,lasco1 who in #aeeb had publicly adopted the ,consensus ,tigurinus1 requested in ,lutheran territories for himself and his ,reformed congregation1 was refused in ,denmark1 ,wismar1 ,luebeck and ,hamburg1 but finally granted in ,frankfort-on-the-,main4 ,soon after1 in #aeed1 the ,calvinistic preacher ,micronius1 who also sought refuge in ,hamburg1 was forbidden to make that city the seat of ,reformed activity and propaganda4 ,as a result1 ,calvin decided to enter the arena against ,westphal4 ,in #aeee he published his ,defensio ,sanae et ,orthodoxae ,doctrinae de ,sacramentis1 ,defense of the ,sound and ,orthodox ,doctrine ,concerning the ,sacraments and ,their ,nature1 ,power1 ,purpose1 ,use1 and ,fruit1 which the pastors and ministers of the churches in ,zurich and ,geneva before this have comprised into a brief formula of the mutual ,agreement 7,consensus ,tigurinus74 ,in it he attacked ,westphal in such an insulting and overbearing manner 7comparing him1 e4g41 with a mad dog7 that from the very beginning the controversy was bound to assume a personal and acrimonious character4 #bjh4 ,controversial ,publications4 ,after ,calvin had entered the controversy ,westphal was joined by such ,lutherans as ,john ,timann1 ,paul v4 ,eitzen1 ,erhard ,schnepf1 ,alber1 ,gallus1 ,flacius1 ,judex1 ,brenz1 ,andreae and others4 ,calvin1 on the other hand1 was supported by ,lasco1 ,bullinger1 ,ochino1 ,valerandus ,polanus1 ,beza 7the most scurrillous of all the opponents of ,lutheranism71 and ,bibliander4 ,in #aeee ,westphal published three additional books3 ,collection 7,collectanea7 of ,opinions of ,aurelius ,augustine ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 and ,faith 7,fides7 of ,cyril1 ,bishop of ,alexandria1 ,concerning the ,presence of the ,body and ,blood of ,christ1 and ,adversus cuiusdam ,sacramentarii ,falsam ,criminationem ,iusta ,defensio1 ,just ,defense against the ,false ,accusation of a ,certain ,sacramentarian4 ,the last publication was a personal defense against the insults and invectives of ,calvin and a further proof of the claim that the ,calvinists were united only in their denial of the real presence of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper4 ,coming to the support of ,westphal1 ,john ,timann1 ,pastor in ,bremen1 published in #aeee3 ,medley 7,farrago7 of ,opinions ,agreeing in the ,true and ,catholic ,doctrine ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 which the churches of the ,augsburg ,confession have embraced with firm assent and in one spirit according to the divine ,word4 ,in the following year ,calvin wrote his ,secunda ,defensio 444 contra ,j4 ,westphali ,calumnias1 ,second ,defense of the ,pious and ,orthodox ,faith1 against the ,calumnies of ,j4 ,westphal1 a vitriolic book1 dedicated to the ,crypto-,calvinists1 viz41 to all ministers of ,christ who cultivate and follow the pure doctrine of the ,gospel in the churches of ,saxony and ,lower ,germany4 ,in it ,calvin declared3 ,i teach that ,christ1 though absent according to ,his body1 is nevertheless not only present with us according to ,his divine power1 but also makes ,his flesh vivifying for us4 7,c4 ,r4 #cg ,calvini ,opp4 #i1 #gi47 ,lasco also wrote two books against ,westphal and ,timann1 defending his congregation at ,frankfort1 and endeavoring to show the agreement between the ,calvinian doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper and the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,in #aeef ,henry ,bullinger appeared on the battlefield with his ,apologetical ,exposition1 ,apologetica ,expositio1 in which he endeavored to show that the ministers of the churches in ,zurich do not follow any heretical dogma in the doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper4 ,in the same year1 #aeef1 ,westphal published ,epistola1 qua ,breviter ,respondet ad ,convicia ,i4 ,calvini--,letter in which ,he ,westphal ,answers ,briefly to the ,invectives of ,j4 ,calvin1 and ,answer 7,responsum7 to the ,writing of ,john of ,lasco1 in which he transforms the ,augsburg ,confession into ,zwinglianism4 ,in the same year ,westphal published ,confession of ,faith 7,confessio ,fidei7 ,concerning the ,sacrament of the ,eucharist1 in which the ministers of the churches of ,saxony maintain the presence of the body and blood of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ in the ,holy ,supper1 and answer regarding the book of ,calvin dedicated to them4 ,this publication contained opinions which ,westphal had secured from the ministeriums of ,magdeburg 7including ,wigand and ,flacius71 of ,mansfeld1 ,bremen1 ,hildesheim1 ,hamburg1 ,luebeck1 ,lueneburg1 ,brunswick 7,moerlin and ,chemnitz71 ,hannover1 ,wismar1 ,schwerin1 etc4 ,all of these ministeriums declared themselves unanimously and definitely in favor of ,luther's doctrine1 appealing to the words of institution as they read4 ,in #aeeg ,erhard ,schnepf born #aeie2 active in ,nassau1 ,marburg1 ,speier1 ,augsburg2 attended convents in ,smalcald #aecg2 in ,regensburg #aedf1 in ,worms #aeeg2 died #aeeh1 then in ,jena1 published his ,confession ,concerning the ,supper4 ,in the same year ,paul von ,eitzen born #aebb2 died #aeih2 refused to sign ,formula of ,concord published his ,defense of the ,true ,doctrine ,concerning the ,supper of ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,westphal also made a second attack on ,lasco in his ,just ,defense against the ,manifest ,falsehoods of ,j4 ,a4 ,lasco which he spread in his letter to the ,king of ,poland against the ,saxon ,churches1 #aeeg4 ,in it he denounces ,lasco and his congregation of foreigners1 and calls upon the magistrates to institute proceedings against them4 ,calvin now published his ,ultima ,admonitio1 ,last ,admonition of ,john ,calvin to ,j4 ,westphal1 who1 if he does not obey 7obtemperet7 must thenceforth be held in the manner as ,paul commands us to hold obstinate heretics2 in this writing the vain censures of the ,magdeburgians and others1 by which they endeavored to wreck heaven and earth1 are also refuted #aeeg4 ,here ,calvin plainly reveals his ,zwinglianism and says3 ,this is the summary of our doctrine1 that the flesh of ,christ is a vivifying bread because it truly nourishes and feeds our souls when by faith we coalesce with it4 ,this1 we teach1 occurs spiritually only1 because the bond of this sacred unity is the secret and incomprehensible power of the ,holy ,spirit4 7,c4 ,r4 #cg ,calvini ,opp4 #i1 #afb47 ,in this book ,calvin also1 as stated above1 appeals to ,melanchthon to add his testimony that we the ,calvinists teach nothing that conflicts with the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,though ,calvin had withdrawn from the arena1 ,westphal continued to give public testimony to the truth4 ,in #aeeh he wrote several books against the ,calvinists4 ,one of them bears the title3 ,apologetical ,writings 7,apologetica ,scripta7 of ,j4,w41 in which he both defends the sound doctrine concerning the ,eucharist and refutes the vile slanders of the ,sacramentarians1 etc4 ,another is entitled3 ,apology of the ,confession ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper against the ,corruptions and ,calumnies of ,john ,calvin4 ,in #aeei ,theodore ,beza donned the armor of ,calvin and entered the controversy with his ,treatise 7,tractatio7 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 in which the calumnies of ,j4 ,westphal are refuted4 ,lasco's ,reply to the ,virulent ,letter of ,that ,furious ,man ,j4 ,westphal1 of #aefj1 appeared posthumously1 he having died shortly before in ,poland4 #bji4 ,brenz and ,chemnitz4 ,foremost among the influential theologians who besides ,westphal1 took a decided stand against the ,calvinists and their secret abettors in ,lutheran territories were ,john ,brenz in ,wuerttemberg and ,martin ,chemnitz in ,brunswick4 ,john ,brenz born #adii1 persecuted during the ,interim1 since #aeec ,provost at ,stuttgart1 died #aegj1 the most influential theologian in ,wuerttemberg1 was unanimously supported in his anti-,calvinistic attitude by the whole ministerium of the ,duchy4 ,he is the author of the ,confession and ,report 7,bekenntnis und ,bericht7 of the ,theologians in ,wuerttemberg ,concerning the ,true ,presence of the ,body and ,blood of ,christ in the ,holy ,supper1 adopted at the behest of ,duke ,christopher by the synod assembled in ,stuttgart1 #aeei4 ,the occasion for drafting and adopting this ,confession had been furnished by ,bartholomew ,hagen1 a ,calvinist4 ,at the synod in ,stuttgart he was required to dispute on the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper with ,jacob ,andreae1 with the result that ,hagen admitted that he was now convinced of his error1 and promised to return to the ,lutheran teaching4 ,the ,confession thereupon adopted teaches in plain and unmistakable terms that the body and blood of ,christ are orally received by all who partake of the ,sacrament1 and that ,christ1 by reason of the personal union1 is omnipresent also according to ,his human nature1 and hence well able to fulfil the promise ,he gave at the institution of the ,holy ,supper4 ,it teaches the real presence 7praesentia realis71 the sacramental union 7unio sacramentalis71 the oral eating and drinking 7manducatio oralis71 also of the wicked 7manducatio impiorum74 ,it holds that in the ,lord's ,supper the true body and the true blood of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ are1 through the power of the word of institution1 truly and essentially tendered and given with the bread and wine to all men who partake of the ,supper of ,christ2 and that1 even as they are tendered by the hand of the minister1 they are at the same time also received with the mouth of him who eats and drinks it4 ,furthermore1 that even as the substance and the essence of the bread and wine are present in the ,lord's ,supper1 so also the substance and the essence of the body and blood of ,christ are present and truly tendered and received with the signs of bread and wine4 7,tschackert1 #eda47 ,it protests3 ,we do not assert any mixture of ,his body and blood with the bread and wine1 nor any local inclusion in the bread4 ,again3 ,we do not imagine any diffusion of the human nature or expansion of the members of ,christ 7ullam humanae naturae diffusionem aut membrorum ,christi distractionem71 but we explain the majesty of the man ,christ by which ,he1 being placed at the right hand of ,god1 fills all things not only by ,his divinity1 but also as the man ,christ1 in a celestial manner and in a way that to human reason is past finding out1 by virtue of which majesty ,his presence in the ,supper is not abolished1 but confirmed4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bci;f47 ,thus1 without employing the term ubiquity1 this ,confession prepared by ,brenz restored1 in substance1 the doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the person of ,christ which ,luther had maintained over against ,zwingli1 ,carlstadt1 and the ,sacramentarians generally4 ,as stated above1 ,melanchthon ridiculed this ,confession as ,hechinger ,latin4 ,in #aefa ,brenz was attacked by ,bullinger in his ,treatise 7,tractatio7 on the ,words of ,st4 ,john #ad4 ,in the same year ,brenz replied to this attack in two writings3 ,opinion 7,sententia7 on the ,book of ,bullinger and ,on the ,personal ,union 7,de ,personali ,unione7 of the ,two ,natures in ,christ and on the ,ascension of ,christ into ,heaven and ,his ,sitting at the ,right ,hand of the ,father1 etc4 ,this called forth renewed assaults by ,bullinger1 ,peter ,martyr1 and ,beza4 ,bullinger wrote3 ,answer 7,responsio71 by which is shown that the meaning concerning 'heaven' and the 'right hand of ,god' still stands firm1 #aefb4 ,peter ,martyr3 ,dialogs 7,dialogi7 ,concerning the ,humanity of ,christ1 the ,property of the ,natures1 and ,ubiquity1 #aefb4 ,beza3 ,answers 7,responsiones7 to the ,arguments of ,brenz1 #aefd4 ,brenz answered in two of his greatest writings1 ,concerning the ,divine ,majesty of ,christ 7,de ,divina ,maiestate ,christi71 #aefb1 and ,recognition 7,recognito7 of the ,doctrine ,concerning the ,true ,majesty of ,christ1 #aefd4 ,in the ,dresden ,consensus 7,consensus ,dresdensis7 of #aega the ,philippists of ,electoral ,saxony also rejected the omnipresence 7which they termed ubiquity7 of the human nature of ,christ4 ,in order to reclaim the ,palatinate 7which1 as will be explained later1 had turned ,reformed7 for ,lutheranism the ,duke of ,wuerttemberg1 in ,april1 #aefd1 arranged for the ,religious ,discussion at ,maulbronn between the theologians of ,wuerttemberg and the ,palatinate4 ,but the only result was a further exchange of polemical publications4 ,in #aefd ,brenz published ,epitome of the ,maulbronn ,colloquium 444 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the ,majesty of ,christ4 ,and in the following year the ,wuerttemberg theologians published ,declaration and ,confession 7,declaratio et ,confessio7 of the ,tuebingen ,theologians ,concerning the ,majesty of the ,man ,christ4 ,both of these writings were answered by the theologians of the ,palatinate4 ,after the death of ,brenz1 ,jacob ,andreae was the chief champion in ,wuerttemberg of the doctrines set forth by ,brenz4 ,in his various publications against the ,calvinists1 ,brenz1 appealing to ,luther1 taught concerning the majesty of ,christ that by reason of the personal union the humanity of ,christ is not only omnipotent and omniscient1 but also omnipresent1 and that the human nature of ,christ received these as well as other divine attributes from the first moment of the incarnation of the ,logos4 ,following are some of his statements3 ,although the divine substance in ,christ is not changed into the human1 and each has its own properties1 nevertheless these two substances are united in one person in ,christ in such a manner that the one is never in reality separated from the other4 ,wherever the deity is1 there is also the humanity of ,christ4 ,we do not ascribe to ,christ many and various bodies1 nor do we ascribe to ,his body local extension or diffusion2 but we exalt ,him beyond this corporeal world1 outside of every creature and place1 and place ,him in accordance with the condition of the hypostatic union in celestial majesty1 which ,he never lacked1 though at the time of ,his flesh in this world ,he hid it or1 as ,paul says1 ,he humbled ,himself 7quam etsi tempore carnis suae in hoc saeculo dissimulavit1 seu ea sese1 ut ,paulus loquitur1 exinanivit1 tamen numquam ea caruit74 ,according to ,brenz the man ,christ was omnipotent1 almighty1 omniscient while ,he lay in the manger4 ,in ,his majesty ,he darkened the sun1 and kept alive all the living while in ,his humiliation ,he was dying on the cross4 ,when dead in the grave1 ,he at the same time was filling and ruling heaven and earth with ,his power4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bdj;f47 ,in ,brunswick1 ,martin ,chemnitz 7born #aebb2 died #aehf71 the ,second ,martin 7alter ,martinus7 of the ,lutheran ,church1 entered the controversy against the ,calvinists in #aefj with his ,repetition 7,repetitio7 of the ,sound ,doctrine ,concerning the ,true ,presence of the ,body and ,blood of ,christ in the ,supper1 in which he based his arguments for the real presence on the words of institution4 ,ten years later he published his famous book ,concerning the ,two ,natures in ,christ 7,de ,duabus ,naturis in ,christo71 etc41--preeminently the ,lutheran classic on the subject it treats4 ,appealing also to ,luther1 he teaches that ,christ1 according to ,his human nature was anointed with all divine gifts2 that1 in consequence of the personal union1 the human nature of ,christ can be and is present where1 when1 and in whatever way ,christ will2 that therefore in accordance with ,his promise1 ,he is in reality present in ,his ,church and in ,his ,supper4 ,chemnitz says3 ,this presence of the assumed nature in ,christ of which we now treat is not natural or essential flowing from the nature and essence of ,christ's humanity1 but voluntary and most free1 depending on the will and power of the ,son of ,god 7non est vel naturalis vel essentialis1 sed voluntaria et liberrima1 dependens a voluntate et potentia ,filii ,dei72 that is to say1 when by a definite word ,he has told1 promised1 and asseverated that ,he would be present with ,his human nature1 444 let us retain this1 which is most certainly true1 that ,christ can be with ,his body wherever1 whenever1 and in whatever manner ,he wills 7,christum suo corpore esse posse1 ubicunque1 quandocunque et quomodocunque vult74 ,but we must judge of ,his will from a definite1 revealed word4 7,tschackert1 #fdd2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bei47 ,the ,formula of ,concord plainly teaches1 both that1 in virtue of the personal union by ,his incarnation1 ,christ according to ,his human nature possesses also the divine attribute of omnipresence1 and that ,he can be and is present wherever ,he will4 ,in the ,epitome we read3 ,this majesty ,christ always had according to the personal union1 and yet ,he abstained from it in the state of ,his humiliation until ,his resurrection1 so that now not only as ,god1 but also as man ,he knows all things1 can do all things1 is present with all creatures1 and has under ,his feet and in ,his hand everything that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth4 444 ,and this ,his power ,he1 being present1 can exercise everywhere1 and to ,him everything is possible and everything is known4 7#hba1 #af4 #bg4 #cj47 ,the ,thorough ,declaration declares that ,christ truly fills all things1 and1 being present everywhere1 not only as ,god1 but also as man1 rules from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth4 7#ajbe1 #bg;ff47 ,again3 ,we hold 444 that also according to ,his assumed human nature and with the same ,he ,christ can be1 and also is1 present where ,he will1 and especially that in ,his ,church and congregation on earth ,he is present as ,mediator1 ,head1 ,king1 and ,high ,priest1 not in part1 or one-half of ,him only1 but the entire person of ,christ1 to which both natures1 the divine and the human1 belong1 is present not only according to ,his divinity1 but also according to1 and with1 ,his assumed human nature1 according to which ,he is our ,brother1 and we are flesh of ,his flesh and bone of ,his bone4 7#ajdc #gh;f47 ,in virtue of the personal union ,christ is present everywhere also according to ,his human nature2 while the peculiarly gracious manner of ,his presence in the ,gospel1 in the ,church1 and in the ,lord's ,supper depends upon ,his will and is based upon ,his definite promises4 #baj4 ,bremen and the ,palatinate ,lost for ,lutheranism4 ,the indignation of the ,lutherans against the ,calvinistic propaganda1 roused by ,westphal and his comrades in their conflict with ,calvin and his followers1 was materially increased by the success of the crafty ,calvinists in ,bremen and in the ,palatinate4 ,in #aedg ,hardenberg ,albert ,rizaeus from ,hardenberg1 ,holland1 born #aeaj was appointed ,dome-preacher in ,bremen4 ,he was a former priest whom ,lasco had won for the ,reformation4 ,regarding the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper he inclined towards ,zwingli4 ,self-evidently1 when his views became known1 the situation in ,bremen became intolerable for his ,lutheran colleagues4 ,how could they associate with and fellowship1 a ,calvinist6 ,to acknowledge him would have been nothing short of surrendering their own views and the character of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the result was that ,john ,timann pastor in ,bremen2 wrote a tract against the ,interim1 died ,february #ag1 #aeeg1 in order to compel ,hardenberg to unmask and reveal his true inwardness1 demanded that all the ministers of ,bremen subscribe to the ,farrago ,sententiarum ,consentientium in ,vera ,doctrina et ,coena ,domini which he had published in #aeee against the ,calvinists4 ,hardenberg and two other ministers refused to comply with the demand4 ,in particular1 ,hardenberg objected to the omnipresence of the human nature of ,christ taught in ,timann's ,farrago4 ,in his ,doctrinal ,summary 7,summaria ,doctrina7 ,hardenberg taught3 ,st4 ,augustine and many other fathers write that the body of ,christ is circumscribed by a certain space in heaven1 and ,i regard this as the true doctrine of the ,church4 7,tschackert1 #aia47 ,hardenberg also published the fable hatched at ,heidelberg 7,heidelberger ,landluege1 indirectly referred to also in the ,formula of ,concord1 #iha1 #bh71 but immediately refuted by ,joachim ,moerlin1 according to which ,luther is said1 toward the end of his life1 to have confessed to ,melanchthon that he had gone too far and overdone the matter in his controversy against the ,sacramentarians2 that he1 however1 did not want to retract his doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper himself1 because that would cast suspicion on his whole teaching2 that therefore after his death the younger theologians might make amends for it and settle this matter4444 ,in #aeef ,timann began to preach against ,hardenberg1 but died the following year4 ,the ,lower ,saxon ,diet1 however1 decided ,february #h1 #aefa1 that ,hardenberg be dismissed within fourteen days1 yet without infamy or condemnation1 citra infamiam et condemnationem4 ,hardenberg submitted under protest and left ,bremen ,february #ah1 #aefa 7he died as a ,reformed preacher at ,emden1 #aegd74 ,simon ,musaeus who had just been expelled from ,jena1 was called as ,superintendent to purge ,bremen of ,calvinism4 ,before long1 however1 the burgomaster of the city1 ,daniel von ,bueren1 whom ,hardenberg had secretly won for the ,reformed doctrine1 succeeded in expelling the ,lutheran ministers from the city and in filling their places with ,philippists1 who before long joined the ,reformed ,church4 ,thus ever since #aefb ,bremen has been a ,reformed city4 ,a much severer blow was dealt ,lutheranism when the ,palatinate1 the home of ,melanchthon1 where the ,philippists were largely represented1 was ,calvinized by ,elector ,frederick ,,iii4 ,tileman ,hesshusius ,hesshusen1 born #aebg2 #aeec superintendent at ,goslar2 #aeef professor and pastor at ,rostock2 #aeeg at ,heidelberg2 #aefj pastor at ,magdeburg2 #aefb court-preacher at ,neuburg2 #aefi professor at ,jena2 #aegc bishop of ,samland1 at ,koenigsberg2 #aegg professor at ,helmstedt where he died #aehh was called in #aeeg by ,elector ,otto ,henry to ,heidelberg both as professor and pastor and as superintendent of the ,palatinate4 ,here the ,calvinists and ,crypto-,calvinists had already done much to undermine ,lutheranism2 and after the death of ,otto ,henry1 ,february #ab1 #aeei1 ,hesshusius who endeavored to stem the ,crypto-,calvinistic tide1 was no longer able to hold his own4 ,under ,elector ,frederick ,,iii1 who succeeded ,otto ,henry1 the ,calvinists came out into the open4 ,this led to scandalous clashes1 of which the ,klebitz affair was a typical and consequential instance4 ,in order to obtain the degree of ,bachelor of ,divinity1 ,william ,klebitz1 the deacon of ,hesshusius1 published1 in #aefj a number of ,calvinistic theses4 ,as a result ,hesshusius most emphatically forbade him henceforth to assist at the distribution of the ,holy ,supper4 ,when ,klebitz nevertheless appeared at the altar1 ,hesshusius endeavored to wrest the cup from his hands4 ,elector ,frederick ordered both ,hesshusius and ,klebitz to settle their trouble in accordance with the ,augustana 7,variata74 ,failing to comply with this unionistic demand1 ,hesshusius was deposed1 ,september #af1 #aeei1 and ,klebitz1 too was dismissed4 ,in a theological opinion1 referred to above1 ,melanchthon approved of the action4 ,hereupon ,hesshusius entered the public controversy against ,calvinism4 ,in #aefj he published ,concerning the ,presence 7,de ,praesentia7 of the ,body of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper and his ,answer 7,responsio7 to the ,prejudicial ,judgement 7,praeiudicium7 of ,philip ,melanchthon on the ,controversy ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper with ,klebitz4 ,after the dismissal of ,hesshusius1 ,elector ,frederick ,,iii1 who had shortly before played a conspicuous role in endeavoring to win the day for ,melanchthonianism at the ,lutheran ,assembly of ,naumburg1 immediately began to ,calvinize his territory4 ,in reading the controversial books published on the ,lord's ,supper1 he suffered himself to be guided by the renowned physician ,thomas ,erastus died #aehc1 who was a ,calvinist and had himself published ,calvinistic books concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the person and natures of ,christ4 ,as a result the ,elector1 having become a decided ,reformedist1 determined to de-,lutheranize the ,palatinate in every particular1 regarding practise and divine service as well as with respect to confessional books1 doctrines1 and teachers4 ,the large number of ,philippists1 who had been secret ,calvinists before1 was increased by such ,reformed theologians as ,caspar ,olevianus 7#aefj71 ,zacharias ,ursinus 7#aefa71 and ,tremellius 7#aefa74 ,images1 baptismal fonts1 and altars were removed from the churches2 wafers were replaced by bread1 which was broken2 the organs were closed2 the festivals of ,mary1 the apostles1 and saints were abolished4 ,ministers refusing to submit to the new order of things were deposed and their charges filled with ,reformed men from the ,netherlands4 ,the ,calvinistic ,heidelberg ,catechism1 composed by ,olevianus and ,ursinus and published #aefc in ,german and ,latin1 took the place of ,luther's ,catechism4 ,this process of ,calvinization was completed by the introduction of the new ,church ,order of ,november #ae1 #aefc4 ,at the behest of ,frederick ,,iii the ,swiss ,confession 7,confessio ,helvetica7 was published in #aeff1 in order to prove by this out-and-out ,zwinglian document1 framed by ,bullinger1 that he the ,elector of the ,palatinate entertained no separate doctrine1 but the very same that was preached also in many other and populous churches1 and that the charge was untrue that the ,reformed disagreed among themselves and were divided into sects4 ,thus the ,palatinate was lost to the ,lutheran ,confession1 for though ,ludwig ,,vi 7#aegf-aehc71 the successor of ,frederick ,,iii1 temporarily restored ,lutheranism1 ,frederick ,,iv 7#aehc to #afaj7 returned to ,calvinism4 #baa4 ,saxony in the ,grip of ,crypto-,calvinists4 ,it was a severe blow to the ,lutheran ,church when ,bremen and the ,palatinate fell a prey to ,calvinism4 ,and the fears were not unfounded that before long the ,electorate of ,saxony would follow in their wake1 and ,wittenberg1 the citadel of the ,lutheran ,reformation1 be captured by ,calvin4 ,that this misfortune1 which1 no doubt1 would have dealt a final and fatal blow to ,lutheranism1 was warded off1 must be regarded as a special providence of ,god4 ,for the men 7,melanchthon1 ,major1 etc47 whom ,luther had accused of culpable silence regarding the true doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper1 were1 naturally enough1 succeeded by theologians who1 while claiming to be true ,lutherans adhering to the ,augsburg ,confession and1 in a shameful manner deceiving and misleading ,elector ,august zealously championed and developed the ,melanchthonian aberrations1 in particular with respect to the doctrines concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the person of ,christ1 and sedulously propagated the views of ,calvin1 at first secretly and guardedly1 but finally with boldness and abandon4 ,gieseler says of these ,philippists in ,wittenberg3 ,inwardly they were out-and-out ,calvinists1 although they endeavored to appear as genuine ,lutherans before their master1 ,elector ,august4 7#c1 #b1 #bej47 ,the most prominent and influential of these so-called ,philippists or ,crypto-,calvinists were ,dr4 ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,jr41 ,dr4 ,christopher ,pezel1 ,dr4 ,frederick ,widebram1 and ,dr4 ,henry ,moeller4 ,the schemes of these men were aided and abetted by a number of non-theological professors3 ,wolfgang ,crell1 professor of ethics1 ,esrom ,ruedinger1 professor of philosophy2 ,george ,cracow1 professor of jurisprudence and1 later1 privy councilor of ,elector ,august2 ,melanchthon's son-in-law1 ,caspar ,peucer1 professor of medicine and physician in ordinary of the ,elector1 who naturally had a great influence on ,august and the ecclesiastical affairs of the ,electorate4 ,he held that ,luther's doctrine of the real presence had no more foundation in the ,bible than did the ,roman transubstantiation4 ,to these must be added ,john ,stoessel1 confessor to the ,elector and superintendent at ,pirna2 ,christian ,schuetze1 court-preacher at ,dresden1 ,andrew ,freyhub and ,wolfgang ,harder professors in ,leipzig1 and others4 ,the real leaders of these ,philippists were ,peucer and ,cracow4 ,their scheme was to prepossess the ,elector against the loyal adherents of ,luther1 especially ,flacius1 gradually to win him over to their liberal views1 and1 at the proper moment1 to surrender and deliver ,electoral ,saxony to the ,calvinists4 ,in prosecuting this sinister plan1 they were unscrupulous also in the choice of their means4 ,thus ,wittenberg1 during ,luther's days the fountainhead of the pure ,gospel and the stronghold of uncompromising fidelity to the truth1 had become a veritable nest of fanatical ,crypto-,calvinistic schemers and dishonest anti-,lutheran plotters who also controlled the situation in the entire ,electorate4 ,the first public step to accomplish their purpose was the publication of the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,christianae1 or ,corpus ,doctrinae ,misnicum1 or ,philippicum1 as it was also called4 ,this collection of symbolical books was published #aefj at ,leipzig by ,caspar ,peucer1 ,melanchthon's son-in-law1 with a preface to both the ,german and ,latin editions written by ,melanchthon and dated ,september #bi1 #aeei1 and ,february #af1 #aefj1 respectively1--an act by which1 perhaps without sufficiently realizing it1 ,melanchthon immodestly assumed for himself and his views the place within the ,lutheran ,church which belonged not to him1 but to ,luther4 ,the title which reveals the insincerity and the purpose of this publication1 runs as follows3 ,corpus ,doctrinae1 i4e41 the entire sum of the true and ,christian doctrine 444 as a testimony of the steadfast and unanimous confession of the pure and true religion in which the schools and churches of these ,electoral ,saxon and ,meissen territories have remained and persevered in all points according to the ,augsburg ,confession for now almost thirty years against the unfounded false charges and accusations of all lying spirits1 #aefj4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 this ,corpus contained1 besides the ,ecumenical ,symbols1 only writings of ,melanchthon1 notably the altered ,augsburg ,confession and the altered ,apology of #aedb1 the ,saxon ,confession of #aeea1 the changed ,loci1 the ,examen ,ordinandorum of #aeed1 and the ,responsiones ad ,impios ,articulos ,inquisitionis ,bavaricae4 ,evidently this ,corpus ,philippicum1 which was introduced also in churches outside of ,electoral ,saxony1 particularly where the princes or leading theologians were ,melanchthonians1 was intended to alienate the ,electorate from the old teaching of ,luther1 to sanction and further the ,melanchthonian tendency1 and thus to pave the way for ,calvinism4 ,it was foisted upon1 and rigorously enforced in1 all the churches of ,electoral ,saxony4 ,all professors1 ministers1 and teachers were pledged by an oath to teach according to it4 ,such as refused to subscribe were deposed1 imprisoned1 or banished4 ,among the persecuted pastors we find the following names3 ,tettelbach1 superintendent in ,chemnitz2 ,george ,herbst1 deacon in ,chemnitz and later superintendent in ,eisleben2 ,graf1 superintendent in ,sangerhausen2 ,schade1 ,heine1 and ,schuetz1 pastors in ,freiberg4 ,when ministers who refused their signatures appealed to ,luther's writings1 they were told that ,luther's books must be understood and explained according to ,melanchthon's ,corpus4 ,at ,wittenberg the opposition to ,luther and his teaching bordered on fanaticism4 ,when1 for example1 in #aefh ,conrad ,schluesselburg and ,albert ,schirmer1 two ,wittenberg students1 entered a complaint against ,professors ,pezel and ,peucer because of their deviations from ,luther in the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper and refused to admit that ,peucer and his colleagues represented the pure doctrine in this matter1 they were expelled from the university1 anathematized1 and driven from the city4 7,schluesselburg #ac1 #fji4 #gcj2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bej47 ,immediately after its appearance1 the ,corpus ,philippicum was denounced by loyal ,lutherans1 notably those of ,reuss1 ,schoenfeld1 and ,jena4 ,when the charges of false teaching against the ,wittenberg theologians increased in number and force1 ,elector ,august arranged a colloquy between the theologians of ,jena and ,wittenberg4 ,it was held at ,altenburg and lasted from ,october1 #aefh1 to ,march1 #aefi because the ,wittenbergers1 evidently afraid of compromising themselves1 insisted on its being conducted in writing only4 ,the result of this colloquy was a public declaration on the part of ,wigand1 ,coelestinus1 ,kirchner ,rosinus1 and others to the effect that the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig theologians had unmistakably revealed themselves as false teachers4 ,at the colloquy the ,jena theologians objected in particular also to the ,corpus ,misnicum because it contained the altered ,augustana1 concerning which they declared3 ,melanchthon has changed the said ,augsburg ,confession so often that finally he has opened a window through which the ,sacramentarians and ,calvinists can sneak into it4 ,one must watch carefully1 lest in course of time the ,papists also find such a loophole to twist themselves into it4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #beb47 ,the ,philippists of ,leipzig and ,wittenberg in turn1 denounced the ,jena theologians as ,flacian fighting cocks 7,flacianische ,haderkatzen74 ,they also succeeded in persuading ,elector ,august to adopt more rigorous measures against the malcontents in his territories4 ,for in addition to the adoption of the ,corpus ,philippicum the ministers were now required to subscribe to a declaration which was tantamount to an endorsement of all of the false doctrines entertained by the ,wittenbergers4 ,the declaration read3 ,i do not adhere to the dangerous ,flacian ,illyrian errors1 contentions1 poisonous backbitings1 and fanaticism 7zaenkischem ,geschmeiss1 giftigem ,gebeiss und ,schwaermerei7 with which the schools and churches of this country are burdened by ,flacius concerning the imagined adiaphorism1 synergism1 and ,majorism and other false accusations1 nor have ,i any pleasure in it the quarreling1 and in the future ,i intend1 by the help of ,god1 to abstain from it altogether1 to damn1 flee1 and avoid it1 and as much as ,i am able1 to prevent it4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bec2 ,walther1 #di47 #bab4 ,bold ,strides ,forward4 ,feeling themselves firm and safe in the saddle1 the ,wittenberg ,philippists now decided on further public steps in the direction of ,calvinism4 ,in #aegj they published ,propositions 7,propositiones7 ,concerning the ,chief ,controversies of ,this ,time1 in which the ,lutheran doctrine regarding the majesty of the human nature of ,christ was repudiated4 ,in the following year they added a new ,catechism1 entitled3 ,catechesis continens explicationem simplicem et brevem decalogi1 ,symboli ,apostolici1 orationis dominicae1 doctrinae ,christianae1 quod amplectuntur ac tuentur ,ecclesiae regionum ,saxonicarum et ,misnicarum quae sunt subiectae editioni ,ducis ,electoris ,saxoniae1 edita in ,academia ,witebergensi et accommodata ad usum scholarum puerilium4 #aega4 ,this ,catechism1 written1 according to ,wigand1 by ,pezel1 appeared anonymously4 ,its preface1 signed by the ,wittenberg theological faculty1 explains that the new ,catechism was an epitome of the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,misnicum and merely intended as a supplement of ,luther's ,catechism for progressed scholars who were in need of additional instruction4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 its doctrine concerning the person of ,christ and the ,lord's ,supper was in substantial agreement with the teaching of ,calvin4 ,under the odious name of ubiquity it rejected the omnipresence of ,christ according to ,his human nature1 and sanctioned ,calvin's teaching concerning the local inclusion of ,christ in heaven4 ,acts #c1 #ba was rendered in ,beza's translation3 ,quem oportet coelo capi4 ,who must be received by the heaven4 ,the ,catechism declares3 ,the ascension was visible and corporeal2 the entire ,antiquity has always written that ,christ's body is restricted to a certain place1 wherever ,he wishes it to be2 and a bodily ascension was made upwards4 ,ascensio fuit visibilis et coporalis1 et semper ita scripsit tota antiquitas1 ,christum corporali locatione in aliquo loco esse1 ubicumque vult1 et ascensio corporalis facta est sursum4 ,concerning the real presence1 the ,catechism merely states3 ,the ,lord's ,supper is the communication of the body and blood of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ as it is instituted in the words of the ,gospel2 in which eating 7sumptione7 the ,son of ,god is truly and substantially present1 and testifies that ,he applies ,his benefits to the believers4 ,he also testifies that ,he has assumed the human nature for the purpose of making us1 who are ingrafted into ,him by faith1 ,his members4 ,he finally testifies that ,he wishes to be in the believers1 to teach1 quicken and govern them4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bfc47 ,the sacramental union1 oral eating and drinking1 and the eating and drinking of the wicked are not mentioned4 ,tschackert remarks that every ,calvinist would readily have subscribed to the teaching of this ,catechism4 7#ede47 ,when the ,wittenberg ,catechism was warned against and designated as ,calvinistic by ,chemnitz1 ,moerlin1 and other theologians of ,brunswick1 ,lueneburg1 ,mansfeld1 ,jena1 and ,halle1 the ,wittenbergers answered and endeavored to defend their position in the so-called ,grundfeste1 ,firm ,foundation1 of #aega4 ,it was a coarse and slanderous publication1 as even the title indicates1 which reads3 ,firm ,foundation of the ,true ,christian ,church ,concerning the ,person and ,incarnation of ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ against the ,modern ,marcionites1 ,samosatenes1 ,sabellians1 ,arians1 ,nestorians1 ,eutychians1 and ,monothelites among the ,flacian ,rabble ,published by the ,theologians in ,wittenberg4 ,in this ,grundfeste the ,wittenbergers present the matter as though the real issue were not the ,lord's ,supper1 but ,christology4 ,they enumerate as heretics also the ,ubiquitists1 including ,brenz1 ,andreae1 and ,chemnitz4 ,with respect to their own agreement with ,calvin1 they remark that their teaching is the doctrine of the early ,church1 in which point1 they said1 also ,calvin agreed4 7,tschackert1 #edf47 ,this daring ,calvinistic publication again resulted in numerous protests against the ,wittenbergers on the part of alarmed ,lutherans everywhere outside of ,electoral ,saxony1 which induced ,elector ,august to require his theologians to deliver at ,dresden1 ,october #aj1 #aega1 a definite statement of their faith4 ,the confession which they presented was entitled3 ,brief ,christian and ,simple ,repetition of the ,confession of the ,churches of ,god in the ,territories of the ,elector of ,saxony ,concerning the ,holy ,supper1 etc4 ,the ,consensus ,dresdensis1 as the document was called1 satisfied the ,elector at least temporarily1 and was published also in ,latin and low ,german4 ,essentially1 however1 the indefinite and dubious language of the ,catechism was here but repeated4 ,concerning the majesty of ,christ the ,dresden ,consensus declares that after the resurrection and ascension the human nature of ,christ was adorned with higher gifts than all angels and men4 ,in ,his ascension1 the ,consensus continues1 ,christ passed through the visible heavens and occupied the heavenly dwelling1 where ,he in glory and splendor retains the essence1 property1 form1 and shape of ,his true body1 and from there ,he1 at the last day1 will come again unto ,judgment in great splendor1 visibly4 ,in a similar vague1 ambiguous1 and misleading manner ,christ's sitting at the right hand of ,god is spoken of4 ,omitting the oral eating and drinking and the eating and drinking of the wicked1 the ,consensus states concerning the ,lord's ,supper that in this ,sacrament ,christ gives us with the bread and wine ,his true body sacrificed for us on the cross1 and ,his true blood shed for us1 and thereby testifies that ,he receives us1 makes us members of ,his body1 washes us with ,his blood1 presents forgiveness of sins1 and wishes truly to dwell and to be efficacious in us4 7,tschackert1 #edf47 ,the opponents of the ,wittenbergers are branded as unruly men1 who1 seeking neither truth nor peace1 excite offensive disputations concerning the real presence in the ,lord's ,supper as well as with regard to other articles4 ,their doctrine of the real communication 7realis seu physica communicatio7 is characterized as a corruption of the article of the two natures in ,christ and as a revamping of the heresies of the ,marcionites1 ,valentinians1 ,manicheans1 ,samosatenes1 ,sabellians1 ,arians1 ,nestorians1 ,eutychians1 and ,monothelites4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bfd;f47 #bac4 ,apparently ,victorious4 ,all the ,crypto-,calvinistic publications of the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig ,philippists were duly unmasked by the ,lutherans outside of ,electoral ,saxony1 especially in ,northern ,germany4 ,their various opinions were published at ,jena1 #aegb1 under the title3 ,unanimous ,confession 7,einhelliges ,bekenntnis7 of ,many ,highly ,learned ,theologians and ,prominent ,churches #a4 concerning the ,new ,catechism of the ,new ,wittenbergers1 and #b4 concerning their ,new ,foundation 7,grundfeste71 also #c4 concerning their ,new ,confession 7,consensus ,dresdensis71 thereupon adopted4 ,however1 all this and the repeated warnings that came from every quarter outside of his own territories1 from ,lutheran princes as well as theologians1 do not seem to have made the least impression on ,elector ,august4 ,yet he evidently was1 and always intended to be a sincere1 devoted1 true-hearted1 and singleminded ,lutheran4 ,when1 for example1 in #aegb ,beza1 at the instance of the ,wittenberg ,philippists1 dedicated his book against ,selneccer to ,elector ,august1 the latter advised him not to trouble him any further with such writings1 as he would never allow any other doctrine in his territory than that of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,however1 blind and credulous as he was1 and filled with prejudice and suspicion against ,flacius and the ,jena theologians generally1 whom he1 being the brother of the usurper ,maurice1 instinctively feared as possibly also political enemies1 ,elector ,august was easily duped and completely hypnotized1 as it were1 by the men surrounding him1 who led him to believe that they1 too1 were in entire agreement with ,luther and merely opposed the trouble-breeding ,flacians1 whom they never tired of denouncing as zealots1 fanatics1 bigots1 wranglers1 barkers1 alarmists1 etc4 ,while in reality they rejected the doctrine that the true body and blood of ,christ is truly and essentially present in the ,holy ,supper1 these ,crypto-,calvinists pretended 7and ,elector ,august believed them7 that they merely objected to a local presence and to a ,capernaitic eating and drinking of the body and blood of ,christ in the ,holy ,supper4 ,and while in reality they clearly repudiated ,luther's teaching1 according to which the divine attributes 7omnipotence1 omnipresence1 etc47 are communicated to the human nature of ,christ1 they caused the ,elector to believe that they merely opposed a delusion of the ,ubiquitists1 who1 they said1 taught that the body of ,christ was locally extended over the entire universe4 ,this crass localism1 they maintained1 was the teaching of their opponents1 while they themselves faithfully adhered to the teachings of ,luther and ,philip1 and1 in general1 were opposed only to the exaggerations and excrescences advocated by the bigoted ,flacians4 7,walther1 #dc47 ,such was the manner in which the ,elector allowed himself to be duped by the ,philippists who surrounded him1--men who gradually developed the art of dissimulation to premeditated deceit1 falsehood1 and perjury4 ,even the ,reformed theologian ,simon ,stenius1 a student at ,wittenberg during the ,crypto-,calvinistic period1 charges the ,wittenbergers with dishonesty and systematic dissimulation4 ,the same accusation was raised #aefa by the jurist ,justus ,jonas in his letters to ,duke ,albrecht of ,prussia4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bdi47 ,and evidently believing that ,elector ,august could be fooled all the time1 they became increasingly bold in their theological publications1 and in their intrigues as well4 ,to all practical purposes the ,university of ,wittenberg was already ,calvinized4 ,calvinistic books appeared and were popular4 ,even the work of a ,jesuit against the book of ,jacob ,andreae on the ,majesty of the ,person of ,christ was published at ,wittenberg4 ,the same was done with a treatise of ,beza1 although1 in order to deceive the public1 the title-page gave ,geneva as the place of publication4 ,hans ,lufft1 the ,wittenberg printer1 later declared that during this time he did not know how to dispose of the books of ,luther which he still had in stock1 but that1 if he had printed twenty or thirty times as many ,calvinistic books1 he would have sold all of them very rapidly4 ,even ,providence seemed to bless and favor the plans of the plotters4 ,for when on ,march #c1 #aegc1 ,duke ,john ,william1 the patron and protector of the faithful ,lutherans1 died1 ,elector ,august became the guardian of his two sons4 ,and fanaticized by his advisers1 the ,elector1 immediately upon taking hold of the government in ,ducal ,saxony1 banished ,wigand1 ,hesshusius1 ,caspar ,melissander born #aedj2 #aega professor of theology in ,jena2 #aegh superintendent in ,altenburg2 died #aeia ,rosinus born #aebj2 #aeei superintendent in ,weimar #aegd superintendent in ,regensburg2 died #aehf1 ,gernhard1 court-preacher in ,weimar1 and more than #ajj preachers and teachers of ,ducal ,saxony4 ,the reason for this cruel procedure was their refusal to adopt the ,corpus ,philippicum1 and because they declined to promise silence with respect to the ,philippists4 #bad4 ,exegesis ,perspicua4 ,in #aegc1 the ,calvinization of ,electoral and ,ducal ,saxony was1 apparently1 an accomplished fact4 ,but the very next year marked the ignominious downfall and the unmasking of the dishonest ,philippists4 ,for in this year appeared the infamous ,exegesis1 which finally opened the eyes of ,elector ,august4 ,its complete title ran3 ,exegesis ,perspicua et ferme ,integra ,controversiae de ,sacra ,coena--,perspicuous and ,almost ,complete ,explanation of the ,controversy ,concerning the ,holy ,supper4 ,the contents and make-up of the book as well as the secret methods adopted for its circulation clearly revealed that its purpose was to deal a final blow to ,lutheranism in order to banish it forever from ,saxony4 ,neither the author1 nor the publisher1 nor the place and date of publication were anywhere indicated in the book4 ,the paper bore ,geneva mark and the lettering was ,french4 ,the prima facie impression was that it came from abroad4 ,before long1 however1 it was established that the ,exegesis had been published in ,leipzig by the printer ,voegelin1 who at first also claimed its authorship4 ,but when the impossibility of this was shown1 ,voegelin1 in a public hearing1 stated that ,joachim ,curaeus of ,silesia1 a physician who had left ,saxony and died #aegc1 was the author of the book4 ,valentin ,loescher1 however1 relates 7,historia ,motuum #c1 #aie7 that probably ,pezel and the son-in-law of ,melanchthon1 ,peucer1 had a hand in it2 that the ,crypto-,calvinist ,esram ,ruedinger born #aebc1 son-in-law of ,camerarius1 professor of physics in ,wittenberg1 died #aeia was its real author2 that it was printed at ,leipzig in order to keep the real originators of it hidden1 and that1 for the same purpose1 the ,silesian ,candidate of ,medicine ,curaeus had taken the responsibility of its authorship upon himself4 7,tschackert1 #edg47 ,self-evidently1 the ,wittenberg theologians disclaimed any knowledge of1 or any connection with1 the origin of the ,exegesis4 ,however1 they were everywhere believed to share its radical teachings1 and known to have spread it among the students of the university1 and suspected also of having before this resorted to tactics similar to those employed in the ,exegesis4 ,as early as #aefa1 for example1 rhymes had secretly been circulated in ,wittenberg1 the burden of which was that faith alone effects the presence of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper1 and that the mouth receives nothing but natural bread4 ,one of these ran as follows3 ,allein der ,glaub' an ,jesum ,christ ,schafft1 dass er gegenwaertig ist1 ,und speist uns mit sei'm ,fleisch und ,blut ,und sich mit uns einigen tut4 ,der ,mund empfaeht natuerlich ,brot1 ,die ,seel' aber speist selber ,gott4 7,walther1 #df47 ,of course1 the purpose of such dodgers was to prepare the way for ,calvinism4 ,and on the very face of it1 the ,exegesis ,perspicua was intended to serve similar secret propaganda4 ,the chief difference between the preceding publications of the ,philippists and the ,exegesis was that here they came out in clear and unmistakable language4 ,the sacramental union1 the oral eating and drinking 7manducatio oralis71 and the eating and drinking of the wicked1 which before were passed by in silence1 are dealt with extensively and repudiated4 ,the ,exegesis teaches3 ,the body of ,christ is inclosed in heaven2 in the ,holy ,supper it is present only according to its efficacy1 there is no union of the body of ,christ with the bread and wine2 hence1 there neither is nor can be such a thing as oral eating and drinking or eating and drinking of unbelievers4 ,the ubiquity1 as the ,exegesis terms the omnipresence of ,christ's human nature1 is condemned as ,eutychian heresy4 ,the ,exegesis declared3 ,in the use of the bread and wine the believers by faith become true and living members of the body of ,christ1 who is present and efficacious through these symbols1 as through a ministry inflaming and renewing our hearts by ,his ,holy ,spirit4 ,the unbelieving1 however1 do not become partakers1 or koinonoi1 but because of their contempt are guilty of the body of ,christ4 7,seeberg1 ,grundriss #adf47 ,after fulsome praise of the ,reformed1 whose doctrine1 the ,exegesis says1 is in agreement with the symbols of the ancient ,church1 and who as to martyrdom surpass the ,lutherans1 and after a corresponding depreciation of ,luther1 who in the heat of the controversy was said frequently to have gone too far1 the ,exegesis recommends that the wisest thing would be to follow the men whom ,god had placed at the side of ,luther1 and who had spoken more correctly than ,luther4 ,following ,melanchthon1 all might unite in the neutral formula1 ,the bread is the communion of the body of ,christ1 avoiding all further definition regarding the ubiquity the omnipresence of ,christ's human nature and the eating of the true body of ,christ1 until a synod had definitely decided these matters4 7,tschackert1 #edg47 ,all purified churches 7all churches in ,germany1 ,switzerland1 etc41 purified from ,roman errors71 the ,exegesis urges1 ought to be in accord with one another2 and this pious concord should not be disturbed on account of this difference regarding the ,holy ,supper4 ,let us be united in ,christ and discontinue those dangerous teachings concerning the ubiquity1 the eating of the true body on the part of the wicked1 and similar things4 ,the teachers should agree on a formula which could not create offense4 ,they should employ the modes of speech found in the writings of ,melanchthon4 ,it is best to suppress public disputations1 and when contentious men create strife and disquiet among the people1 the proper thing to do1 as ,philip advised in his opinion to the ,elector of the ,palatinate1 is to depose such persons of either party1 and to fill their places with more modest men4 ,the teachers must promote unity1 and recommend the churches and teachers of the opposite party4 7,walther1 #ea47 ,such was the teaching and the theological attitude of the ,exegesis4 ,it advocated a union of the ,lutherans and the ,reformed based on indifferentism1 and a surrender in all important doctrinal points to ,calvinism1 the ,lutherans merely retaining their name4 ,this unionistic attitude of the ,exegesis has been generally1 also in ,america1 termed ,melanchthonianism4 #bae4 ,plotters ,unmasked4 ,the plain and unmistakable language of the ,exegesis cleared the atmosphere1 and everywhere dispelled all doubts as to the real nature of the theological trend at ,wittenberg and ,leipzig4 ,now it was plain to everybody beyond the shadow of a doubt that ,electoral ,saxony was indeed infested with decided ,calvinists4 ,and before long also the web of deceit and falsehood which they had spun around the ,elector was torn into shreds4 ,the appearance of the ,exegesis resulted in a cry of indignation throughout ,lutheran ,germany against the ,wittenberg and ,leipzig ,philippists4 ,yet1 in #aegd1 only few books appeared against the document1 which1 indeed1 was not in need of a special refutation4 ,wigand published ,analysis of the ,new ,exegesis1 and ,hesshusius3 ,assertion 7,assertio7 of the ,true ,doctrine ,concerning the ,supper1 against the ,calvinian ,exegesis4 ,at the same time ,elector ,august was again urged by ,lutheran princes notably the ,king of ,denmark and ,duke ,ludwig of ,wuerttemberg1 also by private persons1 to proceed against the ,calvinists in his country and not to spare them any longer4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bfg47 ,the aged ,count of ,henneberg made it a point to see the ,elector personally in this matter4 ,but there was little need for further admonitions1 for the ,exegesis had opened the ,elector's eyes4 ,and soon after its publication discoveries were made which filled ,august with deep humiliation and burning indignation at the base deception practised on him by the very men whom he had trusted implicitly and placed in most important positions4 ,by lying and deceit the ,philippists had for a long period succeeded in holding the confidence of ,elector ,august2 but now the time for their complete and inglorious unmasking had arrived4 ,shortly after the ,exegesis had appeared1 ,peucer wrote a letter to the ,crypto-,calvinist ,christian ,schuetze1 then court-preacher in ,dresden who studied at ,leipzig2 became superintendent at ,chemnitz in #aeej1 court-preacher of ,elector ,august in #aeed2 when he was buried1 boys threw a black hen over his coffin1 crying1 ',here flies the ,calvinistic devil2' ,joecher1 ,lexicon #d1 #cgb1 which he had addressed to the wife of the court-preacher in order to avoid suspicion4 ,by mistake the letter was delivered to the wife of the court-preacher ,lysthenius born #aecb2 studied in ,wittenberg2 became court-preacher of ,elector ,august in #aegb and later on his confessor2 opposed ,crypto-,calvinism2 was dismissed #aeij by ,chancellor ,crell2 #aeia restored to his position in ,dresden1 died #aeif4 ,after opening the letter and finding it to be written in ,latin1 she gave it to her husband1 who1 in turn1 delivered it to the ,elector4 ,in it ,peucer requested ,schuetze dexterously to slip into the hands of ,anna1 the wife of the ,elector1 a ,calvinistic prayer-book which he had sent with the letter4 ,peucer added3 ,if first we have ,mother ,anna on our side1 there will be no difficulty in winning ,his ,lordship her husband too4 ,additional implicating material was discovered when ,augustus now confiscated the correspondence of ,peucer1 ,schuetze1 ,stoessel1 and ,cracow4 ,the letters found revealed the consummate perfidy1 dishonesty1 cunning1 and treachery of the men who had been the trusted advisers of the ,elector1 who had enjoyed his implicit confidence1 and who by their falsehoods had caused him to persecute hundreds of innocent and faithful ,lutheran ministers4 ,the fact was clearly established that these ,philippists had been systematically plotting to ,calvinize ,saxony4 ,the very arguments with which ,luther's doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper and the ,person of ,christ might best be refuted were enumerated in these letters4 ,however1 when asked by the ,elector whether they were ,calvinists1 these self-convicted deceivers are said to have answered that they would not see the face of ,god in eternity if in any point they were addicted to the doctrines of the ,sacramentarians or deviated in the least from ,dr4 ,luther's teaching4 7,walther1 #ef47 ,the leaders of the conspiracy were incarcerated4 ,cracow died in prison1 #aege2 ,stoessel1 #aegf4 ,it was as late as #aehf that ,peucer regained his liberty1 ,schuetze in #aehi4 #baf4 ,lutheranism ,restored4 ,in all the churches of ,saxony thanksgiving services were held to praise ,god for the final triumph of genuine ,lutheranism4 ,a memorial coin celebrating the victory over the ,crypto-,calvinists1 bearing the date #aegd1 was struck at ,torgau4 ,the obverse exhibits ,elector ,august handing a book to ,elector ,john ,george of ,brandenburg4 ,the inscription above reads3 ,conserva ,apud ,nos ,verbum ,tuum1 ,domine4 ,preserve ,thy ,word among ,us1 ,o ,lord4 ,below1 the inscription runs3 ,augustus1 ,dei ,gratia ,dux ,saxionae et ,elector4 ,augustus1 by the ,grace of ,god ,duke of ,saxony and ,elector4 ,the reverse represents ,torgau and its surroundings1 with ,wittenberg in the distance4 ,the ,elector1 clad in his armor1 is standing on a rock bearing the inscription3 ,schloss ,hartenfels 7castle at ,torgau74 ,in his right hand he is holding a sword1 in his left a balance1 whose falling scale1 in which the ,child ,jesus is sitting1 bears the inscription3 ,die ,allmacht1 ,omnipotence4 ,the lighter and rising pan1 in which four ,wittenberg ,crypto-,calvinists are vainly exerting themselves to the utmost in pulling on the chains of their pan in order to increase its weight1 and on the beam of which also the devil is sitting1 is inscribed3 ,die ,vernunft1 ,reason4 ,above1 ,god appears1 saying to the ,elector1 ,joshua #a1 #e4 #f3 ,confide1 ,non ,derelinquam ,te4 ,trust1 ,i will not forsake thee4 ,below we read3 ,apud ,deum ,non ,est ,impossibile ,verbum ,ullum1 ,lucae #a4 ,conserva ,apud ,nos ,verbum ,tuum1 ,domine4 #aegd4 ,nothing is impossible with ,god1 ,luke #a4 ,preserve ,thy ,word among us1 ,lord4 #aegd4 ,the obverse of a smaller medal1 also of #aegd shows the bust of ,elector ,august with the inscription3 ,augustus1 ,dei ,gratia ,dux ,saxoniae ,et ,elector4 ,the reverse exhibits a ship in troubled waters with the crucified ,christ in her expanded sails1 and the ,elector in his armor and with the sword on his shoulder1 standing at the foot of the mast4 ,in the roaring ocean are enemies1 shooting with arrows and striking with swords1 making an assault upon the ship4 ,the fearlessness of the ,elector is expressed in the inscription3 ,te ,gubernatore1 ,thou ,christ being the pilot4 ,among the jubilee medals of #afag there is one which evidently1 too1 celebrates the victory over ,zwinglianism and ,calvinism4 ,its obverse exhibits ,frederick in his electoral garb pointing with two fingers of his right hand to the name ,jehovah at the head of the medal4 ,at his left ,luther is standing with a burning light in his right hand and pointing with the forefinger of his left hand to a book lying on a table and bearing the title3 ,biblia ,sacra3 ,verbum ,dei ,manet ,in ,aeternum4 ,the reverse represents the ,elector standing on a rock inscribed3 ,schloss ,hartenfels1 ,castle ,hartenfels4 ,in his right hand he is holding the sword and in his left a balance4 ,under the falling scale1 containing the ,child ,jesus1 we read3 ,die ,allmacht1 ,omnipotence1 and under the rising pan1 in which the serpent is lying3 ,die ,vernunft1 ,reason4 ,the marginal inscription runs4 ,iosua #a3 ,confide4 ,non ,derelinquam ,te4 ,joshua #a3 ,trust4 ,i will not forsake thee4 7,ch4 ,junker1 ,ehrengedaechtnis ,dr4 ,m4 ,luthers1 #cec4 #chc47 ,self-evidently1 ,elector ,august immediately took measures also to reestablish in his territories ,luther's doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the beginning was made by introducing a confession prepared by reliable superintendents and discussed1 adopted1 and subscribed at the ,diet of ,torgau1 ,september1 #aegd1 and published simultaneously in ,german and ,latin4 ,its ,german title ran3 ,brief ,confession 7,kurz ,bekenntnis7 and ,articles ,concerning the ,holy ,supper of the ,body and ,blood of ,christ1 from which may clearly be seen what heretofore has been publicly taught1 believed1 and confessed concerning it in both universities of ,leipzig and ,wittenberg1 and elsewhere in all churches and schools of the ,elector of ,saxony1 also what has been rebuked and is still rebuked as ,sacramentarian error and enthusiasm4 ,the ,torgau ,confession1 therefore1 does not reject the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,misnicum of #aefj nor even the ,consensus ,dresdensis of #aega1 and pretends that ,melanchthon was in doctrinal agreement with ,luther1 and that only a few ,crypto-,calvinists had of late been discovered in the ,electorate4 ,this pretense was the chief reason why the ,confession did not escape criticism4 ,in #aege ,wigand published3 ,whether the ,new ,wittenbergers had hitherto always taught harmoniously and agreeably with the ,old1 and whether ,luther's and ,philip's writings were throughout in entire harmony and agreement4 ,as for its doctrine1 however1 the ,torgau ,confession plainly upholds the ,lutheran teaching4 ,article ,,vii contends that in the distribution of the ,lord's ,supper the body and blood of ,christ are truly received also by the unworthy4 ,article ,,viii maintains the oral eating and drinking1 oris manducatio4 ,calvin1 ,beza1 ,bullinger1 ,peter ,martyr and the ,heidelberg theologians are rejected1 and their names expressly mentioned4 ,on the other hand1 the ubiquity local extension of the flesh of ,christ is disavowed and a discussion of the mode and possibility of the presence of the body and blood of ,christ is declined as something inscrutable4 ,the ,latin passage reads3 ,ac ne carnis quidem ubiquitatem1 aut quidquam1 quod vel veritatem corporis ,christi tollat1 vel ulli fidei articulo repugnet1 propter praesentiam in ,coena fingimus aut probamus4 ,denique de modo et possibilitate praesentiae corporis et sanguinis ,domini plane nihil disputamus4 ,nam omnia haec imperscrutabilia statuimus4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bfh47 ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,jr41 ,henry ,moeller1 ,christopher ,pezel1 and ,frederick ,widebram1 who refused to subscribe the ,brief ,confession1 were first arrested1 then1 after subscribing with a qualification1 released1 but finally 7#aegd7 banished4 ,widebram and ,pezel removed to ,nassau1 ,moeller to ,hamburg1 and ,cruciger to ,hesse4 ,at ,leipzig1 ,andrew ,freyhub1 who appealing to the ,consensus ,dresdensis1 taught that ,christ was exalted according to both natures1 that divine properties were not communicated to ,his humanity1 and that ,his body was inclosed in a certain place in heaven was deposed in #aegf4 ,thus ended the ,crypto-,calvinistic drama in ,electoral ,saxony4 ,henceforth such men as ,andreae1 ,chemnitz1 and ,selneccer were the trusted advisers of ,august1 who now became the enthusiastic1 devoted1 and self-sacrificing leader of the larger movement for settling all of the controversies distracting the ,lutheran ,church1 which finally resulted in the adoption of the ,formula of ,concord4 #bag4 ,visitation ,articles4 ,elector ,august1 the stanch defender of genuine ,lutheranism1 died #aehf4 ,under his successor1 ,christian ,i1 and ,chancellor ,nicholas ,crell1 ,crypto-,calvinism once more raised its head in ,electoral ,saxony4 ,but it was for a short period only1 for ,christian ,i died ,september #be1 #aeia1 and during the regency of ,duke ,frederick ,william1 who acted as guardian of ,christian ,,ii1 ,lutheranism was reestablished4 ,in order effectually and permanently to suppress the ,crypto-,calvinistic intrigues1 the ,duke1 in ,february of #aeib1 ordered a general visitation of all the churches in the entire ,electorate4 ,for this purpose ,aegidius ,hunnius born #aeej2 #aegf professor in ,marburg and later superintendent and professor in ,wittenberg2 attended colloquy at ,regensburg #afja2 wrote numerous books1 particularly against ,papists and ,calvinists1 died #afjc1 ,martin ,mirus born #aecb1 died #aeic1 ,george ,mylius born #aedd2 #aehd expelled from ,augsburg because he was opposed to the ,gregorian almanac1 since #aehe professor in ,wittenberg and ,jena1 died #afjg1 ,wolfgang ,mamphrasius born #aeeg2 superintendent in ,wurtzen2 died #afaf1 and others1 who were to conduct the visitation1 composed the so-called ,visitation ,articles which were printed in #aeic4 ,the complete title of these articles runs3 ,visitation ,articles in the ,entire ,electorate of ,saxony1 together with the ,negative and ,contrary ,doctrines of the ,calvinists and the ,form of ,subscription1 as ,presented to be ,signed by ,both ,parties4 ,as a result of the visitation1 the ,crypto-,calvinistic professors in ,wittenberg and ,leipzig were exiled4 ,john ,salmuth born #aege2 court-preacher in ,dresden since #aehd2 died #aeib and ,prierius1 also a minister in ,dresden1 were imprisoned4 ,as a bloody finale of the ,crypto-,calvinistic drama enacted in ,electoral ,saxony1 ,chancellor ,crell was beheaded1 ,october #i1 #afja1 after an imprisonment of ten years4 ,crell was punished1 according to his epitaph1 as an enemy of peace and a disturber of the public quiet--hostis pacis et quietis publicae turbator1 or1 as ,hutter remarks in his ,concordia ,concors1 not on account of his religion1 but on account of his manifold perfidy--non ob religionem1 sed ob perfidiam multiplicem4 7#ddh4 #abeh47 ,for a long period 7till #ahcf7 all teachers and ministers in ,electoral ,saxony were required to subscribe also to the ,visitation ,articles as a doctrinal norm4 ,self-evidently they are not an integral part of the ,book of ,concord4 ,,xix4 ,controversy on ,christ's ,descent into ,hell4 #bah4 ,luther's ,doctrine4 ,while according to medieval theologians the descent into hell was regarded as an act by which ,christ1 with ,his soul only1 entered the abode of the dead2 and while according to ,calvin and the ,reformed generally the descent into hell is but a figurative expression for the sufferings of ,christ1 particularly of ,his soul1 on the cross1 ,luther1 especially in a sermon delivered #aecc at ,torgau1 taught in accordance with the ,scriptures that ,christ the ,god-man1 body and soul1 descended into hell as ,victor over ,satan and his host4 ,with special reference to ,ps4 #af1 #aj and ,acts #b1 #bd4 #bg1 ,luther explained3 ,after ,his burial the whole person of ,christ1 the ,god-man1 descended into hell1 conquered the devil1 and destroyed the power of hell and ,satan4 ,the mode and manner1 however1 in which this was done can no more be comprehended by human reason than ,his sitting at the right hand of the ,father1 and must therefore not be investigated1 but believed and accepted in simple faith4 ,it is sufficient if we retain the consolation that neither hell nor devil are any longer able to harm us4 ,accordingly1 ,luther did not regard the descent into hell as an act belonging to the state of humiliation1 by which ,he paid the penalty for our sins1 but as an act of exaltation1 in which ,christ1 as it were1 plucked for us the fruits of ,his sufferings which were finished when ,he died upon the cross4 ,luther's sermon at ,torgau graphically describes the descent as a triumphant march of our victorious ,savior into the stronghold of the dismayed infernal hosts4 ,from it we quote the following3 ,before ,christ arose and ascended into heaven1 and while yet lying in the grave1 ,he also descended into hell in order to deliver also us from it1 who were to be held in it as prisoners4444 ,however ,i shall not discuss this article in a profound and subtle manner1 as to how it was done or what it means to 'descend into hell1' but adhere to the simplest meaning conveyed by these words1 as we must represent it to children and uneducated people4 ,therefore whoever would not go wrong or stumble had best adhere to the words and understand them in a simple way as well as he can4 ,accordingly1 it is customary to represent ,christ in paintings on walls1 as ,he descends1 appears before hell1 clad in a priestly robe and with a banner in ,his hand1 with which ,he beats the devil and puts him to flight1 takes hell by storm1 and rescues those that are ,his4 ,thus it was also acted the night before ,easter as a play for children4 ,and ,i am well pleased with the fact that it is painted1 played1 sung and said in this manner for the benefit of simple people4 ,we1 too1 should let it go at that1 and not trouble ourselves with profound and subtle thoughts as to how it may have happened1 since it surely did not occur bodily inasmuch as ,he remained in the grave three days4 ,luther continues3 ,however since we cannot but conceive thoughts and images of what is presented to us in words1 and unable to think of or understand anything without such images1 it is appropriate and right that we view it literally1 just as it is painted1 that ,he descends with the banner1 shattering and destroying the gates of hell2 and we should put aside thoughts that are too deep and incomprehensible for us4 ,but we ought 444 simply to fix and fasten our hearts and thoughts on the words of the ,creed1 which says3 ',i believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 dead1 buried1 and descended into hell1' that is1 in the entire person1 ,god and man1 with body and soul1 undivided1 'born of the ,virgin1 suffered1 died1 and buried'2 in like manner ,i must not divide it here either1 but believe and say that the same ,christ1 ,god and man in one person1 descended into hell but did not remain in it2 as ,ps4 #af1 #aj says of ,him3 ',thou wilt not leave ,my soul in hell nor suffer ,thine ,holy ,one to see corruption4' ,by the word 'soul1' ,he1 in accordance with the language of the ,scripture1 does not mean1 as we do1 a being separated from the body1 but the entire man1 the ,holy ,one of ,god1 as ,he here calls ,himself4 ,but how it may have occurred that the man lies there in the grave1 and yet descends into hell--that1 indeed1 we shall and must leave unexplained and uncomprehended2 for it certainly did not take place in a bodily and tangible manner although we can only paint and conceive it in a coarse and bodily way and speak of it in pictures4 ,such1 therefore is the plainest manner to speak of this article1 that we may adhere to the words and cling to this main point1 that for us1 through ,christ1 hell has been torn to pieces and the devil's kingdom and power utterly destroyed1 for which purpose ,he died1 was buried1 and descended1--so that it should no longer harm or overwhelm us1 as ,he ,himself says1 ,matt4 #af1 #ah4444 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #ajej7 #bai4 ,aepinus in ,hamburg4 ,the two outstanding features of ,luther's sermon are that ,christ descended into hell body and soul1 and that ,he descended as a triumphant ,victor1 and not in order to complete ,his suffering and the work of atonement4 ,the denial of these two points1 in particular1 caused a new controversy1 which however1 was of brief duration only1 and practically confined to the city of ,hamburg1 hence also called the ,hamburg ,church ,controversy1 der ,hamburger ,kirchenstreit4 ,its author was ,john ,aepinus ,huck or ,hoeck2 born #adii2 studied under ,luther2 persecuted in ,brandenburg and banished2 rector in ,stralsund2 #aecb pastor and later superintendent in ,hamburg2 wrote #aedg against the ,interim2 sided with ,flacius against the ,philippists2 published books in ,latin and ,low ,german2 dealt with ,christ's descent to hell especially in his ,commentary on ,psalm #af1 of #aedd1 and in his ,explanation of ,psalm #fh1 of #aeec2 died ,may #ac1 #aeec4 ,aepinus taught that ,christ's descent is a part of ,his suffering and atonement4 ,while the body was lying in the grave1 ,his soul descended into hell in order to suffer the qualms and pangs required to satisfy the wrath of ,god1 complete the work of redemption1 and render a plenary satisfaction1 satisfactio plenaria4 ,the descent is the last stage of ,christ's humiliation and suffering1 ,his triumph first beginning with the resurrection4 ,though we know ,his sufferings in hell to have been most sad and bitter1 yet we are unable to say and define what they were in particular1 or to describe them concretely1 because ,scripture is silent on this question4 ,but while ,aepinus originally held that the soul of ,christ suffered in hell the punishment of eternal death1 he later on distinguished between the first and the second death 7eternal damnation7 asserting the suffering ,christ endured in hell to have been a part of the punishment of the first death1 and that ,he did not suffer the cruciatus ,,aeterni tartarei ignis4--,such were the views advocated1 developed1 and variously modified by ,aepinus in his theological lectures and publications4 ,from the ,latin ,consummatum est1 ,it is finished1 the teaching that ,christ finished ,his suffering and the work of atonement by ,his death on the cross was stigmatized by ,aepinus as error consummaticus1 and its advocates as ,consummatists1 while these1 in turn1 dubbed ,aepinus and his adherents ,infernalists4 7,frank #c1ddj47 ,among the statements of ,aepinus are the following3 ,i believe that hell is a place prepared by divine justice to punish the devils and wicked men according to the quality of their sins4 7#dcg47 ,on account of our redemption ,christ descended to hell1 just as ,he suffered and died for us4 7#dcg47 ,theologians who either deny that the soul of ,christ descended into hell1 or say that ,christ was present in hell only in effect and power1 and not by ,his presence1 deprive the ,church of faith in the sufficient1 complete1 and perfect satisfaction and redemption of ,christ and leave to ,satan the right over pious souls after their separation from the body4 ,for by denying that ,christ sustained and bore those punishments of death and hell which the souls were obliged to bear after their separation from the body1 they assert that complete satisfaction has not been made for them4 7#dci47 ,i believe that the descent of the soul of ,christ to hell is a part of the ,passion of ,christ1 i4e41 of the struggles1 dangers1 anguish1 pains1 and punishments which ,he took upon ,himself and bore in our behalf2 for1 in the ,scriptures1 to descend to hell signifies to be involved in the highest struggles1 pain1 and distress4 ,i believe that the descent of ,christ to hell is a part of ,his obedience foretold by the prophets and imposed on ,him because of our sins4 7#ddj47 ,i believe that the descent of ,christ pertains to ,his humiliation1 not to ,his glorification and triumph4 7#dda47 ,the descent to hell was by ,god's judgment laid upon ,christ as the last degree of ,his humiliation and exinanition and as the extreme part of ,his obedience and satisfaction4 7#dda47 ,peter clearly teaches1 ,acts #b1 that the soul of ,christ felt the pangs of hell and death while ,his body was resting in the sepulcher4 7#dda47 ,what ,christ experienced when ,he descended into hell is known to ,himself1 not to us2 may we acknowledge and accept with grateful minds that ,he descended into hell for us4 ,but let us not inquire what it was that ,he experienced for us in ,his descent1 for we may piously remain ignorant of matters which ,god did not reveal to ,his ,church1 and which ,he does not demand that she know4 7#ddd47 #bbj4 ,opposed by ,his ,colleagues4 ,the views of ,aepinus1 first presented in lectures delivered #aedd before the ministers of ,hamburg1 called forth dissent and opposition on the part of his colleagues4 ,before long1 however 7#aedi71 the controversy began to assume a virulent character4 ,while the conduct of ,aepinus was always marked by dignity1 moderation1 and mildness1 his opponents ,tileman ,epping1 ,john ,gartz1 and ,caspar ,hackrott1 ventilated and assailed his teaching in their pulpits4 ,the chief argument against ,aepinus was that his doctrine conflicted with1 and invalidated1 the words of ,christ1 ,it is finished1 ,to-day shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise4 ,aepinus rejoined that the word to-day is an ambiguous term1 denoting both the immediate presence and the indefinite near future 7pro praesenti et imminente tempore indefinito74 7#dad47 ,however1 it was not in every respect ,luther's position which was occupied by some of the opponents of ,aepinus4 ,gratz is reported to have taught that the article concerning the descent of ,christ was not necessary to salvation that descendere 7descend7 was identical with sepeliri 7to be buried71 that the descent to hell referred to the anguish and temptation of ,christ during ,his life2 that ,christ immediately after ,his death entered paradise together with the malefactor1 that the work of atonement and satisfaction was completed with ,his death4 7#ddf47 ,in #aeej the city council of ,hamburg asked ,melanchthon for his opinion4 ,but ,melanchthon's answer of ,september1 #aeej1 signed also by ,bugenhagen1 was rather indefinite1 vague1 and evasive4 ,he said1 in substance3 ,although we have frequently heard the ,reverend ,doctor ,luther speak on this matter and read his writings1 yet1 since a controversy has now been raised1 we have written also to others for their views1 in order to present a unanimous opinion1 and thus avoid dissensions later on4 ,in his ,commentary on ,genesis and in his ,torgau sermon1 ,luther referred ,descent only to the victory of the ,son of ,god1 indicating that the rest must not be searched out4 ,the ,son of ,god did indeed overcome the torments of hell2 but the ,psalms show that the pains of hell are not to be restricted only to the time after the separation of the soul 7dolores inferorum non restringendos esse tantum ad tempus post animae separationem74 ,luther1 said ,melanchthon1 expressed it as his opinion that this article concerning the ,descent must be retained even when referred only to the victory of ,christ1 confessing that the tyranny of the devil and hell is destroyed i4e41 that all who believe in ,christ are liberated from the power of the devil and hell1 according to the word3 ',no one shall pluck ,my sheep out of ,my hands4' ,and in a certain way the ,son of ,god manifested this victory to the devils1 and1 no doubt1 the devils felt that their power was broken by this ,victor1 and that the head of the serpent was truly bruised by the ,seed of the ,woman1 by ,christ1 ,god and man4 ,and among the signs of ,his victory was the resurrection of many dead4 ,with respect to the controverted point1 concerning the sufferings of the soul of ,christ after its separation from the body1 ,melanchthon advised that the council of ,hamburg enjoin both parties to await the opinions of others also1 and in the mean time to avoid mentioning this question in sermons1 schools1 or other public meetings4 ,not the article concerning the ,descent itself1 but only the investigation of this particular point1 concerning the suffering of ,his departed soul in hell1 is to be omitted1 an inquiry which also ,dr4 ,luther did not consider necessary4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #ffg47 ,before this ,melanchthon had written in a similar vein of compromise to ,aepinus and his colleague1 ,john ,gartz4 ,i wish1 said he in a letter of ,april #d1 #aeej1 that there would be an amnesty between you in this entire strife about the descent of ,christ4 ,let us cultivate peace with one another1 and cover up certain wounds of ours1 lest sadder disputations originate4 7#g1 #efi2 compare #f1 #aaf47 ,in the following year the ,hamburg ,council1 acting on the advice of ,melanchthon1 deposed and expelled the leaders of the opposition to ,aepinus1 which1 however1 was not intended as a decision in favor of the doctrine of ,aepinus1 but merely as a measure to restore peace and silence in the city4 #bba4 ,other ,participants in ,this ,controversy4 ,though the controversy was suppressed in ,hamburg1 and ,aepinus died ,may #ac1 #aeec1 the theological questions involved were not settled1 nor had all of the advocates of the views set forth by ,aepinus disappeared from the scene4 ,even such theologians as ,westphal1 ,flacius1 ,gallus1 and ,osiander were partly agreed with him4 ,osiander says in an opinion3 ,i am asked whether the descent of ,christ pertains to the satisfaction made for us or only to ,his triumph over the enemies4 ,i answer briefly that the descent of ,christ into hell pertained to the satisfaction ,he merited for us as well as to the triumph over the enemies1 just as ,his death on the cross does not belong to the one only1 but to both4444 ,thus by descending into hell ,he rendered satisfaction for us who merited hell1 according to ,ps4 #af4 ,on the other hand1 a synod held ,july #aa1 #aeed1 at ,greifswald made it a point expressly to deny that the descent of ,christ involved any suffering of ,his soul1 or that it was of an expiatory nature1 or that this article referred to the anguish of ,his soul before ,his death1 or that it was identical with ,his burial4 ,they affirmed the teaching of ,luther1 viz41 that the entire ,christ1 ,god and man1 body and soul1 descended into hell after ,his burial and before ,his resurrection1 etc4 7,frank1 #ddf;f42 #daf47 ,furthermore1 in a letter to ,john ,parsimonius1 court-preacher in ,stuttgart1 dated ,february #a1 #aefe ,john ,matsperger of ,augsburg taught that1 in the article of the descent of ,christ1 the word hell must not be taken figuratively for torments1 death1 burial1 etc41 but literally1 as the kingdom of ,satan and the place of the damned spirits and souls wherever that might be1 that the entire ,christ descended into this place according to both divinity and humanity1 with ,his body and soul1 and not only with the latter1 while the former remained in the grave2 that this occurred immediately after ,his vivification or the reunion of body and soul in the grave and before ,his resurrection2 that the ,descent was accomplished in an instant1 viz41 in the moment after ,his vivification and before ,his resurrection2 and that ,christ descended1 not to suffer1 but1 as a triumphant ,victor1 to destroy the portals of hell for all believers4 ,parsimonius1 too1 maintained that ,christ did not in any way suffer after ,his death1 but denied emphatically that hell was a definite physical locality or place in space1 and that the descent involved a local motion of the body4 ,brenz assented to the views of ,parsimonius1 and the preachers of ,augsburg also assented to them4 ,in order to check his zeal against his opponents1 ,matsperger was deposed and imprisoned4 7,frank1 #dej f47 ,such being the situation within the ,lutheran ,church concerning the questions involved in the ,hamburg ,controversy1 which by the way1 had been mentioned also in the ,imperial ,instruction for the ,diet at ,augsburg1 #aeee1 the ,formula of ,concord considered it advisable to pass also on this matter4 ,it did so1 in ,article ,,ix1 by simply reproducing what ,luther had taught in the sermon referred to above4 ,here we read3 ,we simply believe that the entire person1 ,god and man after the burial1 descended into hell1 conquered the devil1 destroyed the power of hell and took from the devil all his might4 7#ajea1 #c47 ,but how this occurred we should not curiously investigate1 but reserve until the other world1 where not only this point this mystery1 but also still others will be revealed1 which we here simply believe1 and cannot comprehend with our blind reason4 7#hbg1 #d47 ,tschackert remarks3 ,ever since the adoption of the ,ninth ,article of the ,formula of ,concord ,lutheran theology has regarded the ,descent of ,christ as the beginning of the state of exaltation of the human nature of the ,god-man4 7#eei47 ,,xx4 ,the ,eleventh ,article of the ,formula of ,concord3 ,on ,predestination4 #bbb4 ,why ,article ,,xi was ,embodied in the ,formula4 ,the reason why ,article ,,xi was embodied in the ,formula of ,concord is stated in the opening paragraph of this article3 ,although among the theologians of the ,augsburg ,confession there has not occurred as yet any public dissension whatever concerning the eternal election of the children of ,god that has caused offense1 and has become wide-spread1 yet since this article has been brought into very painful controversy in other places1 and even among our theologians there has been some agitation concerning it2 moreover1 since the same expressions were not always employed concerning it by the theologians3 therefore in order1 by the aid of divine grace1 to prevent disagreement and separation on its account in the future among our successors1 we1 as much as in us lies1 have desired also to present an explanation of the same here1 so that every one may know what is our unanimous doctrine1 faith1 and confession also concerning this article4 7#ajfc1 #a47 ,the statements contained in these introductory remarks are in agreement with the historical facts4 ,for1 while serious dissensions pertaining to election did occur in ,reformed countries1 the ,lutheran ,church1 ever since the great conflict with ,erasmus on free will1 in #aebe had not been disturbed by any general1 public1 and offensive controversy on this question1 neither ad intra among themselves1 nor ad extra with the ,calvinists4 ,hence the chief purpose for embodying ,article ,,xi in the ,formula was not to settle past or present disputes1 but rather1 as stated in the paragraph quoted1 to be of service in avoiding future differences and conflicts4 ,this earnest concern for the future peace of our ,church1 as well as for the maintenance of its doctrinal purity1 was partly due to apprehensions1 which1 indeed1 were not without foundation4 ,as a matter of fact1 long before the ,formula was drafted1 the theological atmosphere was surcharged with polemical possibilities and probabilities regarding predestination1--a doctrine which is simple enough as long as faith adheres to the plain ,word of ,god1 without making rationalistic and sophistical inferences1 but which in public controversies has always proved to be a most intricate1 crucial1 and dangerous question4 ,calvin and his adherents boldly rejected the universality of ,god's grace1 of ,christ's redemption1 and of the ,spirit's efficacious operation through the means of grace1 and taught that1 in the last analysis1 also the eternal doom of the damned was solely due to an absolute decree of divine reprobation 7in their estimation the logical complement of election71 and this at the very time when they pretended adherence to the ,augsburg ,confession and were making heavy inroads into ,lutheran territory with their doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper and the person of ,christ1--which in itself was sufficient reason for a public discussion and determined resentment of their absolute predestinarianism4 ,the ,synergists1 on the other hand1 had long ago been busy explaining that the only way to escape the ,stoic dogma of ,calvinism1 and to account for the difference why some are accepted and elected1 while the rest are rejected1 was to assume a different conduct in man--aliqua actio dissimilis in homine4 ,and as for their ,lutheran opponents1 it cannot be denied that some of their statements were not always sufficiently guarded to preclude all misapprehensions and false inferences4 ,thus controversial material had been everywhere heaped up in considerable quantities4 ,considering these factors1 which for decades had been making for a theological storm1 one may feel rather surprised that a controversy on predestination had not arisen long ago4 ,tschackert says3 ,they the ,lutheran theologians evidently feared an endless debate if the intricate question concerning predestination were made a subject of discussion4 7#eei47 ,sooner or later1 however1 the conflict was bound to come with dire results for the ,church1 unless provisions were made to escape it1 or to meet it in the proper way4 ,well aware of this entire critical situation and the imminent dangers lurking therein1 the framers of the ,formula of ,concord wisely resolved to embody in it also an article on election in order to clear the theological atmosphere1 maintain the divine truth1 ward off a future controversy1 and insure the peace of our ,church4 #bbc4 ,unguarded ,statements of ,anti-,synergists4 ,that the occasional dissimilar and inadequate references to eternal election and related subjects made by some opponents of the ,synergists were a matter of grave concern to the authors of the ,formula of ,concord appears from the passage quoted from ,article ,,xi1 enumerating1 among the reasons why the article on predestination was embodied in the ,formula1 also the fact that the same expressions were not always employed concerning it eternal election by the theologians4 ,these theologians had staunchly defended the sola gratia doctrine1 but not always without some stumbling in their language4 ,in their expositions they had occasionally employed phrases which1 especially when torn from their context1 admitted a synergistic or ,calvinistic interpretation4 ,the framers of the ,formula probably had in mind such inadequate and unguarded statements of ,bucer1 ,amsdorf1 and others as the following4 ,bucer had written3 ,the ,scriptures do not hesitate to say that ,god delivers some men into a reprobate mind and drives them to perdition4 ,why1 then1 is it improper to say that ,god has afore-determined to deliver these into a reprobate mind and to drive them to perdition8 ,scriptura non veretur dicere1 ,deum tradere quosdam homines in sensum reprobum et agere in perniciem4 ,quid igitur indignum ,deo1 dicere1 etiam statuisse antea1 ut illos in sensum reprobum traderet et ageret in perniciem8 7,frank #d1 #bfd47 ,the ,formula of ,concord1 however1 is careful to explain3 ,moreover1 it is to be diligently considered that when ,god punishes sin with sins1 that is1 when ,he afterwards punishes with obduracy and blindness those who had been converted1 because of their subsequent security1 impenitence1 and wilful sins this should not be interpreted to mean that it never had been ,god's good pleasure that such persons should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved4 7#ajja1 #hc47 ,brenz had said3 ,to the one of the entire mass of the human race ,god gives faith in ,christ1 whereby he is justified and saved1 while ,he leaves the other in his incredulity that he may perish4 ,deus ex universa generis humani massa alteri quidem donat fidem in ,christum1 qua iustificetur et salvetur1 alterum autem relinquit in sua incredulitate1 ut pereat4 7,frank #d1 #bef47 ,again3 ,it was ,god's will to elect ,jacob and to leave ,esau in his sin4 ,what is said of these two must be understood of the election and rejection of all men in general4 ,potuisset ,deus optimo iure ambos abiicere2444 sed sic proposuerat ,deus1 sic visum est ,deo1 sic erat voluntas ,dei1 sic erat bene placitum ,dei1 ut ,iacobum eligeret1 ,esau autem in peccato suo relinqueret2 quod de his duobus dictum est1 hoc intelligendum erit generaliter de omnium hominum electione et abiectione4 7#bef47 ,hesshusius3 ,in this respect ,god does not will that all be saved1 for ,he has not elected all4 ,hoc respectu ,deus non vult1 ut omnes salventur2 non enim omnes elegit4 7,schluesselburg #e1 #cbj4 #edh47 ,such statements1 when torn from their context1 gave color to the inference that ,god's grace was not universal4 ,the ,formula of ,concord1 therefore1 carefully urges that ,god earnestly endeavors to save all men1 also those who are finally lost1 and that man alone is the cause of his damnation4 ,in his ,sententia de ,declaratione ,victorini of #aefb ,nicholas ,amsdorf said3 ,god has but one mode of working in all creatures4444 ,therefore ,god works in the same way in man who has a will and intellect as in all other creatures1 rocks and blocks included1 viz41 through ,his willing and saying alone4444 ,as rocks and blocks are in the power of ,god1 so and in the same manner man's will and intellect are in the will of ,god1 so that man can will and choose absolutely nothing else than what ,god wills and says1 be it from grace or from wrath4 ,non est nisi unus modus agendi ,dei cum omnibus creaturis4444 ,quare eodem modo cum homine volente et intelligente agit ,deus1 quemadmodum cum omnibus creaturis reliquis1 lapide et trunco1 per solum suum velle et dicere4444 ,sicut lapides et trunci sunt in potestate ,dei1 ita et eodem modo voluntas et intellectus hominis sunt in voluntate ,dei1 ut homo nihil prorsus velle et eligere possit nisi id1 quod vult et dicit ,deus1 sive ex gratia1 sive ex ira1 derelinquens eum in manu consilii eius4 7,schlb4 #e1 #edg2 ,gieseler #c1 #b1 #bcj2 ,frank #d1 #bei47 ,this1 too1 was not embodied in the ,formula of ,concord1 which teaches that1 although man before his conversion has no mode of working anything good in spiritual things1 ,god nevertheless has a different way of working in rational creatures than in irrational and that man is not coerced1 neither in his sinning nor in his conversion4 7#ije1 #fj;ff47 #bbd4 ,synergistic ,predestination4 ,the connection between the doctrines of conversion and election is most intimate4 ,a correct presentation of the former naturally leads to a correct presentation of the latter1 and vice versa4 ,hence ,melanchthon1 the father of synergism in conversion1 was also the author of a synergistic predestination4 ,in his first period he speaks of predestination as ,luther did1 but1 as ,frank puts it1 with less of mysticism conformably to reason1 following the same line of thought as ,zwingli 7mit weniger ,mystik1 auf verstandesmaessige1 ,zwinglis ,ausfuehrungen aehnliche ,weise4 transcriber3 sic on punctuation 7#a1 #abe2 ,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #hh4 #ic47 ,in reality he probably had never fully grasped the truly religious and evangelical view of ,luther1 which1 indeed1 would account for his later synergistic deviations as well as for the charges of ,stoicism he preferred against ,luther4 ,after abandoning his former doctrine1 he1 as a rule1 was noncommittal as to his exact views on election4 ,but whenever he ventured an opinion1 it savored of synergism4 ,september #cj1 #aeca1 he wrote to ,brenz3 ,but in the entire ,apology ,i have avoided that long and inexplicable disputation concerning predestination4 ,everywhere ,i speak as though predestination follows our faith and works4 ,and this ,i do intentionally1 for ,i do not wish to perturb consciences with these inexplicable labyrinths4 ,sed ego in tota ,apologia fugi illam longam et inexplicabilem disputationem de praedestinatione4 ,ubique sic loquor1 quasi praedestinatio sequatur nostram fidem et opera4 ,ac facio hoc certo consilio2 non enim volo conscientias perturbare illis inexplicabilibus labyrinthis4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #edg47 ,in the third1 revised edition of his ,explanation of the ,epistle to the ,romans1 #aecb1 he suggests that divine compassion is truly the cause of election1 but that there is some cause also in him who accepts1 namely1 in as far as he does not repudiate the grace offered4 ,verecundius est1 quod aliquamdiu placuit ,augustino1 misericordiam ,dei vere causam electionis esse1 sed tamen eatenus aliquam causam in accipiente esse1 quatenus promissionem oblatam non repudiat1 quia malum ex nobis est4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #aib2 ,seeberg #d1 #b1 #ddb47 ,in an addition to his ,loci in #aecc1 ,melanchthon again speaks of a cause of justification and election residing in man1 in order to harmonize the statements that the promise of the ,gospel is both gratis and universal4 7,c4 ,r4 #ba1 #ccb47 ,in the ,loci edition of #aedc we read3 ,god elected because ,he had decreed to call us to the knowledge of ,his ,son1 and desires ,his will and benefits to be known to the human race4 ,he therefore approves and elected those who obey the call4 ,elegit ,deus1 quia vocare nos ad ,filii agnitionem decrevit et vult generi humano suam voluntatem et sua beneficia innotescere4 ,approbat igitur ac elegit obtemperantes vocationi4 7#ba1 #iag47 ,the bold synergistic views concerning conversion later on developed by ,melanchthon plainly involve the doctrine that there must be in man a cause of discrimination why some are elected while others are rejected4 ,in his ,loci of #aedh he had written3 ,since the promise is universal1 and since there are no contradictory wills in ,god1 some cause of discrimination must be in us why ,saul is rejected and ,david accepted 7cur ,saul abiiciatur ,david recipiatur71 that is1 there must be some dissimilar action in these two4 7#ba1 #fei47 ,self-evidently ,melanchthon would not have hesitated to replace the phrase why ,saul was rejected and ,david accepted1 with why ,saul was rejected and ,david elected4 ,melanchthon held that the sole alternative of and hence the only escape from1 the doctrine of absolute necessity 7,stoica anagke7 and from the absolute decree1 which makes ,god responsible also for sin and eternal damnation1 was the synergistic assumption of man's ability to apply himself to grace--facultas applicandi se ad gratiam4 ,accordingly1 as he dubbed those who opposed his ,calvinizing views on the ,lord's ,supper as bread-worshipers1 so he stigmatized as ,stoics all ,lutherans who opposed his synergistic tendencies4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #ghb4 #ghc4 #iaf2 #i1 #ajj4 #efe4 #gcc2 #bc1 #cib47 ,seeberg summarizes ,melanchthon's doctrine as follows3 ,grace alone saves1 but it saves by imparting to man the freedom to decide for himself4 ,this synergistic element reappears in his doctrine of election4 7#d1 #b1 #ddf47 ,god elects all men who desire to believe4 7,grundriss1 #add47 ,naturally the ,synergists of ,wittenberg and other places followed ,master ,philip also in the doctrine of election4 ,in #aeee1 ,john ,pfeffinger declared in his ,quaestiones ,quinque 7extensively quoted from in the chapter on the ,synergistic ,controversy71 thesis #ag3 ,if the will were idle or purely passive in conversion1 there would be no distinction between the pious and the impious1 or the elect and the damned1 as between ,saul and ,david1 between ,judas and ,peter4 ,god would become a respecter of persons and the author of contumacy in the wicked and damned4 ,moreover1 contradictory wills would be ascribed to ,god which conflicts with the entire ,scripture4 ,hence it follows that there is in us some cause why some assent while others do not assent4 ,thesis #bc3 ,for we are elected and received because we believe in the ,son4 7,ideo enim electi sumus et recepti1 quia credimus in ,filium47 ,but our apprehension must concur4 ,for since the promise of grace is universal1 and we must obey the promise1 it follows that between the elect and the rejected some difference must be inferred from our will1 viz41 that those are rejected who resist the promise while contrariwise those are accepted who embrace the promise4 ,the ,synergists argued3 ,if in every respect grace alone is the cause of our salvation1 conversion1 and election1 grace cannot be universal4 ,or1 since man's contempt of ,god's ,word is the cause of his reprobation1 man's acceptance of ,god's grace must be regarded as a cause of his election4 ,joachim ,ernest of ,anhalt1 for instance1 in a letter to ,landgrave ,william of ,hesse1 dated ,april #bj1 #aegg1 criticized the ,formula of ,concord for not allowing and admitting this argument4 7,frank #d1 #ace4 #bfg47 #bbe4 ,calvinistic ,predestination4 ,while the ,synergists1 in answering the question why only some are saved1 denied the sola gratia and taught a conversion and predestination conditioned by the conduct of man1 ,john ,calvin and his adherents1 on the other hand1 made rapid progress in the opposite direction1 developing with increasing clearness and boldness an absolute1 bifurcated predestination1 i4e41 a capricious election to eternal damnation as well as to salvation1 and in accordance therewith denied the universality of ,god's grace1 of ,christ's redemption1 and of the efficacious operation of the ,holy ,spirit through the means of grace4 ,in his ,institutio ,religionis ,christianae1 ,instruction in the ,christian ,religion1 of which the first edition appeared #aece1 the second in #aeci1 and the third in #aeei1 ,calvin taught that ,god created and foreordained some to eternal life1 others to eternal damnation4 ,man's election means that he has been created for eternal life1 man's reprobation1 that he has been created for eternal damnation4 ,we read 7,lib4 #c1 cap4 #ba1 #e73 ,praedestinationem vocamus aeternum ,dei decretum1 quo apud se constitutum habuit1 quid de unoquoque homine fieri vellet4 ,non enim pari conditione creantur omnes2 sed aliis vita aeterna1 aliis damnatio aeterna praeordinatur4 ,itaque prout in alterutrum finem quisque conditus est1 ita vel ad vitam1 vel ad mortem praedestinatum dicimus4 7,tholuck1 ,calvini ,institutio #b1 #acc47 ,in the edition of #aeei ,calvin says that eternal election illustrates the grace of ,god by showing that ,he does not adopt all promiscuously unto the hope of salvation1 but bestows on some what ,he denies to others--quod non omnes promiscue adoptat in spem salutis1 sed dat aliis1 quod aliis negat4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #agb47 ,again3 ,i certainly admit that all the sons of ,adam have fallen by the will of ,god into the miserable condition of bondage1 in which they are now fettered2 for1 as ,i said in the beginning1 one must always finally go back to the decision of the divine will alone1 whose cause is hidden in itself4 ,fateor sane1 in hanc qua nunc illigati sunt conditionis miseriam ,dei voluntate cecidisse universos filios ,adam2 atque id est1 quod principio dicebam1 redeundum tandem semper esse ad solum divinae voluntatis arbitrium1 cuius causa sit in ipso abscondita4 7#agc47 ,calvin's successor in ,geneva1 ,theodore ,beza1 was also a strict supralapsarian4 ,at the colloquy of ,moempelgard 7,montbeliard71 #aehf1 in disputing with ,andreae1 he defended the proposition that ,adam had indeed of his own accord fallen into these calamities1 yet1 nevertheless1 not only according to the prescience1 but also according to the ordination and decree of ,god--sponte quidem1 sed tamen non modo praesciente1 sed etiam iuste ordinante et decernente ,deo4 7#ahf47 ,there never has been1 nor is1 nor will be a time1 said he1 when ,god has wished1 wishes1 or will wish1 to have compassion on every individual person4 ,nullum tempus fuit vel est vel erit1 quo voluerit1 velit aut voliturus sit ,deus singulorum misereri4 7,pieper1 ,dogm4 #b1 #be4 #ej47 ,in foisting his doctrine of election on the ,reformed churches1 ,calvin met with at least some opposition4 ,the words in the paragraph of the ,formula of ,concord quoted above3 ,yet1 since this article of predestination has been brought into very painful controversy in other places1 probably refer to the conflicts in ,geneva and ,switzerland4 ,october #af1 #aeea1 ,jerome ,bolsec a ,carmelite in ,paris1 secretly spread ,pelagianism in ,geneva2 sided with the ,protestants in ,paris and ,orleans after his banishment from ,geneva2 reembraced ,romanism when persecution set in2 wrote against ,calvin and ,beza1 died #aehd was imprisoned in ,geneva because of his opposition to ,calvin's doctrine of predestination4 ,melanchthon remarks in a letter of ,february #a1 #aeeb3 ,laelius ,socinus wrote me that in ,geneva the struggle concerning the ,stoic necessity is so great that a certain one who dissented from ,zeno ,calvin was incarcerated4 ,what a miserable affair6 ,the doctrine of salvation is obscured by disputations foreign to it4 7,c4 ,r4 #g1 #icb47 ,although the ,german cantons 7,zurich1 ,bern1 ,basel7 advised moderation1 ,bolsec was banished from ,geneva1 with the result however1 that he continued his agitation against ,calvin in other parts of ,switzerland4 ,in ,bern all discussions on predestination were prohibited by the city council4 ,calvin complained in a letter of ,september #ah1 #aeed3 ,the preachers of ,bern publicly declare that ,i am a heretic worse than all the ,papists4 7,gieseler #c1 #b1 #agh47 ,january #bf1 #aeee1 the council of ,bern renewed its decree against public doctrinal discussions1 notably those on predestination--principalement touchant la matiere de la divine predestination1 qui nous semble non etre necessaire1 etc4 7#agi47 ,later on the doctrine of ,calvin was opposed by the ,arminians from ,semi-,pelagian principles4 #bbf4 ,calvinistic ,confessions4 ,the essential features of ,calvin's doctrine of predestination were embodied in most of the ,reformed confessions4 ,the ,consensus ,genevensis of ,january #a1 #aeeb1 written by ,calvin against ,albert ,pighius a fanatical defender of ,popery against ,luther1 ,bucer1 ,calvin2 died ,december #bf1 #aedb and adopted by the pastors of ,geneva1 is entitled3 ,concerning ,god's ,eternal ,predestination1 by which ,he has elected some to salvation and left theothers to their perdition--qua in salutem alios ex hominibus elegit1 alios suo exitio reliquit4 7,niemeyer1 ,collectio ,confessionum1 #bah4 #bba47 ,the ,confessio ,belgica1 of #aeei1 and the ,confessio ,gallicana1 of #aefa1 teach the same absolute predestinarianism4 ,in ,article ,,xvi of the ,belgic ,confession we read3 ,in predestination ,god proved ,himself to be what ,he is in reality1 viz41 merciful and just4 ,merciful by liberating and saving from damnation and perdition those whom 444 ,he elected2 just1 by leaving the others in their fall and in the perdition into which they precipitated themselves4 ,iustum vero1 alios in illo suo lapsu et perditione relinquendo1 in quam sese ipsi praecipites dederunt4 7,niemeyer1 #cgj47 ,the ,gallic ,confession prepared by ,calvin and his pupil1 ,de ,chandieu2 approved by a synod at ,paris #aeei2 delivered by ,beza to ,charles ,,ix1 #aefa1 translated into ,german #aefb1 and into ,latin1 #aeff2 adopted #aega by the ,synod of ,la ,rochelle maintains that ,god elected some but left the others in their corruption and damnation4 ,in ,article ,,xii we read3 ,we believe that from this corruption and general damnation in which all men are plunged1 ,god1 according to ,his eternal and immutable counsel1 calls those whom ,he has chosen by ,his goodness and mercy alone in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 without consideration of their works1 to display in them the riches of ,his mercy1 leaving the rest in this same corruption and condemnation to show in them ,his justice4 ,credimus ex hac corruptione et damnatione universali1 in qua omnes homines natura sunt submersi1 ,deum alios quidem eripere1 quos videlicet aeterno et immutabili suo consilio sola sua bonitate et misericordia1 nulloque operum ipsorum respectu in ,iesu ,christo elegit2 alios vero in ea corruptione et damnatione relinquere1 in quibus nimirum iuste suo tempore damnandis iustitiam suam demonstret1 sicut in aliis divitias misericordiae suae declarat4 7,niemeyer1 #ccb2 ,schaff #c1 #cff47 ,the ,formula ,consensus ,helveticae of #afge says1 canon #ac3 ,as from eternity ,christ was elected ,head1 ,leader1 and ,heir of all those who in time are saved by ,his grace1 thus also in the time of the ,new ,covenant ,he has been the ,bondsman for those only who by eternal election were given to ,him to be ,his peculiar people1 seed1 and heredity4 ,sicut ,christus ab aeterno electus est ut ,caput1 ,princeps et ,haeres omnium eorum1 qui in tempore per gratiam eius salvantur1 ita etiam in tempore ,novi ,foederis ,sponsor factus est pro iis solis qui per aeternam electionem dati ipsi sunt ut populus peculii1 semen et haereditas eius1 etc4 7,niemeyer1 #gcc47 ,the same ,calvinistic doctrines were subsequently embodied in the ,canons of the ,synod of ,dort1 promulgated ,may #f1 #afai1 and in the ,westminster ,confession of ,faith1 published #afdg4 ,in the former we read3 ,that some receive the gift of faith from ,god1 and others do not receive it1 proceeds from ,god's eternal election4444 ,according to ,his just judgment ,he leaves the non-elect to their own wickedness and obduracy4 7,schaff #c1 #ehb47 ,the elect1 in due time1 though in various degrees and in different measures1 attain the assurance of this eternal and unchangeable election1 not by inquisitively prying into the secret and deep things of ,god1 but by observing in themselves1 with a spiritual joy and holy pleasure1 the infallible fruits of election pointed out in the ,word of ,god1 such as a true faith in ,christ1 filial fear1 a godly sorrow for sin1 a hungering and thirsting after righteousness1 etc4 7#ehc47 ,not all1 but some only1 are elected1 while others are passed by in the eternal decree2 whom ,god1 out of ,his sovereign1 most just1 irreprehensible1 and unchangeable good pleasure1 hath decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have wilfully plunged themselves1 and not to bestow upon them saving faith and the grace of conversion4 444 7#ehd47 ,for this was the sovereign counsel and most gracious will and purpose of ,god the ,father1 that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of ,his ,son should extend to all the elect1 for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith1 thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation2 that is1 it was the will of ,god that ,christ by the blood of the cross whereby ,he confirmed the ,new ,covenant should effectually redeem out of every people1 tribe1 nation1 and language all those1 and those only1 who were from eternity chosen to salvation1 and given to ,him by the ,father4 7#ehg47 ,but ,god1 who is rich in mercy1 according to ,his unchangeable purpose of election1 does not wholly withdraw the ,holy ,spirit from ,his own people1 even in their melancholy falls1 nor suffer them to proceed so far as to lose the grace of adoption and forfeit the state of justification1 etc4 7,schaff #c1 #eic2 ,niemeyer1 #gaf47 ,the ,westminster ,confession declares3 ,by the decree of ,god1 for the manifestation of ,his glory1 some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life1 and others foreordained to everlasting death4 7,schaff #c1 #fjh47 ,as ,god hath appointed the elect unto glory1 so hath ,he1 by the eternal and most free purpose of ,his will1 foreordained all the means thereunto4 ,wherefore they who are elected being fallen in ,adam1 are redeemed by ,christ are effectually called unto faith in ,christ by ,his ,spirit working in due season2 are justified1 adopted1 sanctified1 and kept by ,his power through faith unto salvation4 ,neither are any other redeemed by ,christ1 effectually called1 justified1 adopted1 sanctified1 and saved but the elect only4 7#fji47 ,the rest of mankind ,god was pleased1 according to the unsearchable counsel of ,his own will1 whereby ,he extends or withholds mercy as ,he pleases for the glory of ,his sovereign power over ,his creatures1 to pass by1 and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin1 to the praise of ,his glorious justice4 7#faj2 ,niemeyer1 ,appendix #f4 #g47 #bbg4 ,marbach and ,zanchi in ,strassburg4 ,in view of the situation portrayed in the preceding paragraphs1 it is certainly remarkable that a general public controversy1 particularly with the ,calvinists and ,synergists had not been inaugurated long before the ,formula of ,concord was able to write that such a conflict had not yet occurred4 ,surely the powder required for a predestinarian conflagration was everywhere stored up in considerable quantities1 within as well as without the ,lutheran ,church4 ,nor was a local skirmish lacking which might have served as the spark and been welcomed as a signal for a general attack4 ,it was the conflict between ,marbach and ,zanchi1 probably referred to by the words quoted above from ,article ,,xi3 ,something of it of a discussion concerning eternal election has been mooted also among our theologians4 ,this controversy took place from #aefa to #aefc1 at ,strassburg1 where ,lutheranism and ,calvinism came into immediate contact4 ,in #aecf ,strassburg had adopted the ,wittenberg ,concord and with it the ,augsburg ,confession which since took the place of the ,tetrapolitana delivered to ,emperor ,charles at the ,diet of ,augsburg1 #aecj4 ,the efficient and zealous leader in ,lutheranizing the city was ,john ,marbach a graduate of ,wittenberg and1 together with ,mathesius1 a former guest at ,luther's table4 ,he was born in #aeba and labored in ,strassburg from #aede to #aeha1 the year of his death4 ,he had ,bucer's ,catechism replaced by ,luther's1 and entered the public controversy against the ,calvinists with a publication entitled1 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 against the ,sacramentarians1 which defends the omnipresence of ,christ also according to ,his human nature4 ,in his efforts to ,lutheranize the city1 ,marbach was opposed by the ,crypto-,calvinist ,jerome ,zanchi 7born #aeaf1 died #aeij71 a converted ,italian and a pupil of ,peter ,martyr born ,september #h1 #aejj2 won for ,protestantism by reading books of ,bucer1 ,zwingli1 and others2 professor1 first in ,strassburg1 #aedg in ,oxford2 compelled to return to the ,continent 7,strassburg and ,zurich7 by ,bloody ,mary2 died ,november #ab1 #aefb1 when just about to write a book against ,brenz4 ,from #aeec to #aefc ,zanchi was professor of ,old ,testament exegesis in ,strassburg4 ,though he had signed the ,augsburg ,confession1 he was and remained a rigid ,calvinist1 both with respect to the doctrine of predestination and that of the ,lord's ,supper1 but withheld his public dissent until about #aefa4 ,it was the ,calvinistic doctrine of the perseverance of the saints1 according to which grace once received cannot be lost1 upon which ,zanchi now laid especial emphasis4 ,according to ,loescher 7,historia ,motuum #c1 #cj7 he taught3 #a4 ,to the elect in this world faith is given by ,god only once4 #b4 ,the elect who have once been endowed with true faith 444 can never again lose faith altogether4 #c4 ,the elect never sin with their whole mind or their entire will4 #d4 ,when ,peter denied ,christ1 he1 indeed1 lacked the confession of the mouth1 but not the faith of the heart4 #a4 ,electis in hoc saeculo semel tantum vera fides a ,deo datur4 #b4 ,electi semel vera fide donati ,christoque per ,spiritum ,sanctum insiti fidem prorsus amittere 444 non possunt4 #c4 ,in electis regeneratis duo sunt homines1 interior et exterior4 ,ii1 quum peccant1 secundum tantum hominem exteriorem1 i4e41 ea tantum parte1 qua non sunt regeniti1 peccant2 secundum vero interiorem hominem nolunt peccatum et condelectantur legi ,dei2 quare non toto animo aut plena voluntate peccant4 #d4 ,petrum1 quum negavit ,christum1 defecit quidem fidei confessio in ore sed non defecit fides in corde4 7,tschackert #efj2 ,frank #d1 #bfa47 ,this tenet1 that believers can neither lose their faith nor be eternally lost1 had been plainly rejected by ,luther4 ,in the ,smalcald ,articles we read3 ,on the other hand1 if certain sectarists would arise1 some of whom are perhaps already extant1 and in the time of the insurrection of the peasants1 #aebe came to my own view1 holding that all those who had once received the ,spirit or the forgiveness of sins1 or had become believers1 even though they should afterwards sin1 would still remain in the faith1 and such sin would not harm them1 and hence crying thus3 ',do whatever you please2 if you believe1 it all amounts to nothing3 faith blots out all sins1' etc4--they say1 besides1 that if any one sins after he has received faith and the ,spirit1 he never truly had the ,spirit and faith3 ,i have had before me many such insane men1 and ,i fear that in some such a devil is still remaining hiding and dwelling4 ,it is1 accordingly1 necessary to know and to teach that when holy men1 still having and feeling original sin1 also daily repenting of and striving with it1 happen to fall into manifest sins1 as ,david into adultery1 murder1 and blasphemy1 that then faith and the ,holy ,ghost has departed from them4 ,for the ,holy ,ghost does not permit sin to have dominion1 to gain the upper hand1 so as to be accomplished1 but represses and restrains it so that it must not do what it wishes4 ,but if it does what it wishes1 the ,holy ,ghost and faith are not present4 ,for ,st4 ,john says1 #a ,ep4 #c1 #i3 ',whosoever is born of ,god doth not commit sin1444 and he cannot sin4' ,and yet it is also the truth when the same ,st4 ,john says1 #a ,ep4 #a1 #h3 ',if we say that we have no sin1 we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us4' 7#dia1 #db;f47 ,in an opinion of ,march #i1 #aeei1 ,melanchthon remarks that about #aebi some ,antinomians maintained and argued that1 since in this life sin remains in saints1 they remain holy and retain the ,holy ,spirit and salvation even when they commit adultery and other sins against their conscience4444 ,there are many at many places who are imbued with this error that righteousness1 ,holy ,spirit1 and sins against the conscience can remain in a man at the same time1 regard themselves holy although they live and persevere in sins against their consciences4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gfd4 #dje4 #dgc2 #h1 #daa47 ,the perseverance of saints as taught by ,zanchi was the point to which ,marbach immediately took exception4 ,a long discussion followed1 which was finally settled by the ,strassburg ,formula of ,concord of #aefc1 outside theologians participating and acting as arbiters4 ,this ,formula1 which was probably prepared by ,jacob ,andreae1 treated in its first article the ,lord's ,supper2 in its second1 predestination4 ,it rejected the doctrine that1 once received1 faith cannot be lost1 and prescribed the ,wittenberg ,concord of #aecf as the doctrinal rule regarding the ,holy ,supper4 ,the document was signed by both parties1 ,zanchi stating over his signature3 ,hanc doctrinae formam ut piam agnosco1 ita eam recipio4 ,evidently his mental reservation was that he be permitted to withdraw from it in as far as he did not regard it as pious4 ,later ,zanchi declared openly that he had subscribed the ,formula only conditionally4 ,soon after his subscription he left ,strassburg1 serving till #aefh as preacher of a ,reformed ,italian congregation in ,chiavenna1 till #aegf as professor in the ,reformed ,university of ,heidelberg1 and till #aehb as professor in ,neustadt4 ,he died at ,heidelberg as professor emeritus ,november #ai1 #aeij4 ,marbach continued his work at ,strassburg1 and was active also in promoting the cause of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,his controversy with ,zanchi1 though of a local character1 may be regarded as the immediate cause for adding ,article ,,xi4 ,the thorough ,lutheranizing of the city was completed by ,pappus1 a pupil of ,marbach4 ,in #aeig ,strassburg adopted the ,formula of ,concord4 #bbh4 ,the ,strassburg ,formula4 ,the ,strassburg ,formula of ,concord sets forth the ,scriptural and peculiarly ,lutheran point of view in the doctrine of election1 according to which a ,christian1 in order to attain to a truly divine assurance of his election and final salvation1 is to consider predestination not a priori1 but a posteriori4 ,that is to say1 he is not to speculate on the act of eternal election as such1 but to consider it as manifested to him in ,christ and the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,judging from his own false conception of predestination1 ,calvin remarked that the ,strassburg ,formula did not deny but rather veiled1 the doctrine of election1--a stricture frequently made also on ,article ,,xi of the ,formula of ,concord1 whose truly ,scriptural and evangelical view of election the ,reformed have never fully grasped and realized4 ,the ,strassburg ,formula taught that1 in accordance with ,rom4 #ae1 #d1 the doctrine of predestination must be presented so as not to bring it into conflict with the doctrines of repentance and justification nor to deprive alarmed consciences of the consolation of the ,gospel1 nor in any way to violate the truth that the only cause of our salvation is the grace of ,god alone2 that the consolation afforded by election1 especially in tribulations 7that no one shall pluck us out of the hands of ,christ71 remains firm and solid only as long as the universality of ,god's promises is kept inviolate1 that ,christ died and earned salvation for all1 and earnestly invites all to partake of it by faith1 which is the gift of grace1 and which alone receives the salvation proffered to all2 that the reason why the gift of faith is not bestowed upon all men1 though ,christ seriously invites all to come to ,him1 is a mystery known to ,god alone1 which human reason cannot fathom2 that the will of ,god proposed in ,christ and revealed in the ,bible1 to which all men are directed1 and in which it is most safe to acquiesce1 is not contradictory of the hidden will of ,god4 7,loescher1 ,hist ,mot4 #b1 #bbi2 ,frank #d1 #abf4 #bfb2 ,tschackert1 #efj47 ,particularly with respect to the mystery1 the ,strassburg ,formula says3 ,the fact that this grace or this gift of faith is not given by ,god to all when ,he calls all to ,himself1 and1 according to ,his infinite goodness1 certainly calls earnestly3 ',come unto the marriage1 for all things are now ready1' is a sealed mystery known to ,god alone1 past finding out for human reason2 a secret that must be contemplated with fear and be adored1 as it is written3 ',o the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god6 ,how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6' ,rom4 #aa1 #cc4 ,and ,christ gives thanks to the ,father because ,he has hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes4 ,matt4 #aa1 #be4 ,troubled consciences1 however1 must not take offense at this hidden way of the divine will but look upon the will of ,god revealed in ,christ1 who calls all sinners to ,himself4 ,this was also the teaching of the contemporary theologians4 ,moerlin wrote3 ,god has revealed to us that ,he will save only those who believe in ,christ1 and that unbelief is chargeable to us4 ,hidden1 however1 are ,god's judgments--why ,he converts ,paul but does not convert ,caiaphas2 why ,he receives fallen ,peter again and abandons ,judas to despair4 ,chemnitz3 ,why1 then1 is it that ,god does not put such faith into the heart of ,judas so that he1 too1 might have believed and been saved through ,christ8 ,here we must leave off questioning and say1 ,rom4 #aa3 ',o the depth6'444 ,we cannot and must not search this nor meditate too deeply upon such questions4 ,kirchner3 ,since1 therefore1 faith in ,christ is a special gift of ,god1 why does ,he not bestow it upon all8 ,answer3 ,we must defer the discussion of this question unto eternal life1 and in the mean time be content to know that ,god does not want us to search ,his secret judgments1 ,rom4 #aa3 ',o the depth1' etc4 ,in a similar way ,chemnitz1 ,selneccer1 and ,kirchner expressed themselves in their ,apology of the ,book of ,concord1 of #aehb1 declaring that1 when asked why ,god does not convert all men1 we must answer with the apostle3 ',how unsearchable are ,his judgments and ,his ways past finding out6' but not ascribe to ,god the ,lord the willing and real cause of the reprobation or damnation of the impenitent4 7,pieper1 ,dogm4 #b1 #ehe;f47 #bbi4 ,predestination according to ,article ,,xi of ,formula of ,concord4 ,in keeping with her fundamental teaching of sola gratia and gratia universalis1 according to which ,god's grace is the only cause of man's salvation1 and man's evil will the sole cause of his damnation1 the ,lutheran ,church holds that eternal election is an election of grace1 i4e41 a predestination to salvation only4 ,god's eternal election1 says the ,formula of ,concord1 does not extend at once over the godly and the wicked1 but only over the children of ,god1 who were elected and ordained to eternal life before the foundation of the world was laid1 as ,paul says1 ,eph4 #a1 #d4 #e3 ',he hath chosen us in ,him1 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by ,jesus ,christ4' 7#ajfe1 #e47 ,this election1 the ,formula continues1 not only foresees and foreknows the salvation of the elect1 but is also1 from the gracious will and pleasure of ,god in ,christ ,jesus1 a cause which procures1 works1 helps1 and promotes our salvation1 and what pertains thereto2 and upon this divine predestination our salvation is so founded that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it1 ,matt4 #af1 #ah1 as is written ,john #aj1 #bh3 ',neither shall any man pluck ,my sheep out of ,my hand1' ,and again1 ,acts #ac1 #dh3 ',and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed4' 7#ajfe1 #h47 ,while thus election is a cause of faith and salvation1 there is no cause of election in man4 ,the teaching that not only the mercy of ,god and the most holy merit of ,christ but also in us there is a cause of ,god's election on account of which ,god has elected us to everlasting life1 is rejected by the ,formula of ,concord as one of the blasphemous and dreadful erroneous doctrines whereby all the comfort which they have in the holy ,gospel and the use of the holy ,sacraments is taken from ,christians4 7#hcg1 #bj;f47 ,concerning the way of considering eternal election1 the ,formula writes3 ,if we wish to think or speak correctly and profitably concerning eternal election1 or the predestination and ordination of the children of ,god to eternal life1 we should accustom ourselves not to speculate concerning the bare1 secret1 concealed1 inscrutable foreknowledge of ,god1 but how the counsel1 purpose1 and ordination of ,god in ,christ ,jesus1 who is the true ,book of ,life1 is revealed to us through the ,word1 namely1 that the entire doctrine concerning the purpose1 counsel1 will1 and ordination of ,god pertaining to our redemption1 call1 justification1 and salvation should be taken together2 as ,paul treats and has explained this article ,rom4 #h1 #bi;f42 ,eph4 #a1 #d;f41 as also ,christ in the parable1 ,matt4 #bb1 #a;ff4 7#ajfg1 #ac47 ,while according to the ,lutheran ,church election is the cause of faith and salvation1 there is no such a thing as an election of wrath or a predestination to sin and damnation1 of both of which ,god is not the cause and author4 ,according to the ,formula the vessels of mercy are prepared by ,god alone1 but the vessels of dishonor are prepared for damnation1 not by ,god1 but by themselves4 ,moreover1 ,god earnestly desires that all men turn from their wicked ways and live4 ,we read3 ,for all preparation for condemnation is by the devil and man1 through sin1 and in no respect by ,god1 who does not wish that any man be damned2 how1 then1 should ,he ,himself prepare any man for condemnation8 ,for as ,god is not a cause of sins1 so1 too1 ,he is no cause of punishment1 of damnation2 but the only cause of damnation is sin2 for the wages of sin is death4 ,rom4 #f1 #bc4 ,and as ,god does not will sin1 and has no pleasure in sin1 so ,he does not wish the death of the sinner either1 ,ezek4 #cc1 #aa1 nor has ,he pleasure in his condemnation4 ,for ,he is not willing that any one should perish1 but that all should come to repentance1 #b ,pet4 #c1 #i4 ,so1 too1 it is written in ,ezek4 #ah1 #bc2 #cc1 #aa3 ',as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live1' ,and ,st4 ,paul testifies in clear words that from vessels of dishonor vessels of honor may be made by ,god's power and working1 when he writes #b ,tim4 #b1 #ba3 ',if a man1 therefore1 purge himself from these1 he shall be a vessel unto honor1 sanctified and meet for the ,master's use1 and prepared unto every good work1' ,for he who is to purge himself must first have been unclean1 and hence a vessel of dishonor4 ,but concerning the vessels of mercy he says clearly that the ,lord ,himself has prepared them for glory1 which he does not say concerning the damned1 who themselves1 and not ,god1 have prepared themselves as vessels of damnation4 7#ajhi1 #ha;f47 ,hence the apostle distinguishes with special care the work of ,god1 who alone makes vessels of honor1 and the work of the devil and of man1 who by the instigation of the devil1 and not of ,god1 has made himself a vessel of dishonor4 ,for thus it is written1 ,rom4 #i1 #bb;f43 ',god endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction1 that ,he might make known the riches of ,his glory on the vessels of mercy1 which ,he had afore prepared unto glory4' ,here1 then1 the apostle clearly says that ,god endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath1 but does not say that ,he made them vessels of wrath2 for if this had been ,his will1 ,he would not have required any great long-suffering for it4 ,the fault1 however1 that they are fitted for destruction belongs to the devil and to men themselves1 and not to ,god4 7#ajhi1 #gi;f47 ,it is man's own fault when he is not converted by the ,word or afterwards falls away again4 ,we read3 ,but the reason why not all who hear it the ,word of ,god believe and are therefore condemned the more deeply1 is not because ,god had begrudged them their salvation2 but it is their own fault1 as they have heard the ,word in such a manner as not to learn1 but only to despise1 blaspheme1 and disgrace it1 and have resisted the ,holy ,ghost1 who through the ,word wished to work in them1 as was the case at the time of ,christ with the ,pharisees and their adherents4 7#ajhi1 #gh47 ,for few receive the ,word and follow it2 the greatest number despise the ,word1 and will not come to the wedding1 ,matt4 #bb1 #c;ff4 ,the cause of this contempt for the ,word is not ,god's foreknowledge or predestination1 but the perverse will of man1 which rejects or perverts the means and instrument of the ,holy ,ghost1 which ,god offers him through the call1 and resists the ,holy ,ghost1 who wishes to be efficacious1 and works through the ,word1 as ,christ says3 ',how often would ,i have gathered you together1 and ye would not6' ,matt4 #bc1 #cg4 ,thus many receive the ,word with joy1 but afterwards fall away again1 ,luke #h1 #ac4 ,but the cause is not as though ,god were unwilling to grant grace for perseverance to those in whom ,he has begun the good work1 for that is contrary to ,st4 ,paul1 ,phil4 #a1 #f2 but the cause is that they wilfully turn away again from the holy commandment1 grieve and embitter the ,holy ,ghost1 implicate themselves again in the filth of the world1 and garnish again the habitation of the heart for the devil4 ,with them the last state is worse than the first4 7#ajgg #da;f42 #hce1 #ab47 ,it is not because of any deficiency in ,god that men are lost2 for ,his grace is universal as well as serious and efficacious4 ,the ,formula of ,concord declares3 ,however1 that many are called and few chosen is not owing to the fact that the call of ,god1 which is made through the ,word1 had the meaning as though ,god said3 ,outwardly1 through the ,word1 ,i indeed call to ,my kingdom all of you to whom ,i give ,my ,word2 however1 in ,my heart ,i do not mean this with respect to all1 but only with respect to a few2 for it is ,my will that the greatest part of those whom ,i call through the ,word shall not be enlightened nor converted1 but be and remain damned1 although through the ,word1 in the call1 ,i declare ,myself to them otherwise4 ,hoc enim esset ,deo contradictorias voluntates affingere4 ,for this would be to assign contradictory wills to ,god4 ,that is1 in this way it would be taught that ,god1 who surely is ,eternal ,truth1 would be contrary to ,himself or say one thing1 but revolve another in ,his heart1 while1 on the contrary1 ,god rebukes and punishes also in men this wickedness1 when a person declares himself to one purpose1 and thinks and means another in the heart1 ,ps4 #e1 #i2 #ab1 #b;f4 7#ajge1 #cf47 ,it is a punishment of their previous sins and not a result of ,god's predestination when sinners are hardened2 nor does such hardening signify that it never was ,god's good pleasure to save them4 ,moreover1 says the ,formula1 it is to be diligently considered that when ,god punishes sin with sins1 that is when ,he afterwards punishes with obduracy and blindness those who had been converted because of their subsequent security1 impenitence1 and wilful sins1 this should not be interpreted to mean that it never had been ,god's good pleasure that such persons should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved4 ,for both these facts are ,god's revealed will3 first1 that ,god will receive into grace all who repent and believe in ,christ2 secondly1 that ,he also will punish those who wilfully turn away from the holy commandment1 and again entangle themselves in the filth of the world #b ,pet4 #b1 #bj1 and garnish their hearts for ,satan1 ,luke #aa1 #be;f41 and do despite unto the ,spirit of ,god1 ,heb4 #aj1 #bi1 and that they shall be hardened1 blinded1 and eternally condemned if they persist therein4 7#ajia1 #hc47 ,but that ,god 444 hardened ,pharaoh's heart1 namely1 that ,pharaoh always sinned again and again1 and became the more obdurate the more he was admonished1 that was a punishment of his antecedent sin and horrible tyranny1 which in many and manifold ways he practised inhumanly and against the accusations of his heart towards the children of ,israel4 ,and since ,god caused ,his ,word to be preached and ,his will to be proclaimed to him1 and ,pharaoh nevertheless wilfully reared up straightway against all admonitions and warnings1 ,god withdrew ,his hand from him and thus his heart became hardened and obdurate1 and ,god executed ,his judgment upon him2 for he was guilty of nothing else than hell-fire4 ,accordingly1 the holy apostle also introduces the example of ,pharaoh for no other reason than to prove by it the justice of ,god which ,he exercises towards the impenitent and despisers of ,his ,word2 by no means1 however1 has he intended or understood it to mean that ,god begrudged salvation to him or any person1 but had so ordained him to eternal damnation in ,his secret counsel that he should not be able1 or that it should not be possible for him1 to be saved4 7#ajia1 #he;f47 #bcj4 ,agreement of ,articles ,,xi and ,,ii4 ,in the ,formula of ,concord1 ,article ,,xi is closely related to most of the other articles particularly to ,article ,i1 ,of ,original ,sin1 and ,article ,,ii1 ,of ,free ,will and ,conversion4 ,election is to conversion what the concave side of a lens is to the convex4 ,both correspond to each other in every particular4 ,what ,god does for and in man when ,he converts1 justifies1 sanctifies1 preserves1 and finally glorifies him1 ,he has in eternity resolved to do1--that is one way in which eternal election may be defined4 ,synergists and ,calvinists1 however have always maintained that the ,second ,article is in a hopeless conflict with the ,eleventh4 ,but the truth is1 the ,second fully confirms and corroborates the ,eleventh1 and vice versa2 for both maintain the sola gratia as well as the universalis gratia4 ,both articles teach that in every respect grace alone is the cause of our conversion and salvation1 and that this grace is not confined to some men only1 but is a grace for all4 ,both teach that man1 though contributing absolutely nothing to his conversion and salvation1 is nevertheless the sole cause of his own damnation4 ,both disavow ,calvinism which denies the universality of grace4 ,both reject synergism1 which corrupts grace by teaching a cooperation of man towards his own conversion and salvation4 ,teaching therefore1 as they do1 the same truths1 both articles will and must ever stand and fall together4 ,it was1 no doubt1 chiefly due to this complete harmony between the ,second and the ,eleventh ,article that after the former 7which received its present shape only after repeated changes and additions7 had been decided upon the revision of the latter 7the ,eleventh7 caused but little delay4 7,frank #d1 ,v4 #acc47 ,concerning the alleged conflict between ,articles ,,ii and ,,xi1 we read in ,schaff's ,creeds of ,christendom3 ,there is an obvious and irreconcilable antagonism between ,article ,,ii and ,article ,,xi4 ,they contain not simply opposite truths to be reconciled by theological science1 but contradictory assertions1 which ought never to be put into a creed4 ,the ,formula adopts one part of ,luther's book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 #aebe1 and rejects the other1 which follows with logical necessity4 ,it is ,augustinian1 yea1 hyper-,augustinian and hyper-,calvinistic in the doctrine of human depravity1 and anti-,augustinian in the doctrine of divine predestination4 ,it endorses the anthropological premise1 and denies the theological conclusion4 ,if man is by nature like a stone and block1 and unable even to accept the grace of ,god1 as ,article ,,ii teaches1 he can only be converted by an act of almighty power and irresistible grace1 which ,article ,,xi denies4 ,if some men are saved without any cooperation on their part1 while others1 with the same inability and the same opportunities1 are lost1 the difference points to a particular predestination and the inscrutable decree of ,god4 ,on the other hand if ,god sincerely wills the salvation of all men1 as ,article ,,xi teaches1 and yet only a part are actually saved1 there must be some difference in the attitude of the saved and the lost towards converting grace1 which is denied in ,article ,,ii4 ,the ,lutheran system1 then1 to be consistent1 must rectify itself1 and develop either from ,article ,,ii in the direction of ,augustinianism and ,calvinism1 or from ,article ,,xi in the direction of synergism and ,arminianism4 ,the former would be simply returning to ,luther's original doctrine 81 which he never recalled1 though he may have modified it a little2 the latter is the path pointed out by ,melanchthon1 and adopted more or less by some of the ablest modern ,lutherans4 7#a1 #cad4 #ccj47 ,prior to ,schaff1 similar charges had been raised by ,planck1 ,schweizer1 ,heppe1 and others1 who maintained that ,article ,,xi suffers from a theological confusion otherwise not found in the ,formula4 ,apart from other unwarranted assertions in the passage quoted from ,schaff1 the chief charges there raised against the ,formula of ,concord are3 #a4 that ,articles ,,xi and ,,ii are contradictory to each other1 #b4 that the ,lutheran ,church has failed to harmonize the doctrines of sola gratia and gratia universalis4 ,however1 the first of these strictures is based on gross ignorance of the facts1 resulting from a superficial investigation of the articles involved1 for the alleged disagreement is purely imaginary4 ,as a matter of fact1 no one can read the two articles attentively without being everywhere impressed with their complete harmony4 ,in every possible way ,article ,,xi excludes synergism1 and corroborates the sola gratia doctrine of ,article ,,ii4 ,and ,article ,,ii1 in turn1 nowhere denies1 rather everywhere1 directly or indirectly1 confirms1 the universal grace particularly emphasized in ,article ,,xi4 ,the framers of the ,formula were well aware of the fact that the least error in the doctrine of free will and conversion was bound to manifest itself also in the doctrine of election1 and that perhaps in a form much more difficult to detect4 ,hence ,article ,,xi was not only intended to be a bulwark against the assaults on the doctrine of grace coming from ,calvinistic quarters1 but also an additional reenforcement of the article of ,free ,will against the ,synergists1 in order to prevent a future recrudescence of their errors in the sphere of predestination4 ,its object is clearly to maintain the doctrine of the ,bible1 according to which it is grace alone that saves1 a grace which1 at the same time1 is a grace for all1 and thus to steer clear of synergism as well as of ,calvinism1 and forever to close the doors of the ,lutheran ,church to every form of these two errors4 ,according to the ,second ,article1 ,christians cannot be assured of their election if the doctrine of conversion by grace alone is not properly presented4 7#ija1 #dg4 #eg47 ,and ,article ,,xi most emphatically supports ,article ,,ii in its efforts to weed out every kind of synergistic or ,romanistic corruption4 ,for here we read3 ,thus far the mystery of predestination is revealed to us in ,god's ,word2 and if we abide thereby and cleave thereto1 it is a very useful salutary1 consolatory doctrine2 for it establishes very effectually the article that we are justified and saved without all works and merits of ours1 purely out of grace alone1 for ,christ's sake4 ,for before the time of the world1 before we existed1 yea1 before the foundation of the world was laid1 when1 of course1 we could do nothing good1 we were according to ,god's purpose chosen by grace in ,christ to salvation1 ,rom4 #i1 #aa2 #b ,tim4 #a1 #i4 ,moreover1 all opinions and erroneous doctrines concerning the powers of our natural will are thereby overthrown1 because ,god in ,his counsel1 before the time of the world1 decided and ordained that ,he ,himself1 by the power of ,his ,holy ,ghost1 would produce and work in us1 through the ,word1 everything that pertains to our conversion4 7#ajgg1 #dc;f42 #hcg1 #bj47 ,again3 ,by this doctrine and explanation of the eternal and saving choice of the elect children of ,god1 ,his own glory is entirely and fully given to ,god1 that in ,christ ,he saves us out of pure and free mercy1 without any merits or good works of ours1 according to the purpose of ,his will1 as it is written ,eph4 #a1 #e;f43 ',having predestinated us1'444 ,therefore it is false and wrong when it is taught that not alone the mercy of ,god and the most holy merit of ,christ1 but that also in us there is a cause of ,god's predestination on account of which ,god has chosen us to eternal life4 ,indeed1 one of the most exclusive formulations against every possible kind of subtile synergism is found in ,article ,,xi when it teaches that the reason why some are converted and saved while others are lost1 must not be sought in man1 i4e41 in any minor guilt or less faulty conduct toward grace shown by those who are saved1 as compared with the guilt and conduct of those who are lost4 7#ajha1 #eg;f47 ,if1 therefore1 the argument of the ,calvinists and ,synergists that the sola gratia doctrine involves a denial of universal grace were correct1 the charge of ,calvinism would have to be raised against ,article ,,xi as well as against ,article ,,ii4 ,in a similar manner the ,second ,article confirms the ,eleventh by corroborating its anti-,calvinistic teaching of universal grace and redemption2 of man's responsibility for his own damnation2 of man's conversion1 not by compulsion or coercion1 etc4 ,the ,second ,article most emphatically teaches the sola gratia1 but without in any way limiting1 violating1 or encroaching upon1 universal grace4 ,it is not merely opposed to ,pelagian1 ,semi-,pelagian and synergistic errors1 but to ,stoic and ,calvinistic aberrations as well4 ,while it is not the special object of the ,second ,article to set forth the universality of ,god's grace1 its anti-,calvinistic attitude is nevertheless everywhere apparent4 ,article ,,ii plainly teaches that it is not ,god's will that anyone should be damned1 but that all men should be converted to ,him and be saved eternally4 ,ezek4 #cc1 #aa3 ',as ,i live4' 7#ija1 #di47 ,it teaches that ,christ1 in whom we are chosen1 offers to all men ,his grace in the ,word and holy ,sacraments1 and wishes earnestly that it be heard1 and has promised that where two or three are gathered together in ,his name1 and are occupied with ,his holy ,word1 ,he will be in their midst4 7#ijc1 #eg47 ,it maintains that through the ,gospel the ,holy ,ghost offers man grace and salvation1 effects conversion through the preaching and hearing of ,god's ,word1 and is present with this ,word in order to convert men4 7#ghg1 #d;ff42 #hhi1 #ah47 ,it holds that all who wish to be saved ought to hear this preaching1 because the preaching and hearing of ,god's ,word are the instruments of the ,holy ,ghost1 by1 with1 and through which ,he desires to work efficaciously1 and to convert men to ,god1 and to work in them both to will and to do4 7#ija1 #eb;ff47 ,it admonishes that no one should doubt that the power and efficacy of the ,holy ,ghost is present with1 and efficacious in1 the ,word when it is preached purely and listened to attentively1 and that we should base our certainty concerning the presence1 operation1 and gifts of the ,holy ,ghost not on our feeling1 but on the promise that the ,word of ,god preached and heard is truly an office and work of the ,holy ,ghost1 by which ,he is certainly efficacious and works in our hearts1 #b ,cor4 #b1 #ad;ff42 #c1 #e;ff4 tr4 note3 sic on punctuation 7#ijc1 #ef47 ,it asserts that men who refuse to hear the ,word of ,god are not converted because they despised the instrument of the ,holy ,spirit and would not hear 7#ijc1 #eh72 that ,god does not force men to become godly2 that those who always resist the ,holy ,ghost and persistently oppose the known truth are not converted 7#ije1 #fj74 ,if1 therefore1 the inference were correct that the doctrine of universal grace involved a denial of the sola gratia1 then the charge of synergism would have to be raised against ,article ,,ii as well as against ,article ,,xi4 ,both articles will always stand and fall together2 for both teach that the grace of ,god is the only cause of our conversion and salvation1 and that this grace is truly universal4 #bca4 ,mystery in ,doctrine of ,grace4 ,the second charge raised by ,calvinists and ,synergists against the ,formula of ,concord is its failure to harmonize logically what they term contradictory doctrines3 sola gratia and universalis gratia1 --a stricture which must be characterized as flowing from rationalistic premises1 mistaking a divine mystery for a real contradiction1 and in reality directed against the clear ,word of ,god itself4 ,says ,schaff1 who also in this point voices the views of ,calvinists as well as ,synergists3 ,the ,formula of ,concord sanctioned a compromise between ,augustinianism and universalism1 or between the original ,luther and the later ,melanchthon1 by teaching both the absolute inability of man and the universality of divine grace1 without an attempt to solve these contradictory positions4 7#cjd47 ,thus the particularism of election and the universalism of vocation1 the absolute inability of fallen man1 and the guilt of the unbeliever for rejecting what he cannot accept1 are illogically combined4 7#a1 #ccj47 ,the real charge here raised against the ,formula of ,concord is1 that it fails to modify the doctrines of sola gratia or universalis gratia in a manner satisfactory to the demands of human reason2 for ,synergists and ,calvinists are agreed that1 in the interest of rational harmony1 one or the other must be abandoned1 either universalis gratia seria et efficax1 or sola gratia4 ,in judging of the charge in question1 it should not be overlooked that1 according to the ,formula of ,concord1 all ,christians1 theologians included1 are bound to derive their entire doctrine from the ,bible alone2 that matters of faith must be decided exclusively by clear passages of ,holy ,scripture1 that human reason ought not in any point to criticize and lord it over the infallible ,word of ,god2 that reason must be subjected to the obedience of ,christ1 and dare not hinder faith in believing the divine testimonies even when they seemingly contradict each other4 ,we are not commanded to harmonize1 says the ,formula1 but to believe1 confess1 defend1 and faithfully to adhere to the teachings of the ,bible4 7#ajgh1 #eb;ff47 ,in the doctrine of conversion and salvation1 therefore1 ,lutherans confess both the sola gratia and the universalis gratia1 because they are convinced that both are clearly taught in the ,bible1 and that to reject or modify either of them would amount to a criticism of the ,word of ,god1 and hence of ,god ,himself4 ,synergists differ from ,lutherans1 not in maintaining universal grace 7which in reality they deny as to intention as well as extension1 for they corrupt the ,scriptural content of grace by making it dependent on man's conduct1 and thereby limit its extension to such only as comply with its conditions71 but in denying the sola gratia1 and teaching that the will of man enters conversion as a factor alongside of grace4 ,and ,calvinists differ from ,lutherans not in maintaining the sola gratia1 but in denying universal grace4 ,but while1 in accordance with the clear ,word of ,god1 faithfully adhering to both the sola gratia and universalis gratia1 and firmly maintaining that whoever is saved is saved by grace alone1 and whoever is lost is lost through his own fault alone1 the ,formula of ,concord at the same time fully acknowledges the difficulty presenting itself to human reason when we hold fast to this teaching4 ,in particular1 it admits that the question1 not answered in the ,bible1 viz41 why some are saved while others are lost1 embraces a mystery which we lack the means and ability of solving1 as well as the data4 ,accordingly1 the ,formula also makes no efforts whatever to harmonize them1 but rather discountenances and warns against all attempts to cater to human reason in this respect1 and insists that both doctrines be maintained intact and taught conjointly4 ,lutherans are fully satisfied that here every effort at rational harmonization cannot but lead either to ,calvinistic corruption of universal grace or to synergistic modification of sola gratia4 ,thus the ,lutheran ,church not only admits1 but zealously guards1 the mystery contained in the doctrine of grace and election4 ,it distinguishes between ,god in as far as ,he is known and not known2 in as far as ,he has revealed ,himself1 and in as far as ,he is still hidden to us1 but as we shall learn to know ,him hereafter4 ,the truths which may be known concerning ,god are contained in the ,gospel1 revealed in the ,bible4 ,the things still hidden from us include the unsearchable judgments of ,god1 ,his wonderful ways with men1 and1 in particular1 the question why some are saved while others are lost4 ,god has not seen fit to reveal these mysteries4 ,and since reason cannot search or fathom ,god1 man's quest for an answer is both presumptuous and vain4 ,that is to say1 we are utterly unable to uncover the divine counsels1 which would show that the mysterious judgments and ways proceeding from them are in complete harmony with the universal grace proclaimed by the ,gospel4 ,yet ,lutherans believe that the hidden ,god is not in real conflict with ,god as revealed in the ,bible1 and that the secret will of ,god does not in the least invalidate the gracious will of the ,gospel4 ,according to the ,formula of ,concord there are no real contradictions in ,god2 in ,him everything is yea and amen2 ,his very being is pure reality and truth4 ,hence1 when relying on ,god as revealed in ,christ1 that is to say1 relying on grace which is pure grace only and at the same time grace for all1 ,christians may be assured that there is absolutely nothing in the unknown ,god1 i4e41 in as far as ,he has not revealed ,himself to them1 which might subvert their simple faith in ,his gracious promises4 ,the face of ,god depicted in the ,gospel is the true face of ,god4 ,whoever has seen ,christ has seen the ,father as ,he is in reality4 ,indeed1 also the hidden ,god1 together with ,his secret counsels1 unsearchable judgments1 and ways past finding out1 even the majestic ,god1 in whom we live and move and have our being1 the ,god who has all things well in hand1 and without whom nothing can be or occur1 must1 in the light of the ,scriptures1 be viewed as an additional guarantee that1 in spite of all contingencies1 the merciful divine promises of the ,gospel shall stand firm and immovable4 ,upon eternal election1 says the ,formula of ,concord1 our salvation is so firmly founded 'that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it4' 7#ajfe1 #h47 ,as for us1 therefore1 it remains our joyous privilege not to investigate what ,god has withheld from us or to climb into the adyton of ,god's transcendent majesty1 but merely to rely on1 and securely trust in1 the blessed ,gospel1 which proclaims grace for all and salvation by grace alone1 and teaches that whoever is saved must praise ,god alone for it1 while whoever is damned must blame only himself4 ,regarding the mystery involved in predestination1 the ,formula of ,concord explains3 ,a distinction must be observed with especial care between that which is expressly revealed concerning it predestination in ,god's ,word and what is not revealed4 ,for in addition to what has been revealed in ,christ concerning this1 of which we have hitherto spoken1 ,god has still kept secret and concealed much concerning this mystery1 and reserved it for ,his wisdom and knowledge alone1 which we should not investigate1 nor should we indulge our thoughts in this matter1 nor draw conclusions nor inquire curiously1 but should adhere to the revealed ,word4 ,this admonition is most urgently needed4 ,for our curiosity has always much more pleasure in concerning itself with these matters investigating things abstruse and hidden than with what ,god has revealed to us concerning this in ,his ,word1 because we cannot harmonize it cannot by the acumen of our natural ability harmonize the intricate and involved things occurring in this mystery1 which1 moreover1 we have not been commanded to do4 ,the ,formula enumerates as such inscrutable mysteries3 ,why ,god gives ,his ,word at one place1 but not at another2 why ,he removes it from one place1 and allows it to remain at another2 why one is hardened1 while another1 who is in the same guilt1 is converted again4 ,such and similar questions1 says the ,formula1 we cannot answer and must not endeavor to solve4 ,on the contrary1 we are to adhere unflinchingly to both truths1 viz41 that those who are converted are saved1 not because they are better than others1 but by pure grace alone2 and that those who are not converted and not saved cannot accuse ,god of any neglect or injustice but are lost by their own fault4 ,the ,formula concludes its paragraphs on the mysteries in predestination by saying3 ,when we proceed thus far in this article maintaining that ,god alone is the cause of man's salvation and man alone is the cause of his damnation1 and refusing to solve the problems involved1 we remain on the right safe and royal way1 as it is written ,hos4 #ac1 #i3 ',o ,israel1 thou hast destroyed thyself2 but in ,me is thy help4' ,however1 as regards these things in this disputation which would soar too high and beyond these limits1 we should1 with ,paul1 place the finger upon our lips1 remember and say1 ,rom4 #i1 #bj3 ',o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god8' 7#ajgh1 #eb;ff47 #bcb4 ,predestination a ,comforting ,article4 ,christian doctrines1 or doctrines of the ,church1 are such only as are in exact harmony with the ,scriptures4 ,they alone1 too1 are able to serve the purpose for which the ,scriptures are given1 viz41 to convert and save sinners1 and to comfort troubled ,christians4 ,scriptural doctrines are always profitable1 and detrimental doctrines are never ,scriptural4 ,this is true also of the article of eternal election4 ,it is a truly edifying doctrine as also the ,formula of ,concord is solicitous to explain4 7#ajib1 #hi;ff47 ,however1 it is comforting only when taught in its purity1 i4e41 when presented and preserved in strict adherence to the ,bible2 that is to say1 when both the sola gratia and gratia universalis are kept inviolate4 ,whenever the doctrine of predestination causes despair or carnal security1 it has been either misrepresented or misunderstood4 ,in the introductory paragraphs of ,article ,,xi we read3 ,for the doctrine concerning this article1 if taught from1 and according to the pattern of the divine ,word1 neither can nor should be regarded as useless or unnecessary1 much less as offensive or injurious1 because the ,holy ,scriptures not only in but one place and incidentally1 but in many places thoroughly treat and urge the same4 ,moreover1 we should not neglect or reject the doctrine of the divine ,word on account of abuse or misunderstanding1 but precisely on that account1 in order to avert all abuse and misunderstanding the true meaning should and must be explained from the foundation of the ,scriptures4 7#ajfc1 #b2 #ajfg1 #ac47 ,if it is treated properly1 says also the ,epitome1 the doctrine of predestination is a consolatory article 7#hcj1 #a72 that is to say1 if predestination is viewed in the light of the ,gospel1 and particularly1 if sola gratia as well as gratia universalis are kept inviolate4 ,outside of ,god's revelation in the ,gospel there is no true and wholesome knowledge whatever concerning election1 but mere noxious human dreams4 ,and when the universality of grace is denied1 it is impossible for any one to know whether he is elected1 and whether the grace spoken of in the ,gospel is intended for or belongs to him4 ,therefore1 says the ,formula of ,concord1 if we wish to consider our eternal election to salvation with profit1 we must in every way hold sturdily and firmly to this1 that1 as the preaching of repentance1 so also the promise of the ,gospel is universalis 7universal71 that is1 it pertains to all men1 ,luke #bd1 #dg1 etc4 7#ajga1 #bh47 ,by denying that universal grace is meant seriously and discounting the universal promises of the ,gospel1 the necessary consolatory foundation is rendered altogether uncertain and void1 as we are daily reminded and admonished that only from ,god's ,word1 through which ,he treats with us and calls us1 we are to learn and conclude what ,his will toward us is1 and that we should believe and not doubt what it affirms to us and promises4 7#ajge1 #cf47 ,if ,god cannot be trusted in ,his universal promises1 absolutely nothing in the ,bible can be relied upon4 ,a doctrine of election from which universal grace is eliminated1 necessarily leads to despair or to contumaciousness and carnal security4 ,calvin was right when he designated his predestination theory1 which denies universal grace1 a horrible decree4 ,it left him without any objective foundation whatever upon which to rest his faith and hope4 ,in like manner1 when the doctrine of election and grace is modified synergistically1 no one can know for certain whether he has really been pardoned and will be saved finally1 because here salvation is not exclusively based on the sure and immovable grace and promises of ,god1 but1 at least in part1 on man's own doubtful conduct--a rotten plank which can serve neither foot for safely crossing the great abyss of sin and death4 ,only when presented and taught in strict adherence to the ,bible is the doctrine of election and grace fully qualified to engender divine certainty of our present adoption and final salvation as well1 since it assures us that ,god sincerely desires to save all men 7us included71 that ,he alone does1 and has promised to do1 everything pertaining thereto1 and that nothing is able to thwart ,his promises1 since ,he who made them and confirmed them with an oath is none other than the majestic ,god ,himself4 ,accordingly1 when ,calvinists and ,synergists criticize the ,formula of ,concord for not harmonizing 7modifying in the interest of rational harmony7 the clear doctrines of the ,bible1 which they brand as contradictions1 they merely display their own conflicting1 untenable position4 ,for while professing to follow the ,scriptures1 they at the same time demand that its doctrines be corrected according to the dictate of reason1 thus plainly revealing that their theology is not founded on the ,bible1 but orientated in rationalism1 the true ultimate principle of ,calvinism as well as synergism4 ,in the last analysis1 therefore1 the charge of inconsistency against the ,formula of ,concord is tantamount to an indirect admission that the ,lutheran ,church is both a consistently ,scriptural and a truly evangelical ,church4 ,consistently ,scriptural1 because it receives in simple faith and with implicit obedience every clear ,word of ,god1 all counter-arguments to the contrary notwithstanding4 ,truly evangelical1 because in adhering with unswerving loyalty to the seemingly contradictory1 but truly ,scriptural doctrine of grace1 it serves the purpose of the ,scriptures1 which--praise the ,lord--is none other than to save1 edify1 and comfort poor disconsolate sinners4 #bcc4 ,statements of ,article ,,xi on ,consolation ,offered by ,predestination4 ,the purpose of the entire ,scripture1 says the ,formula of ,concord1 is to comfort penitent sinners4 ,if we therefore abide by1 and cleave to1 predestination as it is revealed to us in ,god's ,word1 it is a very useful1 salutary1 consolatory doctrine4 ,every presentation of eternal election1 however which produces carnal security or despair1 is false4 ,we read3 ,if any one presents the doctrine concerning the gracious election of ,god in such a manner that troubled ,christians cannot derive comfort from it1 but are thereby incited to despair1 or that the impenitent are confirmed in their wantonness1 it is undoubtedly sure and true that such a doctrine is taught1 not according to the ,word and will of ,god1 but according to the blind judgment of human reason and the instigation of the devil4 ,for1 as the apostle testifies1 ,rom4 #ae1 #d3 ',whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning1 that we through patience and comfort of the ,scriptures might have hope4' ,but when this consolation and hope are weakened or entirely removed by ,scripture1 it is certain that it is understood and explained contrary to the will and meaning of the ,holy ,ghost4 7#ajic1 #ia;f41 #hcg1 #af2 #ajgg1 #dc47 ,predestination is comforting when ,christians are taught to seek their election in ,christ4 ,we read3 ,moreover1 this doctrine gives no one a cause either for despondency or for a shameless1 dissolute life1 namely1 when men are taught that they must seek eternal election in ,christ and ,his holy ,gospel1 as in the ,book of ,life1 which excludes no penitent sinner1 but beckons and calls all the poor1 heavy-laden1 and troubled sinners who are disturbed by the sense of ,god's wrath1 to repentance and the knowledge of their sins and to faith in ,christ1 and promises the ,holy ,ghost for purification and renewal1 and thus gives the most enduring consolation to all troubled1 afflicted men1 that they know that their salvation is not placed in their own hands 7for otherwise they would lose it much more easily than was the case with ,adam and ,eve in ,paradise1 yea1 every hour and moment71 but in the gracious election of ,god which ,he has revealed to us in ,christ1 out of whose hand no man shall pluck us1 ,john #aj1 #bh2 #b ,tim4 #b1 #ai4 7#ajic1 #hi47 ,in order to manifest its consolatory power predestination must be presented in proper relation to the revealed order of salvation4 ,we read3 ,with this revealed will of ,god ,his universal1 gracious promises in the ,gospel we should concern ourselves1 follow and be diligently engaged upon it1 because through the ,word1 whereby ,he calls us1 the ,holy ,ghost bestows grace1 power1 and ability to this end to begin and complete our salvation1 and should not attempt to sound the abyss of ,god's hidden predestination1 as it is written in ,luke #ac1 #bd1 where one asks3 ',lord1 are there few that be saved8' and ,christ answers3 ',strive to enter in at the strait gate4' ,accordingly1 ,luther says in his ,preface to the ,epistle to the ,romans3 ',follow the ,epistle to the ,romans in its order1 concern yourself first with ,christ and ,his ,gospel1 that you may recognize your sins and ,his grace2 next that you contend with sin1 as ,paul teaches from the first to the eighth chapter2 then1 when in the eighth chapter you will come into will have been exercised by temptation under the cross and afflictions1--this will teach you in the ninth1 tenth1 and eleventh chapters how consolatory predestination is1' etc4 7#ajgc1 #cc47 ,predestination1 properly taught1 affords the glorious comfort that no one shall pluck us out of the almighty hands of ,christ4 ,the ,formula says3 ,thus this doctrine affords also the excellent glorious consolation that ,god was so greatly concerned about the conversion1 righteousness1 and salvation of every ,christian1 and so faithfully purposed it provided therefor that before the foundation of the world was laid1 ,he deliberated concerning it1 and in ,his secret purpose ordained how ,he would bring me thereto call and lead me to salvation1 and preserve me therein4 ,also1 that ,he wished to secure my salvation so well and certainly that1 since through the weakness and wickedness of our flesh it could easily be lost from our hands1 or through craft and might of the devil and the world be snatched and taken from us1 ,he ordained it in ,his eternal purpose1 which cannot fail or be overthrown1 and placed it for preservation in the almighty hand of our ,savior ,jesus ,christ1 from which no one can pluck us1 ,john #aj1 #bh4 ,hence ,paul also says1 ,rom4 #h1 #bh4 #ci3 ',because we have been called according to the purpose of ,god1 who will separate us from the love of ,god in ,christ8' ,paul builds the certainty of our blessedness upon the foundation of the divine purpose1 when1 from our being called according to the purpose of ,god1 he infers that no one can separate us1 etc4 7#ajgi1 #de47 ,this article also affords a glorious testimony that the ,church of ,god will exist and abide in opposition to all the gates of hell1 and likewise teaches which is the true ,church of ,god1 lest we be offended by the great authority and majestic appearance of the false ,church1 ,rom4 #i1 #bd4 #be4 7#ajgi1 #ej47 ,especially in temptations and tribulations the doctrine of eternal election reveals its comforting power4 ,we read3 ,moreover1 this doctrine affords glorious consolation under the cross and amid temptations1 namely1 that ,god in ,his counsel1 before the time of the world determined and decreed that ,he would assist us in all distresses anxieties and perplexities1 grant patience1 give consolation1 excite nourish and encourage hope1 and produce such an outcome as would contribute to our salvation4 ,also1 as ,paul in a very consolatory way treats this1 ,rom4 #h1 #bh4 #bi4 #ce4 #ch4 #ci1 that ,god in ,his purpose has ordained before the time of the world by what crosses and sufferings ,he would conform every one of ,his elect to the image of ,his ,son1 and that to every one his cross shall and must work together for good1 because they are called according to the purpose1 whence ,paul has concluded that it is certain and indubitable that neither tribulation nor distress1 nor death1 nor life1 etc41 shall be able to separate us from the love of ,god which is in ,christ ,jesus1 our ,lord4 7#ajgi1 #dh47 ,,xxi4 ,luther and ,article ,,xi of the ,formula of ,concord4 #bcd4 ,luther ,falsely ,charged with ,calvinism4 ,calvinists and ,synergists have always contended that ,luther's original doctrine of predestination was essentially identical with that of ,john ,calvin4 ,melanchthon was among the first who raised a charge to this effect4 ,in his ,opinion to ,elector ,august1 dated ,march #i1 #aeei1 we read3 ,during ,luther's life and afterwards ,i rejected these ,stoic and ,manichean deliria1 when ,luther and others wrote3 ,all works1 good and bad1 in all men1 good and bad1 must occur as they do4 ,now it is apparent that such speech contradicts the ,word of ,god1 is detrimental to all discipline and blasphemes ,god4 ,therefore ,i have sedulously made a distinction1 showing to what extent man has a free will to observe outward discipline1 also before regeneration1 etc4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gff47 ,instead of referring to his own early statements1 which were liable to misinterpretation more than anything that ,luther had written1 ,melanchthon disingenuously mentions ,luther1 whose real meaning he misrepresents and probably had never fully grasped4 ,the true reason why ,melanchthon charged ,luther and his loyal adherents with ,stoicism was his own synergistic departure from the ,lutheran doctrine of original sin and of salvation by grace alone4 ,following ,melanchthon1 rationalizing ,synergists everywhere have always held that without abandoning ,luther's doctrine of original sin and of the gratia sola there is no escape from ,calvinism4 ,in this point ,reformed theologians agree with the ,synergists1 and have therefore always claimed ,luther as their ally4 ,i4 ,mueller declared in ,lutheri de ,praedestionatione et ,libero ,arbitrio ,doctrina of #ahcb3 ,as to the chief point 7quod ad caput rei attinet71 ,zwingli's view of predestination is in harmony with ,luther's ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 ,in his ,zentraldogmen of #ahed ,alexander ,schweizer endeavored to prove that the identical doctrine of predestination was originally the central dogma of the ,lutheran as well as of the ,zwinglian reformation4 ,it is not so much the dogma of predestination itself1 said he 7#a1 #dde71 as its position which is in dispute among ,lutherans and ,calvinists4 ,schweizer 7#a1 #dhc7 based his assertion on the false assumption that the doctrines of the captive will and of absolute predestination denial of universal grace are two halves of the same ring4 7,frank #a1 #ab4 #aah4 #abh2 #d1 #bfb47 ,similar contentions were made in ,america by ,schaff1 ,hodge1 ,shedd1 and other ,reformed theologians4 ,as a matter of fact1 however1 also in the doctrine of predestination ,zwingli and ,calvin were just as far and as fundamentally apart from ,luther as their entire rationalistic theology differed from the simple and implicit ,scripturalism of ,luther4 ,frank truly says that the agreement between ,luther's doctrine and that of ,zwingli and ,calvin is only specious1 nur scheinbar4 7#a1 #aah47 ,tschackert remarks3 ,whoever among the theologians before the ,formula of ,concord was acquainted with the facts could not but see that in this doctrine of predestination there was a far-reaching difference between the ,lutheran and the ,calvinistic theology4 7#eei47 ,f4 ,pieper declares that ,luther and ,calvin agree only in certain expressions1 but differ entirely as to substance4 7,dogm4 #c1 #eed47 ,the ,visitation ,articles1 adopted #aeib as a norm of doctrine for ,electoral ,saxony1 enumerate the following propositions on ,predestination and the ,eternal ,providence of ,god which must be upheld over against the ,calvinists as the pure and true doctrine of our ,lutheran churches3 #a4 ,that ,christ has died for all men1 and as the ,lamb of ,god has borne the sins of the whole world4 #b4 ,that ,god created no one for condemnation1 but will have all men to be saved1 and to come to the knowledge of the truth4 ,he commands all to hear ,his ,son ,christ in the ,gospel1 and promises by it the power and working of the ,holy ,ghost for conversion and salvation4 #c4 ,that many men are condemned by their own guilt who are either unwilling to hear the ,gospel of ,christ1 or again fall from grace1 by error against the foundation or by sins against conscience4 #d4 ,that all sinners who repent are received into grace and no one is excluded1 even though his sins were as scarlet1 since ,god's mercy is much greater than the sins of all the world1 and ,god has compassion on all ,his works4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #aaec47 ,not one of these propositions1 which have always been regarded as a summary of the ,lutheran teaching in contradistinction from ,calvinism1 was ever denied by ,luther4 #bce4 ,summary of ,luther's ,views4 ,luther distinguished between the hidden and the revealed or proclaimed ,god1 the secret and revealed will of ,god2 the majestic ,god in whom we live and move and have our being1 and ,god manifest in ,christ2 ,god's unsearchable judgments and ways past finding out1 and ,his merciful promises in the ,gospel4 ,being truly ,god and not an idol1 ,god1 according to ,luther1 is both actually omnipotent and omniscient4 ,nothing can exist or occur without ,his power1 and everything surely will occur as ,he has foreseen it4 ,this is true of the thoughts1 volitions1 and acts of all ,his creatures4 ,he would not be ,god if there were any power not derived from1 or supplied by ,him1 or if the actual course of events could annul ,his decrees and stultify ,his knowledge4 ,also the devils and the wicked are not beyond ,his control4 ,as for evil1 though ,god does not will or cause it1--for1 on the contrary1 ,he prohibits sin and truly deplores the death of a sinner--yet sin and death could never have entered the world without ,his permission4 ,also the will of fallen man receives its power to will from ,god1 and its every resolve and consequent act proceeds just as ,god has foreseen1 ordained1 or permitted it4 ,the evil quality of all such acts1 however1 does not emanate from ,god1 but from the corrupt will of man4 ,hence free will1 when defined as the power of man to nullify and subvert what ,god's majesty has foreseen and decreed1 is a nonent1 a mere empty title4 ,this1 however1 does not involve that the human will is coerced or compelled to do evil1 nor does it exclude in fallen man the ability to choose in matters temporal and subject to reason4 ,but while holding that we must not deny the majesty and the mysteries of ,god1 ,luther did not regard these1 but ,christ crucified and justification by faith in the promises of the ,gospel1 as the true objects of our concern4 ,nor does he1 as did ,calvin1 employ predestination as a corrective and regulative norm for interpreting1 limiting1 invalidating1 annulling1 or casting doubt upon1 any of the blessed truths of the ,gospel4 ,luther does not modify the revealed will of ,god in order to harmonize it with ,god's sovereignty4 ,he does not place the hidden ,god in opposition to the revealed ,god1 nor does he reject the one in order to maintain the other4 ,he denies neither the revealed universality of ,god's grace1 of ,christ's redemption1 and of the efficaciousness of the ,holy ,spirit in the means of grace1 nor the unsearchable judgments and ways of ,god's majesty4 ,even the ,reformed theologian ,a4 ,schweizer admits as much when he says in his ,zentraldogmen 7#a1 #dde73 ,in the ,zwinglio-,calvinian type of doctrine1 predestination is a dogma important as such and regulating the other doctrines1 yea1 as ,martyr1 ,beza1 and others say1 the chief part of ,christian doctrine2 while in the ,lutheran type of doctrine it is merely a dogma supporting other1 more important central doctrines4 7,frank #d1 #bfd47 ,moreover1 ,luther most earnestly warns against all speculations concerning the hidden ,god as futile1 foolish1 presumptuous1 and wicked4 ,the secret counsels1 judgments1 and ways of ,god cannot and must not be investigated4 ,god's majesty is unfathomable1 ,his judgments are unsearchable1 ,his ways past finding out4 ,hence1 there is not1 and there cannot be1 any human knowledge1 understanding1 or faith whatever concerning ,god in so far as ,he has not revealed ,himself4 ,for while the fact that there are indeed such things as mysteries1 unsearchable judgments1 and incomprehensible ways in ,god is plainly taught in the ,bible1 their nature1 their how1 why1 and wherefore1 has not been revealed to us and no amount of human ingenuity is able to supply the deficiency4 ,hence1 in as far as ,god is still hidden and veiled1 ,he cannot serve as a norm by which we are able to regulate our faith and life4 ,particularly when considering the question how ,god is disposed toward us individually1 we must not take refuge in the secret counsels of ,god1 which reason cannot spy and pry into4 ,according to ,luther1 all human speculations concerning the hidden ,god are mere diabolical inspirations1 bound to lead away from the saving truth of the ,gospel into despair and destruction4 ,what ,god1 therefore1 would have men believe about ,his attitude toward them1 must according to ,luther1 be learned from the ,gospel alone4 ,the ,bible tells us how ,god is disposed toward poor sinners1 and how ,he wants to deal with them4 ,not ,his hidden majesty1 but ,his only-begotten ,son1 born in ,bethlehem1 is the divinely appointed object of human investigation4 ,christ crucified is ,god manifest and visible to men4 ,whoever has seen ,christ has seen ,god4 ,the ,gospel is ,god's only revelation to sinful human beings4 ,the ,bible1 the ministry of the ,word1 ,baptism1 the ,lord's ,supper1 and absolution are the only means of knowing how ,god is disposed toward us4 ,to these alone ,god has directed us4 ,with these alone men should occupy and concern themselves4 ,and the ,gospel being the ,word of ,god1 the knowledge furnished therein is most reliable4 ,alarmed sinners may trust in its comforting promises with firm assurance and unwavering confidence4 ,in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio ,luther earnestly warns men not to investigate the hidden ,god1 but to look to revelation for an answer to the question how ,god is minded toward them1 and how ,he intends to deal with them4 ,in his ,commentary on ,genesis he refers to this admonition and repeats it1 protesting that he is innocent if any one is misled to take a different course4 ,i have added to the statements in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio concerning necessity and the hidden ,god ,luther here declares1 that we must look upon the revealed ,god4 ,addidi1 quod aspiciendus sit ,deus revelatus4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #hih47 ,this ,bible-revelation1 however1 by which alone ,luther would have men guided in judging ,god1 plainly teaches both1 that grace is universal1 and that salvation is by grace alone4 ,luther always taught the universality of ,god's love and mercy1 as well as of ,christ's redemption1 and the operation of the ,holy ,spirit in the means of grace4 ,also according to ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 ,god wants all men to be saved1 and does not wish the death of sinners1 but deplores and endeavors to remove it4 ,luther fairly revels in such texts as ,ezek4 #ah1 #bc and #ca1 #aa3 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked1 but that the wicked turn from his way and live4 ,turn ye from your evil ways2 for why will ye die1 ,o house of ,israel8 ,he calls the above a glorious passage and that sweetest ,gospel voice--illam vocem dulcissimi ,evangelii4 7,e4 v4 a4 #g1 #bah47 ,thus ,luther rejoiced in universal grace1 because it alone was able to convince him that the ,gospel promises embraced and included also him4 ,in like manner he considered the doctrine that salvation is by grace alone to be most necessary and most comforting4 ,without this truth divine assurance of salvation is impossible1 with it1 all doubts about the final victory of faith are removed4 ,luther was convinced that1 if he were required to contribute anything to his own conversion1 preservation1 and salvation1 he could never attain these blessings4 ,nothing can save but the grace which is grace alone4 ,in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio everything is pressed into service to disprove and explode the assertion of ,erasmus that the human will is able to and does work something in matters pertaining to salvation1 and to establish the monergism or sole activity of grace in man's conversion4 7,st4 ,l4 #ah1 #afhf1 #afhh47 ,at the same time ,luther maintained that man alone is at fault when he is lost4 ,in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio he argues3 ,since it is ,god's will that all men should be saved1 it must be attributed to man's will if any one perishes4 ,the cause of damnation is unbelief1 which thwarts the gracious will of ,god so clearly revealed in the ,gospel4 ,the question1 however1 why some are lost while others are saved1 though their guilt is equal1 or why ,god does not save all men1 since it is grace alone that saves1 and since grace is universal1 ,luther declines to answer4 ,moreover1 he demands that we both acknowledge and adore the unsearchable judgments of ,god1 and at the same time firmly adhere to the ,gospel as revealed in the ,bible4 ,all efforts to solve this mystery or to harmonize the hidden and the revealed ,god1 ,luther denounces as folly and presumption4 ,yet ,luther maintains that the conflict is seeming rather than real4 ,whatever may be true of the majestic ,god1 it certainly cannot annul or invalidate what ,he has made known of ,himself in the ,gospel4 ,there are and can be no contradictory wills in ,god4 ,despite appearances to the contrary1 therefore1 ,christians are firmly to believe that1 in ,his dealings with men1 ,god1 who saves so few and damns so many1 is nevertheless both truly merciful and just4 ,and what we now believe we shall see hereafter4 ,when the veil will have been lifted and we shall know ,god even as we are known by ,him1 then we shall see with our eyes no other face of ,god than the most lovable one which our faith beheld in ,jesus4 ,the light of glory will not correct but confirm1 the truths of the ,bible1 and reveal the fact that in all ,his ways ,god was always in perfect harmony with ,himself4 ,indeed1 according to ,luther1 the truth concerning the majestic ,god1 in whom we live and move and have our being1 and without whom nothing can be or occur1 in a way serves both repentance and faith4 ,it serves repentance and the ,law inasmuch as it humbles man1 causing him to despair of himself and of the powers of his own unregenerate will4 ,it serves faith inasmuch as it guarantees ,god's merciful promises in the ,gospel4 ,for if ,god is supreme1 as ,he truly is1 then there can be nothing more reliable than the covenant of grace to which ,he has pledged ,himself by an oath4 ,and if ,god1 as ,he truly does1 controls all contingencies1 then there remains no room for any fear whether ,he will be able to fulfil ,his glorious promises1 also the promise that nothing shall pluck us out of the hands of ,christ4--,such1 essentially was the teaching set forth by ,luther in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio and in his other publications4 #bcf4 ,object of ,luther's ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 ,the true scope of ,de ,servo ,arbitrio is to prove that man is saved1 not by any ability or efforts of his own1 but solely by grace4 ,luther says3 ,we are not arguing the question what we can do when ,god works moves us1 but what we can do ourselves1 viz41 whether1 after being created out of nothing1 we can do or endeavor to do anything through that general movement of omnipotence toward preparing ourselves for being a new creation of ,his ,spirit4 ,this question should have been answered1 instead of turning aside to another4 ,luther continues3 ,we go on to say3 ,man1 before he is renewed to become a new creature of the kingdom of the ,spirit1 does nothing1 endeavors nothing1 toward preparing himself for renewal and the kingdom2 and afterwards1 when he has been created anew1 he does nothing1 endeavors nothing1 toward preserving himself in that kingdom2 but the ,spirit alone does each of these things in us1 both creating us anew without our cooperation and preserving us when recreated1--even as ,jas4 #a1 #ah says3 ',of ,his own will begat ,he us by the ,word of ,truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of ,his creatures1' ,he is speaking here of the renewed creature4 7,e4 v4 a4 #g1 #cag2 ,st4 ,l4 #ah1 #aiji2 compare here and in the following quotations ,vaughan's ,martin ,luther on the ,bondage of the ,will1 ,london1 #ahbc47 ,man lacks also the ability to do what is good before ,god4 ,luther3 ,i reply3 ,the words of the ,prophet ,ps4 #ad1 #b3 ,the ,lord looketh down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek ,god4 ,they are all gone aside1 etc4 include both act and power2 and it is the same thing to say1 ',man does not seek after ,god1' as it would be to say1 ',man cannot seek after ,god4' 7,e4 #ccj2 ,st4 ,l4 #aibc47 ,again3 ,since1 therefore1 men are flesh1 as ,god ,himself testifies1 they cannot but be carnally minded 7nihil sapere possunt nisi carnem72 hence free will has power only to sin4 ,and since they grow worse even when the ,spirit of ,god calls and teaches them1 what would they do if left to themselves1 without the ,spirit of ,god8 7,e4 #bij2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahgf47 ,in brief1 you will observe in ,scripture that wherever flesh is treated in opposition to the ,spirit1 you may understand by flesh about everything that is contrary to the ,spirit1 as in the passage ,john #f1 #fc3 ',the flesh profiteth nothing4' 7,e4 #bia2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahgg47 ,thus also ,holy ,scripture1 by way of emphasis 7per epitasin71 calls man 'flesh1' as though he were carnality itself1 because his mind is occupied with nothing but carnal things4 ,quod nimio ac nihil aliud sapit quam ea1 quae carnis sunt4 7,e4 #cjb2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahij47 ,according to ,luther there is no such thing as a neutral willing in man4 ,he says3 ,it is a mere logical fiction to say that there is in man a neutral and pure volition 7medium et purum velle72 nor can those prove it who assert it4 ,it was born of ignorance of things and servile regard to words1 as if something must straightway be such in substance as we state it to be in words1 which sort of figments are numberless among the ,sophists ,scholastic theologians4 ,the truth of the matter is stated by ,christ when ,he says ,luke #aa1 #bc3 ',he that is not with ,me is against ,me1' ,he does not say1 ',he that is neither with ,me nor against ,me1 but in the middle1' ,for if ,god be in us1 ,satan is absent1 and only the will for good is present with us4 ,if ,god be absent1 ,satan is present1 and there is no will in us but towards evil4 ,neither ,god nor ,satan allows a mere and pure volition in us2 but1 as you have rightly said1 having lost our liberty1 we are compelled to serve sin2 that is sin and wickedness we will1 sin and wickedness we speak1 sin and wickedness we act4 7,e4 #aii2 ,st4 ,l4 #agfh47 ,in support of his denial of man's ability in spiritual matters ,luther quotes numerous ,bible-passages1 and thoroughly refutes as fallacies a debito ad posse1 etc41 the arguments drawn by ,erasmus from mandatory and conditional passages of ,scripture4 ,his own arguments he summarizes as follows3 ,for if we believe it to be true that ,god foreknows and preordains everything1 also1 that ,he can neither be deceived nor hindered in ,his foreknowledge and predestination furthermore that nothing occurs without ,his will 7a truth which reason itself is compelled to concede71 then1 according to the testimony of the selfsame reason1 there can be no free will in man or angel or any creature4 ,likewise1 if we believe ,satan to be the prince of the world1 who is perpetually plotting and fighting against the kingdom of ,christ with all his might1 so that he does not release captive men unless he be driven out by the divine power of the ,spirit1 it is again manifest that there can be no such thing as free will4 ,again1 if we believe original sin to have so ruined us that1 by striving against what is good1 it makes most troublesome work even for those who are led by the ,spirit1 then it is clear that in man devoid of the ,spirit nothing is left which can turn itself to good1 but only what turns itself to evil4 ,again1 if the ,jews1 following after righteousness with all their might rushed forth into unrighteousness1 and the ,gentiles1 who were following after unrighteousness1 have freely and unexpectingly attained to righteousness1 it is likewise manifest1 even by very deed and experience1 that man without grace can will nothing but evil4 ,in brief1 if we believe ,christ to have redeemed man by ,his blood1 then we are compelled to confess that the whole man was lost2 else we shall make ,christ either superfluous1 or the ,redeemer only of the vilest part of man which is blasphemous and sacrilegious4 7,e4 #cff2 ,st4 ,l4 #aifi47 #bcg4 ,relation of ,man's ,will toward ,god's ,majesty4 ,according to ,luther man has power over things beneath himself1 but not over ,god in ,his majesty4 ,we read3 ,we know that man is constituted lord of the things beneath him1 over which he has power and free will1 that they may obey him and do what he wills and thinks4 ,but the point of our inquiry is whether he has a free will toward ,god1 so that ,god obeys and does what man wills2 or1 whether it is not rather ,god who has a free will over man1 so that the latter wills and does what ,god wills1 and can do nothing but what ,god has willed and does4 ,here the ,baptist says that man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven3 wherefore free will is nothing4 7,e4 #cei1 ,st4 ,l4 #aieg47 ,god as revealed in the ,word may1 according to ,luther1 be opposed and resisted by man1 but not ,god in ,his majesty4 ,we read3 ,lest any one should suppose this to be my own distinction1 let him know that ,i follow ,paul1 who writes to the ,thessalonians concerning ,antichrist 7#b ,thess4 #b1 #d7 that he will exalt himself above every ,god that is proclaimed and worshiped1 plainly indicating that one may be exalted above ,god1 so far as ,he is proclaimed and worshiped1 that is1 above the ,word and worship by which ,god is known to us1 and maintains intercourse with us4 ,nothing1 however1 can be exalted above ,god as ,he is in ,his nature and majesty 7as not worshiped and proclaimed72 rather1 everything is under ,his powerful hand4 7,e4 #bba2 ,st4 ,l4 #agid47 ,god in ,his majesty is supreme and man cannot resist ,his omnipotence1 nor thwart ,his decrees1 nor foil ,his plans1 nor render ,his omniscience fallible4 ,luther3 ,for all men find this opinion written in their hearts1 and1 when hearing this matter discussed1 they1 though against their will1 acknowledge and assent to it1 first1 that ,god is omnipotent1 not only as regards ,his power1 but also1 as stated ,his action2 else ,he would be a ridiculous ,god2 secondly1 that ,he knows and foreknows all things1 and can neither err nor be deceived4 ,these two things1 however1 being conceded by the hearts and senses of all men they are presently1 by an inevitable consequence1 compelled to admit that1 even as we are not made by our own will1 but by necessity1 so likewise we do nothing according to the right of free will1 but just as ,god has foreknown and acts by a counsel and an energy which is infallible and immutable4 ,so1 then1 we find it written in all hearts alike that free will defined as a power independent of ,god's power is nothing1 although this writing in the hearts of men be obscured through so many contrary disputations and the great authority of so many persons who during so many ages have been teaching differently4 7,e4 #bfh2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahea47 ,the very idea of ,god and omnipotence involves that free will is not1 and cannot be1 a power independent of ,god4 ,luther3 ,however1 even natural reason is obliged to confess that the living and true ,god must be such a one who by ,his freedom imposes necessity upon us1 for1 evidently1 ,he would be a ridiculous ,god or1 more properly1 an idol1 who would either foresee future events in an uncertain way1 or be deceived by the events1 as the ,gentiles have asserted an inescapable fate also for their gods4 ,god would be equally ridiculous if ,he could not do or did not do all things1 or if anything occurred without ,him4 ,now1 if foreknowledge and omnipotence are conceded1 it naturally follows as an irrefutable consequence that we have not been made by ourselves1 nor that we live or do anything by ourselves1 but through ,his omnipotence4 ,since1 therefore1 ,he foreknew that we should be such as we actually are1 and even now makes1 moves1 and governs us as such1 pray1 what can be imagined that is free in us so as to occur differently than ,he has foreknown or now works8 ,god's foreknowledge and omnipotence1 therefore1 conflict directly with our free will when defined as a power independent of ,god4 ,for either ,god will be mistaken in foreknowing1 err also in acting 7which is impossible71 or we shall act1 and be acted upon1 according to ,his foreknowledge and action4 ,by the omnipotence of ,god1 however1 ,i do not mean that power by which ,he can do many things which ,he does not do but that active omnipotence by means of which ,he powerfully works all things in all1 in which manner ,scripture calls ,him omnipotent4 ,this omnipotence and prescience of ,god1 ,i say1 entirely abolish the dogma of free will4 ,nor can the obscurity of ,scripture or the difficulty of the matter be made a pretext here4 ,the words are most clear1 known even to children2 the subject-matter is plain and easy1 judged to be so even by the natural reason common to all1 so that ever so long a series of ages1 times1 and persons writing and teaching otherwise will avail nothing4 7,e4 #bfg2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahdi47 ,according to ,luther1 therefore1 nothing can or does occur independently of ,god1 or differently from what ,his omniscience has foreseen4 ,luther3 ,hence it follows irrefutably that all things which we do1 and all things which happen1 although to us they seem to happen changeably and contingently1 do in reality happen necessarily and immutably1 if one views the will of ,god4 ,for the will of ,god is efficacious and cannot be thwarted since it is ,god's natural power itself4 ,it is also wise1 so that it cannot be deceived4 ,and since ,his will is not thwarted1 the work itself cannot be prevented1 but must occur in the very place1 time1 manner1 and degree which ,he ,himself both foresees and wills4 7,e4 #acd2 ,st4 ,l4 #afib47 #bch4 ,god ,not the ,cause of ,sin4 ,regarding ,god's relation to the sinful actions of men1 ,luther held that ,god is not the cause of sin4 ,true1 ,his omnipotence impels also the ungodly2 but the resulting acts are evil because of man's evil nature4 ,he writes3 ,since1 therefore1 ,god moves and works all in all1 ,he necessarily moves and acts also in ,satan and in the wicked4 ,but ,he acts in them precisely according to what they are and what ,he finds them to be 7agit in illis taliter1 quales illi sunt1 et quales invenit74 ,that is to say1 since they are turned away from ,him and wicked1 and as such are impelled to action by divine omnipotence1 they do only such things as are averse to ,god and wicked1 just as a horseman driving a horse which has only three or two sound feet 7equum tripedem vel bipedem7 will drive him in a manner corresponding to the condition of the horse 7agit quidem taliter1 qualis equus est71 i4e41 the horse goes at a sorry gait4 ,but what can the horseman do8 ,he drives such a horse together with sound horses1 so that it sadly limps along1 while the others take a good gait4 ,he cannot do otherwise unless the horse is cured4 ,here you see that when ,god works in the wicked and through the wicked1 the result indeed is evil 7mala quidem fieri71 but that nevertheless ,god cannot act wickedly1 although ,he works that which is evil through the wicked2 for ,he being good1 cannot ,himself act wickedly1 although ,he uses evil instruments1 which cannot escape the impulse and motion of ,his power4 ,the fault1 therefore1 is in the instruments1 which ,god does not suffer to remain idle1 so that evil occurs1 ,god ,himself impelling them1 but in no other manner than a carpenter who1 using an ax that is notched and toothed1 would do poor work with it4 ,hence it is that a wicked man cannot but err and sin continually1 because1 being impelled by divine power1 he is not allowed to remain idle1 but wills1 desires1 and acts according to what he is 7velit1 cupiat1 faciat taliter1 qualis ipse est74 7,e4 #bee2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahcd47 ,for although ,god does not make sin1 still ,he ceases not to form and to multiply a nature which1 the ,spirit having been withdrawn is corrupted by sin1 just as when a carpenter makes statues of rotten wood4 ,thus men become what their nature is1 ,god creating and forming them of such nature4 7,e4 #bed2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahcc47 ,though ,god works all things in all things the wickedness of an action flows from the sinful nature of the creature4 ,luther3 ,whoever would have any understanding of such matters1 let him consider that ,god works evil in us1 i4e41 through us1 not by any fault of ,his1 but through our own fault4 ,for since we are by nature evil1 while ,god is good1 and since ,he impels us to action according to the nature of ,his omnipotence1 ,he1 who ,himself is good1 cannot do otherwise than do evil with an evil instrument1 although1 according to ,his wisdom1 ,he causes this evil to turn out unto ,his own glory and to our salvation4 7,e4 #beg2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahcg47 ,for this is what we assert and contend1 that1 when ,god works without the grace of ,his ,spirit in ,his majesty1 outside of ,word and ,sacrament1 ,he works all in all1 even in the wicked2 for ,he alone moves all things1 which ,he alone has created1 and drives and impels all things by virtue of ,his omnipotence1 which they the created things cannot escape or change1 but necessarily follow and obey1 according to the power which ,god has given to each of them--such is the manner in which all1 even wicked1 things cooperate with ,him4 ,furthermore1 when ,he acts by the ,spirit of ,grace in those whom ,he has made righteous1 i4e41 in ,his own kingdom1 ,he in like manner impels and moves them2 and1 being new creatures1 they follow and cooperate with ,him2 or rather1 as ,paul says1 they are led by ,him4 7,e4 #cag2 ,st4 ,l4 #aijh47 ,for we say that1 without the grace of ,god1 man still remains under the general omnipotence of ,god1 who does1 moves1 impels all things1 so that they take their course necessarily and without fail1 but that what man1 so impelled1 does1 is nothing1 i4e41 avails nothing before ,god1 and is accounted nothing but sin4 7,e4 #cae2 ,st4 ,l4 #aijf47 ,though everything occurs as ,god has foreseen1 this1 according to ,luther1 does not at all involve that man is coerced in his actions4 ,luther3 ,but pray1 are we disputing now concerning coercion and force8 ,have we not in so many books testified that we speak of the necessity of immutability8 ,we know 444 that ,judas of his own volition betrayed ,christ4 ,but we affirm that1 if ,god foreknew it1 this volition would certainly and without fail occur in this very ,judas4444 ,we are not discussing the point whether ,judas became a traitor unwillingly or willingly1 but whether at the time foreappointed by ,god it infallibly had to happen that ,judas of his own volition betrayed ,christ4 7,e4 #bgj2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahec47 ,again3 ,what is it to me that free will is not coerced1 but does what it does willingly8 ,it is enough for me to have you concede that it must necessarily happen1 that he ,judas does what he does of his own volition1 and that he cannot conduct himself otherwise if ,god has so foreknown it4 ,if ,god foreknows that ,judas will betray1 or that he will change his mind about it1--whichever of the two ,he shall have foreknown will necessarily come to pass1 else ,god would be mistaken in foreknowing and foretelling1--which is impossible4 ,necessity of consequence effects this3 if ,god foreknows an event1 it necessarily happens4 ,in other words1 free will is nothing it is not a power independent of ,god or able to nullify ,god's prescience4 7,e4 #bgb2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahee47 ,to wish that ,god would abstain from impelling the wicked is1 according to ,luther1 tantamount to wishing that ,he cease to be ,god4 ,luther3 ,there is still this question which some one may ask1 ',why does ,god not cease to impel by ,his omnipotence1 in consequence of which the will of the wicked is moved to continue being wicked and even growing worse8' ,the answer is3 ,this is equivalent to desiring that ,god cease to be ,god for the sake of the wicked1 since one wishes ,his power and action to cease1 i4e41 that ,he cease to be good1 lest they become worse6 7,e4 #bei2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahci47 #bci4 ,free ,will a ,mere ,empty ,title4 ,luther considers free will 7when defined as an ability in spiritual matters or as a power independent of ,god7 a mere word without anything corresponding to it in reality 7figmentum in rebus seu titulus sine re1 ,e4v4a4 #e1 #bcj71 because natural will has powers only in matters temporal and subject to reason1 but none in spiritual things1 and because of itself and independently of ,god's omnipotence it has no power whatever4 ,we read3 ,now it follows that free will is a title altogether divine and cannot belong to any other being1 save only divine majesty1 for ,he1 as the ,psalmist sings ,ps4 #aae1 #c1 can do and does all that ,he wills in heaven and in earth4 ,now1 when this title is ascribed to men1 it is so ascribed with no more right than if also divinity itself were ascribed to them1--a sacrilege than which there is none greater4 ,accordingly it was the duty of theologians to abstain from this word when they intended to speak of human power1 and to reserve it exclusively for ,god1 thereupon also to remove it from the mouth and discourse of men1 claiming it as a sacred and venerable title for their ,god4 ,and if they would at all ascribe some power to man1 they should have taught that it be called by some other name than 'free will1' especially since we all know and see that the common people are miserably deceived and led astray by this term1 for by it they hear and conceive something very far different from what theologians mean and discuss4 ',free will' is too magnificent1 extensive1 and comprehensive a term2 by it common people understand 7as also the import and nature of the word require7 a power which can freely turn to either side1 and neither yields nor is subject to any one1 7,e4 #aeh2 ,st4 ,l4 #agbj47 ,if the term free will be retained1 it should1 according to ,luther1 be conceived of as a power1 not in divine things1 but only in matters subject to human reason4 ,we read3 ,so1 then1 according to ,erasmus1 free will is the power of the will which is able of itself to will and not to will the ,word and work of ,god1 whereby it is led to things which exceed both its comprehension and perception4 ,for if it is able to will and not to will1 it is able also to love and to hate4 ,if it is able to love and to hate1 it is able also1 in some small degree1 to keep the ,law and to believe the ,gospel4 ,for if you will or do not will1 a certain thing1 it is impossible that by that will you should not be able to do something of the work1 even though1 when hindered by another1 you cannot complete it4 7,e4 #aia2 ,st4 ,l4 #agei47 ,if1 then1 we are not willing to abandon this term altogether1 which would be the safest and most pious course to follow1 let us at least teach men to use it in good faith 7bona fide7 only in the sense that free will be conceded to man1 with respect to such matters only as are not superior1 but inferior to himself1 i4e41 man is to know that1 with regard to his means and possessions1 he has the right of using1 of doing1 and of forbearing to do according to his free will2 although also even this is directed by the free will of ,god alone whithersoever it pleases ,him4 ,but with respect to ,god1 or in things pertaining to salvation or damnation1 he has no free will1 but is the captive1 subject1 and servant1 either of the will of ,god or of the will of ,satan4 7,e4 #afj2 ,st4 ,l4 #agbb47 ,perhaps you might properly attribute some will 7aliquod arbitrium7 to man1 but to attribute free will to him in divine things is too much1 since in the judgment of all who hear it the term 'free will' is properly applied to that which can do and does with respect to ,god whatsoever it pleases1 without being hindered by any law or authority4 ,you would not call a slave free who acts under the authority of his master4 ,with how much less propriety do we call men or angels truly free1 who1 to say nothing of sin and death1 live under the most complete authority of ,god1 unable to subsist for a moment by their own power4 7,e4 #ahi2 ,st4 ,l4 #agef47 ,lost liberty1 says ,luther1 is no liberty1 just as lost health is no health4 ,we read3 ,when it has been conceded and settled that free will1 having lost its freedom1 is compelled to serve sin1 and has no power to will anything good1 ,i can conceive nothing else from these expressions than that free will is an empty word1 with the substance lost4 ,my grammar calls a lost liberty no liberty4 ,but to attribute the title of liberty to that which has no liberty is to attribute an empty name4 ,if here ,i go astray1 let who can correct me2 if my words are obscure and ambiguous1 let who can make them plain and definite4 ,i cannot call health that is lost health4 ,if ,i should ascribe it to a sick man1 ,i believe to have ascribed to him nothing but an empty name4 ,but away with monstrous words6 ,for who can tolerate that abuse of speech by which we affirm that man has free will1 and in the same breath assert that he1 having lost his liberty1 is compelled to serve sin1 and can will nothing good8 ,it conflicts with common sense1 and utterly destroys the use of speech4 ,the ,diatribe is rather to be accused of blurting out its words as if it were asleep1 and giving no heed to those of others4 ,it does not consider1 ,i say1 what it means1 and what it all includes1 if ,i declare3 ,man has lost his liberty1 is compelled to serve sin1 and has no power to will anything good4 7,e4 #bjj2 ,st4 ,l4 #agfi47 ,satan causes his captives to believe themselves free and happy4 ,luther3 ,the ,scriptures set before us a man who is not only bound1 wretched1 captive1 sick1 dead1 but who 7through the operation of ,satan1 his prince7 adds this plague of blindness to his other plagues1 that he believes himself to be free1 happy1 unfettered1 strong1 healthy1 alive4 ,for ,satan knows that1 if man were to realize his own misery1 he would not be able to retain any one in his kingdom1 because ,god could not but at once pity and help him who recognizes his misery and cries for relief4 ,for throughout all ,scripture ,he is extolled and greatly praised for being nigh unto the contrite in heart1 as also ,christ testifies1 ,isaiah #fa1 #a4 #b1 that ,he has been sent to preach the ,gospel to the poor and to heal the broken-hearted4 ,accordingly1 it is ,satan's business to keep his grip on men1 lest they recognize their misery1 but rather take it for granted that they are able to do everything that is said4 7,e4 #bac2 ,st4 ,l4 #aghe47 #bdj4 ,the ,gospel to be ,our ,only ,guide4 ,according to ,de ,servo ,arbitrio ,god's majesty and ,his mysterious judgments and ways must not be searched1 nor should speculations concerning them be made the guide of our faith and life4 ,luther says3 ,of ,god or of the will of ,god proclaimed and revealed1 and offered to us1 and which we meditate upon1 we must treat in a different way than of ,god in so far as ,he is not proclaimed1 not revealed1 and not offered to us1 and is not the object of our meditations4 ,for in so far as ,god hides ,himself1 and desires not to be known of us1 we have nothing to do with ,him4 ,here the saying truly applies1 ',what is above us does not concern us4' 7,e4 #bba1 ,st4 ,l4 #agid47 ,we say1 as we have done before1 that one must not discuss the secret will of divine majesty1 and that man's temerity1 which1 due to continual perverseness1 disregards necessary matters and always attacks and encounters this secret will1 should be called away and withdrawn from occupying itself with scrutinizing those secrets of divine majesty which it is impossible to approach2 for it dwells 'in the light which no man can approach unto1' as ,paul testifies1 #a ,tim4 #f1 #af4 7,e4 #bbg2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahja47 ,this statement1 that ,god's majesty must not be investigated1 says ,luther1 is not our invention1 but an injunction confirmed by ,holy ,scripture4 ,for ,paul says ,rom4 #i1 #ai-ba3 ',why doth ,god yet find fault8 ,for who hath resisted ,his will8 ,nay but1 ,o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god8444 ,hath not the potter power1' etc48 ,and before him ,isaiah1 chapter #eh1 #b3 ',yet they seek ,me daily1 and delight to know ,my ways1 as a nation that did righteousness1 and forsook not the ordinance of their ,god4 ,they ask of ,me the ordinances of justice2 they take delight in approaching to ,god1' ,these words1 ,i take it1 show abundantly that it is unlawful for men to scrutinize the will of majesty4 7,e4 #bbh2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahjc47 ,instead of searching the ,scriptures1 as they are commanded to do1 men unlawfully crave to investigate the hidden judgments of ,god4 ,we read3 ,but we are nowhere more irreverent and rash than when we invade and argue these very mysteries and judgments which are unsearchable4 ,meanwhile we imagine that we are exercising incredible reverence in searching the ,holy ,scriptures1 which ,god has commanded us to search4 ,here we do not search1 but where ,he has forbidden us to search1 there we do nothing but search with perpetual temerity1 not to say blasphemy4 ,or is it not such a search when we rashly endeavor to make that wholly free foreknowledge of ,god accord with our liberty1 and are ready to detract from the prescience of ,god1 if it does not allow us liberty1 or if it induces necessity1 to say with the murmurers and blasphemers1 ',why doth ,he find fault8 ,who shall resist ,his will8 ,what is become of the most merciful ,god8 ,what of ,him who wills not the death of the sinner8 ,has ,he made men that ,he might delight ,himself with their torments8' and the like1 which will be howled out forever among the devils and the damned4 7,e4 #bff1 ,st4 ,l4 #ahdh47 ,god's unknowable will is not and cannot be our guide4 ,luther3 ,the ,diatribe beguiles herself through her ignorance1 making no distinction between the proclaimed and the hidden ,god1 that is between the ,word of ,god and ,god ,himself4 ,god does many things which ,he has not shown us in ,his ,word4 ,he also wills many things concerning which ,he has not shown us in ,his ,word that ,he wills them4 ,for instance1 ,he does not will the death of a sinner namely1 according to ,his ,word1 but ,he wills it according to ,his inscrutable will4 ,now1 our business is to look at ,his ,word1 disregarding the inscrutable will2 for we must be directed by the ,word1 not by that inscrutable will 7nobis spectandum est ,verbum relinquendaque illa voluntas imperscrutabilis2 ,verbo enim nos dirigi1 non voluntate illa inscrutabili oportet74 ,indeed1 who could direct himself by that inscrutable and unknowable will8 ,it is enough merely to know that there is such an inscrutable will in ,god2 but what1 why1 and how far it wills1 that is altogether unlawful for us to inquire into1 to wish to know1 and to trouble or occupy ourselves with2 on the contrary1 we should fear and adore it4 7,e4 #bbb2 ,st4 ,l4 #agie7 ,instead of investigating the mysteries of divine majesty1 men ought to concern themselves with ,god's revelation in the ,gospel4 ,luther3 ,but let her human temerity occupy herself with the incarnate ,god or1 as ,paul says1 with ,jesus ,crucified1 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,for through ,him she has abundantly what she ought to know and not to know4 ,it is the incarnate ,god1 then1 who speaks here ,matt4 #bc3 ',i would1 and thou wouldest not4' ,the incarnate ,god1 ,i say1 was sent for this purpose1 that ,he might will1 speak1 do1 suffer1 and offer to all men all things which are necessary to salvation1 although ,he offends very many who1 being either abandoned or hardened by that secret will of ,his majesty1 do not receive ,him who wills1 speaks1 works1 offers1 even as ,john says3 ',the light shineth in darkness1 and the darkness comprehendeth it not2' and again3 ',he came unto ,his own and ,his own received ,him not4' 7,e4 #bbg;f41 ,st4 ,l4 #ahjb47 #bda4 ,god's ,grace ,is ,universal and ,serious4 ,all men are in need of the saving ,gospel1 and it should be preached to all4 ,we read in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio3 ,paul had said just before3 ',the ,gospel is the power of ,god unto salvation to every one that believeth2 to the ,jew first and also to the ,greek1' ,these words are not obscure or ambiguous3 ',to the ,jews and to the ,greeks1' that is1 to all men1 the ,gospel of the power of ,god is necessary1 in order that1 believing1 they may be saved from the revealed wrath4 7,e4 #cbb2 ,st4 ,l4 #aiae47 ,he ,god knows what1 when1 how1 and to whom we ought to speak4 ,now1 ,his injunction is that ,his ,gospel1 which is necessary for all1 should be limited by neither place nor time1 but be preached to all1 at all times1 and in all places4 7,e4 #adi2 ,st4 ,l4 #agji47 ,the universal promises of the ,gospel offer firm and sweet consolation to poor sinners4 ,luther3 ,it is the voice of the ,gospel and the sweetest consolation to poor miserable sinners when ,ezekiel says #ah1 #bc4 #cb3 ',i have no pleasure in the death of a sinner1 but rather that he be converted and live1' ,just so also the thirtieth ,psalm v4 #e3 ',for ,his anger endureth but a moment2 in ,his favor is life ,his will rather is life4' ,and the sixty-ninth v4#af3 ',for ,thy loving-kindness is good ,how sweet is ,thy mercy1 ,lord6' ,also3 ',because ,i am merciful1' ,and that saying of ,christ1 ,matt4 #aa1 #bh3 ',come unto ,me1 all ye that labor and are heavy laden1 and ,i will refresh you1' ,also that of ,exodus #bj1 #f1 ',i show mercy unto thousands of them that love ,me1' ,indeed1 almost more than half of ,holy ,scripture1--what is it but genuine promises of grace1 by which mercy1 life1 peace1 and salvation are offered by ,god to men8 ,and what else do the words of promise sound forth than this3 ',i have no pleasure in the death of a sinner'8 ,is it not the same thing to say1 ',i am merciful1' as to say1 ',i am not angry1' ',i do not wish to punish1' ',i do not wish you to die1' ',i desire to pardon1' ',i desire to spare'8 ,now1 if these divine promises did not stand firm1 so as to raise up afflicted consciences terrified by the sense of sin and the fear of death and judgment1 what place would there be for pardon or for hope8 ,what sinner would not despair8 7,e4 #bah2 ,st4 ,l4 #agia47 ,god1 who would have all men to be saved deplores and endeavors to remove death1 so that man must blame himself if he is lost4 ,luther3 ,god in ,his majesty and nature therefore must be left untouched unsearched for in this respect we have nothing to do with ,him1 nor did ,he want us to deal with ,him in this respect2 but we deal with ,him in so far as ,he has clothed ,himself and come forth in ,his ,word1 by which ,he has offered ,himself to us4 ,this ,word is ,his glory and beauty with which the ,psalmist1 #ba1 #f1 celebrates ,him as being clothed4 ,emphasizing the seriousness of universal grace1 ,luther continues3 ,therefore we affirm that the holy ,god does not deplore the death of the people which ,he works in them1 but deplores the death which ,he finds in the people1 and endeavors to remove 7sed deplorat mortem1 quam invenit in populo1 et amovere studet74 ,for this is the work of the proclaimed ,god to take away sin and death1 that we may be saved4 ,for ,he has sent ,his ,word and healed them4 7,e4 #bbb2 ,st4 ,l4 #agie47 ,hence it is rightly said1 ,if ,god wills not death1 it must be charged to our own will that we perish4 ',rightly1' ,i say1 if you speak of the proclaimed ,god4 ,for ,he would have all men to be saved1 coming1 as ,he does1 with ,his ,word of salvation to all men2 and the fault is in the will1 which does not admit ,him1 as ,he says1 ,matt4 #bc1 #cg3 ',how often would ,i have gathered thy children together1 and ye would not6' 7,e4 #bbb2 ,st4,l4 #agie47 #bdb4 ,sola gratia ,doctrine ,engenders ,assurance4 ,luther rejoices in the doctrine of sola gratia because it alone is able to engender assurance of salvation4 ,he writes3 ,as for myself1 ,i certainly confess that1 if such a thing could somehow be1 ,i should be unwilling to have free will given me1 or anything left in my own hand1 which might enable me to make an effort at salvation2 not only because in the midst of so many dangers and adversities and also of so many assaulting devils ,i should not be strong enough to remain standing and keep my hold of it 7for one devil is mightier than all men put together1 and not a single man would be saved71 but because1 even if there were no dangers and no adversities and no devils1 ,i should still be compelled to toil forever uncertainly1 and to beat the air in my struggle4 ,for though ,i should live and work to eternity1 my own conscience would never be sure and at ease as to how much it ought to do in order to satisfy ,god4 ,no matter how perfect a work might be1 there would be left a doubt whether it pleased ,god1 or whether ,he required anything more1 as is proved by the experience of all who endeavor to be saved by the ,law 7iustitiariorum71 and as ,i1 to my own great misery1 have learned abundantly during so many years4 ,but now1 since ,god has taken my salvation out of the hands of my will1 and placed it into those of ,his own and has promised to save me1 not by my own work or running1 but by ,his grace and mercy1 ,i feel perfectly secure1 because ,he is faithful and will not lie to me2 moreover1 ,he is powerful and great1 so that neither devils nor adversities can crush ,him1 or pluck me out of ,his hand4 ,no one1 says ,he1 shall pluck them out of ,my hand2 for ,my ,father1 who gave them unto ,me1 is greater than all4 ,thus it comes to pass that1 though not all are saved1 at least some1 nay1 many are1 whereas by the power of free will absolutely none would be saved1 but every one of us would be lost4 ,we are also certain and sure that we please ,god1 not by the merit of our own work1 but by the favor of ,his mercy which ,he has promised us1 and that1 if we have done less than we ought1 or have done anything amiss1 ,he does not impute it to us1 but1 as a father1 forgives and amends it4 ,such is the boast of every saint in his ,god4 7,e4 #cfb2 ,st4 ,l4 #aifa;f47 ,in the ,apology of the ,augsburg ,confession this thought of ,luther's is repeated as follows3 ,if the matter our salvation were to depend upon our merits1 the promise would be uncertain and useless1 because we never could determine when we would have sufficient merit4 ,and this experienced consciences can easily understand and would not1 for a thousand worlds1 have our salvation depend upon ourselves4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ade1 #hd2 compare #ajgi1 #de;f47 #bdc4 ,truth of ,god's ,majesty ,serves ,god's ,gracious ,will4 ,luther regarded the teaching that everything is subject to ,god's majesty as being of service to ,his gracious will4 ,we read3 ,two things require the preaching of these truths concerning the infallibility of ,god's foreknowledge1 etc42 the first is1 the humbling of our pride and the knowledge of the grace of ,god2 the second1 ,christian faith itself4 ,first1 ,god has certainly promised ,his grace to the humbled1 i4e41 to those who deplore their sins and despair of themselves4 ,but man cannot be thoroughly humbled until he knows that his salvation is altogether beyond his own powers1 counsels1 efforts1 will1 and works1 and depends altogether upon the decision1 counsel1 will1 and work of another1 i4e41 of ,god only4 ,for as long as he is persuaded that he can do anything toward gaining salvation1 though it be ever so little1 he continues in self-confidence1 and does not wholly despair of himself2 accordingly he is not humbled before ,god1 but anticipates1 or hopes for1 or at least wishes for1 a place1 a time1 and some work by which he may finally obtain salvation4 7,e4 #aec4 #acc2 ,st4 ,l4 #agae4 #afia47 ,more than once1 says ,luther1 ,i myself have been offended at it the teaching concerning ,god's majesty to such an extent that ,i was at the brink of despair1 so that ,i even wished ,i had never been created a man1--until ,i learned how salutary that despair was and how close to grace4 7,e4 #bfh2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahej47 ,of the manner in which1 according to ,luther1 the truth concerning ,god's majesty serves the ,gospel1 we read3 ,moreover1 ,i do not only wish to speak of how true these things are1444 but also how becoming to a ,christian1 how pious1 and how necessary it is to know them4 ,for if these things are not known1 it is impossible for either faith or any worship of ,god to be maintained4 ,that would be ignorance of ,god indeed2 and if we do not know ,him1 we cannot obtain salvation1 as is well known4 ,for if you doubt that ,god foreknows and wills all things1 not contingently1 but necessarily and immutably1 or if you scorn such knowledge1 how will you be able to believe ,his promises1 and with full assurance trust and rely upon them8 ,when ,he promises1 you ought to be sure that ,he knows what ,he is promising1 and is able and willing to accomplish it1 else you will account ,him neither true nor faithful4 ,that1 however1 is unbelief1 extreme impiety1 and a denial of the most high ,god4 ,but how will you be confident and sure if you do not know that ,he certainly1 infallibly1 unchangeably1 and necessarily knows1 and wills1 and will perform what ,he promises8 ,nor should we merely be certain that ,god necessarily and immutably wills and will perform what ,he has promised1 but we should even glory in this very thing1 as ,paul does1 ,rom4 #c1 #d3 ',let ,god be true1 but every man a liar4' ,and again1 ,rom4 #i1 #f2 #d1 #ba2 #a ,sam4 #c1 #ai3 ',not that the ,word of ,god hath taken none effect4' ,and in another place1 #b ,tim4 #b1 #ai3 ',the foundation of ,god standeth sure1 having this seal1 ,the ,lord knoweth them that are ,his4' ,and in ,titus #a1 #b3 ',which ,god1 that cannot lie1 hath promised before the world began4' ,and in ,heb4 #aa1 #f3 ',he that cometh to ,god must believe that ,god is1 and that ,he is a rewarder of them that hope in ,him4' ,so1 then1 ,christian faith is altogether extinguished1 the promises of ,god and the entire ,gospel fall absolutely to the ground1 if we are taught and believe that we have no need of knowing the foreknowledge of ,god to be necessary and the necessity of all things that must be done4 ,for this is the only and highest possible consolation of ,christians in all adversities to know that ,god does not lie1 but does all things immutably1 and that ,his will can neither be resisted1 nor altered1 nor hindered4 7,e4 #acg4 #bfd2 ,st4 ,l4 #afie4 #ahde47 #bdd4 ,there ,are ,no ,real ,contradictions in ,god4 ,among the mysteries which we are unable to solve ,luther enumerates the questions3 ,why did ,god permit the fall of ,adam8 ,why did ,he suffer us to be infected with original sin8 ,why does ,god not change the evil will8 ,why is it that some are converted while others are lost8 ,we read3 ,but why does ,he not at the same time change the evil will which ,he moves8 ,this pertains to the secrets of ,his majesty1 where ,his judgments are incomprehensible4 ,nor is it our business to investigate1 but to adore these mysteries4 ,if1 therefore1 flesh and blood here take offense and murmur1 let them murmur2 but they will effect nothing1 ,god will not be changed on that account4 ,and if the ungodly are scandalized and leave in ever so great numbers1 the elect will nevertheless remain4 ,the same answer should be given to those who ask1 ',why did ,he allow ,adam to fall1 and why does ,he create all of us infected with the same sin when ,he could have preserved him ,adam1 and created us from something else1 or after first having purged the seed8' ,he is ,god1 for whose will there is no cause or reason which might be prescribed for it as a standard and rule of action2 for it has no equal or superior1 but is itself the rule for everything4 ,if it had any rule or standard1 cause or reason1 it could no longer be the will of ,god4 ,for what ,he wills is right1 not because ,he is or was in duty bound so to will1 but1 on the contrary1 because ,he wills so1 therefore what occurs must be right4 ,cause and reason are prescribed to a creature's will1 but not to the will of the ,creator1 unless you would set another ,creator over ,him4 7,e4 #bei2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahdj47 ,regarding the question why some are converted while others are not1 we read3 ,but why this majesty does not remove this fault of our will1 or change it in all men 7seeing that it is not in the power of man to do so71 or why ,he imputes this fault of the will to man when he cannot be without it1 it is not lawful to search1 and although you search much1 you will never discover it1 as ,paul says1 ,rom4 #i1 #bj3 ',o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god8' 7,e4 #bbc1 ,st4 ,l4 #agif47 ,but as to why some are touched by the ,law and others are not1 so that the former receive1 and the latter despise1 the grace offered1 this is another question1 and one not treated by ,ezekiel in this place1 who speaks of the preached and offered mercy of ,god1 not of the secret and to-be-feared will of ,god1 who by ,his counsel ordains what and what kind of persons ,he wills to be capable and partakers of ,his preached and offered mercy4 ,this will of ,god must not be searched1 but reverently adored1 as being by far the most profound and sacred secret of divine majesty1 reserved for ,himself alone1 and prohibited to us much more religiously than countless multitudes of ,corycian ,caves4 7,e4 #bba2 ,st4 ,l4 #agid47 ,christians firmly believe that in ,his dealings with men ,god is always wise and just and good4 ,luther3 ,according to the judgment of reason it remains absurd that this just and good ,god should demand things that are impossible of fulfilment by free will1 and1 although it cannot will that which is good but necessarily serves sin1 should nevertheless charge this to free will2 and that1 when ,he does not confer the ,spirit1 ,he should not act a whit more kindly or more mercifully than when ,he hardens or permits men to harden themselves4 ,reason will declare that these are not the acts of a kind and merciful ,god4 ,these things exceed her understanding too far1 nor can she take herself into captivity to believe ,god to be good1 who acts and judges thus2 but setting faith aside1 she wants to feel and see and comprehend how ,he is just and not cruel4 ,she would indeed comprehend if it were said of ,god3 ',he hardens nobody1 ,he damns nobody1 rather pities everybody1 saves everybody1' so that1 hell being destroyed and the fear of death removed1 no future punishment need be dreaded4 ,this is the reason why she is so hot in striving to excuse and defend ,god as just and good4 ,but faith and the spirit judge differently1 believing ,god to be good though he were to destroy all men4 7,e4 #beb2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahcb47 ,the reason why of the divine will must not be investigated1 but simply adored1 and we must give the glory to ,god that1 being alone just and wise1 ,he does wrong to none1 nor can ,he do anything foolish or rash1 though it may appear far otherwise to us4 ,godly men are content with this answer4 7,e4 #aec2 ,st4 ,l4 #agad47 ,according to ,luther1 divine justice must be just as incomprehensible to human reason as ,god's entire essence4 ,we read3 ,but when we feel ill at ease for the reason that it is difficult to vindicate the mercy and equity of ,god because ,he damns the undeserving1 i4e41 such ungodly men as are born in ungodliness1 and hence cannot in any way prevent being and remaining ungodly and damned1 and are compelled by their nature to sin and perish1 as ,paul says ,eph4 #b1 #c3 ',we were all the sons of wrath even as others1' they being created such by ,god ,himself out of the seed which was corrupted through the sin of the one ,adam1--then the most merciful ,god is to be honored and revered in ,his dealings with those whom ,he justifies and saves1 although they are most unworthy1 and at least a little something ought to be credited to ,his divine wisdom by believing ,him to be just where to us ,he seems unjust4 ,for if ,his justice were such as could be declared just by human understanding1 it would clearly not be divine1 differing nothing from human justice4 ,but since ,he is the one true ,god1 and entirely incomprehensible and inaccessible to human reason1 it is proper1 nay1 necessary1 that ,his justice also be incomprehensible1 even as ,paul also exclaims1 ,rom4 #aa1 #cc1 saying3 ',o the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god6 ,how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6' ,now1 they would not be incomprehensible if we were able1 in everything ,he does1 to comprehend why they are just4 ,what is man compared with ,god8 ,how much is our power capable of as compared with ,his8 ,what is our strength compared with ,his powers8 ,what is our knowledge compared with ,his wisdom8 ,what is our substance compared with ,his substance8 ,in short1 what is everything that is ours as compared with everything that is ,his8 7,e4 #cfc2 ,st4 ,l4 #aifb47 ,christians embrace the opportunity offered by the mysterious ways of ,god to exercise their faith4 ,luther3 ,this is the highest degree of faith1 to believe that ,he is merciful1 who saves so few and condemns so many1 to believe ,him just1 who by ,his will creating us out of sinful seed necessarily makes us damnable1 thus1 according to ,erasmus1 seeming to be delighted with the torments of the wretched1 and worthy of hatred rather than of love4 ,if1 then1 ,i could in any way comprehend how this ,god is merciful and just who shows such great wrath and seeming injustice1 there would be no need of faith4 ,but now1 since this cannot be comprehended there is to be an opportunity for the exercise of faith when these things are preached and published1 even as when ,god kills1 our faith in life is exercised in death4 7,e4 #aed2 ,st4 ,l4 #agaf47 #bde4 ,seeming ,contradictions ,solved in ,light of ,glory4 ,christians are fully satisfied that hereafter they will see and understand what they here believed1 viz41 that in ,his dealings with men ,god truly is and always was absolutely just4 ,luther3 ,if you are pleased with ,god for crowning the unworthy1 you ought not to be displeased with ,him for condemning the undeserving who were not worse or more guilty than those who are crowned4 ,if ,he is just in the former case1 why not in the latter8 ,in the former case ,he scatters favor and mercy upon the unworthy1 in the latter ,he scatters wrath and severity upon the undeserving who are guilty in no higher degree than those who are saved4 ,in both cases ,he is excessive and unrighteous before in the judgment of men but just and true in ,his own mind4 ,for how it is just that ,he crowns the unworthy is incomprehensible to us now2 but we shall understand it when we have come to that place where we shall no longer believe1 but behold with our face unveiled4 ,so1 too1 how it is just that ,he condemns the undeserving we cannot comprehend now1 yet we believe it until the ,son of ,man shall be revealed4 7,e4 #bhd2 ,st4 ,l4 #ahgj47 ,of course1 in all other things we concede divine majesty to ,god2 only in ,his judgment we are ready to deny it1 and cannot even for a little while believe that ,he is just1 since ,he has promised us that1 when he will reveal ,his glory1 we all shall then both see and feel that ,he has been1 and is1 just4 7,e4 #cfd2 ,st4 ,l4 #aifd47 ,again3 ,do you not think that since the light of grace has so readily solved a question which could not be solved by the light of nature1 the light of glory will be able to solve with the greatest ease the question which in the light of the ,word or of grace is unsolvable8 ,in accordance with the common and good distinction let it be conceded that there are three lights--the light of nature1 the light of grace1 and the light of glory4 ,in the light of nature it is unsolvable that it should be just that the good are afflicted while the wicked prosper4 ,the light of grace1 however1 solves this mystery4 ,in the light of grace it is unsolvable how ,god may condemn him who cannot by any power of his own do otherwise than sin and be guilty4 ,there the light of nature as well as the light of grace declares that the fault is not in wretched man1 but in the unjust ,god4 ,for they cannot judge otherwise of ,god1 who crowns a wicked man gratuitously without any merits1 and does not crown another1 but condemns him1 who perhaps is less1 or at least not more wicked than the one who is crowned4 ,but the light of glory pronounces a different verdict1 and when it arrives1 it will show ,god1 whose judgment is now that of incomprehensible justice1 to be a ,being of most just and manifest justice1 which meanwhile we are to believe1 admonished and confirmed by the example of the light of grace1 which accomplishes a like miracle with respect to the light of nature4 7,e4 #cfe2 ,st4 ,l4 #aife47 #bdf4 ,statements ,made by ,luther before ,publication of ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 ,wherever ,luther touches on predestination both before and after #aebe1 essentially the same thoughts are found1 though not developed as extensively as in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 ,he consistently maintains that ,god's majesty must be neither denied nor searched1 and that ,christians should be admonished to look and rely solely upon the revealed universal promises of the ,gospel4 ,in his ,church ,postil of #aeba we read3 ,the third class of men who also approve this the words of ,paul1 ,rom4 #aa1 #cd4 #ce3 ',for who hath known the mind of the ,lord8 ,or who hath been ,his counselor8 ,or who hath first given to ,him1 and it shall be recompensed unto ,him again8' are those who indeed hear the ,word of ,revelation4 ,for ,i am not now speaking of such as deliberately persecute the ,word 7they belong to the first class1 who do not at all inquire about ,god7 but of those who disregard the revelation and led by the devil1 go beyond and beside it1 seeking to grasp the ways and judgments of ,god which ,he has not revealed4 ,now1 if they were ,christians1 they would be satisfied and thank ,god for giving ,his ,word1 in which ,he shows what is pleasing to ,him1 and how we are to be saved4 ,but they suffer the devil to lead them1 insist on seeking other revelations1 ponder what ,god may be in ,his invisible majesty1 how ,he secretly governs the world1 and what ,he has in particular decreed for each one in the future4 ,for nature and human reason cannot desist2 they will meddle in ,his judgment with their wisdom1 sit in ,his most secret council1 instruct ,him and master ,him4 ,this is the pride of the foul fiend1 who was cast into the abyss of hell for trying to meddle in matters of divine majesty1 and who in the same way eagerly seeks to bring man to fall1 and to cast him down with himself1 as he did in ,paradise in the beginning1 tempting also the saints and even ,christ with the same thing1 when he set ,him on the pinnacle of the ,temple1 etc4 ,against such in particular ,st4 ,paul here introduces these words ,rom4 #aa1 #cd4 #ce to the inquisitive questions of wise reason3 ,why did ,god thus punish and reject the ,jews while ,he permitted the condemned heathen to come to the ,gospel8 ,again1 ,why does ,he govern on this wise1 that wicked and evil men are exalted while the pious are allowed to undergo misfortune and be suppressed8 ,why does ,he call ,judas to be an apostle and later on reject him while ,he accepts the murderer and malefactor8 ,by them his words1 ,rom4 #aa ,paul would order such to cease climbing up to the secret ,majesty1 and to adhere to the revelation which ,god has given us4 ,for such searching and climbing is not only in vain1 but also harmful4 ,though you search in all eternity1 you will never attain anything1 but only break your neck4 ,but if you desire to proceed in the right way1 you can do no better than busying yourself with ,his ,word and works1 in which ,he has revealed ,himself and permits ,himself to be heard and apprehended1 to wit1 how ,he sets before you ,his ,son ,christ upon the cross4 ,that is the work of your redemption4 ,there you can certainly apprehend ,god1 and see that ,he does not wish to condemn you on account of your sins if you believe1 but to give you eternal life1 as ,christ says3 ',god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life1' 7,john #c1 #af47 ,in this ,christ1 says ,paul1 are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 7,col4 #b1 #c47 ,and that will be more than enough for you to learn1 study1 and consider4 ,this lofty revelation of ,god will also make you marvel and will engender a desire and love for ,god4 ,it is a work which in this life you will never finish studying2 a work of which1 as ,peter says1 even the angels cannot see enough1 but which they contemplate unceasingly with joy and delight4 7#a ,pet4 #a1 #ab47 ,this ,i say that we may know how to instruct and direct those 7if such we should meet with7 who are being afflicted and tormented by such thoughts of the devil to tempt ,god1 when he entices them to search the devious ways of ,god outside of revelation1 and to grope about trying to fathom what ,god plans for them--whereby they are led into such doubt and despair that they know not how they will survive4 ,such people must be reminded of these words ,rom4 #aa1 and be rebuked with them 7as ,st4 ,paul rebukes his ,jews and wiseacres7 for seeking to apprehend ,god with their wisdom and to school ,him1 as ,his advisers and masters1 and for dealing with ,him by themselves without means1 and for giving ,him so much that ,he must requite them again4 ,for nothing will come of it2 ,he has carefully built so high that you will not thus scale ,him by your climbing4 ,his wisdom1 counsel1 and riches are so great that you will never be able to fathom or to exhaust them4 ,therefore be glad that ,he permits you to know and receive these things somewhat by revelation4 7,e4 #i1 #ae sqq42 ,st4 ,l4 #ab1 #fda sqq47 ,in a sermon on #b ,pet4 #a1 #aj1 delivered in #aebc and published in #aebd1 ,luther said3 ,here a limit beyond which we may not go has been set for us how to treat of predestination4 ,many frivolous spirits1 who have not felt much of faith1 tumble in1 strike at the top1 concerning themselves first of all with this matter1 and seek to determine by means of their reason whether they are elected in order to be certain of their standing4 ,from this you must desist1 it is not the hilt of the matter4 ,if you would be certain1 you must attain to this goal by taking the way which ,peter here proposes4 ,take another1 and you have already gone astray2 your own experience must teach you4 ,if faith is well exercised and stressed1 you will finally become sure of the matter1 so that you will not fail4 7,e4 #eb1 #bbd1 ,st4 ,l4 #i1 #acec47 ,after a discussion at ,wittenberg with a fanatic from ,antwerp1 in #aebe1 ,luther wrote a letter of warning to the ,christians of ,antwerp1 in which he speaks of ,god's will with respect to sin in an illuminating manner as follows3 ,most of all he the fanatic fiercely contended that ,god's command was good1 and that ,god did not desire sin1 which is true without a doubt2 and the fact that we also confessed this did not do us any good4 ,but he would not admit that1 although ,god does not desire sin1 ,he nevertheless permits 7verhaengt7 it to happen1 and such permission certainly does not come to pass without ,his will4 ,for who compels ,him to permit it8 ,aye1 how could ,he permit it if it was not ,his will to permit it8 ,here he exalted his reason1 and sought to comprehend how ,god could not desire sin1 and still1 by permitting sin1 will it1 imagining that he could exhaust the abyss of divine majesty3 how these two wills may exist side by side4444 ,nor do ,i doubt that he will quote me to you as saying that ,god desires sin4 ,to this ,i would herewith reply that he wrongs me1 and as he is otherwise full of lies1 so also he does not speak the truth in this matter4 ,i say that ,god has forbidden sin1 and does not desire it4 ,this will has been revealed to us1 and it is necessary for us to know it4 ,but in what manner ,god permits or wills sin1 this we are not to know2 for ,he has not revealed it4 ,st4 ,paul himself would not and could not know it1 saying1 ,rom4 #i1 #bj3 ',o man1 who art thou that repliest against ,god8' ,therefore ,i beseech you in case this spirit should trouble you much with the lofty question regarding the secret will of ,god1 to depart from him and to speak thus3 ',is it too little that ,god instructs us in ,his public proclaimed will1 which ,he has revealed to us8 ,why1 then1 do you gull us seeking to lead us into that which we are forbidden to know1 are unable to know1 and which you do not know yourself8 ,let the manner in which that comes to pass be commended to ,god2 it suffices us to know that ,he desires no sin4 ,in what way1 however1 ,he permits or wills sin1 this we shall leave unanswered 7sollen wir gehen lassen74 ,the servant is not to know his master's secrets but what his master enjoins upon him1 much less is a poor creature to explore and desire to know the secrets of the majesty of its ,god1'--,behold1 my dear friends1 here you may perceive that the devil always makes a practise of presenting unnecessary1 vain1 and impossible things in order thereby to tempt the frivolous to forsake the right path4 ,therefore take heed that you abide by that which is needful1 and which ,god has commanded us to know1 as the wise man says3 ',do not inquire for that which is too high for you1 but always remain with that which ,god has commanded you1' ,we all have work enough to learn all our lifetime ,god's command and ,his ,son ,christ4 7,e4 #ec1 #cde2 ,st4 ,l4 #aj1 #aeca2 ,weimar #ah1 #edi;f47 #bdg4 ,statements ,made by ,luther in #aebh4 ,in a letter of comfort written ,july #bj1 #aebh1 ,luther says3 ,a few days ago my dear brother ,caspar ,cruciger1 ,doctor of ,divinity1 informed me with grief that on his various visitations he learned from your friends that you are afflicted with abnormal and strange thoughts pertaining to ,god's predestination1 and are completely confused by them2 also that you grow dull and distracted on account of them1 and that finally it must be feared that you might commit suicide1--from which ,almighty ,god may preserve you6444 ,your proposition and complaints are3 ,god ,almighty knows from eternity who are to be and who will be saved1 be they dead1 living or still to live in days to come1--which is true1 and shall and must be conceded2 for ,he knows all things1 and there is nothing hidden from ,him1 since ,he has counted and knows exactly the drops in the sea1 the stars in the heavens1 the roots1 branches1 twigs1 leaves of all trees1 also all the hair of men4 ,from this you finally conclude that1 do what you will1 good or evil1 ,god still knows whether you shall be saved or not 7which is indeed true7 yet1 at the same time1 you think more of damnation than of salvation and on that account you are faint-hearted1 nor do you know how ,god is minded toward you2 hence you grow dispirited and altogether doubtful4 ,against this ,i1 as a servant of my dear ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 give you this advice and comfort1 that you may know how ,god ,almighty is disposed toward you1 whether you are elected unto salvation or damnation4 ,although ,god ,almighty knows all things1 and all works and thoughts in all creatures must come to pass according to ,his will 7iuxta decretum voluntatis suae71 it is nevertheless ,his earnest will and purpose1 aye1 ,his command1 decreed from eternity1 to save all men and make them partakers of eternal joy1 as is clearly stated ,ezek4 #ah1 #bc1 where ,he says3 ,god does not desire the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn and live4 ,now1 if ,he desires to save and to have saved the sinners who live and move under the wide and high heaven1 then you must not separate yourself from the grace of ,god by your foolish thoughts1 inspired by the devil4 ,for ,god's grace extends and stretches from east to west from south to north1 overshadowing all who turn1 truly repent1 and make themselves partakers of ,his mercy and desire help4 ,for ,he is 'rich unto all that call upon ,him1' ,rom4 #aj1 #ab4 ,this1 however requires true and genuine faith1 which expels such faint-heartedness and despair and is our righteousness1 as it is written ,rom4 #c1 #bb3 'the righteousness of ,god through faith in ,jesus ,christ unto all and upon all4' ,mark these words1 in omnes1 super omnes 7unto all1 upon all71 whether you also belong to them1 and are one of those who lie and grovel under the banner of the sinners4 ,think also as constantly and earnestly of salvation as you now do of damnation1 and comfort yourself with ,god's ,word1 which is true and everlasting1 then such ill winds will cease and pass entirely4 ,thus we are to comfort our hearts and consciences1 silence and resist the evil thoughts by and with the divine ,scriptures4 ,for one must not speculate about ,god's ,word1 but be still1 drop reason and1 holding the ,word to be true1 believe it1 and not cast it to the winds1 nor give the ,evil ,spirit so much power as to suffer ourselves to be overcome1 and thus to sink and perish4 ,for the ,word1 by which all things and creatures in all the wide world1 no matter what they are called1 have been created and made and by which all that lives and moves is still richly preserved1 is true and eternal2 and it must be accounted and held to be greater and more important1 mightier and more powerful than the fluttering1 empty1 and vain thoughts which the devil inspires in men4 ,for the ,word is true1 but the thoughts of men are useless and vain4 ,one must also think thus3 ,god ,almighty has not created1 predestinated1 and elected us to perdition1 but to salvation1 as ,paul asserts1 ,eph4 #a1 #d2 nor should we begin to dispute about ,god's predestination from the ,law or reason1 but from the grace of ,god and the ,gospel1 which is proclaimed to all men4 ,hence these and similar thoughts about ,god's predestination must be judged and decided from the ,word of ,god's grace and mercy4 ,when this is done1 there remains no room or occasion for a man thus to pester and torment himself1--which neither avails anything even if he should draw the marrow out of his bones1 leaving only skin and hair4 7,e4 #ed1 #ba;ff47 #bdh4 ,statements ,made by ,luther in #aeca and #aecc4 ,in a letter of comfort1 dated ,april #cj1 #aeca1 ,luther refers to the fact that he1 too1 had passed through temptation concerning predestination4 ,for1 says he1 ,i am well acquainted with this malady1 having lain in this hospital sick unto eternal death4 ,now1 in addition to my prayer ,i would gladly advise and comfort you1 though writing is weak in such an affair4 ,however1 ,i shall not omit what ,i am able to do 7perhaps ,god will bless it71 and show you how ,god helped me out of this affliction1 and by what art ,i still daily maintain myself against it4 ,in the first place1 you must be firmly assured in your heart that such thoughts are without doubt the inspiration and the fiery darts of the foul fiend4444 ,hence it is certain that they do not proceed from ,god1 but from the devil1 who therewith plagues a heart that man may become an enemy of ,god and despair1--all of which ,god has strictly forbidden in the ,first ,commandment1 bidding men to trust1 love1 and praise ,him--whereby we live4 ,secondly3 ,when such thoughts come to you1 you must learn to ask yourself1 ',friend1 in what commandment is it written that ,i must think or treat of this8'444 ,fourthly3 ,the chief of all the commandments of ,god is that we picture before our eyes ,his dear ,son1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,he is to be the daily and the chief mirror of our heart1 in which we see how dear we are to ,god1 and how much ,he has cared for us as a good ,god1 so that ,he even gave ,his dear ,son for us4 ,here1 here1 ,i say1 and nowhere else1 a man can learn the true art of predestination4 ,then it will come to pass that you believe on ,christ4 ,and if you believe1 then you are called2 if you are called1 then you are also surely predestinated4 ,do not suffer this mirror and throne of grace to be plucked from the eyes of your heart4 ,on the contrary when such thoughts come and bite like fiery serpents1 then under no circumstances look at the thoughts or the fiery serpents1 but turn your eyes away from them and look upon the brazen serpent1 i4e41 ,christ delivered for us4 ,then1 by the grace of ,god1 matters will mend4 7,st4 ,l4 #aj1 #agdd sq42 ,e4 #ed1 #bbh47 ,in ,luther's ,house ,postil of #aecc we read3 ,from the last passage3 ',many are called1 but few are chosen1' wiseacres draw various false and ungodly conclusions4 ,they argue3 ,he whom ,god has elected is saved without means2 but as for him who is not elected1 may he do what he will1 be as pious and believing as he will1 it is nevertheless ordained that he must fall and cannot be saved2 hence ,i will let matters take what course they will4 ,if ,i am to be saved1 it is accomplished without my assistance2 if not1 all ,i may do and undertake is nevertheless in vain4 ,now every one may readily see for himself what sort of wicked1 secure people develop from such thoughts4 ,however1 in treating of the passage from the ,prophet ,micah on the day of ,epiphany1 we have sufficiently shown that one must guard against such thoughts as against the devil1 undertake another manner of studying and thinking of ,god's will1 and let ,god in ,his majesty and with respect to election untouched unsearched2 for there ,he is incomprehensible4 ,nor is it possible that a man should not be offended by such thoughts1 and either fall into despair or become altogether wicked and reckless4 ,but whoever would know ,god and ,his will aright must walk the right way4 ,then he will not be offended1 but be made better4 ,the right way1 however1 is the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 as ,he says3 ',no one cometh unto the ,father but by ,me1' ,whoever knows the ,father aright and would come unto ,him must first come to ,christ and learn to know ,him1 viz41 as follows3 ,christ is ,god's ,son1 and is almighty1 eternal ,god4 ,what does the ,son of ,god now do8 ,he becomes man for our sakes1 is made under the ,law to redeem us from the ,law1 and was ,himself crucified in order to pay for our sins4 ,he rises again from the dead1 in order by ,his resurrection to pave the way to eternal life for us1 and to aid us against eternal death4 ,he sits at the right hand of ,god in order to represent us1 to give us the ,holy ,spirit1 to govern and lead us by ,him1 and to protect ,his believers against all tribulations and insinuations of ,satan4 ,that means knowing ,christ rightly4 ,now when this knowledge has been clearly and firmly established in your heart1 then begin to ascend into heaven and make this conclusion3 ,since the ,son of ,god has done this for the sake of men1 how1 then1 must ,god's heart be disposed to us1 seeing that ,his ,son did it by the ,father's will and command8 ,is it not true that your own reason will compel you to say3 ,since ,god has thus delivered ,his only-begotten ,son for us1 and has not spared ,him for our sakes1 ,he surely cannot harbor evil intentions against us8 ,evidently ,he does not desire our death1 for ,he seeks and employs the very best means toward assisting us to obtain eternal life4 ,in this manner one comes to ,god in the right way1 as ,christ ,himself declares1 ,john #c1 #af3 ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in ,him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 ,now contrast these thoughts with those that grow out of the former opinion1 and they will be found to be the thoughts of the foul fiend1 which must offend a man1 causing him either to despair1 or to become reckless and ungodly1 since he can expect nothing good from ,god4 ,some conceive other thoughts1 explaining the words thus3 ',many are called'1 i4e41 ,god offers ,his grace to many1 but few are chosen1 i4e41 ,he imparts such grace to only a few2 for only a few are saved4 ,this is an altogether wicked explanation4 ,for how is it possible for one who holds and believes nothing else of ,god not to be an enemy of ,god1 whose will alone must be blamed for the fact that not all of us are saved8 ,contrast this opinion with the one that is formed when a man first learns to know the ,lord ,christ1 and it will be found to be nothing but devilish blasphemy4 ,hence the sense of this passage1 ',many are called1' etc41 is far different4 ,for the preaching of the ,gospel is general and public1 so that whoever will may hear and accept it4 ,furthermore1 ,god has it preached so generally and publicly that every one should hear1 believe1 and accept it1 and be saved4 ,but what happens8 ,as the ,gospel states3 ',few are chosen1' i4e41 few conduct themselves toward the ,gospel in such a manner that ,god has pleasure in them4 ,for some do not hear and heed it2 others hear it1 but do not cling to it1 being loath either to risk or suffer anything for it2 still others hear it1 but are more concerned about money and goods1 or the pleasures of the world4 ,this1 however1 is displeasing to ,god1 who has no pleasure in such people4 ,this ,christ calls 'not to be chosen1' i4e41 conducting oneself so that ,god has no pleasure in one4 ,those men are chosen of ,god and well-pleasing to ,him who diligently hear the ,gospel1 believe in ,christ1 prove their faith by good fruits1 and suffer on that account what they are called to suffer4 ,this is the true sense1 which can offend no one1 but makes men better1 so that they think3 ,very well1 if ,i am to please ,god and be elected1 ,i cannot afford to live so as to have an evil conscience1 sin against ,god's commandments1 and be unwilling to resist sin2 but ,i must go to church1 and pray ,god for ,his ,holy ,spirit2 nor must ,i permit the ,word to be taken out of my heart1 but resist the devil and his suggestions1 and pray for protection1 patience1 and help4 ,this makes good ,christians1 whereas those who think that ,god begrudges salvation to any one either become reckless or secure1 wicked people1 who live like brutes1 thinking3 ,it has already been ordained whether ,i am to be saved or not2 why1 then1 should ,i stint myself anything8 ,to think thus is wrong2 for you are commanded to hear ,god's ,word and to believe ,christ to be your ,savior1 who has paid for your sin4 ,remember this command and obey it4 ,if you notice that you are lacking faith1 or that your faith is weak1 pray ,god to grant you ,his ,holy ,ghost1 and do not doubt that ,christ is your ,savior1 and that if you believe in ,him1 i4e41 if you take comfort in ,him1 you shall by ,him be saved4 ,dear ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 grant this unto us all6 ,amen4 7,e4 #a1 #bjd2 ,st4 ,l4 #ac1 #aii47 #bdi4 ,statements ,made by ,luther in #aech and #aede4 ,in his remarks of #aech on ,matt4 #aa1 #be4 #bf1 ,luther says3 ,christ speaks especially against those who would be wise and judge in religious matters1 because they have on their side the ,law and human reason1 which is overwise1 exalting itself against the true religion both by teaching and by judging4 ,hence ,christ here praises ,god as doing right when ,he conceals ,his secrets from the wise and prudent1 because they want to be over and not under ,god4 ,not as though ,he hid it in fact or desired to hide it 7for ,he commands it to be preached publicly under the entire heaven and in all lands71 but that ,he has chosen that kind of preaching which the wise and prudent abhor by nature1 and which is hidden from them through their own fault1 since they do not want to have it--as is written ,is4 #f1 #i3 ',see ye indeed1 but perceive not1' ,lo1 they see1 i4e41 they have the doctrine which is preached both plainly and publicly4 ,still they do not perceive1 for they turn away from it and refuse to have it4 ,thus they hide the truth from themselves by their own blindness4 ,and so1 on the other hand1 ,he reveals it to the babes2 for the babes receive it when it is revealed to them4 ,to them the truth is revealed since they wish and desire it4 7,w4 #g1 #acc47 ,in a letter giving comfort concerning predestination1 dated ,august #h1 #aede1 ,luther wrote3 ,my dear master and friend ,n4 has informed me that you are at times in tribulation about ,god's eternal predestination1 and requested me to write you this short letter on that matter4 ,now to be sure1 this is a sore tribulation4 ,but to overcome it one must know that we are forbidden to understand this or to speculate about it4 ,for what ,god wants to conceal we should be glad not to know4 ,this is the apple the eating of which brought death upon ,adam and ,eve and upon all their children1 when they wanted to know what they were not to know4 ,for as it is sin to commit murder1 to steal1 or to curse1 so it is also sin to busy oneself searching such things4 ,as an antidote to this ,god has given us ,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,of ,him we must daily think2 in ,him we must consider ourselves 7uns in ihm spiegeln74 ,then predestination will appear lovely4 ,for outside of ,christ everything is only danger1 death1 and the devil2 in ,him1 however1 there is nothing but peace and joy4 ,for if one forever torments himself with predestination1 all one gains is anguish of soul4 ,hence flee and avoid such thoughts as the affliction of the serpent of ,paradise1 and1 instead1 look upon ,christ4 ,god preserve you6 7,e4 #ef1 #adj2 ,st4 ,l4 #aj4 #agdh47 #bej4 ,statements ,made by ,luther in ,his ,commentary on ,genesis4 ,luther's caeterum censeo1 that we are neither to deny nor to search the hidden ,god 7who cannot be apprehended in ,his bare majesty--qui in nuda sua maiestate non potest apprehendi1 ,e41 ,op4 ,lat4 #b1 #aga71 but to adhere to the revelation ,he has given us in the ,gospel1 is repeated again and again also in his ,commentary on ,genesis1 which was begun in #aecf and completed in #aede4 ,in the explanation of chap4 #bf1 #i we read1 in part3 ,i gladly take occasion from this passage to discuss the question concerning doubt1 concerning ,god and ,god's will4 ,for ,i hear that everywhere among the nobles and magnates profane sayings are spread concerning predestination or divine prescience4 ,for they say3 ',if ,i am predestinated1 ,i shall be saved1 whether ,i have done good or evil4 ,if ,i am not predestinated1 ,i shall be damned1 without any regard whatever to my works4' ,against these ungodly sayings ,i would gladly argue at length if my ill health would permit4 ,for if these sayings are true1 as they believe them to be1 then the incarnation of the ,son of ,god1 ,his suffering and resurrection1 and whatever ,he did for the salvation of the world1 is entirely abolished4 ,what would the prophets and the entire ,holy ,scriptures profit us8 what the ,sacraments8 ,let us therefore abandon and crush all this1 all these ungodly sayings4 ,luther proceeds3 ,these thoughts must be opposed by the true and firm knowledge of ,christ1 even as ,i frequently admonish that above all it is useful and necessary that our knowledge of ,god be absolutely certain1 and being apprehended by firm assent of the mind1 cleave in us1 as otherwise our faith will be in vain4 ,for if ,god does not stand by ,his promises1 then our salvation is done for1 while on the contrary this is to be our consolation that1 although we change1 we may nevertheless flee to ,him who is unchangeable4 ,for this is what ,he affirms of ,himself1 ,mal4 #c1 #f3 ',i am the ,lord1 ,i change not1' and ,rom4 #aa1 #bi3 ',for the gifts and calling of ,god are without repentance4' ,accordingly1 in the book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio and elsewhere ,i have taught that we must distinguish when we treat of the knowledge of ,god or1 rather1 of ,his essence4 ,for one must argue either concerning the hidden or the revealed ,god4 ,concerning ,god1 in so far as ,he has not been revealed to us1 there is no faith1 no knowledge1 no cognition whatever4 ,here one must apply the saying3 ,what is above us does not concern us 7,quae supra nos1 nihil ad nos74 ,for such thoughts as search for something higher1 beyond or without the revelation of ,god1 are altogether diabolical2 and by them nothing else is achieved than that we plunge ourselves into perdition1 because they are occupied with an unsearchable object1 i4e41 the unrevealed ,god4 ,indeed1 rather let ,god keep ,his decrees and mysteries concealed from us1 for there is no reason why we should labor so much that they be disclosed to us4 ,moses1 too1 asked ,god to show ,his face1 or glory1 to him4 ,but the ,lord answered1 ,ex4 #cc1 #bc3 ',thou shalt see ,my back parts2 but ,my face shall not be seen4 ,posteriora mea tibi ostendam1 faciem autem meam videre non poteris4' ,for this curiosity is original sin itself1 by which we are impelled to seek for a way to ,god by natural speculation4 ,but it is an enormous sin and a useless and vain endeavor4 ,for ,christ says1 ,john #f1 #fe2 #ad1 #f3 ',no man cometh unto the ,father but by ,me4' ,hence1 when we approach the non-revealed ,god1 there is no faith1 no word1 nor any knowledge1 because ,he is an invisible ,god whom you will not make visible4 ,with special reference to his book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio ,luther continues3 ,it was my desire to urge and set forth these things1 because after my death many will quote my books and by them try to prove and confirm all manner of errors and follies of their own4 ,now1 among others ,i have written that all things are absolute and necessary2 but at the same time 7and very often at other times7 ,i added that we must look upon the revealed ,god1 as we sing in the ,psalm3 ',er heisst ,jesus ,christ1 der ,herr ,zebaoth1 und ist kein andrer ,gott1' ',jesus ,christ it is1 of ,sabaoth ,lord1 and there's none other ,god4' ,but they will pass by all these passages1 and pick out those only concerning the hidden ,god4 ,you1 therefore1 who are now hearing me1 remember that ,i have taught that we must not inquire concerning the predestination of the hidden ,god1 but acquiesce in that which is revealed by the call and the ministry of the ,word4 ,for there you can be certain regarding your faith and salvation and say3 ,i believe in the ,son of ,god who said3 ',he that believeth on the ,son hath everlasting life1' ,john #c1 #cf4 ,in ,him therefore is no damnation or wrath1 but the good will of ,god the ,father4 ,but these very things ,i have set forth also elsewhere in my books1 and now ,i transmit them orally1 too1 viva voce2 hence ,i am excused--ideo sum excusatus4 7,e41 ,op4 ,exeg4 #f1 #bjj4 #bib4 #cjj2 ,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #hig;f47 #bea4 ,luther ,never ,retracted ,his ,doctrine of ,grace4 ,it has frequently been asserted that ,luther in his later years recalled his book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 and retracted1 changed and essentially modified his original doctrine of grace1 or1 at least silently1 abandoned it and relegated it to oblivion4 ,philippi says in his ,glaubenslehre 7#d1 #a1 #cg73 ,in the beginning of the ,reformation before #aebe the doctrine of predestination fell completely into the background4 ,but when ,erasmus1 in his endeavors to restore ,semi-,pelagianism1 injected into the issue also the question of predestination1 ,luther1 in his ,de ,servo ,arbitrio with an overbold defiance1 did not shrink from drawing also the inferences from his position4 ,he1 however1 not only never afterwards repeated this doctrine1 but in reality taught the very opposite in his unequivocal proclamation of the universality of divine grace1 of the all-sufficiency of the merits of ,christ1 and of the universal operation of the means of grace2 and he even opposed that doctrine of ,de ,servo ,arbitrio expressly as erroneous1 and by his corrections took back his earlier utterances on that subject4 ,endorsing ,philippi's view as according well with the facts in the case1 ,j4 ,w4 ,richard1 who1 too1 charges the early ,luther with absolute predestinarianism1 remarks3 ,but this is certain3 the older ,luther became1 the more did he drop his earlier predestinarianism into the background and the more did he lay stress on the grace of ,god and on the means of grace1 which offer salvation to all men 7in omnes1 super omnes7 without partiality1 and convey salvation to all who believe4 7,conf4 ,hist41 #ccf47 ,time and again similar assertions have been repeated1 particularly by synergistic theologians4 ,but they are not supported by the facts4 ,luther1 as his books abundantly show1 was never a preacher of predestinarianism 7limited grace1 limited redemption1 etc471 but always a messenger of ,god's universal grace in ,christ1 offered in the means of grace to all poor and penitent sinners4 ,in his public preaching and teaching predestination never predominated4 ,christ ,crucified and ,his merits offered in the ,gospel always stood in the foreground4 ,in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio ,luther truly says3 ,we1 too1 teach nothing else than ,christ ,crucified4 7,st4 ,l4 #ah1 #agbc2 ,e4 v4 a4 #g1 #afj47 ,luther's sermons and books preached and published before as well as after #aebe refute the idea that he ever made predestination1 let alone predestinarianism1 the center of his teaching and preaching4 ,it is a fiction that only very gradually ,luther became a preacher of universal grace and of the means of grace4 ,in fact1 he himself as well as his entire reformation were products of the preaching1 not of predestinarianism1 but of ,god's grace and pardon offered to all in absolution and in the means of grace4 ,the bent of ,luther's mind was not speculative1 but truly evangelical and ,scriptural4 ,nor is it probable that he would ever have entered upon the question of predestination to such an extent as he did in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 if the provocation had not come from without4 ,it was the rationalistic1 ,semi-,pelagian attack of ,erasmus on the fundamental ,christian truths concerning man's inability in spiritual matters and his salvation by grace alone which1 in ,luther's opinion1 called for just such an answer as he gave in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio4 ,wherever the occasion demanded it ,luther was ready to defend also the truth concerning ,god's majesty and supremacy1 but he always was and remained a preacher of the universal mercy of ,god as revealed in ,christ ,crucified4 ,nor is there any solid foundation whatever for the assertion that ,luther later on retracted his book against ,erasmus or abandoned its doctrine1 --a fact at present generally admitted also by disinterested historians4 7,frank #a1 #abi4 #ace4 #abe47 ,in his criticism of the ,book of ,confutation1 dated ,march #g1 #aeei ,landgrave ,philip of ,hesse declared3 ,as to free will1 we a long time ago have read the writings of ,luther and ,erasmus of ,rotterdam as well as their respective replies2 and1 although in the beginning they were far apart1 ,luther some years later saw the disposition of the common people and gave a better explanation 7und sich besser erklaeret72 and we believe1 if a synod were held and one would hear the other1 they would come to a brotherly agreement in this article4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gfj47 ,but ,flacius immediately declared that this assertion was false1 as appeared from ,luther's ,commentary on ,genesis and his letter to the ,elector concerning the ,regensburg ,interim4 7,preger #b1 #hb47 ,schaff writes3 ,the ,philippist ,christopher ,lasius first asserted1 #aefh that ,luther had recalled his book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio2 but this was indignantly characterized by ,flacius and ,westphal as a wretched lie and an insult to the evangelical church4 ,the fact is that ,luther emphatically reaffirmed this book1 in a letter to ,capito ,july #i1 #afcg1 as one of his very best4 7,creeds #a1 #cjc47 ,in his letter to ,capito1 ,luther says3 ,nullum enim agnosco meum iustum librum nisi forte ',de ,servo ,arbitrio' et ',catechismum1' thus endorsing ,de ,servo ,arbitrio in the same manner as his ,catechism4 7,enders #aa1 #bdg47 ,before this ,luther had said at his table3 ,erasmus has written against me in his booklet ,hyperaspistes1 in which he endeavors to defend his book ,on ,free ,will1 against which ,i wrote my book ,on the ,enslaved ,will1 which as yet he has not refuted1 and will never in eternity be able to refute4 ,this ,i know for certain1 and ,i defy and challenge the devil together with all his minions to refute it4 ,for ,i am certain that it is the immutable truth of ,god4 7,st4 ,l4 #bj1 #ajha47 ,despite numerous endeavors1 down to the present day1 not a shred of convincing evidence has been produced showing that ,luther ever wavered in this position1 or changed his doctrine of grace4 ,luther's extensive reference to ,de ,servo ,arbitrio in his ,commentary on ,genesis1 from which we freely quoted above1 has frequently been interpreted as a quasi-retraction4 ,but according to the ,formula of ,concord these expositions of ,luther's merely repeat and explain his former position4 ,they certainly do not offer any corrections of his former fundamental views4 ,luther does not speak of any errors of his own1 but of errors of others which they would endeavor to corroborate by quoting from his books--post meam mortem multi meos libros proferrent in medium et inde omnis generis errores et deliria sua confirmabunt4 ,moreover1 he declares that he is innocent if some should misuse his statements concerning necessity and the hidden ,god1 because he had expressly added that we must not search the hidden majesty of ,god1 but look upon the revealed ,god to judge of ,his disposition toward us-- addidi1 quod aspiciendus sit ,deus revelatus4444 ,ideo sum excusatus4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #hih47 ,luther's entire theological activity1 before as well as after #aebe1 was an application of the principle stressed also in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 viz41 that we must neither deny nor investigate or be concerned about the hidden ,god1 but study ,god as ,he has revealed ,himself in the ,gospel and firmly rely on ,his gracious promises in the means of grace4 #beb4 ,luther's ,doctrine ,approved by ,formula of ,concord4 ,flacius1 who himself did not deny the universality of grace1 declared at the colloquy in ,weimar1 #aefj1 that1 when taken in their context1 ,luther's statements in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio contained no inapt expressions 7nihil incommodi74 ,he added3 ,i do not want to be the reformer of ,luther1 but let us leave the judgment and discussion concerning this book to the ,church of sound doctrine4 ,nolo reformator esse ,lutheri1 sed iudicium et discussionem istius libri permittamus sanae ecclesiae4 7,planck #d1 #gjd1 ,frank #d1 #bee47 ,in ,article ,,ii of the ,formula of ,concord the ,church passed on ,luther's book on the bondage of the will together with his declarations in his ,commentary on ,genesis4 ,in referring to this matter the ,formula gives utterance to the following thoughts3 #a4 that in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio ,luther elucidated and supported this position on free will1 occupied also by the ,formula of ,corcord well and thoroughly1 egregie et solide2 #b4 that afterwards he repeated and explained it in his glorious exposition of the ,book of ,genesis1 especially of chapter #bf2 #c4 that in this exposition also his meaning and understanding of some other peculiar disputations1 introduced incidentally by ,erasmus1 as of absolute necessity1 etc41 have been secured by him in the best and most careful way against all misunderstanding and perversion2 #d4 that the ,formula of ,concord appeals and refers others to these deliverances of ,luther4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #hif1 #dd47 ,the ,formula of ,concord1 therefore1 endorsed ,luther's ,de ,servo ,arbitrio without expressing any strictures or reservations whatever1 and1 particularly in ,articles ,i1 ,,ii and ,,xi1 also embodied its essential thoughts though not all of its phrases statements1 and arguments4 ,the said articles contain a guarded reproduction and affirmation of ,luther's doctrine of grace1 according to which ,god alone is the cause of man's salvation while man alone is the cause of his damnation4 ,in particular they reaffirm ,luther's teaching concerning man's depravity and the inability of his will to cooperate in conversion2 the divine monergism in man's salvation2 the universality of grace and of the efficaciousness of the means of grace2 man's responsibility for the rejection of grace and for his damnation2 ,god's unsearchable judgments and mysterious ways2 the mystery why some are lost while others are saved1 though all are equally guilty and equally loved by ,god2 the solution of this problem in the light of glory where it will be made apparent that there never were contradictory wills in ,god4 ,in its doctrine of predestination as well as of free will1 therefore1 the ,formula of ,concord is not a compromise between synergism and monergism1 but signifies a victory of ,luther over the later ,melanchthon4 #bec4 ,attitude of ,apology of the ,book of ,concord4 ,the attitude of the ,formula of ,concord with respect to ,luther's ,de ,servo ,arbitrio was shared by contemporary ,lutheran theologians4 ,they expressed objections neither to the book itself nor to its public endorsement by the ,formula of ,concord4 ,in #aefi the theologians of ,ducal ,saxony publicly declared their adherence to the doctrine set forth most luminously and skilfully 7summa luce et dexteritate traditum7 in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 the ,commentary on ,genesis1 and other books of ,luther4 7,schluesselburg #f1 #acc47 ,that the authors of the ,formula of ,concord were fully conscious of their agreement with ,luther's ,de ,servo ,arbitrio and his ,commentary on ,genesis appears also from the ,apology of the ,book of ,concord1 composed #aehb by ,kirchner ,selneccer1 and ,chemnitz4 ,instead of charging ,luther with errors1 these theologians1 who were prominent in the drafting of the ,formula or ,concord1 endorse and defend his position1 viz41 that we must neither deny nor investigate the hidden ,god1 but search the ,gospel for an answer to the question how ,god is disposed toward us4 ,in this ,apology the opening paragraph of the section defending ,article ,,xi of the ,formula of ,concord against the ,neustadt theologians reads as follows3 ,in their antilog antilogia--attack on ,article ,,xi of the ,formula of ,concord regarding ,god's eternal election and predestination they merely endeavor to persuade the people that in this article the doctrine of the ,christian ,book of ,concord ,formula of ,concord conflicts with the teaching of ,doctor ,luther and his book ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 while otherwise we ourselves are accustomed to appeal to ,luther's writings4 ,they accordingly charge the ,book of ,concord with condemning ,luther1 who in the book called ,servum ,arbitrium maintained the proposition that it was not superfluous but highly necessary and useful for a ,christian to know whether ,god's foreknowledge 7,versehung7 is certain or uncertain1 changeable1 etc4 ,now1 praise the ,lord1 these words of ,dr4 ,luther are not unknown to us1 but1 besides1 we also well know how ,dr4 ,luther in his last explanation of the #bfth chapter of the ,first ,book of ,moses explains and guards these words of his4 7,fol4 #bjd;a47 ,after quoting the passages from ,luther's ,genesis1 which we cited above 7p4 #bbc;f471 the ,apology continues3 ,with this explanation of ,luther we let the matter rest4 ,if our opponents the ,neustadt theologians wish to brood over it any further and in their investigating and disputing dive into the abyss or unfathomable depth of this mystery1 they may do so for themselves at their own risk and suffer the consequences of such an attempt4 ,as for us we are content to adhere to ,god in so far as ,he has revealed ,himself in ,his ,word1 and lead and direct ,christianity thereto1 reserving the rest for the life to come4 7#dje;a47 #bed4 ,agreement of ,apology with ,formula of ,concord and ,luther4 ,doctrinally also1 the ,apology of the ,book of ,concord is in agreement with both ,luther and the ,formula of ,concord4 ,this appears from the following excerpts3 ,nor does the ,christian ,book of ,concord ,formula of ,concord deny that there is a reprobation in ,god or that ,god rejects some2 hence also it does not oppose ,luther's statement when he writes in ,de ,servo ,arbitrio against ,erasmus that it is the highest degree of faith to believe that ,god1 who saves so few1 is nevertheless most merciful2 but it does not intend to ascribe to ,god the efficient cause of such reprobation or damnation as the doctrine of our opponents teaches2 it rather holds that1 when this question is discussed all men should put their finger on their lips and first say with the ,apostle ,paul1 ,rom4 #aa1 #bj3 ',propter incredulitatem defracti sunt--,because of unbelief they were broken off1' and ,rom4 #f1 #bc3 ',for the wages of sin is death4' ,in the second place3 ,when the question is asked why ,god the ,lord does not through ,his ,holy ,spirit convert1 and bestow faith upon1 all men1 etc4 7which ,he is certainly able to do--das er doch wohl koennte71 that we furthermore say with the ,apostle ,rom4 #aa1 #cc3 ',quam incomprehensibilia sunt iudicia eius et impervestigabiles viae eius--,how unsearchable are ,his judgments and ,his ways past finding out1' but not in any way ascribe to the ,lord ,god ,himself the willing and efficient cause of the reprobation and damnation of the impenitent4 ,but when they1 pressing us1 declare1 ',since you admit the election of the elect1 you must also admit the other thing1 viz41 that in ,god ,himself there is from eternity a cause of reprobation1 also apart from sin1' etc41 then we declare that we are not at all minded to make ,god the author ,ursacher of reprobation 7the cause of which properly lies not in ,god1 but in sin71 nor to ascribe to ,him the efficient cause of the damnation of the ungodly1 but intend to adhere to the word of the ,prophet ,hosea1 chapter #ac1 where ,god ,himself says3 ',o ,israel1 thou hast destroyed thyself2 but in ,me is thy help4' ,nor do we intend to search our dear ,god in so far as ,he is hidden and has not revealed ,himself4 ,for it is too high for us anyway1 and we cannot comprehend it4 ,and the more we occupy ourselves with this matter1 the farther we depart from our dear ,god1 and the more we doubt ,his gracious will toward us4 7#bjf47 ,the ,apology continues3 ,likewise the ,book of ,concord ,formula of ,concord does not deny that ,god does not work in all men in the same manner4 ,for at all times there are many whom ,he has not called through the public ministry4 ,however1 our opponents shall nevermore persuade us to infer with them that ,god is an efficient wirkliche cause of the reprobation of such people1 and that ,he decreed absolutely from ,his mere counsel fuer sich aus blossem ,rat to reject and cast them away eternally1 even irrespective of their sin auch ausserhalb der ,suende4 ,for when we arrive at this abyss of the mysteries of ,god1 it is sufficient to say with the ,apostle ,rom4 #aa3 ',his judgments are unsearchable1' and #a ,cor4 #ae1 #eg3 ',but thanks be to ,god1 which giveth us the victory through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4' ,whatever goes beyond this our ,savior ,christ ,himself will reveal to us in eternal life4 ,nor is there any cause for the cry that the ,book of ,concord did not distinguish between malum culpae1 i4e41 sin which ,god neither wills1 nor approves1 nor works1 and malum poenae1 or the punishments which ,he wills and works4 ,for there in ,article ,,xi the purpose was not to discuss all questions which occur and might be treated in this matter concerning ,god's eternal election1 but merely to give a summary statement of the chief points of this article2 and elsewhere this distinction is clearly explained by our theologians4 ,nor is there any one among us who approves of this blasphemy1 that ,god wills sin1 is pleased with it1 and works it2 moreover1 we reject such speech as a blasphemy against ,god ,himself4 ,besides1 it is plainly stated1 p4 #cah edition of #aehj2 ,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ajfe1 #f1 that ,god does not will evil acts and works1 from which it is apparent that the ,book ,formula of ,concord does not at all teach that ,god is the author of malum culpae or of sins in the same manner as ,he executes and works the punishments of sins4 7#bjf b47 #bee4 ,apology on ,universalis ,gratia ,seria et ,efficax4 ,emphasizing the universality and seriousness of ,god's grace and the possibility of conversion and salvation even for those who are finally damned1 the ,apology proceeds3 ,and why should we not also reject the proposition3 ',the reprobate cannot be converted and saved1' since it is undoubtedly true that1 with respect to those who are finally rejected and damned1 we are unable to judge with certainty who they are1 and there is hope for the conversion of all men as long as they are still alive8 ,for the malefactor1 ,luke #bc1 was converted to ,god at his last end2 concerning whom1 according to the judgment of reason everybody might have said that he was one of the reprobates4 ,the passage ,john #ab1 #ci3 ',therefore they could not believe1' etc41 does not properly treat of eternal reprobation1 nor does it say with so many words that no reprobate can be converted and saved4444 ,it is therefore the meaning neither of the prophet ,is4 #f1 #i4 #aj nor of the evangelist ,john #ab1 #ci that ,god1 irrespective of the sins and wickedness of such people1 solely from ,his mere counsel1 purpose1 and will1 ordains them to damnation so that they cannot be saved4 ,moreover1 the meaning and correct understanding of this passage is1 that in the obstinate and impenitent ,god punishes sin with sins1 and day by day permits them to become more blind1 but not that ,he has pleasure in their sin and wickedness1 effectually works in them blindness and obstinacy1 or that ,he1 solely from ,his purpose and mere counsel1 irrespective also of sins1 has foreordained them to damnation so that they cannot convert themselves and be saved4 ,in all such and similar passages1 therefore1 we shall and must be sedulously on our guard1 lest we spin therefrom this blasphemy1 that out of ,his free purpose and counsel1 irrespective also of sin1 ,god has decreed to reject eternally these or others4444 7#bjg47 ,with respect to the seriousness of universal grace we furthermore read3 ,they the ,neustadt theologians say that in ,his ,word ,god declares what ,he approves1 and earnestly demands of1 all men1 but not what ,he wishes to work and effect in all of them4 ,for1 they say1 ,he reveals ,his secret counsel in no other way than by working in man1 viz41 through conversion or final hardening of those who are either converted or hardened and damned4444 ,with regard to this we give the following correct answer1 viz43 that we are not minded in the least to carry on a dispute or discussion with our opponents concerning ,god and ,his secret counsel1 purpose1 or will in so far as ,he has not in ,his ,word revealed ,himself and ,his counsel4 ,the reason is the one quoted above from the words of ,luther himself1 viz41 that concerning ,god1 so far as ,he has not been revealed to us1 or has not made ,himself known in ,his ,word1 there is neither faith nor knowledge1 and one cannot know anything of ,him1 etc41 which also in itself is true4 ,why1 then1 should we1 together with our opponents dive into the abyss of the incomprehensible judgments of ,god and presumptuously assert with them that from ,his mere counsel1 purpose1 and will1 irrespective also of sin1 ,god has ordained some to damnation who cannot be converted1 moreover1 whom ,he1 according to ,his secret purpose1 does not want to be converted1 despite the fact that through the office of the ministry ,he declares ,himself friendly towards them and offers them ,his grace and mercy8 ,my dear friend1 where is it written in the ,word of ,god that it is not the will of ,god that all should be saved1 but that1 irrespective of their sin1 ,he has ordained some to damnation only from ,his mere counsel1 purpose1 and will1 so that they cannot be saved8 ,never in all eternity1 try as they may1 will they prove this proposition from ,god's revealed ,word4 ,for nowhere do the ,holy ,scriptures speak thus4 ,yet from sheer foolhardiness they dare employ1 contrary to ,scripture1 such blasphemous doctrine and speech and spread it in all ,christendom4 7#ajh b47 #bef4 ,apology on ,god's ,mysterious ,judgments and ,ways4 ,concerning the mysterious judgments and ways of ,god the ,apology says3 ,at the same time we do not deny that ,god does not work alike in all men1 enlightening all1--for neither does ,he give ,his ,word to all1--and that nevertheless ,he is and remains both just and merciful1 and that nobody can justly accuse ,him of any unfaithfulness1 envy1 or tyranny1 although ,he does not1 as said1 give ,his ,word to all and enlighten them4 ,but we add that1 when arriving at this mystery1 one should put his finger on his lips and not dispute or brood over it gruebeln--from the facts conceded infer doctrines subversive of ,god's universal serious grace1 but say with the apostle3 ',how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6' ,much less should one rashly say1 as our opponents do1 that of ,his free will1 and irrespective of sin1 ,god has ordained that some should be damned4 ,for as to what ,god holds and has decreed in ,his secret1 hidden counsel1 nothing certain can be said4 ,nor should one discuss this deeply hidden mystery1 but reserve it for yonder life1 and meanwhile adhere to the revealed ,word of ,god by which we are called to repentance1 and by which salvation is faithfully offered us4 ,and this ,word1 or revealed will1 of ,god concerning the giving rest to all those that labor and are heavy laden1 is certain1 infallible1 unwavering1 and not at all opposed to the secret counsel of ,god1 with which alone our opponents are occupied4 ,accordingly nothing that conflicts with the will revealed in the ,word of ,god should be inferred from it1 even as ,god ,himself in ,his ,word has not directed us to it4 ,because of the fact1 therefore1 that not all accept this call1 we must not declare that from ,his free purpose and will1 without regard to sin1 ,god in ,his secret counsel1 has ordained those who do not repent to damnation1 so that they cannot be converted and saved 7for this has not been revealed to us in the ,word71 but adhere to this1 that ,god's judgments in these cases are unsearchable and incomprehensible4 ,it is impossible that the doctrine of the opponents concerning this article should not produce in the hearers either despair or ,epicurean security1 when in this doctrine it is taught that ,god1 from ,his mere counsel and purpose and irrespective of sin1 has ordained some to damnation so that they cannot be converted4 ,for as soon as a heart hears this1 it cannot but despair of its salvation1 or fall into these ,epicurean thoughts3 ,if you are among the reprobate whom1 from ,his free purpose and without regard to sin1 ,god has ordained to damnation1 then you cannot be saved1 do what you will4 ,but if you are among those who shall be saved1 then you cannot fail2 do what you will1 you must nevertheless be saved1 etc4 ,we do not in the least intend to join our opponents in giving occasion for such things4 ,god also shall protect us from it4 7#bji47 ,again3 ,they the opponents also say that we stress the universal promises of grace1 but fail to add that these belong and pertain to believers4 ,but herein they wrong us4 ,for we urge both1 viz41 that the promises of grace are universal1 and that1 nevertheless1 only believers1 who labor and are heavy laden1 ,matt4 #aa1 become partakers of them4 ,but their our opponents' object is to have us join them in saying that some are ordained to damnation from the free purpose of ,god1 also without regard to sin1 whom ,he does not want to be saved1 even though ,he calls them through the ,word and offers ,his grace and salvation to them1 --which1 however1 we shall never do4 ,for our heart is filled with horror against such a ,stoic and ,manichean doctrine4 7#bji b47 ,,xxii4 ,article ,,xii of the ,formula of ,concord3 ,of ,other ,heretics and ,sects4 #beg4 ,purpose of ,article ,,xii4 ,the purpose of the first eleven articles of the ,formula of ,concord was not only to establish peace within the ,lutheran ,church and to ward off future controversies1 but also to meet the ridicule and obloquy of the ,papists and to brand before the whole world as slander1 pure and simple1 their assertions that the ,lutherans were hopelessly disagreed and had abandoned the ,augsburg ,confession1 and that the ,reformation was bound to end in utter confusion and dissolution4 ,the ,formula of ,concord was to leave no doubt regarding the fact that the ,lutheran ,church offers a united front in every direction3 against the ,romanists1 the ,calvinists1 the errorists that had arisen in their own midst1 and self-evidently also against the sects and fanatics1 old and modern1 with whom the ,romanists slanderously identified them4 ,summarizing the errors which ,lutherans repudiate1 the ,formula of ,concord declares3 ,first1 we reject and condemn all heresies and errors which were rejected and condemned in the primitive1 ancient1 orthodox ,church1 upon the true1 firm ground of the holy divine ,scriptures4 ,secondly1 we reject and condemn all sects and heresies which are rejected in the writings1 just mentioned1 of the comprehensive summary of the confession of our churches the ,lutheran symbols1 preceding the ,formula of ,concord4 ,thirdly1 we reject also all those errors which caused dissension within the ,lutheran ,church1 and which are dealt with and refuted in the first eleven articles of the ,formula of ,concord4 7#heg1 #ag;ff47 ,among the errors rejected in the ,augsburg ,confession and the subsequent ,lutheran symbols were those also of the ,anabaptists1 ,antitrinitarians1 and others4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #db1 #f2 #dd1 #d2 #df1 #c2 #dh1 #g2 #ej1 #c4 #d2 #ach1 #ff2 #bdd1 #eb2 #caj1 #ac2 #cef1 #dc2 #dcf1 #di2 #gdd1 #ee2 #gdf1 #eh47 ,and this is the class of errorists which ,article ,,xii of the ,formula of ,concord makes it a special point to characterize summarily and reject by name4 ,before this the ,book of ,confutation1 composed #aeei by the theologians of ,duke ,john ,frederick1 had enumerated and rejected the doctrines of such errorists as ,servetus1 ,schwenckfeld1 and the ,anabaptists4 ,from the very beginning of the ,reformation1 and especially at ,augsburg1 #aecj1 ,eck and other ,romanists had either identified the ,lutherans with the ,anabaptists and other sects1 or had1 at least1 held them responsible for their origin and growth4 ,both charges are denied by the ,formula of ,concord4 ,for here we read3 ,however1 lest there be silently ascribed to us the condemned errors of the above enumerated factions and sects 7which1 as is the nature of such spirits1 for the most part1 secretly stole in at localities1 and especially at a time when no place or room was given to the pure word of the holy ,gospel1 but all its sincere teachers and confessors were persecuted1 and the deep darkness of the ,papacy still prevailed and poor simple men who could not help but feel the manifest idolatry and false faith of the ,papacy1 in their simplicity1 alas6 embraced whatever was called ,gospel1 and was not papistic71 we could not forbear testifying also against them publicly1 before all ,christendom1 that we have neither part nor fellowship with their errors1 be they many or few1 but reject and condemn them1 one and all1 as wrong and heretical1 and contrary to the ,scriptures of the prophets and apostles1 and to our ,christian ,augsburg ,confession1 well grounded in ,god's ,word4 7#ajig1 #g;f47 #beh4 ,the ,anabaptists4 ,the ,anabaptistic movement originated in ,zurich4 ,their leaders were ,conrad ,grebel1 ,felix ,manz1 and the monk ,george of ,chur 7also called ,blaurock1 ,bluecoat71 who was the first to introduce anabaptism4 ,in rapid succession ,anabaptistic congregations sprang up in ,swabia1 ,tyrol1 ,austria1 ,moravia1 etc4 ,because of their attitude toward the civil government the ,anabaptists were regarded as rebels and treated accordingly4 ,as early as ,january1 #aebg1 some of them were executed in ,zurich4 ,persecution increased after the council held by ,anabaptists in the autumn of #aebg at ,augsburg1 which then harbored a congregation of more than #a1ajj ,apostolic ,brethren1 as the ,anabaptists there called themselves4 ,in ,germany the imperial mandate of ,september #bc1 #aebi1 authorized the governments to punish ,anabaptists1 men and women of every age1 by fire or sword without previous inquisition by spiritual judges4 ,they suffered most in ,catholic territories4 ,by #aeca about #a1jjj 7according to ,sebastian ,franck #b1jjj7 had been executed in ,tyrol and ,goerz4 ,the most prominent of the early ,anabaptistic leaders and protagonists were ,hubmaier1 ,denk1 ,dachser1 and ,hans ,hutt4 ,besides these we mention3 ,ludwig ,haetzer1 published a translation of the prophets from the ,hebrew1 #aebg1 for which he was praised by ,luther1 was executed as adulterer ,february #d1 #aebi1 at ,constance2 ,eitelhans ,langenmantel1 a former soldier and son of the ,augsburg burgomaster1 expelled from the city ,october #ad1 #aebg1 impassionate in his writings against the old and new ,papists1 i4e41 ,luther and others who adhered to the real presence of ,christ in the ,lord's ,supper1 decapitated ,may #ab1 #aebh1 at ,weissenburg2 ,christian ,entfelder1 #aebg leader of the ,brethren at ,eisenschuetz ,moravia1 and later on counselor of ,duke ,albrecht of ,prussia2 ,hans ,schlaffer1 a former priest1 active as ,anabaptistic preacher and author1 executed #aebh2 ,joerg ,haug1 pastor in ,bibra2 ,wolfgang ,vogel1 pastor near ,nuernberg1 executed #aebg2 ,siegmund ,salminger1 imprisoned #aebg in ,augsburg2 ,leonard ,schiemer1 former ,franciscan1 bishop of the ,brethren in ,austria1 an ,antitrinitarian1 executed #aebh2 ,ulrich ,hugwald1 professor in ,basel2 ,melchior ,rinck1 pastor in ,hesse2 ,pilgram ,marbeck2 ,jacob ,buenderlin2 ,jacob ,kautz1 preacher and author in ,worms2 ,clemens ,ziegler2 ,peter ,riedemann1 an ,anabaptistic author and preacher1 who was frequently imprisoned and died #aeef2 ,melchior ,hofmann1 an ,anabaptistic lay-preacher and prolific author1 who died in prison at ,strassburg1 #aedc4 7,tschackert1 #adh;ff42 ,schlottenloher1 ,philipp ,ulhart1 ein ,augsburger ,winkeldrucker und ,helfershelfer der ,schwaermer und ,wiedertaeufer1 #aebc--aebi1 p4 #ei;ff47 ,the various errors of the ,anabaptists are enumerated in the ,twelfth ,article of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,the ,epitome remarks3 ,the ,anabaptists are divided among themselves into many factions1 as one contends for more1 another for less errors2 however they all in common propound such doctrine as is to be tolerated or allowed neither in the church1 nor in the commonwealth and secular government1 nor in domestic life4 7#hci1 #b47 ,urbanus ,regius said in his book ,against the ,new ,baptistic ,order3 ,not all of the ,anabaptists know of all of these errors enumerated in his book2 it is therefore not our intention to do an injustice to any one2 we mean such public deceivers in the ,baptistic ,order as ,john ,denk and ,balthasar ,friedberger1 ,hubmaier4 7,schlottenloher1 #hj47 ,while some of the ,anabaptists1 as ,hubmaier1 were more conservative1 others 7,denk1 ,schiemer7 went so far as to deny even the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,they all were agreed1 however1 in their opposition to infant baptism1 and to the ,lutheran doctrines of justification1 of the means of grace1 of the ,sacraments1 etc4 ,what their preachers stressed was not faith in the atonement made by ,christ1 but medieval mysticism1 sensation-faith 7,gefuehlsglaube71 and the law of love as exemplified by ,christ4 ,tschackert quotes from one of their sermons3 ,whoever follows the voice which constantly speaks in his heart always finds in himself the true testimony to sin no more1 and an admonition to resist the evil4 7#aec47 ,in his introduction to a publication of hymns of ,breuning1 ,salminger said3 ,whoever speaks in truth to what his own heart testifies will be received by ,god4 ,schlottenloher remarks3 ,it was medieval mysticism from which they the ,anabaptists derived their consuming desire for the complete union of the soul with ,god and the ,spirit4 7#hc47 #bei4 ,balthasar ,hubmaier4 ,hubmaier 7,hubmoer1 ,friedberger1 ,pacimontanus7 was born at ,friedberg1 near ,augsburg1 and studied under ,eck4 ,in #aeab he became ,doctor and professor of theology at ,ingolstadt2 #aeaf preacher in ,regensburg2 #aebb pastor in ,waldshut on the ,rhine4 ,before he came to ,waldshut1 he had read the books of ,luther4 ,he joined ,zwingli in his opposition to ,romanism4 ,in ,january1 #aebe1 however1 he wrote to ,oecolampadius that now he proclaimed publicly what before he had kept to himself1 referring in particular to his views on infant baptism4 ,on ,easter ,day of the same year he was rebaptized together with #fj other persons1 after which he continued to baptize more than #cjj4 ,in ,july of #aebe he published his book ,concerning ,christian ,baptism of ,believers1 which was directed against ,zwingli1 whose name1 however1 was not mentioned4 ,at ,zurich1 whither he had fled from ,waldshut after the defeat of the peasants in their rebellion of #aebe1 he was compelled to hold a public disputation with ,zwingli on infant baptism4 ,this led to his imprisonment from which he was released only after a public recantation1 #aebf4 ,he escaped to ,nicolsburg1 ,moravia1 where1 under the protection of a powerful nobleman1 he developed a feverish activity and rebaptized about #ab1jjj persons4 ,when the persecutions of the ,anabaptists began1 ,hubmaier was arrested1 and after sulphur and powder had been well rubbed into his long beard1 he was burned at the stake in ,vienna1 ,march #aj1 #aebh4 ,three days after1 his wife1 with a stone about her neck1 was thrust from the bridge into the ,danube4 ,hubmaier denounced infant baptism as an abominable idolatry4 ,he taught3 ,children are incapable of making the public confession required by ,baptism2 there is no ,scriptural reason for infant baptism2 it robs us of the true baptism1 since people believe that children are baptized while in reality they are nothing less than baptized4 ,he says3 ,since the alleged infant baptism is no baptism1 those who now receive water-baptism according to the institution of ,christ cannot be charged with anabaptism4 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 ,hubmaier taught3 ,here it is apparent that the bread is not the body of ,christ1 but only a reminder of it4 ,likewise the wine is not the blood of ,christ1 but also a mere memorial that ,he has shed and given ,his blood to wash all believers from their sins4 ,in the ,lord's ,supper the body and blood of ,christ are received spiritually and by faith only4 ,in the ,supper of ,christ bread is bread and wine is wine and not ,christ4 ,for ,he has ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of ,god1 ,his ,father4 ,hubmaier did not regard the ,word as a means of grace nor ,baptism and the ,lord's ,supper as gracious acts of ,god1 but as mere works of man4 ,in believers1 he says1 ,god works both to will and to do1 by the inward anointing of ,his ,holy ,spirit4 ,concerning church discipline he taught3 ,where the ,christian ban is not established and used according to the command of ,christ1 there sin1 shame1 and vice control everything4 ,a person who is expelled must be denied all communion until he repents4 ,in connection with his deliverances on the ban1 ,hubmaier1 after the fashion of the ,papists1 made the ,gospel of ,christian liberty as preached by ,luther responsible for the carnal way in which many abused it4 ,the socialistic trend of ,anabaptism1 however1 was not developed by ,hubmaier4 7,tschackert #acb4 #agb4 #bcd47 #bfj4 ,dachser and ,hutt4 ,jacob ,dachser was one of the most zealous members and leaders of the large ,anabaptistic congregation in ,augsburg1 where he was also imprisoned1 #aebg4 ,he1 not ,langenmantel1 is the author of the ,offenbarung von den wahrhaftigen ,wiedertaeufern4 ,revelation of the ,true ,anabaptists1 secretly published by the ,anabaptistic printer ,philip ,ulhart in ,augsburg and accepted as a sort of confession by the council held by the ,anabaptists in the fall of #aebg at ,augsburg4 ,the book of ,urban ,regius3 ,wider den neuen ,tauforden notwendige ,warnung an alle ,christenglaeubigen--,against the new ,baptistic ,order1 a ,necessary ,warning to ,all ,christians1 was directed against ,dachser's ,revelation4 ,in #aebi ,dachser published his ,form and ,order of ,spiritual ,songs1 the first hymn-book of the ,anabaptists1 containing hymns of ,luther1 ,speratus1 ,muenzer1 ,hutt1 ,pollio1 and ,dachser4 ,in his ,revelation ,dachser said3 ,the entire world is against each other2 we don't know any more where the truth is4 ,while all are convinced that the ,pope has erred and deceived us1 the new preachers1 by reviling and maligning each other1 betray that they1 too1 are not sent by ,god4 ,in their pulpits the false teachers ,lutherans1 etc4 themselves confess that the longer they preach1 the less good is done4 ,but since they do not forsake a place where they see no fruits of their doctrine1 they thereby reveal that they are not sent by ,god4 ,god draws us to ,himself through the power which is in us1 and warns us against wickedness and through the ,teacher ,christ1 who in ,his ,word has taught us the will of ,god4 ,christ sent ,his disciples to preach the ,gospel to all creatures and to baptize such as believe4 ,and such as obey this command are called ',anabaptists'6 ,by our evil will original purity has been defiled2 from this uncleanness we must purge our heart4 ,who does not find this uncleanness in himself1 neither without nor within1 is a true child of ,god1 obedient to the ,word of ,god4 ,who1 in accordance with the command of ,christ1 preaches and baptizes such as believe1 is not an ,anabaptist1 but a cobaptist ,mittaeufer of ,christ and the ,apostles4 ,all such as preach1 teach1 and baptize otherwise than ,christ commanded1 are the real ,anabaptists opponents of ,baptism1 acting contrary to the ,son of ,god1 by first baptizing1 instead of first teaching and awaiting faith1 as ,christ commanded4 ,we need but strive with ,christ to do the will of the ,father then we receive from ,god through the ,holy ,ghost the power to fulfil the divine command4 7,schlottenloher1 #gb;ff47 ,hans ,hutt 7,hut71 a restless bookbinder in ,franconia1 attended the ,anabaptistic council in ,augsburg1 where he was opposed by ,regius and incarcerated4 ,he died #aebg in an attempt to escape from prison4 ,as a punishment his body was burned4 ,hutt must not be confounded with ,jacob ,huter or ,hueter1 an ,anabaptist in ,tyrol4 ,the followers of ,hans ,hutt in the city of ,steyr developed the socialistic tendencies of ,anabaptism4 ,they taught3 ,private ownership is sinful2 all things are to be held in common2 ,judgment ,day is imminent2 then the ,anabaptists will reign with ,christ on earth4 ,some also taught that finally the devil and all the damned would be saved2 others held that there is neither a devil nor a hell1 because ,christ had destroyed them4 7,tschackert #acd;ff4 #ada4 #aec47 ,article ,,xvii of the ,augsburg ,confession condemns the ,anabaptists1 who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils4442 also others1 who are now spreading certain ,jewish opinions1 that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world1 the ungodly being everywhere suppressed4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #ea7 #bfa4 ,john ,denk4 ,denk1 who was called the ,archbaptist1 the ,bishop1 ,pope1 and ,apollo of the ,anabaptists1 was born in ,bavaria and trained in ,basel4 ,in #aebc he became ,rector of ,st4 ,sebald in ,nuernberg where he was opposed by ,osiander4 ,banished in the following year1 he escaped to ,st4 ,gallen4 ,expelled again1 he fled to ,augsburg4 ,here he was rebaptized by immersion and became an active member of the ,anabaptistic ,apostolic ,brethren1 who at that time numbered about #a1ajj persons4 ,denk was the leader of the council held by the ,anabaptists in #aebg in ,augsburg4 ,expelled from the city1 ,denk died during his flight1 #aebg1 at ,basel4 ,his ,retraction1 ,widerruf 7a title probably chosen by the printer71 published #aebg after his death1 does not contain a retraction1 but a summary of his teaching4 7,schlottenloher1 #hd47 ,the mystic mind of ,denk runs a good deal in the channels of the author of the ,german ,theology1 ,deutsche ,theologie1 and of his pantheistic contemporary1 ,sebastian ,franck4 ,denk taught3 ,god is one1 and the source of unity4 ,to return from all divisions to this unity must be our constant aim4 ,the only way is entire surrender to ,god and submission in tranquillity4 ,he says3 ,nothing is necessary for this salvation reunion with ,god but to obey ,him who is in us1 and to be tranquil and wait for ,him in the true real ,sabbath and tranquillity1 losing ourselves and all that is ours1 so that ,god may both work and suffer in us4 ,he who is in us is ready every hour and moment to follow1 if we are but willing4 ,his hour is always1 but ours is not4 ,he calls and stretches forth ,his arms the entire day1 always ready2 nobody answers ,him1 nobody admits ,him or suffers ,him to enter4 ,do but seek the ,lord1 then you will find ,him2 yea1 ,he is already seeking you2 only suffer yourselves to be found4 ,indeed ,he has already found you1 and even now is knocking4 ,do but open unto ,him and let ,him in4 ,apprehend and know the ,lord1 even as you are apprehended and known of ,him4 ,denk held that the source of religious and moral knowledge is not the ,scriptures1 but the voice of ,god in the heart of man1 or ,christ ,himself1 who speaks and writes the divine ,law into the hearts of those who are ,his4 ,before ,denk1 ,thomas ,muenzer had said3 ,was ,bibel6 ,bibel1 ,bubel1 ,babel6 ,whoever has this divine ,law in his heart lacks nothing that is needed to fulfil the will of ,god4 ,according to ,denk a man may be saved without the preaching of the ,word1 without the ,scriptures1 and without any knowledge of the historical ,christ and ,his work4 ,nor can the ,scriptures be understood without heeding the revelation of ,god in our own bosom4 ,the ,scriptures must indeed be regarded as higher than all human treasures1 but not as high as ,god's ,word in our own bosom4 ,baptism is a mere outward sign that one has joined the number of believers2 hence it can be administered to such only as are conscious of their faith4 ,ceremonies in themselves are not sin1 says ,denk1 but whoever imagines to obtain grace through them1 either by ,baptism or by the ,breaking of ,bread1 is given to superstition4 7,tschackert1 #adc2 ,meusel1 ,handl4 #b1 #adb47 #bfb4 ,the ,schwenckfeldians4 ,caspar ,schwenckfeldt1 of ,ossig in ,liegnitz a descendent of a noble family in ,silesia1 was born #adij and studied in ,cologne4 ,in #aebd he helped to introduce the ,reformation in ,liegnitz4 ,he was twice in ,wittenberg2 #aebb1 when he met ,carlstadt and ,thomas ,muenzer and #aebe1 when he visited ,luther4 ,he endeavored to interest ,luther in the formation of conventicles1 and particularly in his mystical theory concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 which he considered the correct middle ground on which ,lutherans and ,zwinglians might compromise4 ,but ,luther had no confidence in the enthusiast1 whom he characterized as a mad fool1 possessed by the devil4 ,he said3 ,in ,silesia ,schwenckfeldt has kindled a fire which as yet has not been quenched and will burn on him eternally4 ,because of the troubles and dissensions created in ,liegnitz1 ,schwenckfeldt1 in #aebi1 was compelled to leave4 ,having removed to ,strassburg he was zealous in propagating his enthusiasm in ,southern ,germany by establishing conventicles of ,lovers of the ,glory of ,christ1 as the adherents of ,schwenckfeldt called themselves4 ,at a colloquy in ,tuebingen1 #aece1 he promised not to disquiet the ,church4 ,in #aeci he published his ,summary of ,several ,arguments that ,christ according to ,his ,humanity ,is ,to-day ,no ,creature1 but ,entirely ,our ,god and ,lord4 ,he called it the doctrine of the ,deification of the ,flesh of ,christ4 ,when this teaching was rejected as ,eutychianism1 ,schwenckfeldt published his ,large ,confession1 #aedj4 ,at the convention of ,smalcald1 also #aedj1 his views were condemned and his books prohibited and burned4 ,compelled to leave ,strassburg1 he spent the remainder of his life in ,augsburg1 in ,speier and in ,ulm 7where he died1 ,december #aj1 #aefa74 ,schwenckfeldt exchanged controversial writings with many contemporary theologians1 whom he kept in constant excitement4 ,in ,liegnitz he was supported by the ministers ,valentin ,krautwald1 ,fabian ,eckel1 ,sigismund ,werner1 and ,valerius ,rosenheyn4 ,his adherents were called ,neutrals1 because they declined to affiliate with any of the existing churches4 #bfc4 ,schwenckfeldt's ,doctrine4 ,in #aebf ,schwenckfeldt wrote to ,paul ,speratus3 ,since by the preaching of the ,gospel as set forth by ,luther so few people amended their lives1 the thought had occurred to him that something must still be lacking1 whatever that may be4 ,endeavoring to supply this defect1 ,schwenckfeldt taught3 ,grace cannot be imparted by any creature1 bodily word1 writing1 or sacrament1 but only by the omnipotent1 eternal ,word proceeding from the mouth of ,god4 ,whatever is external is a mere symbol and image of ,god1 able neither to bring ,god into the soul nor to produce faith or an inward experience of divine life4 ,mark well says he1 ,god is not in need of external things and means for ,his internal grace and spiritual action4 ,for even ,christ1 according to the flesh1 was a hindrance to grace and the ,spirit of ,god1 and had to be translated into the heavenly mode of being that the grace of the ,holy ,spirit might come to us4444 ,whoever endeavors to come from without and through external means into the inner the heart does not understand the course of grace4 ,god works without all means and pictures4444 ,man must forget and drop everything1 and be free and tranquil for the inbreathing ,einsprechen1 inspiration1 and be drawn away from all creatures1 giving himself up to ,god altogether4 ,schwenckfeldt continues3 ,the ,holy ,spirit enters the quiet soul only through the eternal ,word1 which proceeds from the mouth of ,god without means and not at all through ,scripture1 external ,word1 ,sacrament1 or any creature in heaven or on earth4 ,god wants to have this honor reserved solely to ,himself through ,himself without any means ,he wants to pardon man1 teach him1 impart the ,holy ,spirit to him1 and save him4 ,he does not want to grant ,his grace1 and effect illumination and salvation through any creature2 for even the flesh of ,christ was not a sufficient instrument for this purpose before ,he was glorified1 translated into the heavenly places1 and removed from our eyes4 ,scripture is for the external man2 the ,holy ,spirit teaches everything to the elect inwardly and is not in need of ,scripture to give faith to them and to save them4 ,schwenckfeldt1 who employed the term revelation for this immediate operation of ,god1 was inconsistent in not rejecting ,scripture1 preaching1 etc41 altogether4 ,but when admitting these1 he adds that he distinguishes ,god's own inner work from the external service4 ,self-evidently1 these views concerning the means of grace had a corrupting influence also on other doctrines4 ,saving faith1 according to ,schwenckfeldt1 is not trust in ,god's promise of pardon for ,christ's sake1 but an immediate mystical relation of the soul to ,god4 ,justification1 says he1 is not only forgiveness and non-imputation of sin1 but also renewal of the heart4 ,we must seek our justification and righteousness not in ,christ according to ,his first state of humiliation1 in a manner historical1 but according to ,his state of glorification1 in which ,he governs the ,church4 ,in order to enhance the glory of ,christ and have it shine and radiate in a new light1 ,schwenckfeldt taught the deification of the flesh of ,christ1 thus corrupting the doctrine of the exaltation and of the person of ,christ in the direction of ,monophysitism4 ,and the more his views were opposed1 the more he was enamored of1 and engrossed by1 them1 calling himself the confessor and lover of the glory of ,christ4 ,concerning the ,lord's ,supper1 ,schwenckfeldt taught that the deified humanity of ,christ is really imparted and appropriated1 not indeed through bread and wine1 but immediately 7without the intervention of any medium71 internally1 spiritually4 ,the words of institution mean3 ,my body1 which is given for you1 is what bread is1 a food1 i4e41 a food for souls2 and the new testament in ,my blood is a chalice1 i4e41 a drink for the elect to drink in the kingdom of ,god4 ,baptism1 says ,schwenckfeldt1 is the baptizing of the heavenly ,high ,priest ,jesus ,christ1 which occurs in the believing soul by the ,holy ,ghost and by fire4 ,infant baptism is a human ordinance1 not merely useless1 but detrimental to the baptism of ,christ4 7,tschackert1 #aei;ff47 #bfd4 ,the ,antitrinitarians4 ,the first article of the ,augsburg ,confession makes a special point of rejecting not only the ancient1 but also the modern ,samosatenes1 i4e41 the ,antitrinitarians1 who in the beginning of the ,reformation began their activity in ,italy1 ,spain1 ,switzerland1 and ,germany4 ,most of these modern ,arians and ,antitrinitarians1 as they are called in the ,twelfth ,article of the ,formula of ,concord came from the skeptical circles of ,humanists in ,italy4 ,concerning these rationalists and ,epicureans the ,apology remarks3 ,many in ,italy and elsewhere even publicly ridicule all religions1 or1 if they approve anything1 they approve such things only as are in harmony with human reason1 and regard the rest as fabulous and like the tragedies of the poets4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl41 #bce1 #bh2 ,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gfc47 ,pope ,leo ,x was generally regarded as being one of those who spoke of the profitable fables concerning ,christ4 ,according to a letter of warning to the ,christians in ,antwerp1 #aebe1 a fanatic 7,rumpelgeist7 there taught3 ,every man has the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is our reason and understanding 7ingenium et ratio naturalis74 ,every man believes4 ,there is neither hell nor damnation4 ,every one will obtain eternal life4 ,nature teaches that ,i should do unto my neighbor as ,i would have him do unto me--to desire which is faith4 ,the ,law is not violated by evil lust as long as ,i do not consent to lust4 ,who has not the ,holy ,ghost has no sin for he has no reason4 7,e4 #ec1 #cdd2 ,st4 ,l4 #ba;a #gcj2 ,enders #e1 #adg47 ,in his report on the ,marburg ,colloquy1 ,october #e1 #aebi1 ,melanchthon remarks3 ,we have heard that some of them the ,strassburgers speak of the ,deity as the ,jews do1 as though ,christ were not ,god by nature4 7,c4 ,r4 #a1 #ajii47 ,at ,marburg1 ,zwingli remarked that some had spoken incorrectly concerning the ,trinity1 and that ,haetzer had written a book against the divinity of ,christ1 which he1 ,zwingli1 had not permitted to be published4 7#aajc47 ,in a letter of ,luther to ,bugenhagen1 #aecb we read3 ,your undertaking of publishing a writing of ,athanasius concerning the ,trinity is ,christian and wholesome in this our most corrupt time1 in which all articles of faith in general are attacked by the servants of ,satan1 and the one concerning the ,trinity is in particular beginning to be derided confidently by some skeptics and ,epicureans4 ,these are ably assisted not only by those ,italian grammarians ,humanists and orators1 which they flatter themselves to be1 but also by some ,italico-,german vipers and others1 or1 as you are accustomed to call them1 viper-aspides1 who sow their seed here and there in their discourses and writings1 and1 as ,paul says #b ,tim4 #b1 #ag1 eat as doth a canker 7gar sehr um sich fressen7 and promote godlessness1 about which they1 when among themselves1 laugh so complacently and are so happy that one can hardly believe it4 7,st4 ,l4 #ad1 #cbf2 ,enders #i1 #beb47 ,some ,antitrinitarians who affiliated with the ,anabaptists have already been referred to4 ,denk1 ,haetzer1 and others rejected the ,apostles' ,creed because of their opposition to the doctrine of the ,trinity4 ,haetzer1 as stated wrote a book against the deity of ,christ in which he denied the tripersonality of ,god and the preexistence of the ,logos1 and blasphemously designated the belief in the deity of ,christ as superstition and the trust in ,his satisfaction as drinking on the score of ,christ 7ein ,zechen auf die ,kreide ,christi74 ,according to ,denk1 ,christ is merely an example showing us how to redeem ourselves which we are all able to do because there is still within us a seed of the divine ,word and light4 7,tschackert1 #adc1 #dfa47 ,it was of ,denk that ,capito wrote1 #aebf3 ,at ,nuernberg the schoolteacher at ,st4 ,sebald denied that the ,holy ,ghost and the ,son are equal to the ,father1 and for this reason he was expelled4 7,plitt1 ,augustana #a1 #aec47 ,at ,strassburg the ,anabaptists were publicly charged1 in #aebf1 with denying the ,trinity2 in #aebi1 with denying the deity of ,christ4 ,in #aebg ,urban ,regius spoke of the ,anabaptists in ,augsburg as maintaining that ,christ was merely a teacher of a ,christian life4 ,in the same year ,althamer of ,nuernberg published his book ,against the ,new ,jews and ,arians under the ,christian ,name ,who ,deny the ,deity of ,christ4 ,in #aebi ,osiander wrote concerning ,anabaptists in ,nuernberg3 ,it is well known1 and may be proved by their own writings1 that they deny and contradict the sublime article of our faith concerning the ,holy ,trinity1 from which it follows immediately that they also deny the deity of ,christ4 ,christ is not the natural1 true ,son of ,god1 such was also the accusation made by ,justus ,menius in his book concerning the ,doctrines and ,secrets of the ,anabaptists4 ,in his ,sermons on the ,life of ,luther1 ,mathesius said ,now the ,anabaptists speak most contemptuously of the deity of ,jesus ,christ4444 ,this was their chief article that they despised the written ,word1 the ,holy ,bible1 and believed nothing or very little of ,jesus ,christ the eternal ,son of ,god4 #bfe4 ,franck1 ,campanus1 ,ochino1 ,servetus1 ,blandrata1 etc4 ,sebastian ,franck and ,john ,campanus must also be numbered among the ,antitrinitarians4 ,franck was a pantheist1 who had been pastor in the vicinity of ,nuernberg till #aebh1 when he resigned and engaged in soap manufacturing1 writing1 and printing4 ,campanus appeared in ,wittenberg1 #aebg4 ,at the ,colloquy of ,marburg he endeavored to unite ,luther and ,zwingli by explaining the words3 ,this is ,my body to mean3 ,this is a body created by ,me4 ,in #aecj he published a book3 ,against the ,entire ,world after the ,apostles--,contra ,totum post ,apostolos ,mundum1 in which he taught that the ,son is inferior to the ,father1 and denied the personality of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he argues1 says ,melanchthon1 who in his letters frequently refers to the blasphemies of ,campanus1 that ,christ is not ,god2 that the ,holy ,spirit is not ,god2 that original sin is an empty word4 ,finally there is nothing which he does not transform into philosophy4 7,c4 ,r4 #b1 #cc4 #cd4 #ic4 #bi4 #eac2 #i1 #gfc2 #aj1 #acb47 ,when ,campanus endeavored to spread his doctrines1 he was banished from ,saxony1 #aeca4 ,he returned to ,juelich1 where he preached on the imminence of ,judgment ,day1 with the result that the peasants sold their property and declined to work any longer4 ,campanus was imprisoned for twenty years and died #aege4 ,prominent among the numerous ,antitrinitarians who came from ,italy were ,ochino1 ,servetus1 ,gribaldo1 ,gentile1 ,blandrata1 and ,alciati4 ,bernardino ,ochino1 born #adhg1 was ,vicar-,general of the ,capuchins and a renowned pulpit orator in ,siena4 ,in #aedb he was compelled to leave ,italy in order to escape the ,inquisition4 ,he served the ,italian congregation in ,zurich from #aeee to #aefd1 when he was banished because he had defended polygamy4 ,he died in ,austerlitz1 #affe4 ,in his ,thirty ,dialogs1 published #aefc1 he rejects the doctrines of the ,trinity1 of the deity of ,christ1 and of the atonement4 7,herzog ,r4 #ad1 #bef47--,michael ,servetus was born in #aeaa and educated at ,saragossa and ,toulouse4 ,in #aeca1 at ,hagenau1 ,alsace1 he published ,de ,trinitatis ,erroribus ,libri ,,vii4 ,he was opposed by ,zwingli and ,oecolampadius4 ,in #aedj he wrote his ,christianismi ,restitutio1 a voluminous book1 which he published in #aeec4 ,in it he opposes the ,trinity as an unbiblical and satanic doctrine1 and at the same time rejects original sin and infant baptism4 ,the result was that1 while passing through ,geneva on his way to ,italy1 he was arrested at the instance of ,calvin1 tried1 condemned1 and burned at the stake1 ,october #bg1 #aeec--;an act which was approved also by ,melanchthon4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #cfb2 #i1 #gfc47--,matteo ,gribaldo1 in #aeed1 uttered tritheistic views concerning the ,trinity in the ,italian congregation at ,geneva4 ,arrested in ,bern1 he retracted his doctrine4 ,he died #aefd4--;,john ,valentine ,gentile also belonged to the ,italian fugitives in ,geneva4 ,in #aeeh he signed an orthodox confession concerning the ,trinity4 ,before long1 however1 he relapsed into his ,antitrinitarian errors4 ,he was finally beheaded at ,bern4 7,herzog ,r4 #f1 #eah47 ,george ,blandrata1 born #aeae1 was influenced by ,gribaldo4 ,fearing for his liberty1 he left ,geneva and went to ,poland and thence to ,transylvania4 ,here he published his ,confessio ,antitrinitaria1 and was instrumental in introducing ,unitarianism into ,transylvania4 ,he died after #aehe4 ,in #aeeh ,gianpaolo ,alciati of ,piedmont accompanied ,blandrata to ,poland4 ,he taught that ,christ was inferior to the ,father1 and denied that there were two natures in ,christ4 #bff4 ,davidis and ,socinus4 ,francis ,davidis in ,transylvania was an ,antitrinitarian of the most radical stripe4 ,he had studied in ,wittenberg #aede and #aedh4 ,in #aeeb he joined the ,lutherans1 in #aeei the ,calvinists4 ,secretly after #aefj and publicly since #aeff he cooperated with ,blandrata to introduce ,unitarianism in ,transylvania4 ,in numerous disputations he attacked the doctrine of the ,trinity as unscriptural and contradictory4 ,in #aefg he published his views in ,de ,falso et ,vera ,unius ,dei ,patris1 ,filii et ,spiritus ,sancti ,cognitione ,libri ,duo4 ,he contended that the doctrine of the ,trinity was the source of all idolatry in the ,church2 that ,christ1 though born of ,mary in a supernatural way1 was preexistent only in the decree of ,god1 and that the ,holy ,spirit was merely a power emanating from ,god for our sanctification4 ,he also rejected infant baptism and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,after the prince and the greater part of the nobility had been won for ,unitarianism1 ,davidis1 in #aefh1 was made ,superintendent of the ,unitarian ,church in ,transylvania4 ,in #aega religious liberty was proclaimed1 and ,unitarians1 ,catholics1 ,lutherans1 and ,calvinists were tolerated equally4 ,before long1 however1 a reaction set in4 ,the ,catholic ,stephan ,bathory1 who succeeded to the throne1 removed the ,unitarians from his court and surrounded himself with ,jesuits4 ,on ,march #bi1 #aegi1 ,davidis delivered a sermon against the adoration of ,christ1 declaring it to be the same idolatry as the invocation of ,mary and the saints4 ,three days after he was deposed and imprisoned4 ,in the proceedings instituted against him he was convicted as a blasphemer and sentenced to imprisonment for life4 ,he died in prison1 ,november #ae1 #aegi1 prophesying the final downfall of all false dogmas1 meaning1 of course1 the doctrines which he had combated4 ,in ,poland1 especially since #aedh1 the humanistic and liberal-minded nobility opposed the ,catholic clergy and protected ,protestants and later on also fugitive ,antitrinitarians4 ,among these were the ,italians ,francis ,lismanio1 ,gregory ,pauli1 and ,peter ,statorius4 ,these ,unitarians1 however1 lacked unity and harmony4 ,they disagreed on infant baptism1 the preexistence and adoration of ,christ1 etc4 ,these dissensions continued until ,faustus ,socinus 7born at ,siena #aeci1 died #afjd in ,poland7 arrived4 ,he was the nephew of the skeptical and liberal-minded ,laelius ,socinus 7,lelio ,sozzini7 who left ,italy in #aedb1 when the ,inquisition was established there1 and died in ,zurich1 #aefb4 ,faustus ,socinus claimed that he had received his ideas from his uncle ,laelius4 ,in #aefb he published anonymously an explanation of the first chapter of the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 which1 contained the entire program of ,unitarianism4 ,in #aegh he followed an invitation of ,blandrata to oppose non-adorantism 7the doctrine that ,christ must not be adored7 as taught by ,davidis4 ,in the following year ,faustus removed to ,poland1 where he endeavored to unite the various ,unitarian parties3 the ,anabaptists1 ,non-adorantes1 the believers in the preexistence of ,christ1 etc41 and their opponents4 ,the growth of ,unitarianism in ,poland was rapid4 ,a school flourished in ,rakow numbering in its palmy days about #a1jjj scholars4 ,however here1 too1 a ,jesuitic reaction set in4 ,in #afch the school at ,rakow was destroyed1 the printery closed1 and the teachers and ministers expelled4 ,in #afeh the ,unitarians generally were banished as traitors1 and in #affa the rigorous laws against ,unitarianism were confirmed4 ,the chief source of the ,antitrinitarian and ,socinian doctrine is the ,racovian ,catechism1 published #afje in the ,polish and #afji in the ,latin language under the title3 ,catechism of the ,churches in the ,kingdom of ,poland which affirm that no one besides the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is that ,one ,god of ,israel4 ,it teaches3 ,there is but one divine person2 ,christ is a mere man2 the doctrine concerning the deity of ,christ is false2 as a reward for ,his sinless life1 ,god has given ,christ all power in heaven and on earth2 as such1 as ,god's representative 7homo ,deus factus1 the man made ,god71 ,he may be adored2 there is no original sin2 with the help of ,god1 that is to say1 with the commandments and promises of ,god revealed by ,christ1 man may acquire salvation2 he is able to keep these commandments1 though not perfectly2 man's shortcomings are pardoned by ,god on account of his good intention2 an atonement by ,christ is not required for this purpose2 moreover1 the doctrine of atonement must be opposed as false and pernicious2 by ,his death ,christ merely sealed ,his doctrine2 all who obey ,his commandments are adherents of ,christ2 these will participate in ,his dominion2 the wicked and the devils will be annihilated2 there is no such thing as eternal punishment2 whatever in the ,bible comports with human reason and serves moral ends is inspired2 the ,old ,testament is superfluous for ,christians1 because all matters pertaining to religion are contained better and clearer in the ,new ,testament4 7,tschackert1 #dgc47 ,evidently1 in every detail1 ,antitrinitarianism and ,socinianism are absolutely incompatible with1 and destructive of1 the very essence of ,christianity4 ,the ,apology declares that the deniers of the doctrine of the ,holy ,trinity are outside of the ,church of ,christ and are idolaters1 and insult ,god4 7#ajc1 #a47 ,this verdict is confirmed by ,article ,,xii of the ,formula of ,concord4 7#hdc1 #cj2 #aajc1 #ci47 ,,xxiii4 ,origin1 ,subscription1 ,character1 etc41 of ,formula of ,concord4 #bfg4 ,lutherans ,yearning for a ,godly ,peace4 ,a holy zeal for the purity and unity of doctrine is not at all incompatible1 rather always and of necessity connected with an earnest desire for peace2 not1 indeed1 a peace at any price1 but a truly ,christian and godly peace1 a peace consistent with the divine truth4 ,also in the loyal ,lutherans1 who during the controversies after ,luther's death faithfully adhered to their ,confessions1 the fervent desire for such a godly peace grew in proportion as the dissensions increased4 ,while ,calvinists and ,crypto-,calvinists were the advocates of a unionistic compromise1 true ,lutherans everywhere stood for a union based on the truth as taught by ,luther and contained in the ,lutheran ,confessions4 ,though yearning for peace and praying that the controversies might cease1 they were determined that the ,lutheran ,church should never be contaminated with indifferentism or unionism1 nor with any teaching deviating in the least from the divine truth4 ,as a result1 earnest and repeated efforts to restore unity and peace were made everywhere by ,lutheran princes as well as by theologians1 especially the theologians who had not participated in the controversies1 but for all that were no less concerned about the maintenance of pure ,lutheranism and no less opposed to a peace at the expense of the divine truth than the others4 ,as early as #aeec ,flacius and ,gallus published their ,provokation oder ,erbieten der adiaphorischen ,sachen halben1 auf ,erkenntnis und ,urteil der ,kirchen4 ,in this ,appeal they urged that ten or twenty competent men who hitherto had not participated in the public controversy be appointed to decide the chief differences between themselves and the ,interimists4 ,in the two following years ,flacius and ,gallus continued their endeavors to interest influential men in ,saxony and other places for their plan4 ,melanchthon and his ,wittenberg colleagues1 however1 maintained silence in the matter4 ,at the behest of the dukes of ,thuringia1 ,amsdorf1 ,stolz1 ,aurifaber1 ,schnepf1 and ,strigel met at ,weimar in the early part of #aeec to discuss the conditions of peace4 ,opposed as they were to a peace by agreeing to disagree or by ignoring the differences and past contentions1 they demanded that synergism1 ,majorism1 adiaphorism1 as also the doctrines of ,zwingli1 ,osiander1 and ,schwenckfeldt1 be publicly rejected by the ,wittenbergers4 7,preger #b1 #d4 #g47 #bfh4 ,pacific ,overtures of ,flacius4 ,soon after the convention in ,weimar1 ,gottschalk ,praetorius1 rector of the school in ,magdeburg1 and ,hubertus ,languet from ,burgundy 7an intimate friend of ,melanchthon and a guest at his table1 who later on maliciously slandered ,flacius7 had an interview with ,flacius1 in which the latter submitted the conditions on which peace might be established4 ,however1 a letter written in this matter by ,praetorius1 in ,april1 #aeef1 was not answered by ,melanchthon1 who1 moreover1 insinuated that ,flacius's object merely was to kindle hatred4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #gid47 ,in ,may1 #aeef1 ,flacius1 continuing his peace efforts1 forwarded to ,paul ,eber his ,mild ,proposals1 ,linde ,vorschlaege1 dadurch man gottselige und notwendige friedliche ,vergleichung machen koennte zwischen den ,wittenbergischen und ,leipzigischen ,theologen in causa ,adiaphoristica und den andern1 so wider sie geschrieben haben4 ,according to these ,proposals1 ,flacius demanded that1 in a publication signed by the theologians of both parties1 the ,pope be denounced as the true ,antichrist1 the ,augsburg ,interim be rejected1 the proposition3 ,good works are necessary to salvation1 be condemned1 also the errors of ,zwingli and ,osiander4 ,the good ,lord knows1 said ,flacius1 that every day and hour ,i consider and plan earnestly how the affair of the ,adiaphorists might be settled in a ,christian manner4 ,but he added that he could not be satisfied until1 by repentance1 they wipe out their sin1 denial1 apostasy1 and persecution1 instead of increasing them by their excuses4 ,but ,flacius received an answer neither from ,eber nor from ,melanchthon4 ,instead1 the ,wittenbergers1 with the silent consent of ,melanchthon1 circulated a caricature in which ,flacius was accorded the role of a braying ass being crowned by other asses with a soiled crown4 7,preger #b1 #aa4 #ac47 ,another offer of ,flacius to meet ,melanchthon in ,wittenberg and discuss the matter personally was also declined4 ,july #ae1 #aeef1 ,melanchthon wrote3 ,i enjoyed a sweet friendship and familiarity with ,illyricus1 and ,i would gladly confer with him on the entire doctrine4 ,but before this he has spread things which ,i had neither said nor thought1 wherefore now1 too1 ,i fear treachery 7insidias metuo74 ,timid as he was1 ,melanchthon really feared for his life at the contemplated colloquy1 because the statement of ,chytraeus3 ,as long as ,flacius and ,melanchthon are alive1 unity will not be restored1 had been reported to him in the form3 unless ,philip were put out of the way1 unity would not be possible4 ,none of my friends1 he wrote1 is willing to attend the colloquy1 and they believe that it is not safe for me to confer with him ,flacius alone4 7,c4 ,r4 #h1 #gih47 ,considering ,melanchthon's answer as insincere and sophistical1 ,flacius declared that1 after having earnestly sought peace in a private way1 he would now appeal to the ,church4 ,he did so by publishing ,von der ,einigkeit1 ,concerning ,unity1 a book which he had written before he made his pacific overtures to ,melanchthon4 7,preger #b1 #ag4 #bb47 ,however1 induced by a letter of ,fabricius of ,meissen 7,august #bd1 #aeef71 ,flacius made a further effort1 addressing ,melanchthon in a letter of ,september #a1 #aeef1 in which he implored him to make his peace with ,god and the ,church by an unequivocal disavowal of ,adiaphorism4 ,as a result1 ,melanchthon wrote his famous letter of ,september #e1 #aeef1 referred to in our chapter on the ,adiaphoristic ,controversy1 in which he admitted in a qualified way that he had sinned in the matter4 ,in his reply of ,september #af1 #aeef1 ,flacius again declared that his object was not any triumph or glory for himself1 but only the maintenance of truth and the rooting out of error1 and that nothing was able to remove the offense given by ,melanchthon and the ,adiaphorists but a clear confession of the truth and an unequivocal rejection of error4 ,melanchthon1 however1 broke off the correspondence and continued to nurse his animosity against ,flacius4 7,preger #b1 #bi;f47 #bfi4 ,lower ,saxons ,endeavoring to ,mediate between ,melanchthon and ,flacius4 ,despite his experiences with ,melanchthon1 ,flacius did not allow himself to be discouraged in his efforts to bring about unity and peace4 ,embracing an opportunity which a correspondence with the clergy of ,lower ,saxony concerning ,schwenckfeldt offered him1 he requested the ,lower ,saxons to mediate between himself and ,melanchthon1 submitting for this purpose articles1 differing from the ,mild ,proposals only in expressly mentioning also the ,leipzig ,interim4 ,the request was granted1 and four superintendents1 accompanied by four ministers1 were delegated for the purpose to ,wittenberg4 ,the delegates were3 from ,luebeck3 ,valentin ,curtius and ,dionysius ,schunemann2 from ,hamburg3 ,paul von ,eitzen and ,westphal2 from ,lueneburg3 ,f4 ,henning and ,antonius ,wippermann2 from ,brunswick3 ,moerlin and ,chemnitz4 ,after agreeing1 at ,brunswick1 ,january #ad1 #aeeg1 on theses based on those of ,flacius1 and after conferring with ,flacius in ,magdeburg1 ,january #ag1 #aeeg they unexpectedly1 ,january #ai1 arrived in ,wlttenberg1 offering their services as mediators4 ,melanchthon received them in a friendly manner1 but when1 on the following day1 ,moerlin read the articles of agreement1 he denounced ,flacius and ,gallus as having slandered him1 and declined to treat with the ,lower ,saxons on the basis of the ,flacian theses4 ,on ,january #ba the delegation submitted eight new articles4 ,of these the third read3 ,all corruptions which militate against the pure apostolic doctrine and that of the ,augsburg ,confession shall be eliminated from the article of justification1 in particular the corruption concerning the necessity of good works to salvation4 ,article ,,vii requested ,melanchthon to make a public statement concerning the adiaphora and the necessity of good works1 declaring his agreement with the confession of our ,church4 7,preger #b1 #cg47 ,the presentation of these articles had a most unfavorable effect on ,melanchthon4 ,the ,saxon mediators report that he was excited to such an extent that they feared he would be taken seriously ill4 ,in a most violent manner ,melanchthon charged the delegation with treacherously conspiring with ,flacius to ensnare him4 ,however1 appeased by ,paul ,eber1 he finally consented to reply in writing on the morrow1 ,january #bb4 ,in his answer ,melanchthon declared3 ,for thirty years he had borne the heavy burdens of the ,church and encountered most insidious conflicts2 they therefore ought now to have had compassion with him instead of assaulting him alone2 it was being fulfilled what ,sturm had once told him on leaving3 ,we shall meet again to crucify you4 ,sparing ,flacius1 they had presented articles with the sole purpose of forcing him and others to cut their own throats4 ,as to the articles themselves1 ,melanchthon objected to the third1 because1 he said1 it falsely charged him and others with having taught and defended errors regarding justification4 ,he declined ,article ,,vii because the publication there required was unnecessary1 since it might easily be learned from his many writings what he had taught in the matter there referred to4 7,preger #b1 #ch4 #dj47 ,fearing that the ,lower ,saxon mediators might yield and make concessions detrimental to the truth1 ,flacius and his adherents 7,wigand1 ,baumgartner1 ,judex1 ,albert ,christiani1 ,p4 ,arbiter1 ,h4 ,brenz1 ,antonius ,otto7 assembled in ,coswig1 a place not very far from ,wittenberg4 ,in a letter1 dated ,january #ba1 #aeeg1 they admonished the ,saxon mediators not to yield anything contrary to the divine truth but firmly to insist on the elimination of the errors connected with the ,interim 7ut id iugulum recte iuguletis74 ,flacius also requested ,count of ,ungnad first to meet them in ,coswig1 and then go to ,wittenberg in order to assist in winning ,melanchthon for his peace proposals4 ,in the letter to the ,count1 ,flacius remarked3 he feared that the mediators were administering to ,melanchthon sweet rather than wholesome and strong medicine4 7,preger #b1 #db47 ,in a similar manner ,pastor ,michael ,stiefel was urged to go to ,wittenberg to influence ,melanchthon4 ,at the same time ,judex was sent to implore the ,saxon delegates not to discontinue their efforts1 and adopt no resolution before submitting it also to them the ,magdeburgers for consideration4 ,no news having arrived by ,saturday1 ,january #bc1 an additional letter was dispatched to ,wittenberg1 written in the same spirit of anxiety1 and urging the mediators to stand firm1 not to yield1 and to continue their efforts until successful1 since failure1 they said would not only expose them to ridicule1 but greatly damage the ,church4 7#b1 #db;f47 ,on the evening of the same day ,moerlin ,hennig1 and ,westphal arrived in ,coswig4 ,moerlin reported on their discussions1 and submitted the articles presented to ,melanchthon together with the latter's answer4 ,at the same time he requested the ,flacians to overlook the harsh language of ,philip1 telling also of the animosity and general opposition they had met with in ,wittenberg1 where the students1 he said1 had even threatened to stone them4 ,having heard the report the ,flacians withdrew for a brief consultation4 ,their impression was 7which they neither made any efforts to hide7 that in deference to ,melanchthon the ,saxons had not been sufficiently careful in seeking only the honor of ,god1 the welfare of the ,church1 and the true conversion of sinners4 ,in a meeting held on ,sunday1 ,january #bd1 ,wigand and ,flacius declared their dissatisfaction with the proceedings in ,wittenberg4 ,referring particularly to the shocking stubbornness of ,melanchthon1 the former urged the ,saxon delegates to regard ,god higher than men1 and earnestly and openly to call the ,wittenbergers to repentance4 ,he thereupon handed the delegates1 besides a list of ,adiaphoristic errors and of offensive statements culled from ,major's homilies1 two sealed letters1 which contained their strictures on the eight articles presented to ,melanchthon1 their answer to ,melanchthon's charges1 etc4 ,flacius said in the meeting3 ,this matter troubled him day and night2 hope for the conversion of the ,adiaphorists who had despised the admonition1 not of men but of the ,holy ,spirit1 was constantly decreasing2 having already yielded more than he should have done1 he now must insist that1 in a publication signed by both parties1 the ,leipzig ,interim be condemned by name1 and that also in the future the people be warned against such sins and be called to repentance4 ,flacius furthermore declared that his theses should have been either retained or refuted4 ,in this he was supported by ,otto of ,nordhausen4 ,moerlin answered1 irritated3 ,they had presented other articles because ,melanchthon had declined the first2 if any one was able to frame better theses1 he was at liberty to do so4 ,discouraged and ill-humored1 the delegation returned to ,wittenberg1 where1 too1 animosity had reached its climax4 ,for in his sermon1 delivered ,sunday in ,bugenhagen's pulpit1 and in the presence of ,melanchthon and the other professors1 ,john ,curio had spoken of ,flacius as the rascal and knave 7,schalk und ,bube71 and even referred to the ,lower ,saxon delegates in unfriendly terms4 ,also a filthy and insulting pasquil1 perhaps composed by ,paul ,crell1 in which ,flacius and the ,saxon delegates were reviled1 was circulated in ,wittenberg and even sent to ,coswig4 7,preger #b1 #di47 ,the first lines of the pasquil ran thus2 ,qui huc venistis legati ,illyrici permerdati1 ,ab illo concacati1 ,polypragmones inflati1 ,illius natibus nati1 ,quae communio veritati1 ,mendacio et vanitati8 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ej4 #bce47 ,having read the sealed letters and convinced themselves that ,melanchthon could never be induced to accede to the demands of the ,magdeburgers1 the delegation 7with the exception of ,chemnitz7 immediately returned to ,coswig1 ,january #be4 ,here they declared3 ,they had not delivered the list of errors to ,melanchthon2 if they had done so1 deliberations would have been broken off immediately2 only the charges with respect to justification had been transmitted2 they therefore requested the ,magdeburgers to declare their agreement with the articles already submitted to ,melanchthon4 ,seeing no other course1 the ,magdeburgers finally yielded1 though reluctantly1 and not without protests and some changes in the articles4 ,flacius1 too1 consented1 but only with a wounded conscience1 as he declared4 ,having returned to ,wittenberg1 the delegates transmitted the modified articles together with the additions of the ,magdeburgers to ,melanchthon4 ,in his answer of ,january #bg to the ,lower ,saxon pastors1 ,melanchthon said in part3 ,you know that in the last thirty years a great confusion of opinions obtained in which it was difficult not to stumble somewhere4 ,and many hypocrites have been1 and still are1 hostile in particular to me4 ,i was also drawn into the insidious deliberations of the princes4 ,if1 therefore1 ,i have either stumbled anywhere or been too lukewarm in any matter1 ,i ask ,god and the churches to forgive me and shall submit to the verdict of the ,church4444 ,as to the ,flacian quarrels1 however1 concerning which you are now treating with me so eagerly1 and into which ,flacius has injected many foreign matters1 you yourselves know that this affair pertains also to many others1 and that1 without offending them1 ,i cannot decide and settle anything 7me aliquid statuere posse74444 ,this now ,i desire to be my last answer 7hanc volo nunc meam postremam responsionem esse72 if it does not satisfy you1 ,i appeal to the verdict of the ,church in which you1 too1 will be judges4 ,may the ,son of ,god govern all of us1 and grant that we be one in ,him6 ,as to the articles submitted by the delegates1 ,melanchthon rejected all the changes and additions suggested by the ,magdeburgers4 ,he declared that he was not willing to enter into a discussion of the adiaphora1 nor in any way to censure the honorable men who had participated in the deliberations concerning the ,leipzig ,interim4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #fb47 ,toward evening ,flacius received ,melanchthon's answer1 together with the information that the ,saxon delegates would depart on the morrow1 and that now the ,magdeburgers might do what seemed best to them4 ,early next morning they dispatched another letter written by ,flacius1 in which they modified their demands1 and urged the ,saxon delegates to continues their efforts to induce the ,wittenbergers to reject the ,adiaphoristic errors4 ,we call upon ,god as our witness1 they said1 that we most earnestly desire a godly peace1 and that1 if it is not brought about1 the fault lies not with us1 but with them1 who expressly say and confess concerning themselves that they absolutely refuse to condemn the ,adiaphoristic errors--the real issue of the entire controversy4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #fg47 ,but the messenger arrived too late2 he met the delegation when they were about to leave the gates of ,wittenberg4 ,increased animosity on both sides was the only result of the mediation-efforts of the ,lower ,saxon theologians4 #bgj4 ,futile ,efforts of ,duke ,john ,albrecht4 ,four weeks later ,duke ,john ,albrecht of ,mecklenburg sent messengers to ,wittenberg for the same purpose1 viz41 of mediating between ,melanchthon and ,flacius1 ,melanchthon in particular having previously requested him to frame articles which might serve as a basis of peace4 ,the articles1 composed by the theologians and counselors of the ,duke1 were more severe than those of the ,lower ,saxons4 ,george ,venetus1 professor at ,rostock1 and ,counselor ,andrew ,mylius were commissioned to present them1 first at ,wittenberg1 then at ,magdeburg4 ,when the articles were submitted to ,melanchthon1 he again fell into a state of violent agitation4 ,the report says3 ,as soon as he noticed that ,adiaphorism was criticized1 and that he was requested to reject it even if only in a mild form1 he instantly sprang up with great impatience and would not permit them the delegates to finish their speech 7although they most earnestly1 in the name of their prince1 requested to be heard71 but burst forth into invectives and denunciations of ,illyricus and others1 and finally also declaimed against the prince himself and his delegates1 vociferating that ,illyricus secretly entertained many repulsive errors1 etc4 ,on ,february #bg1 ,melanchthon delivered his answer to the delegates4 ,when these urged him to give a more favorable reply1 he again interrupted them1 exclaiming3 ,oppress me1 if you so desire2 such is the lot of the peaceful4444 ,i commend myself to ,god4 ,after ,melanchthon had left1 ,peucer1 who had accompanied him1 harshly told the delegates3 ,don't trouble my father-in-law any more with such matters4 ,ihr sollt forthin meinen ,schwaeher zufrieden lassen mit solchen ,haendeln4 7#i1 #ajf;f47 ,regarding the last 7#h7 of the articles submitted by the delegates of ,duke ,albrecht which dealt with the ,adiaphora1 ,melanchthon declared in his answer of ,february #bg3 ,i should not be astonished to have these two conditions to confess the ,adiaphoristic errors1 etc4 imposed on me if ,i had been an enemy4 ,the action of the ,saxon pastors was milder4 ,i may have been lukewarm in some transactions1 but ,i certainly have never been an enemy4444 ,therefore ,i clearly state that ,i do not assent to these presentations of ,duke ,albrecht1 which are cunningly framed so that1 if ,i accept them1 ,i myself may cut my throat 7ut me1 si eas recepero1 ipse iugulem74 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ajd47 ,the ,magdeburgers refused to participate in these efforts of ,count ,albrecht1 chiefly because1 as they said1 there was no hope for peace as long as ,melanchthon remained under the influence of his ,wittenberg friends4 ,but even now ,flacius did not entirely abandon his attempts to bring about a godly peace4 ,in #aeeg he asked ,paul ,vergerius1 who passed ,jena on his way to ,wittenberg1 to treat with ,melanchthon on the ,adiaphoristic question4 ,melanchthon1 however is reported to have said3 ,omit that2 let us treat of other things4 ,flacius also wrote to ,king ,christian ,,iii of ,denmark to influence ,elector ,august to abolish the ,adiaphoristic errors1 but apparently without any result4 #bga4 ,clash at ,colloquy in ,worms1 #aeeg4 ,the ,diet at ,regensburg1 which adjourned in ,march of #aeeg1 resolved that a colloquy be held at ,worms to bring about an agreement between the ,lutheran and ,roman parties of the ,empire4 ,in order to prepare for the colloquy1 a convention was held by the ,lutherans in ,june1 #aeeg1 at ,frankfort-on-the-,main4 ,june #cj a resolution was adopted to the effect that all controversies among the ,lutherans be suspended1 and the ,romanists be told at the prospective colloquy that the ,lutherans were all agreed in the chief points of doctrine4 ,against this resolution ,nicholas ,gallus and several others entered their protest4 ,self-evidently1 also ,flacius and his adherents who had always held that the controverted issues involved essential points of doctrine1 could not assent to the resolution without violating their conscience1 and denying their convictions and the truth as they saw it4 ,such being the situation1 the wise thing for the ,lutherans to do would have been to decline the colloquy4 ,for1 since also ,ducal ,saxony with its stanch ,lutherans was held to attend it1 a public humiliating clash of the ,lutherans was unavoidable4 ,before the formal opening of the colloquy1 the ,thuringian delegates at ,worms received a letter from ,flacius1 dated ,august #i1 #aeeg in which he admonished them to make a determined confession1 and to induce the other ,lutheran theologians to reject the ,interim1 ,adiaphorism1 ,majorism1 ,osiandrism and ,zwinglianism4 ,this was necessary1 said ,flacius1 because the ,romanists would1 no doubt exploit the concessions made in the ,leipzig ,interim and the dissensions existing among the ,lutherans4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 l#ii;ff474 ,flacius expressed the same views in an opinion to the dukes of ,saxony1 who1 in turn1 gave corresponding instructions to their delegates in ,worms4 ,in a letter dated ,august #bj1 #aeeg ,duke ,john ,frederick said it was impossible that1 in defending the ,augsburg ,confession against the ,romanists1 the ,lutherans could stand as one man and speak as with one mouth 7fuer einen ,mann und also ex uno ore71 if they had not previously come to an agreement among themselves and condemned the errors4 ,for otherwise the ,papists would be able to defeat the ,lutherans with their own sword1 i4e41 their own polemical publications4 7#bca47 ,on the same day1 ,august #bj1 #aeeg1 ,flacius repeated his sentiments and admonitions in letters to ,schnepf1 ,moerlin1 and ,sarcerius4 7#bcb;ff47 ,in a meeting of the ,lutheran theologians at ,worms1 held ,september #e1 ,dr4 ,basilius ,monner1 professor of jurisprudence at ,jena made a motion in keeping with his instructions and the admonitions of ,flacius1 whereupon ,erhard ,schnepf1 professor in ,jena1 read a list of the errors that ought to be rejected4 ,but the majority1 led by ,melanchthon1 opposed the motion4 ,a breach seemed unavoidable4 ,for ,duke ,john ,frederick had decided that his theologians could not participate in the colloquy with ,lutherans who refused to reject errors conflicting with the ,augsburg ,confession1 nor recognize them as pure1 faithful1 loyal1 and true members and adherents of the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 and the ,smalcald ,articles4 7,preger #b1 #fg47 ,the imminent clash was temporarily warded off by the concession on the part of the ,melanchthonians that the ,thuringian theologians should be allowed freely to express their opinion on any article discussed at the colloquy4 ,at the session held ,september #aa1 #affg1 however1 ,bishop ,michael ,helding demanded to know whether the ,lutherans excluded the ,zwinglians1 ,calvinists1 ,osiandrists and ,flacians 7in the doctrine de servo arbitrio7 from the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,the ,jesuit ,canisius plied the ,lutherans with similar questions3 ,whether they considered ,osiander1 ,major1 and others adherents of the ,augustana4 ,melanchthon declared evasively that all evangelical delegates and pastors present were agreed in the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,as a result the ,thuringians decided to enter their protest4 ,in a special meeting of the ,lutherans the majority threatened to exclude the ,thuringians from all following sessions if they dared to express their protest containing the list of errors which they rejected before the ,papists4 ,the consequence was that the ,thuringians presented their protest in writing to the ,president1 ,julius ,pflug1 and departed from ,worms4 ,the ,romanists1 who from the beginning had been opposed to the colloquy1 refused to treat with the remaining ,lutheran theologians1 because they said1 it was impossible to know who the true adherents of the ,augsburg ,confession were with whom1 according to the ,regensburg ,resolution1 they were to deal4 #bgb4 ,efforts of ,princes to ,restore ,unity3 ,frankfort ,recess4 ,the ,colloquy of ,worms had increased the enmity and animosity among the ,lutherans4 ,it had brought their quarrels to a climax1 and given official publicity to the dissensions existing among them1--a situation which was unscrupulously exploited by the ,romanists also politically1 their sinister object being to rob the ,lutherans of the privileges guaranteed by the ,augsburg ,peace1 and to compel them to return to the ,roman fold4 ,in particular the ,jesuits stressed the point that the dissensions among the ,lutherans proved conclusively that they had abandoned the ,augsburg ,confession to the adherents of which alone the provisions of the ,augsburg ,peace of #aeee applied4 ,at the same time they embraced the opportunity to spread false reports concerning all manner of heresies that were tolerated in the ,lutheran churches4 ,this roused the ,lutheran princes1 who according to the ,augsburg ,peace ,treaty were responsible to the ,empire for the religious conditions within their territories1 to bend all their energies toward healing the breach and restoring religious unity within their churches4 ,efforts to this effect were made especially at ,frankfort-on-the-,main1 #aeeh1 and at ,naumburg1 #aefa4 ,but instead of promoting peace among the ,lutherans also these conventions of the princes merely poured oil into the flames by adding new subjects of dissension1 increasing the general distrust1 and confirming the conviction that ,luther's doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper was in danger indeed4 ,for1 instead of insisting on a clear confession of the truth and an unequivocal rejection of error1 the princes endeavored to establish peace by ignoring1 veiling1 and compromising the differences4 ,at ,frankfort1 ,otto ,henry of the ,palatinate1 ,augustus of ,saxony1 ,joachim of ,brandenburg1 ,wolfgang of ,zweibruecken1 ,christopher of ,wuerttemberg1 and ,philip of ,hesse discussed the religious situation and1 on ,march #ah1 #aeeh1 signed the so-called ,frankfort ,recess 7,agreement71 in which they again solemnly pledged their adherence to the ,holy ,scriptures1 the ,ecumenical ,symbols1 the ,augsburg ,confession of #aecj1 and its ,apology4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #did47 ,in the ,recess the princes stated that the existing dissensions encouraged the ,romanists to proceed against the ,lutherans1 who1 the princes declared1 were not disagreed in their confession4 ,in four articles the controverted questions concerning justification1 good works1 the ,lord's ,supper1 and the adiaphora were dealt with1 but in vague and ambiguous terms1 the articles being based on ,melanchthon's anti-,flacian opinion of ,march #d1 #aeeh4 7#dii;ff42 #dfb;ff47 ,when the ,frankfort ,recess was submitted for subscription to the estates who had not been present at ,frankfort1 it failed to receive the expected approval4 ,it was criticized by the theologians of ,anhalt1 ,henneberg1 ,mecklenburg1 ,pomerania1 the ,lower ,saxon cities1 and ,regensburg4 ,the strongest opposition1 however1 came from ,ducal ,saxony1 where ,flacius attacked the ,recess in two books4 ,the first was entitled3 ,refutatio ,samaritani ,interim1 in quo vera religio cum sectis et corruptelis scelerate et perniciose confunditur--,refutation of the ,samaritan ,interim1 in which the true religion is criminally and perniciously confounded with the sects4 ,the other3 ,grund und ,ursach'1 warum das ,frankfurtisch ,interim in keinem ,wege anzunehmen sei--,reason and ,cause why the ,frankfort ,interim must ,not be ,adopted4 ,the chief objections of ,flacius were3 #a4 ,the ,smalcald ,articles should have been included in the confessions subscribed to4 #b4 ,the differences within the ,lutheran ,church should not have been treated as questions of minor import4 #c4 ,major's statement should have been rejected as simply false1 and not merely when falsely interpreted4 #d4 ,the statements concerning the ,lord's ,supper are dark1 general1 and ambiguous1 hence ,crypto-,calvinistic4 #e4 ,the article on the adiaphora is ambiguous and altogether unsatisfactory4 #f4 ,the measures adopted to suppress theological discussions and controversies would lead to suppression of the truth 7binding the mouth of the ,holy ,ghost7 and tyrannizing of the churches by the princes4 7,preger #b1 #gd47 ,in his attitude ,flacius was supported by his colleagues in ,jena and by ,duke ,john ,frederick4 ,when a delegation appeared requesting him to sign the ,recess1 he declined and ordered his theologians to set forth his objection in a special book4 ,elector ,august1 in turn1 charged ,melanchthon to write an apology of the ,recess against the ducal theologians2 which1 again1 was answered by ,flacius4 ,in order to unite the opponents of the ,recess1 ,john ,frederick invited the ,lower ,saxons to attend a convention in ,magdeburg4 ,when this failed1 ,flacius induced the ,duke to publish a book treating particularly the doctrinal differences within the ,lutheran ,church4 ,in the drafting and revision of this ,book of ,confutation1 as it was called1 the following theologians participated3 ,strigel1 ,schnepf1 ,andrew ,huegel1 ,john ,stoessel1 ,simon ,musaeus1 ,joachim ,moerlin1 ,sarcerius1 ,aurifaber1 and ,flacius4 ,november #bh1 #aeeh1 it received the sanction of the dukes4 ,among the ,melanchthonians the ,book of ,confutation1 which had made it a special point to refute and reject the errors of the ,wittenberg ,philippists1 caused consternation and bitter resentment4 ,for evidently its theological attitude was incompatible with the ,recess1 and hence the breach now seemed incurable and permanent4 ,by order of ,elector ,august1 ,melanchthon1 in the name of the ,wittenberg faculty1 wrote an opinion of the ,book of ,confutation4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #gfc47 ,but contents as well as form of this opinion merely served to confirm the ducal theologians in their position4 ,the ,philippists also fortified themselves by publishing the ,corpus ,doctrinae 7,corpus ,philippicum or ,misnicum71 which contained writings only of ,melanchthon4 ,the ,frankfort ,recess1 therefore1 instead of bringing relief to the ,lutherans1 only increased their mutual enmity and distrust4 ,in order to reconcile ,john ,frederick1 the ,duke of ,wuerttemberg suggested a convention of princes at ,fulda1 on ,january #bj1 #aeei4 ,but when ,elector ,august heard that besides the ,duke of ,saxony also other opponents of the ,frankfort ,recess were invited1 he foiled the plan by declining to attend4 #bgc4 ,general ,lutheran ,council advocated by ,flacianists4 ,to heal the breach and end the public scandal1 ,flacius and his adherents fervently advocated the convocation of a ,general ,lutheran ,synod4 ,in #aeei they published ,supplicatio ,quorundam ,theologorum 444 pro ,libera ,christiana et ,legitima ,synodo1 ,supplication of ,some ,theologians 444 for a ,free1 ,christian and ,lawful ,synod4 ,the document was signed by #ea superintendents1 professors1 and pastors1 who after ,luther's death1 as they emphasized1 had contended orally and in writing against the corruptions and sects4 ,the signatures represented theologians from ,ducal ,saxony1 ,hamburg1 ,bremen1 ,luebeck1 ,rostock1 ,wismar1 ,brunswick1 ,magdeburg1 ,halberstadt1 ,koethen1 ,nordhausen1 ,schweinfurt1 ,regensburg1 ,lindau1 ,upper ,palatinate1 ,hesse1 ,brandenburg1 ,electoral ,saxony1 ,nuernberg1 ,augsburg1 ,baden1 etc4 ,some of the first were3 ,amsdorf1 ,musaeus1 ,joachim ,moerlin1 ,hesshusius1 ,max ,moerlin1 ,gallus1 ,wigand1 ,judex1 ,westphal1 ,john ,freder of ,wismar1 ,anton ,otto of ,nordhausen1 ,flacius4 ,the ,supplication showed why a ,general ,synod was necessary and how it was to be conducted4 ,its chief object1 the ,supplication said1 would be to pass on adiaphorism1 ,majorism1 and synergism1 all participants in the ,synod having previously been pledged on the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 and the ,smalcald ,articles1 according to which all questions were to be decided4 7,preger #b1 #hf;f47 ,the most violent opponent of this plan was ,melanchthon4 ,fearing that the ,flacianists might get control of the prospective general council1 he1 in advance1 denounced and branded it as a ,robber ,synod 7,raeubersynode71 advocated by the ignorant ,flacian rabble4 ,three weeks before his death1 ,march #bh1 #aefj he wrote3 ,since they the ,flacians cannot kill me1 the object of these hypocrites is to expel me4 ,for long ago they have said that they would not leave a foot of ground for me in ,germany4 ,hoc agunt isti hypocritae1 ut me pellant1 cum sanguinem meum haurire non possint2 et quidem oratio istorum vetus est1 qua dixerunt1 se mihi non relicturos esse in ,germania vestigium pedis4 7,c4 ,r4 #i1 #ajgi47 ,philip of ,hesse consented to attend the general synod with the proviso that the power of the ,jena theologians be curbed and also the ,swiss be admitted4 7,preger #b1 #ic47 ,that the plan of the ,flacianists failed was chiefly due to ,elector ,august1 who declined to attend the synod4 #bgd4 ,futile ,efforts of ,princes at ,naumburg4 ,in lieu of the ,general ,lutheran ,council advocated by the ,flacians1 ,christopher of ,wuerttemberg1 in ,march1 #aeei1 recommended as the best means to heal the breach a convention of all the ,lutheran princes and estates to be held at ,naumburg1 deliberations to begin ,january #bj1 #aefa4 ,the object of this assembly1 he said1 was neither to discuss the differences among the ,lutherans1 nor to formulate any condemnations1 but only to renew the subscription to the ,augsburg ,confession and to consider how the ,lutherans might present a united front and a unanimous confession at the next diet and at the prospective papal council4 ,all finally consented to attend1 including ,duke ,john ,frederick1 ,elector ,august 7who1 instigated by ,melanchthon1 first had declined participation71 and the ,crypto-,calvinist1 ,elector ,frederick of the ,palatinate4 ,expecting no results favorable to genuine ,lutheranism from this assembly1 the ,jena theologians renewed their request for a general synod and sent their ,supplication to ,naumburg with an additional writing1 dated ,january #bc1 #aefa1 in which they admonished the princes not to enter into an ungodly and unionistic agreement1 rather to eliminate the errors of ,major1 ,osiander1 etc4 ,but the princes1 whose object was to settle matters without the theologians1 declined to consider their petition1 and1 on ,february #h1 the last day of the convention1 returned the documents to their authors in ,jena4 ,after comparing the various editions of the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,naumburg ,assembly decided to subscribe to the ,confession as delivered #aecj in ,augsburg and published #aeca in ,german and ,latin at ,wittenberg4 ,but when1 in the interest of ,calvinism1 whither he at that time already was openly tending1 ,elector ,frederick1 supported by ,elector ,august1 demanded that the edition of #aedj be recognized as the correct explanation of the original ,augustana1 the majority of the princes yielded1 and1 as a result1 the ,variata of #aedj alone was mentioned in the ,preface 7,praefatio71 in which the princes stated the reasons for renewing their subscription to the ,augsburg ,confession at ,naumburg4 ,this ,preface1 prepared by ,elector ,frederick and the ,wittenberg ,crypto-,calvinist ,cracow1 also asserted that hitherto no doctrinal corruptions or deviations from the ,augsburg ,confession had been tolerated among the ,lutherans4 ,it mentioned neither the controversies within the ,lutheran ,church nor the ,smalcald ,articles4 ,evidently1 to subscribe to this ,preface was impossible for genuine ,lutherans4 ,duke ,john ,frederick was told by his theologians ,moerlin and ,stoessel that1 if he signed it1 they would resign and leave4 ,the duke replied that he1 too1 would mount his horse and depart rather than put his signature to a document in which the errors introduced by the ,philippists1 etc41 were not rejected4 ,ulrich of ,mecklenburg took the same stand4 ,and failing in his efforts to have the ,preface changed in accordance with his convictions1 the ,duke entered his protest and left ,naumburg without any further conference with the princes4 ,when hereupon the latter sent messengers to ,weimar1 ,john ,frederick remained firm4 ,as conditions of his subscription the ,duke demanded that in the ,preface the apostasy during the ,interim be confessed1 the distinctive features of the ,lutheran doctrine concerning the ,lord's ,supper be brought out clearly1 the recognition of the ,variata of #aedj as a doctrinal norm be eliminated1 and the ,smalcald ,articles be recognized with the rest of the ,lutheran symbols4 ,unwilling to accede to these demands1 the princes closed the discussions at ,naumburg without the ,duke1--hence also without having attained their goal3 peace among the ,lutherans4 ,the ,preface containing the objectionable features was signed by the ,electors of the ,palatinate1 ,saxony1 and ,brandenburg1 by ,christopher of ,wuerttemberg1 ,philip of ,hesse1 ,carl of ,baden1 and quite a number of other princes and cities4 ,however1 ,duke ,john ,frederick did not by any means stand alone in his opposition to the ambiguous1 unionistic ,naumburg document4 ,he was supported by ,ulrich of ,mecklenburg 7who also left ,naumburg before the close of the convention71 ,ernest and ,philip of ,brunswick1 ,albrecht of ,mecklenburg1 ,adolf of ,holstein1 ,francis of ,saxon-,lauenburg1 the counts of ,schwartzburg1 ,mansfeld1 ,stolberg1 ,barby1 and a number of other princes and cities1 among the latter ,regensburg1 ,augsburg1 ,strassburg1 ,nuernberg and ,windsheim4 ,besides1 the loyal ,lutherans were represented also in the territories of almost all the princes who had signed the ,preface4 ,margrave ,john of ,brandenburg emphatically declared his dissatisfaction with the subscription of his delegate at ,naumburg4 ,before long also ,august of ,saxony1 ,wolfgang of the ,palatinate1 ,christopher of ,wuerttemberg1 and ,joachim of ,brandenburg signified their willingness to alter the ,preface in accordance with the views and wishes of ,john ,frederick1 especially regarding the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,indeed1 the princes declared that from the beginning they had understood the ,preface in the strict ,lutheran sense4 ,in the ,preface of the ,book of ,concord signed by the ,lutheran princes1 we read3 ,now1 our conferences and those of our illustrious predecessors1 which were undertaken with a godly and sincere intention1 first at ,frankfort-on-the-,main and afterwards at ,naumburg1 and were recorded in writing1 not only did not accomplish that end and peaceful settlement which was desired1 but from them even a defense for errors and false doctrines was sought by some1 while it had never entered our mind1 by this writing of ours1 either to introduce1 furnish a cover for1 and establish any false doctrine1 or in the least even to recede from the ,confession presented in the year #aecj at ,augsburg1 but rather1 as many of us as participated in the transactions at ,naumburg1 wholly reserved it to ourselves1 and promised besides that if in the course of time1 anything would be desired with respect to the ,augsburg ,confession1 or as often as necessity would seem to demand it1 we would further declare all things thoroughly and at length4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ae47 ,even ,philip of ,hesse finally consented to the changes demanded by ,duke ,john ,frederick4 ,elector ,frederick of the ,palatinate1 however1 who had misled and1 as it were1 hypnotized the ,lutheran princes at ,naumburg1 openly embraced the ,reformed confession and expelled all consistent ,lutherans4 ,for the cause of ,lutheranism the loss of the ,palatinate proved a great gain internally1 and helped to pave the way for true unity and the formulation and adoption of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,and more than any other individual it was ,flacius who had helped to bring about this result4 7,preger #b1 #ajb47 #bge4 ,andreae and ,chemnitz4 ,the theologians who were first in adopting effective methods and measures to satisfy the general yearning for a real peace in the divine truth were ,jacob ,andreae and ,martin ,chemnitz4 ,andreae was born #aebh in ,weiblingen1 ,wuerttemberg4 ,he studied at ,stuttgart and ,tuebingen4 ,in #aedf he became pastor in ,stuttgart1 where1 two years later1 he was deposed because of his refusal to consent to the ,interim4 ,in #aedi he became pastor and later on superintendent in ,tuebingen4 ,since #aefb he was also professor and chancellor of the university4 ,he died #aeij4 ,andreae has been called the spiritual heir of ,john ,brenz4 ,hoping against hope1 he incessantly labored for the unity and peace of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,being a man of great energy and diplomatic skill1 he served her at numerous occasions and in various capacities4 ,in his pacification efforts he made more than #abj journeys1 visiting nearly all evangelical courts1 cities1 and universities in ,northern and ,southern ,germany4 ,with the consent of the ,duke of ,wuerttemberg1 ,andreae entered the service of ,elector ,august1 ,april #i1 #aefg1 and lived with his family in ,saxony till his dismissal in ,december1 #aehj4 ,here he was engaged in directing the affairs of the churches and universities1 and in promoting the work of ,lutheran pacification and concord at large4 ,during his efforts to unite the ,lutherans he was maligned by the ,philippists1 and severely criticized also by the strict ,lutherans4 ,the latter was largely due to the fact that in his first attempts at pacification he allowed himself to be duped by the ,wittenberg ,philippists1 being even blind enough to defend them against the charges of ,calvinism in the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper made by their opponents in ,jena and in ,lower ,saxony4 ,while thus ,andreae was the able and enthusiastic promoter of the pacification which culminated in the adoption of the ,formula of ,concord1 he lacked the theological insight1 acumen1 and consistency which characterized ,martin ,chemnitz4 ,martin ,chemnitz was born ,november #i1 #aebb1 at ,treuenbritzen in ,brandenburg4 ,as a boy he attended1 for a brief period1 the school in ,wittenberg1 where he rejoiced to see the renowned men of whom he had heard so much at home1 and to hear ,luther preach4 ,from #aeci to #aedb he attended the ,gymnasium at ,magdeburg2 from #aedc to #aede he studied in ,frankfort-on-the-,oder2 in #aede he went to ,wittenberg1 where ,melanchthon directed his studies4 ,in #aedh he became rector of the school in ,koenigsberg1 and #aeej librarian of ,duke ,albrecht1 with a good salary4 ,owing to his participation in the ,osiandrian controversy1 ,chemnitz lost the favor of ,albrecht1 and in #aeec he removed to ,wittenberg4 ,on ,june #i1 #aeed1 he began his lectures on ,melanchthon's ,loci ,communes before a large and enthusiastic audience1 ,melanchthon himself being one of his hearers4 ,in ,november1 #aeed1 he accepted a position as pastor1 and in #aefg as superintendent1 in the city of ,brunswick4 ,he died ,april #h1 #aehf4 ,chemnitz was the prince of the ,lutheran divines of his age and1 next to ,luther1 the greatest theologian of our ,church4 ,referring to ,luther and ,chemnitz1 the ,romanists said3 ,you ,lutherans have two ,martins2 if the second had not appeared1 the first would have disappeared 7si posterior non fuisset1 prior non stetisset74 ,besides the two ,lutheran classics3 ,examen ,concilii ,tridentini1 published #aefe--aegc1 and ,de ,duabus ,naturis in ,christo1 #aegj1 ,chemnitz wrote1 among other books3 ,harmonia ,evangelica1 continued and published #aeic by ,leyser and completed by ,john ,gerhard1 and ,foundations 7,die ,fundamente7 of the ,sound ,doctrine concerning the ,substantial ,presence1 ,tendering1 and ,eating and ,drinking of the ,body and ,blood of the ,lord in the ,supper1 #aefi4 ,andreae and ,chemnitz became acquainted with each other in #aefh1 when ,duke ,julius invited the former to conduct the visitation in ,brunswick together with ,chemnitz4 ,they jointly also composed the ,brunswick ,church ,order of #aefi1 which was preceded by the ,corpus ,doctrinae ,iulium1 compiled by ,chemnitz and containing the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 the ,catechisms of ,luther1 and a short rather long1 simple1 and necessary treatise on the prevalent corruptions4 ,andreae and ,chemnitz are the theologians to whom more than any other two men our ,church owes the ,formula of ,concord and the unification of our ,church in the one true ,christian faith as taught by ,luther4 ,however1 it is ,chemnitz who1 more than ,andreae or any other theologian1 must be credited with the theological clarity and the correctness which characterizes the ,formula4 #bgf4 ,first ,peace ,efforts of ,andreae ,fail4 ,in his first attempts to unify the ,lutheran ,church1 ,andreae endeavored to reconcile all parties1 including the ,wittenberg ,philippists1 who then were contemplating an agreement with the ,calvinists4 ,in #aefg1 at the instance of ,landgrave ,william of ,hesse-,cassel and ,duke ,christopher of ,wuerttemberg1 ,andreae composed his ,confession and ,brief ,explanation of ,several ,controverted ,articles1 according to which a ,christian unity might be effected in the churches adhering to the ,augsburg ,confession1 and the offensive and wearisome dissension might be settled4 ,in five articles he treated3 #a4 ,justification1 #b4 ,good ,works1 #c4 ,free ,will1 #d4 ,the ,adiaphora1 #e4 ,the ,lord's ,supper4 ,the second article maintains that we are neither justified nor saved by good works1 since ,christ has earned for us both salvation and righteousness by ,his innocent obedience1 suffering1 and death alone1 which is imputed as righteousness to all believers solely by faith4 ,it rejects all those who teach otherwise1 but not directly and expressly the statement3 ,good works are necessary to salvation4 ,the third article maintains that1 also after the ,fall1 man is not a block1 but a rational creature having a free1 though weak1 will in external things2 but that in divine and spiritual matters his intellect is utterly blind and his will is dead2 and that hence1 unless ,god creates a new volition in him1 man is unable of himself1 of his own powers1 to accept the grace of ,god offered in ,christ4 ,it rejects all who teach otherwise4 ,the fourth article states that ceremonies are no longer free1 but must be abandoned1 when their adoption is connected with a denial of the ,christian religion1 doctrine1 and confession4 ,it rejects all those who teach otherwise4 ,the fifth article emphasizes that also the wicked when they partake of the ,lord's ,supper1 receive the body of ,christ1 but to their damnation4 ,it furthermore declares3 ,since it is objected that the body and blood cannot be present in the ,holy ,supper because ,christ ascended to heaven with ,his body1 it is necessary to explain the article of the incarnation of the ,son of ,god1 and to indicate1 in as simple a way as possible1 the manner in which both natures1 divine and human1 are united in ,christ1 wherefrom it appears to what height the human nature in ,christ has been exalted by the personal union4 7,hutter1 ,concordia ,concors1 #aaj;ff47 ,in #aefh1 at the ,brunswick ,visitation1 referred to above1 ,andreae submitted1 his five articles to ,duke ,julius1 and succeeded in winning him for his plan4 ,in the same interest he came to ,wittenberg1 ,january #i1 #aefi4 ,furnished with letters of commendation from ,duke ,julius and ,landgrave ,william of ,hesse1 he obtained an interview also with ,elector ,august1 who referred him to his theologians4 ,on ,august #ah1 #aefi1 ,andreae held a conference with the ,wittenbergers4 ,they insisted that the basis of the contemplated agreement must be the ,corpus ,misnicum 7,philippicum74 ,when ,andreae1 unsophisticated as he still was with respect to the real character of ,philippism1 publicly declared that the ,wittenbergers were orthodox teachers1 and that the ,corpus ,misnicum contained no false doctrine he was supplied with a testimonial in which the ,wittenbergers refer to their ,corpus1 but not to ,andreae's articles1 to which also they had not fully consented4 ,the result was that the ,jena theologians1 in particular ,tilemann ,hesshusius1 denounced ,andreae's efforts as a unionistic scheme and a betrayal of true ,lutheranism in the interest of ,crypto-,calvinism4 ,they rejected ,andreae's articles because they were incomplete1 and contained no specific rejection of the errors of the ,philippists4 ,at the instance of ,andreae1 ,may #g1 #aegj1 a conference met at ,zerbst in ,anhalt1 at which twenty theologians represented ,electoral ,saxony1 ,brunswick1 ,hesse1 ,brandenburg1 ,anhalt1 and ,lower ,saxony 7the ,ducal ,saxon theologians declining to participate74 ,the conference decided that a new confession was not needed1 and unanimously recognized the ,augsburg ,confession1 its ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 and the ,catechisms of ,luther4 ,andreae was elated4 ,in his ,report to the ,emperor and the princes he gloried in the ,christian unity attained at ,zerbst4 ,but also this apparent victory for peace and true ,lutheranism was illusory rather than real1 for the ,wittenberg theologians qualified their subscription by formally declaring that they interpreted and received the confessions enumerated only in as far as they agreed with the ,corpus ,philippicum4 ,and before long the ,crypto-,calvinistic publications1 referred to in the chapter on the ,crypto-,calvinistic ,controversy1 began to make their appearance4 ,the only result of these first peace efforts of ,andreae1 which lacked in single-minded devotion to the truth1 and did not sufficiently exclude every form of indifferentism and unionism1 was that he himself was regarded with increasing suspicion by the opponents of the ,philippists4 ,as for ,andreae1 however1 the dealings which he had with the dishonest ,wittenbergers opened his eyes and convinced him that it was impossible to win ,electoral ,saxony for a truly ,lutheran union as long as the ,crypto-,calvinists were firmly seated in the saddle4 #bgg4 ,andreae's ,sermons and the ,swabian ,concordia4 ,abandoning his original scheme1 which had merely served to increase the animosity among the ,lutherans and to discredit himself1 ,andreae resolved henceforth to confine his peace efforts to true ,lutherans1 especially those of ,swabia and ,lower ,saxony1 and to unite them in opposition to the ,zwinglians1 ,calvinists1 and ,philippists1 who1 outside of ,electoral ,saxony1 were by this time generally regarded as traitors to the cause of ,lutheranism4 ,in #aegc he made his first move to carry out this new plan of his by publishing sermons which he had delivered #aegb on the doctrines controverted within the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the title ran3 ,six ,christian ,sermons concerning the dissensions which from the year #aedh to this #aegc;d year have gradually arisen among the theologians of the ,augsburg ,confession1 as to what attitude a plain pastor and a common ,christian layman who may have been offended thereby should assume toward them according to his ,catechism4 ,these sermons treat of justification1 good works1 original sin1 free will1 the adiaphora1 ,law and ,gospel1 and the person of ,christ4 ,as the title indicates1 ,andreae appealed not so much to the theologians as to the pastors and the people of the ,lutheran ,church1 concerning whom he was convinced that1 adhering as they did1 to ,luther's ,catechism1 they in reality1 at least in their hearts1 were even then1 and always had been1 agreed4 ,andreae sent these sermons to ,chemnitz1 ,chytraeus1 ,hesshusius1 ,wigand1 and other theologians with the request that they be accepted as a basis of agreement4 ,in the preface1 dated ,february #ag1 #aegc1 he dedicated them to ,duke ,julius of ,brunswick whose good will and consent in the matter he had won in #aefh1 when he assisted in introducing the ,reformation in his territories4 ,before this ,nicholas ,selneccer1 then superintendent of ,wolfenbuettel1 in order to cultivate the friendly relations between ,swabia and ,lower ,saxony1 had dedicated his ,instruction in the ,christian ,religion 7,institutio ,religionis ,christianae7 to the ,duke of ,wuerttemberg1 praising the writings of ,brenz1 and lauding the services rendered by ,andreae to the duchy of ,brunswick4 ,the sermons of ,andreae were welcomed by ,chemnitz1 ,westphal in ,hamburg1 ,david ,chytraeus in ,rostock1 and others4 ,they also endeavored to obtain recognition for them from various ecclesiastical ministries of ,lower ,saxony4 ,but having convinced themselves that the sermonic form was not adapted for a confession1 they1 led by ,chemnitz1 advised that their contents be reduced to articles in thesis and antithesis1 and that this be done with the assistance of other theologians4 ,andreae immediately acted on this suggestion and the result was what is known as the ,swabian ,concordia 7,schwaebische ,konkordie7--the first draft of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,this document1 also called the ,tuebingen ,book1 was submitted to1 and approved by1 the theologians of ,tuebingen and by the ,stuttgart ,consistory4 ,in substance it was an elaboration of the ,six ,sermons with the addition of the last two articles4 ,it contains eleven articles1 treating #a4 ,original ,sin2 #b4 ,free ,will2 #c4 ,the ,righteousness of ,faith before ,god2 #d4 ,good ,works2 #e4 ,law and ,gospel2 #f4 ,the ,third ,use of the ,law2 #g4 ,the ,church ,usages ,called ,adiaphora2 #h4 ,the ,lord's ,supper2 #i4 ,the ,person of ,christ3 #aj4 ,eternal ,election2 #aa4 ,other ,factions and ,sects4 ,in the introduction ,andreae also emphasizes the necessity of adopting those symbols which were afterwards received into the ,book of ,concord4 #bgh4 ,the ,swabian-,saxon ,concordia4 ,on ,march #bb1 #aegd1 ,andreae sent the ,swabian ,concordia to ,duke ,julius and ,chemnitz with the request to examine it and to have it discussed in the churches of ,lower ,saxony4 ,on the twelfth of ,may the ,duke ordered ,chemnitz to prepare an opinion on the book and to present it to the clergy for their examination and approval4 ,under the leadership of ,chemnitz numerous conferences were held1 and the various criticisms offered led to a revision of the document4 ,this work was begun in ,april1 #aege1 by the theological faculty of ,rostock4 ,apart from numerous changes and additions everywhere1 the articles on ,free ,will and on the ,lord's ,supper were completely remodeled by ,chytraeus and ,chemnitz4 ,the new confession1 known as the ,swabian ,lower ,saxon ,concordia1 was subscribed by the theologians and pastors of the duchies of ,brunswick1 ,mecklenburg1 ,mansfeld1 ,hoya1 and ,oldenburg4 ,it acknowledges as its doctrinal basis the ,holy ,scriptures1 the three ,ecumenical ,creeds1 the ,augsburg ,confession1 its ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 and ,luther's two ,catechisms4 ,it discusses the following articles in the following order3 #a4 ,of ,original ,sin2 #b4 ,of the ,person of ,christ2 #c4 ,of the ,righteousness of ,faith before ,god2 #d4 ,of ,good ,works1 #e4 ,of the ,law and the ,gospel2 #f4 ,of the ,third ,use of the ,law of ,god2 #g4 ,of the ,holy ,supper2 #h4 ,of ,god's ,eternal ,providence and ,election2 #i4 ,of ,church ,usages which are ,called ,adiaphora or ,things ,indifferent2 #aj4 ,of ,free ,will or ,human ,powers2 #aa4 ,of ,other ,factions and ,sects which have ,never ,acknowledged the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,while this new ,concordia was adopted in ,lower ,saxony1 the ,swabians1 to whom it was forwarded1 ,september #e1 #aege1 were not quite satisfied with its form1 but did not object to its doctrinal contents4 ,they criticized the unevenness of its style1 its frequent use of ,latin technical terms1 its quotations 7now approved1 now rejected7 from ,melanchthon1 etc4 ,particularly regarding the last mentioned point they feared that the references to ,melanchthon might lead to new dissensions2 hence they preferred that citations be taken from ,luther's writings only1 which was done in the ,formula of ,concord as finally adopted4 #bgi4 ,the ,maulbronn ,formula4 ,the movement for a general unity within the ,lutheran ,church received a powerful impetus by the sudden and ignominious collapse of ,crypto-,calvinism in ,electoral ,saxony1 #aegd4 ,by unmasking the ,philippists1 ,god had removed the chief obstacle of a godly and general peace among the ,lutherans4 ,now the clouds of dissension began to disappear rapidly4 ,as long as the eyes of ,elector ,august were closed to the dishonesty of his theologians1 there was no hope for a peace embracing the entire ,lutheran ,church in ,germany4 ,even before the public exposure of the ,philippists1 ,august had been told as much by ,count ,henneberg and other princes1 viz41 that the ,wittenberg theologians were universally suspected1 and that peace could not be established until their ,calvinistic errors had been condemned4 ,for in the doctrines of the ,lord's ,supper and of the person of ,christ1 as has been shown in the chapter on the ,crypto-,calvinistic ,controversy1 the ,philippists of ,electoral ,saxony and of other sections of ,germany were ,calvinists rather than ,lutherans4 ,it was the appearance of the ,calvinistic ,exegesis ,perspicua of #aegd which left no doubt in the mind of the ,elector that for years he had been surrounded by a clique of dishonest theologians and unscrupulous schemers1 who1 though claiming to be ,lutherans1 were secret adherents of ,calvinism4 ,and after the ,elector1 as ,chemnitz remarks1 had discovered the deception of his theologians in the article on the ,lord's ,supper1 he began to doubt their entire contention4 7,richard1 #dbf47 ,among ,lutherans generally the humiliating events in ,saxony increased the feeling of shame at the conditions prevailing within their ,church as well as the earnest desire for a genuine and lasting peace in the old ,lutheran truths4 ,and now ,elector ,august1 who1 despite his continued animosity against ,flacius1 always wished to be a true ,lutheran1 but up to #aegd had not realized that the ,philippistic type of doctrine dominant in his country departed from ,luther's teaching1 was determined to satisfy this universal longing for unity and peace4 ,immediately after the unmasking of the ,philippists he took measures to secure the restoration of orthodox ,lutheranism in his own lands4 ,at the same time he placed himself at the head of the larger movement for the establishment of religious peace among the ,lutherans generally by the elaboration and adoption of a doctrinal formula settling the pending controversies4 ,to restore unity and peace to the ,lutheran ,church1 which his own theologians had done so much to disturb1 was now his uppermost desire4 ,he prosecuted the plan of pacification with great zeal and perseverance4 ,he also paid the heavy expenses 7#hj1jjj gulden71 incurred by the numerous conventions1 etc4 ,and when1 in the interest of such peace and unity1 the theologians were engaged in conferences the pious ,elector and his wife were on their knees1 asking ,god that ,he would crown their labor with success4 ,the specific plan of the ,elector was as appears from his rescript of ,november #ba1 #aege1 to his counselors1 that pacific theologians1 appointed by the various ,lutheran princes meet in order to deliberate how1 by the grace of ,god1 all the existing various corpora doctrinae might be reduced to one corpus which we all could adopt1 and that this book or corpus doctrinae be printed anew and the ministers in the lands of each ruler be required to be guided thereby4 ,before this ,elector ,august had requested ,count ,george ,ernest of ,henneberg to take the initiative in the matter4 ,accordingly1 in ,november1 #aege ,henneberg1 ,duke ,ludwig of ,wuerttemberg and ,margrave ,carl of ,baden agreed to ask a number of theologians to give their opinion concerning the question as to how a document might be prepared which would serve as a beginning to bring about true ,christian concord among the churches of the ,augsburg ,confession4 ,the theologians appointed were the ,wuerttemberg court-preacher ,lucas ,osiander 7born #aecd2 died #afjd71 the ,stuttgart provost ,balthasar ,bidembach 7born #aecc2 died #aegh7 and several theologians of ,henneberg and ,baden4 ,their opinion1 delivered ,november #ad1 #aege1 was approved by the princes1 and ,osiander and ,bidembach were ordered to prepare a formula of agreement in accordance with it4 ,the document which they submitted was discussed with theologians from ,henneberg and ,baden at ,cloister ,maulbronn1 ,wuerttemberg and subscribed ,january #ai1 #aegf4 ,the ,maulbronn ,formula1 as the document was called1 differs from the ,swabian-,saxon ,concordia in being much briefer 7about half as voluminous71 in avoiding technical ,latin terms1 in making no reference whatever to ,melanchthon1 in quoting from ,luther's works only1 and in omitting such doctrinal points 7,anabaptism1 ,schwenckfeldianism1 ,antitrinitarianism1 etc47 as had not been controverted among the ,lutherans4 ,following the order of the ,augustana1 this ,formula treats the following articles4 #a4 ,of ,original ,sin2 #b4 ,of the ,person of ,christ2 #c4 ,of ,justification of ,faith #d4 ,of the ,law and ,gospel2 #e4 ,of ,good ,works2 #f4 ,of the ,holy ,supper of ,our ,lord ,christ2 #g4 ,of ,church ,usages1 ,called ,adiaphora or ,things ,indifferent2 #h4 ,of ,free ,will2 #i4 ,of the ,third ,use of ,god's ,law4 #bhj4 ,the ,torgau ,book4 ,on ,february #i1 #aegf1 the ,maulbronn ,formula1 approved by ,count ,ludwig of ,wuerttemberg1 ,margrave ,carl of ,baden1 and ,count ,george ,ernest of ,henneberg1 was transmitted to ,elector ,august1 who had already received a copy of the ,swabian-,saxon ,concordia from ,duke ,julius of ,brunswick4 ,the ,elector submitted both to ,andreae for an opinion1 whom formal reasons induced to decide in favor of the ,maulbronn ,formula4 ,at the same time ,andreae advised the ,elector to arrange a general conference of prominent theologians to act and decide in this matter1 suggesting as two of its members ,chemnitz and ,chytraeus of ,rostock4 ,this being in agreement with his own plans1 the ,elector1 at the convention at ,lichtenberg1 ,february #ae1 #aegf submitted the suggestions of ,andreae to twelve of his own theologians1 headed by ,nicholas ,selneccer1 then professor in ,leipzig4 ,selneccer was born ,december #f1 #aecj4 ,in #aeej he took up his studies in ,wittenberg1 where he was much impressed and influenced by ,melanchthon4 ,in #aeeg he was appointed court-preacher in ,dresden4 ,beginning with #aefe after the banishment of ,flacius and his colleagues1 he was professor in ,jena4 ,he returned to ,leipzig in #aefh4 ,in #aegj he accepted a call from ,duke ,julius as court-preacher and superintendent in ,brunswick1 but returned to ,leipzig in #aegd4 ,before the unmasking of the ,crypto-,calvinists his theological attitude lacked clearness and determination4 ,ever after1 however1 he was the leader of the ,lutheran forces in ,electoral ,saxony4 ,at the ,lichtenberg ,convention1 convoked ,february #af1 #aegf1 by ,elector ,august1 ,selneccer successfully advocated the removal of the ,wittenberg ,catechism1 the ,consensus ,dresdensis1 and the ,corpus ,philippicum4 ,in their place he recommended the adoption of a new corpus doctrinae containing the three ,ecumenical ,creeds1 the ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 the ,catechisms of ,luther1 and1 if desired1 ,luther's ,commentary on ,galatians4 ,finally he advised that the electors and princes arrange a convention of such representative theologians as1 e4g41 ,chytraeus1 ,chemnitz1 ,andreae1 and ,marbach1 to discuss the doctrinal differences4 ,selneccer's recommendations were adopted by the convention and transmitted to ,elector ,august4 ,though contributing little to the contents of the ,formula of ,concord1 ,selneccer heartily cooperated in its preparation1 revision1 and adoption4 ,in #aehj1 of his own accord1 he published the ,latin ,book of ,concord1 which was followed in #aehd by an edition authorized by the princes4 ,selneccer also participated in preparing the ,apology of the ,book of ,concord1 first published #aehb in ,magdeburg4 ,in ,may1 #aehi1 after the ,crypto-,calvinistic reaction under ,christian ,i1 ,selneccer1 whom the ,calvinists hated more than others of the theologians who had participated in the promulgation of the ,formula of ,concord1 was deposed1 harassed1 and reduced to poverty because of his testimony against ,chancellor ,crell and his earnest and continued warnings against the ,calvinists4 ,after the death of ,christian ,i1 ,selneccer was recalled to ,leipzig1 where he arrived ,may #ai1 #aeib1 five days before his death1 ,may #bd1 #aeib4 ,having through the influence of ,selneccer1 at ,lichtenberg1 obtained the consent of his clergy to his plans of unification1 and1 also in accordance with their desire1 called ,andreae to ,saxony1 ,elector ,august immediately made arrangements for the contemplated general convention of theologians4 ,it was held at ,torgau1 from ,may #bh to ,june #g1 #aegf1 and attended by ,selneccer1 the ,saxon ministers who had participated in the ,lichtenberg convention1 ,andreae1 ,chemnitz1 ,andrew ,musculus ,general ,superintendent of ,brandenburg1 ,christopher ,cornerus professor in ,frankfurt-on-the-,oder2 born #aeah2 died #aedi1 and ,david ,chytraeus born ,february #bf1 #aecj1 in ,wuerttemberg2 awarded degree of magister in ,tuebingen when only fourteen years old2 began his studies #aedd in ,wittenberg1 where he also heard ,luther2 was professor in ,rostock from #aeea till his death1 ,june #be1 #afjj4 ,the result of the ,torgau deliberations1 in which much time was spent on the articles of ,original ,sin and ,free ,will1 was the so-called ,torgau ,book4 ,on the seventh of ,june the theologians informed the ,elector that1 on the basis of the ,swabian-,saxon and the ,maulbronn documents1 they1 as desired by him1 had agreed on a corpus doctrinae4 ,the ,torgau ,book was essentially the ,swabian-,saxon ,concordia1 recast and revised1 as urged by ,andreae1 with special reference to the desirable features 7enumerated above7 of the ,maulbronn ,formula4 ,the majority decided1 says ,chemnitz1 that the ,saxon ,concordia should be retained1 but in such a manner as to incorporate also the quotations from ,luther1 and whatever else might be regarded as useful in the ,maulbronn ,formula4 ,the ,torgau ,book contained the twelve articles of the later ,formula of ,concord and in the same sequence2 ,article ,,ix1 ,of the ,descent of ,christ into ,hell1 had been added at ,torgau4 ,the ,book was entitled3 ,opinion as to how the dissensions prevailing among the theologians of the ,augsburg ,confession may1 according to the ,word of ,god1 be agreed upon and settled in a ,christian manner4 ,it was signed as their faith1 doctrine1 and confession by the six men who were chiefly responsible for its form and contents3 ,jacob ,andreae1 ,martin ,chemnitz1 ,nicholas ,selneccer1 ,david ,chytraeus1 ,andrew ,musculus1 and ,christopher ,cornerus4 ,the convention was closed with a service of thanksgiving to ,almighty ,god for the blessed results of their labors and the happy termination and favorable issue of their discussions1 ,selneccer delivering the sermon4 ,similar services were held at other places1 notably in ,mecklenburg and ,lower ,saxony4 ,in a letter to ,hesshusius1 ,chemnitz says concerning the ,torgau ,convention3 ,everything in this entire transaction occurred aside from1 beyond1 above1 and contrary to the hope1 expectation1 and thought of all4 ,i was utterly astounded1 and could scarcely believe that these things were done when they were done4 ,it seemed like a dream to me4 certainly a good happy and desired beginning has been made toward the restoration of purity of doctrine1 toward the elimination of corruptions1 toward the establishment of a godly confession4 ,in a letter of ,july #bd1 #aegf1 to ,hesshusius and ,wigand1 ,andreae wrote in a similar vein1 saying3 ,often were they ,chemnitz and ,chytraeus almost overwhelmed with rejoicing and wonder that we were there at ,torgau brought to such deliberation4 ,truly1 this is the change of the right hand of the ,most ,high1 which ought also to remind us that since the truth no longer suffers1 we should do everything that may contribute to the restoration of good feeling4 7,richard1 #dbh4 #dcj47 #bha4 ,the ,bergic ,book or the ,formula of ,concord4 ,in accordance with the recommendation of the ,torgau convention the ,elector of ,saxony examined the ,torgau ,book himself and had copies of it sent to the various ,lutheran princes and estates in ,germany with the request to have it tested by their theologians1 and to return their opinions and censures to ,dresden4 ,of these 7about #be7 the majority were favorable4 ,the churches in ,pomerania and ,holstein desired that ,melanchthon's authority be recognized alongside of ,luther's4 ,on the other hand1 ,hesshusius and ,wigand demanded that ,flacius1 ,osiander1 ,major1 ,melanchthon1 and other originators and patrons of corruptions be referred to by name and condemned as errorists4 ,quite a number of theologians objected to the ,torgau ,book because it was too bulky4 ,to meet this objection the ,epitome1 a summary of the contents of the ,torgau ,book1 was prepared by ,andreae with the consent of the ,elector4 ,originally its title read3 ,brief ,summary of the articles which1 controverted among the theologians of the ,augsburg ,confession for many years1 were settled in a ,christian manner at ,torgau in the month of ,june1 #aegf1 by the theologians which there met and subscribed4 ,after most of the censures had arrived1 the triumvirate of the ,formula of ,concord 7as ,chytraeus called them #aeha71 ,andreae1 ,selneccer1 and ,chemnitz1 by order of the ,elector met on ,march #a1 #aegg1 at ,cloister ,bergen1 near ,magdeburg1 for the consideration of the criticisms and final editing of the new confession4 ,they finished their work on ,march #ad4 ,later when other criticisms arrived and a further revision took place 7also at ,bergen1 in ,may #aegg71 ,musculus1 ,cornerus1 and ,chytraeus were added to their number4 ,though numerous changes1 additions1 and omissions were made at ,bergen1 and in ,article ,,ix the present form was substituted for the sermon of ,luther1 the doctrinal substance of the ,torgau ,book remained unchanged4 ,the chief object of the revisers was to eliminate misunderstandings and to replace ambiguous and dark terms with clear ones4 ,at the last meeting of the six revisers 7at ,bergen1 in ,may7 the ,solid ,declaration was quickly and finally agreed upon1 only a few changes of a purely verbal and formal nature being made4 ,on ,may #bh1 #aegg1 the revised form of the ,torgau ,book was submitted to ,elector ,august4 ,it is known as the ,bergic ,book1 or the ,solid ,declaration1 or the ,formula of ,concord1 also as the ,book of ,concord 7a title which was afterwards reserved for the collection of all the ,lutheran symbols74 ,of course1 the ,epitome1 prepared by ,andreae1 was also examined and approved by the revisers at ,cloister ,bergen4 ,in order to remove a number of misunderstandings appearing after the completion of the ,bergic ,book1 a ,preface 7,introduction to the ,book of ,concord7 was prepared by the theologians and signed by the princes4 ,the ,catalog of ,testimonies1 added first with the caption ,appendix and later without the same1 or omitted entirely1 is a private work of ,andreae and ,chemnitz1 and not a part of the confession4 ,its special purpose is to prove that the ,lutheran doctrine concerning the person of ,christ and the majesty of ,his human nature as set forth in ,article ,,vii of the ,formula of ,concord1 is clearly taught by the ,scriptures as well as by the ,fathers of the ancient ,church4 ,the ,formula of ,concord 7,german7 was first published at ,dresden1 #aehj1 as a part of the ,book of ,concord4 ,the first authentic ,latin edition appeared in ,leipzig1 #aehd4 7,compare chapter on ,the ,book of ,concord47 #bhb4 ,subscription to the ,formula of ,concord4 ,originally ,elector ,august planned to submit the ,bergic ,book to a general convention of the evangelical estates for approval4 ,but fearing that this might lead to new discussions and dissensions1 the six theologians1 in their report 7,may #bh1 #aegg7 on the final revision of the ,bergic ,book1 submitted and recommended a plan of immediate subscription instead of an adoption at a general convention4 ,consenting to their views1 the ,electors of ,saxony and ,brandenburg forthwith sent copies of the ,bergic ,book to such princes and estates as were expected to consent4 ,these were requested to multiply the copies1 and everywhere to circulate and submit them for discussion and subscription4 ,as a result the ,formula of ,concord was signed by the electors of ,saxony1 of ,brandenburg1 and of the ,palatinate2 furthermore by #bj dukes and princes1 #bd counts1 #d barons1 #ce imperial cities1 and about #h1jjj pastors and teachers embracing about two-thirds of the ,lutheran territories of ,germany4 ,the first signatures were those of ,andreae1 ,selneccer1 ,musculus1 ,cornerus1 ,chytraeus1 and ,chemnitz1 who on ,may #bi1 #aegg1 signed both the ,epitome and the ,thorough ,declaration the latter with the following solemn protestation3 ,since now1 in the sight of ,god and of all ,christendom1 we wish to testify to those now living and those who shall come after us that this declaration herewith presented concerning all the controverted articles aforementioned and explained1 and no other1 is our faith1 doctrine1 and confession1 in which we are also willing1 by ,god's grace1 to appear with intrepid hearts before the judgment-seat of ,jesus ,christ1 and give an account of it and that we will neither privately nor publicly speak or write anything contrary to it but1 by the help of ,god's grace1 intend to abide thereby3 therefore1 after mature deliberation we have1 in ,god's fear and with the invocation of ,his name1 attached our signatures with our own hands4 7#aajc1 #dj ,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #aajc1 #dj2 #hdb1 #ca47 ,kolde remarks3 ,wherever the civil authorities were in favor of the ,bergic ,book1 the pastors and teachers also were won for its subscription4 ,that the wish of the ruler contributed to this result cannot be denied and is confirmed by the ,crypto-,calvinistic troubles reappearing later on in ,saxony4 ,but that the influence of the rulers must not be overestimated1 appears1 apart from other things from the frequent additions to the signatures ',with mouth and heart 7cum ore et corde74' ,self-evidently the ,crypto-,calvinists as well as other errorists had to face the alternative of either subscribing or being suspended from the ministry4 ,the very object of the ,formula of ,concord was to purge the ,lutheran ,church from ,calvinists and others who were not in sympathy and agreement with the ,lutheran ,confessions and constituted a foreign and disturbing element in the ,lutheran ,church4 ,as to the manner in which the ,formula was submitted for subscription1 it was certainly not indifferentistic1 but most solemn and serious1 and perhaps1 in some instances1 even severe4 ,coercion1 however1 was nowhere employed for obtaining the signatures4 ,at any rate1 no instance is recorded in which compulsion was used to secure its adoption4 ,moreover1 the campaign of public subscription1 for which about two years were allowed1 was everywhere conducted on the principle that such only were to be admitted to subscription as had read the ,formula and were in complete agreement with its doctrinal contents4 ,yet it was probably true that some1 as ,hutter assumes1 signed with a bad conscience ,hutter3 ,deinde esto3 subscripserunt aliqui mala conscientia ,formulae ,concordiae2 ,mueller1 ,einleitung1 #aae2 for among those who affixed their names are quite a few of former ,crypto-,calvinists--men who had always found a way of escaping martyrdom1 and1 also in this instance1 may have preferred the retaining of their livings to following their conviction4 ,the fact is that no other confession can be mentioned in the elaboration of which so much time1 labor1 and care was expended to bring out clearly the divine truth1 to convince every one of its complete harmony with the ,bible and the ,lutheran symbols1 and to hear and meet all objections1 as was the case with respect to the ,formula of ,concord4 ,in reply to the criticism of the ,calvinists in the ,neustadt ,admonition1 etc4 that it was unjust for only six theologians to write a ,confession for the whole ,church1 and that a ,general ,synod should have been held before the signing of the ,confession1 the ,convention of ,quedlinburg1 in #aehc1 declared it untrue that the ,formula of ,concord had been composed by only six theologians1 and reminded the critics how1 on the contrary1 the articles had first been sent1 a number of times1 to all the ,lutheran churches in ,germany2 how1 in order to consider them1 synods and conferences had been held on every side1 and the articles had been thoroughly tested1 how criticisms had been made upon them2 and how the criticisms had been conscientiously taken in hand by a special commission4 ,the ,quedlinburg ,convention therefore declared in its minutes that1 indeed1 'such a frequent revision and testing of the ,christian ,book of ,concord1 many times repeated1 is a much greater work than if a ,general ,synod had been assembled respecting it to which every province would have commissioned two or three theologians1 who in the name of all the rest would have helped to test and approve the book4 ,for in that way only one synod would have been held for the comparing and testing of this work1 but1 as it was1 many synods were held2 and it was sent to many provinces1 which had it tested by the weighty and mature judgment of their theologians1 in such manner as has never occurred in the case of any book or any matter of religion since the beginning of ,christianity1 as is evident from the history of the ,church1'444 ,we are solemnly told by ,andreae1 ,selneccer1 etc4 that no one was forced by threats to sign the ,formula of ,concord1 and that no one was tempted to do so by promises4 ,we know that no one was taken suddenly by surprise4 ,every one was given time to think4 ,as the work of composition extended through years1 so several years were given for the work of signing4 ,we very much doubt whether the ,lutheran ,church to-day could secure any democratic subscription so clean1 so conscientious1 so united1 or so large as that which was given to the ,book of ,concord4 7,schmauk1 #ffc;f47 #bhc4 ,subscription in ,electoral ,saxony1 ,brandenburg1 etc4 ,in ,electoral ,saxony1 where ,crypto-,calvinism had reigned supreme for many years1 prevailing conditions naturally called for a strict procedure4 ,for ,calvinists could certainly not be tolerated as preachers in ,lutheran churches or as teachers in ,lutheran schools4 ,such was also the settled conviction and determination of ,elector ,august4 ,when he learned that the ,wittenberg professors were trying to evade an unqualified subscription1 he declared3 ,by the help of ,god ,i am determined1 as long as ,i live to keep my churches and schools pure and in agreement with the ,formula of ,concord4 ,whoever does not want to cooperate with me may go1 ,i have no desire for him4 ,god protect me1 and those belonging to me1 from ,papists and ,calvinists--,i have experienced it4 7,richard1 #ebi47 ,the ,elector demanded that every pastor affix his own signature to the ,formula4 ,accordingly1 in every place1 beginning with ,wittenberg1 the commissioners addressed the ministers and schoolteachers1 who had been summoned from the smaller towns and villages1 read the ,formula to them1 exhorted them to examine it and to express their doubts or scruples1 if they had any1 and finally demanded subscription of all those who could not bring any charge of false doctrine against it4 ,according to ,planck only one pastor1 one superintendent 7,kolditz1 who later on subscribed71 and one schoolteacher refused to subscribe4 7#f1 #efj47 ,several professors in ,leipzig and ,wittenberg who declined to acknowledge the ,formula were dismissed4 ,however1 as stated1 also in ,electoral ,saxony coercion was not employed4 ,moreover1 objections were listened to with patience1 and time was allowed for consideration4 ,indeed1 in the name of the ,elector every one was admonished not to subscribe against his conscience4 ,i4 ,f4 ,mueller says in his ,historico-,theological ,introduction to the ,lutheran ,symbols3 ,at the ,herzberg ,convention1 #aegh1 ,andreae felt justified in stating3 ',i can truthfully say that no one was coerced to subscribe or banished on that account4 ,if this is not true1 the ,son of ,god has not redeemed me with ,his blood2 for otherwise ,i do not want to become a partaker of the blood of ,christ4' ,pursuant to this declaration the opponents were publicly challenged to mention a single person who had subscribed by compulsion1 but they were unable to do so4 ,moreover1 even the ,nuernbergers1 who did not adopt the ,formula of ,concord1 acknowledged that the signatures had been affixed without employment of force4 7#aae47 ,true1 ,october #h1 #aegh1 ,andreae wrote to ,chemnitz3 ,we treated the pastors with such severity that a certain truly good man and sincere minister of the church afterwards said to us in the lodging that1 when the matter was proposed so severely1 his mind was seized with a great consternation which caused him to think that he1 being near ,mount ,sinai1 was hearing the promulgation of the ,mosaic ,law 7se animo adeo consternato fuisse1 cum negotium tam severiter proponeretur1 ut existimaret1 se monti ,sinai proximum legis ,mosaicae promulgationem audire74444 ,i do not believe that anywhere a similar severity has been employed4 7#aaf47 ,but the term severity here employed does not mean force or compulsion1 but merely signifies religious seriousness and moral determination to eliminate ,crypto-,calvinism from the ,lutheran ,church in ,electoral ,saxony4 ,the spirit in which also ,andreae desired this matter to be conducted appears from his letter of ,november #bj1 #aegi1 to ,count ,wolfgang1 in which he says3 ,although as yet some ministers in his country had not subscribed to the ,formula1 he should not make too much of that1 much less press or persuade them2 for whoever did not subscribe spontaneously and with a good conscience should abstain from subscribing altogether much rather than pledge himself with word and hand when his heart did not concur--denn wer es nicht mit seinem ,geist und gutem ,gewissen tue1 bleibe viel besser davon1 als dass er sich mit ,worten und mit der ,hand dazu bekenne und das ,herz nicht daran waere4 7#aae47 ,also ,selneccer testifies to the general willingness with which the ministers in ,saxony affixed their signatures4 ,with respect to the universities of ,wittenberg and ,leipzig1 however1 he remarks that there some were found who1 while willing to acknowledge the first part of the ,book of ,concord1 begged to be excused from signing the ,formula1 but that they had been told by the ,elector3 ,if they agreed with the first part1 there was no reason why they should refuse to sign the second1 since it was based on the first4 7,carpzov1 ,isagoge #bj47 ,while thus in ,electoral ,saxony subscription to the ,formula was indeed demanded of all professors and ministers1 there is not a single case on record in which compulsion was employed to obtain it4 ,in ,brandenburg the clergy subscribed unconditionally1 spontaneously1 and with thankfulness toward ,god and to their faithful1 pious ruler for his fatherly care of the ,church4 ,nor was any opposition met with in ,wuerttemberg1 where the subscription was completed in ,october1 #aegg4 ,in ,mecklenburg the ministers were kindly invited to subscribe4 ,such as refused were suspended and given time for deliberation1 with the proviso that they abstain from criticizing the ,formula before the people4 ,when the superintendent of ,wismar and several pastors declined finally to adopt the ,formula1 they were deposed4 ,accordingly1 it was in keeping with the facts when the ,lutheran electors and princes declared in the ,preface to the ,formula of ,concord that their theologians1 ministers1 and schoolteachers did with glad heart and heartfelt thanks to ,god the ,almighty voluntarily and with well-considered courage adopt1 approve1 and subscribe this ,book of ,concord ,formula of ,concord as the true and ,christian sense of the ,augsburg ,confession1 and did publicly testify thereto with heart1 mouth and hand4 ,wherefore also this ,christian ,agreement is not the confession of some few of our theologians only1 but is called1 and is in general1 the unanimous confession of each and every one of the ministers and schoolteachers of our lands and provinces4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #ab;f47 #bhd4 ,where and ,why ,formula of ,concord was ,rejected4 ,apart from the territories which were really ,calvinistic 7,anhalt1 ,lower ,hesse1 the ,palatinate1 etc471 comparatively few of the ,german princes and estates considered adherents of the ,augsburg ,confession declined to accept the ,formula of ,concord because of any doctrinal disagreement4 ,some refused to append their names for political reasons2 others1 because they were opposed on principle to a new symbol4 ,with still others1 notably some of the imperial cities1 it was a case of religious particularism1 which would not brook any disturbance of its own mode of church-life4 ,also injured pride1 for not having been consulted in the matter1 nor called upon to participate in the preparation and revision of the ,formula1 was not altogether lacking as a motive for withholding one's signature4 ,in some instances personal spite figured as a reason4 ,because ,andreae had given offense to ,paul von ,eitzen1 ,holstein rejected the ,formula1 stating that all the articles it treated were clearly set forth in the existing symbols4 ,duke ,julius of ,brunswick1 though at first most zealous in promoting the work of pacification and the adoption of the ,book of ,concord1 withdrew in #aehc1 because ,chemnitz had rebuked him for allowing his son to be consecrated ,bishop of ,halberstadt4 7,kolde1 #gc;f47 ,however1 despite the unfriendly attitude of ,duke ,julius1 some of the ,brunswick theologians openly declared their agreement with the ,formula as well as their determination by the help of ,god1 to adhere to its doctrine4 ,no doubt but that much more pressure was exercised in hindering than in urging ,lutherans to subscribe to the ,formula4 ,for the reasons enumerated the ,formula of ,concord was not adopted in ,brunswick1 ,wolfenbuettel1 ,holstein1 ,hesse1 ,pomerania 7where however1 the ,formula was received later71 ,anhalt1 the ,palatinate 7which1 after a short ,lutheran interregnum1 readopted the ,heidelberg ,catechism under ,john ,casimir1 #aehc71 ,zweibruecken1 ,nassau1 ,bentheim1 ,tecklenburg1 ,solms1 ,ortenburg1 ,liegnitz1 ,brieg1 ,wohlau1 ,bremen1 ,danzig1 ,magdeburg1 ,nuernberg1 ,weissenburg1 ,windsheim1 ,frankfort-on-the-,main1 ,worms1 ,speyer1 ,strassburg4 ,in ,sweden and ,denmark1 ,frederick ,,ii issued an edict1 ,july #bd1 #aehj1 forbidding 7for political reasons7 the importation and publication of the ,formula of ,concord on penalty of execution and confiscation of property4 ,he is said to have cast the two elegantly bound copies of the ,formula sent him by his sister1 the wife of ,elector ,august of ,saxony1 into the fireplace4 ,later on1 however1 the ,formula came to be esteemed also in the ,danish ,church and to be regarded as a symbol1 at least in fact1 if not in form4 ,while some of the original signatories subsequently withdrew from the ,formula of ,concord a larger number acceded to it4 ,among the latter were ,holstein1 ,pomerania1 ,krain1 ,kaernthen1 ,steiermark1 etc4 ,in ,sweden the ,formula was adopted #aeic by the ,council of ,upsala2 in ,hungary1 in #aeig4 ,with few exceptions the ,lutheran synods in ,america and ,australia all subscribed also to the ,formula of ,concord4 #bhe4 ,formula ,not a ,new ,confession ,doctrinally4 ,the ,formula of ,concord purified the ,lutheran ,church from ,romanism1 ,calvinism1 indifferentism1 unionism1 synergism1 and other errors and unsound tendencies4 ,it did so1 not by proclaiming new exclusive laws and doctrines1 but by showing that these corruptions were already excluded by the spirit and letter of the existing ,lutheran symbols4 ,doctrinally the ,formula of ,concord is not a new confession1 but merely a repetition and explanation of the old ,lutheran confessions4 ,it does not set forth or formulate a new faith or tenets hitherto unknown to the ,lutheran ,church4 ,nor does it correct1 change1 or in any way modify any of her doctrines4 ,on the contrary its very object was to defend and maintain the teaching of her old symbols against all manner of attacks coming from without as well as from within the ,lutheran ,church4 ,the ,formula merely presents1 repeats1 reaffirms explains1 defends1 clearly defines1 and consistently applies the truths directly or indirectly1 explicitly or implicitly confessed and taught in the antecedent ,lutheran confessions4 ,the ,augsburg ,confession concludes its last paragraph3 ,if there is anything that any one might desire in this ,confession1 we are ready ,god willing1 to present ampler information 7latiorem informationem7 according to the ,scriptures4 7#id1 #g47 ,close scrutiny will reveal the fact that in every detail the ,formula must be regarded as just such an ampler information1 according to the ,scriptures4 ,the ,lutheran ,church1 therefore1 has always held that whoever candidly adopts the ,augsburg ,confession cannot and will not reject the ,formula of ,concord either4 ,as for the ,formula itself1 it most emphatically disclaims to be anything really new4 ,in their ,preface to the ,book of ,concord the ,lutheran princes declared3 ,we indeed 7to repeat in conclusion what we have mentioned several times above7 have wished1 in this work of concord1 in no way to devise anything new1 or to depart from the truth of the heavenly doctrine1 which our ancestors 7renowned for their piety7 as well as we ourselves have acknowledged and professed4 ,we mean that doctrine1 which1 having been derived from the prophetic and apostolic ,scriptures1 is contained in the three ancient ,creeds1 in the ,augsburg ,confession1 presented in the year #aecj to ,emperor ,charles ,v1 of excellent memory1 then in the ,apology1 which was added to this1 in the ,smalcald ,articles1 and lastly in both the ,catechisms of that excellent man1 ,dr4 ,luther4 ,therefore we also have determined not to depart even a finger's breadth either from the subjects themselves1 or from the phrases which are found in them1 but1 the ,spirit of the ,lord aiding us1 to persevere constantly1 with the greatest harmony1 in this godly agreement1 and we intend to examine all controversies according to this true norm and declaration of the pure doctrine4 7,,conc4 ,,trigl4 #bc47 ,in the ,comprehensive ,summary we read3 ,we the framers and signers of the ,formula of ,concord have declared to one another with heart and mouth that we will not make or receive a separate or new confession of our faith1 but confess the public common writings which always and everywhere were held and used as such symbols or common confessions in all the churches of the ,augsburg ,confession before the dissensions arose among those who accept the ,augsburg ,confession1 and as long as in all articles there was on all sides a unanimous adherence to the pure doctrine of the divine ,word1 as the sainted ,dr4 ,luther explained it4 7#hea1 #b4 #i47 ,the ,formula of ,concord therefore did not wish to offer anything that was new doctrinally4 ,it merely expressed the consensus of all loyal ,lutherans1 and applied the truths contained in the existing symbols to the questions raised in the various controversies4 #bhf4 ,formula a ,reaffirmation of ,genuine ,lutheranism4 ,to restore ,luther's doctrine1 such was the declared purpose of the promoters and authors of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,and in deciding the controverted questions1 they certainly did most faithfully adhere to ,luther's teaching4 ,the ,formula is an exact1 clear1 consistent1 and guarded statement of original ,lutheranism purified of all foreign elements later on injected into it by the ,philippists and other errorists4 ,it embodies the old ,lutheran doctrine1 as distinguished not merely from ,romanism and ,calvinism1 but also from ,melanchthonianism and other innovations after the death of ,luther4 ,surely ,luther would not have hesitated to endorse each and all of its articles or doctrinal statements4 ,even ,planck1 who poured contempt and sarcasm on the loyal ,lutherans1 admits3 ,it was almost beyond controversy that the ,formula1 in every controverted article1 established and authorized precisely the view which was most clearly sanctioned by the ,unaltered ,augsburg ,confession1 by its ,apology according to the edition of the year #aeca1 by the ,smalcald ,articles1 and by the ,catechisms of ,luther4 7#f1 #fig47 ,this complete agreement with ,luther also accounts for the fact that the ,formula was immediately acknowledged by two-thirds of the ,protestants in ,germany4 ,as for ,luther1 the ,formula of ,concord regards him as the ,god-given ,reformer and teacher of the ,church4 ,we read3 ,by the special grace and mercy of the ,almighty the doctrine concerning the chief articles of our ,christian religion 7which under the ,papacy had been horribly obscured by human teachings and ordinances7 were explained and purified again from ,god's ,word by ,dr4 ,luther1 of blessed and holy memory4 7#hdg1 #a47 ,again3 ,in these last times ,god1 out of special grace has brought the truth of ,his ,word to light again from the darkness of the ,papacy through the faithful service of the precious man of ,god1 ,dr4 ,luther4 7#hea1 #e47 ,luther is spoken of as this highly illumined man1 the hero illumined with unparalleled and most excellent gifts of the ,holy ,ghost1 the leading teacher of the ,augsburg ,confession4 7#ihj1 #bh2 #ihc1 #cd47 ,dr4 ,luther1 says the ,formula1 is to be regarded as the most distinguished 7vornehmste1 praecipuus7 teacher of the ,churches which confess the ,augsburg ,confession1 whose entire doctrine as to sum and substance is comprised in the articles of the ,augsburg ,confession4 7#ihe1 #da47 ,again3 ,dr4 ,luther1 who1 above others1 certainly understood the true and proper meaning of the ,augsburg ,confession1 and who constantly remained steadfast thereto till his end1 and defended it1 shortly before his death repeated his faith concerning this article of the ,lord's ,supper with great zeal in his last ,confession4 7#ihc1 #cc47 ,accordingly1 only from ,luther's writings quotations are introduced by the ,formula to prove the truly ,lutheran character of a doctrine4 ,in this respect ,luther was considered the highest authority1 outweighing by far that of ,melanchthon or any other ,lutheran divine4 ,everywhere ,luther's books are referred and appealed to1 e4g41 his beautiful and glorious exposition of the ,epistle of ,st4 ,paul to the ,galatians1 his book concerning ,councils1 his ,large ,confession1 his ,de ,servo ,arbitrio1 his ,commentary on ,genesis1 his sermon of #aecc at ,torgau1 etc4 7#ibe1 #bh2 #icg1 #fg2 #hbc1 #ba2 #hig1 #dc2 #hbg1 #b2 #ajea1 #a2 cf4 #abac;ff47 ,luther's doctrine1 according to the ,formula of ,concord1 is embodied in the old ,lutheran symbols1 and was collected into the articles and chapters of the ,augsburg ,confession4 7#hea1 #e47 ,the ,augsburg ,confession1 the ,apology1 the ,smalcald ,articles1 and the ,small and the ,large ,catechism1 says the ,formula1 have always been regarded as the norm and model of the doctrine which ,dr4 ,luther1 of blessed memory1 has admirably deduced from ,god's ,word1 and firmly established against the ,papacy and other sects2 and to his full explanations in his doctrinal and polemical writings we wish to appeal1 in the manner and as far as ,dr4 ,luther himself in the ,latin preface to his published works has given necessary and ,christian admonition concerning his writings4 7#hec1 #i47 ,according to the ,formula there were no dissensions among the ,lutherans as long as in all articles there was on all sides a unanimous adherence to the pure doctrine of the divine ,word as the sainted ,dr4 ,luther explained it4 7#hea1 #b47 ,melanchthon1 ,agricola1 ,osiander1 ,major1 and the ,philippists1 departing from ,luther1 struck out on paths of their own1 and thus gave rise to the controversies finally settled by the ,formula of ,concord4 ,as for the ,formula of ,concord itself1 the distinct object also of its promoters and authors was to restore1 reaffirm1 and vindicate the doctrine of ,luther4 ,in a letter of ,july #bd1 #aegf1 to ,hesshusius and ,wigand1 ,andreae giving an account of the results of the ,torgau ,convention1 remarks3 ,for this ,i dare affirm and promise sacredly that the illustrious ,elector of ,saxony is bent on this alone that the doctrine of ,luther1 which has been partly obscured1 partly corrupted1 partly condemned openly or secretly1 shall again be restored pure and unadulterated in the schools and churches1 and accordingly ,luther shall live1 i4e41 ,christ1 whose faithful servant ,luther was--adeoque ,lutherus1 hoc est1 ,christus1 cuius fidelis minister ,lutherus fuit1 vivat4 ,what more do you desire8 ,here in the ,torgau ,book nothing is colored1 nothing is dressed up1 nothing is concealed1 but everything is in keeping with the spirit of ,luther which is ,christ's4 ,nihil hic fucatum1 nihil palliatum1 nihil tectum est1 sed iuxta spiritum ,lutheri1 qui ,christi est4 7,schaff #a1 #cci47 ,also the ,formula of ,concord1 therefore1 contains ,luther's theology4 ,it has been asserted that the ,formula of ,concord is a compromise between ,luther and ,melanchthon1 a synthesis or combination of the two antagonistic forces of the ,reformation1 a balance of mutually destructive principles1 etc4 ,the ,formula1 says also ,seeberg represents a ,melanchthonian ,lutheranism4 ,but the plain truth is that the ,formula is a complete victory of ,luther over the later ,melanchthon as well as the other errorists who had raised their heads within the ,lutheran ,church4 ,it gave the floor1 not to ,philip1 but to ,martin4 ,true1 it was the avowed object of the ,formula to restore peace to the ,lutheran ,church1 but not by compromising in any shape or form the doctrine of ,luther1 which1 its authors were convinced1 is nothing but divine truth itself4 ,in thesis and antithesis1 moreover1 the ,formula takes a clearly defined stand against all the errorists of those days3 ,anabaptists1 ,schwenckfeldians1 ,antitrinitarians1 ,romanists1 ,zwinglians1 ,calvinists1 ,crypto-,calvinists1 ,adiaphorists1 ,antinomians1 ,synergists1 ,majorists1 the later ,flacianists1 etc4 ,it did not acknowledge1 or leave room for1 any doctrines or doctrinal tendencies deviating in the least from original genuine ,scriptural ,lutheranism4 ,at every point it occupied the old ,lutheran ground4 ,everywhere it observed a correct balance between two errors 7e4g41 ,romanism and ,zwinglianism1 ,calvinism and synergism1 ,majorism and antinomianism72 it steered clear of ,scylla as well as ,charybdis avoiding errors to the right as well as pitfalls to the left4 ,the golden highway of truth on which it travels was not ,melanchthon nor a middle ground between ,luther and ,melanchthon1 but simply ,luther and the truths which he had brought to light again4 ,melanchthonianism may be defined as an effort to inoculate ,lutheranism with a unionistic and ,calvinistic virus4 ,the distinct object of the ,formula1 however1 was not merely to reduce1 but to purge the ,lutheran ,church entirely from1 this as well as other leaven4 ,the ,formula's theology is not ,lutheranism modified by1 but thoroughly cleansed from1 antinomianism1 ,osiandrianism1 and particularly from ,philippism4 ,accordingly1 while in the ,formula ,luther is celebrated and quoted as the true and reliable exponent of ,lutheranism1 ,melanchthon is nowhere appealed to as an authority in this respect4 ,it is only in the ,preface of the ,book of ,concord that his writings are referred to as not to be rejected and condemned1 but the proviso is added1 in as far as 7quatenus7 they agree throughout with the norm laid down in the ,book of ,concord4 7#af47 #bhg4 ,scripture ,sole ,standard and ,rule4 ,from the high estimation in which ,luther was held by the ,formula of ,concord it has falsely been inferred that this ,confession accords ,luther the highest authority as ,hase says1 or considers him the regulative and almost infallible expounder of the ,bible1 as ,schaff asserts4 7,creeds #a1 #cac47 ,but according to the ,formula the supreme arbiter and only final rule in all matters of religion is the inspired ,word of ,god2 and absolutely all human teachers and books1 including ,luther and the ,lutheran symbols1 are subject to its verdict4 ,when1 after ,luther's death1 ,god permitted doctrinal controversies to distract the ,church1 ,his purpose1 no doubt1 being also to have her fully realize not only that ,luther's doctrine is in complete harmony with ,scripture1 but1 in addition1 that in matters of faith and doctrine not ,luther1 not the ,church1 not the symbols1 nor any other human authority but ,his ,word alone is the sole rule and norm4 ,the ,formula certainly learned this lesson well4 ,in its opening paragraph we read3 ,we believe1 teach1 and confess that the sole rule and standard according to which both all doctrines and all teachers should be estimated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic ,scriptures of the ,old and the ,new ,testament alone4444 ,other writings1 however1 of ancient or modern teachers1 whatever name they bear must not be regarded as equal to the ,holy ,scriptures1 but all of them together be subjected to them4 7#ggg1 #a47 ,and in this1 too1 the ,formula was conscious of being in agreement with ,luther4 ,luther himself1 it declares1 has expressly drawn this distinction namely1 that the ,word of ,god alone should be and remain the only standard and rule of doctrine1 to which the writings of no man should be regarded as equal1 but to which everything should be subjected4 7#hec1 #i47 ,scripture is1 and always must remain1 the only norma normans1 the standard that rules everything1--such was the attitude of the ,formula of ,concord4 ,accordingly1 the proof proper for the truth of any doctrinal statement is taken by the ,formula neither from the ,lutheran symbols nor the writings of ,luther1 but from the ,word of ,god4 ,and the only reason why the promoters and framers of the ,formula were determined to restore the unadulterated teaching of ,luther was because1 in the controversies following his death1 they had thoroughly convinced themselves that1 on the one hand1 the doctrines proclaimed by ,luther were nothing but the purest gold mined from the shafts of ,god's ,word1 and that1 on the other hand1 the various deviations from ,luther's teaching1 which had caused the dissensions1 were aberrations not only from the original ,lutheran ,confessions1 but also from ,holy ,scripture4 ,the thirty years of theological discussion had satisfied the ,lutherans that to adhere to the ,bible was tantamount to adhering to the teaching of ,luther1 and vice versa4 ,accordingly1 the ,formula also declared it as its object to prove that the doctrines it presented were in harmony with the ,bible1 as well as with the teaching of ,luther and the ,augsburg ,confession4 7#hef1 #ai47 ,this agreement with the ,word of ,god and the preceding ,lutheran symbols constitutes the ,formula a ,lutheran confession1 which no one who is a true ,lutheran can reject or1 for doctrinal reasons1 refuse to accept4 #bhh4 ,formula ,benefited ,lutheran ,church4 ,it has frequently been asserted that the ,formula of ,concord greatly damaged ,lutheranism1 causing bitter controversies1 and driving many ,lutherans into the fold of ,calvinism1 e4g41 in the ,palatinate 7#aehc71 in ,anhalt1 in ,hesse1 and in ,brandenburg 7#afac74 ,richard says3 ,the ,formula of ,concord was the cause of the most bitter controversies1 dissensions1 and alienations4 ,the position taken by the adherents of the ,formula of ,concord that this document is the true historical and logical explanation of the older confessions and is therefore the test and touchstone of ,lutheranism1 had the effect1 as one extreme generates a counter-extreme1 of driving many individual ,lutherans and many ,lutheran churches into the ,calvinistic fold1 as that fold was represented in ,germany by the ,heidelberg ,catechism as the chief confession of faith4 7#eaf47 ,but this entire view is founded on indifferentism and unionism flowing from the false principle that quality must be sacrificed to quantity1 eternal truth to temporal peace and unity to external progress and temporary success4 ,viewed in the light of ,god's ,word1 error is the centrifugal force and the real cause of dissension and separations among ,christians1 while divine truth always acts as a centripetal or a truly unifying power4 ,the ,formula therefore1 standing clearly as it does for divine truth only1 cannot be charged with causing dissension and breeding trouble among ,christians4 ,it settled many controversies and healed dissensions1 but produced none4 ,true1 the ,formula was condemned by many1 but with no greater justice and for no other reasons than those for which the truths of ,god's ,word have always been assailed by their enemies4 ,nor is the statement correct that the ,formula of ,concord drove loyal ,lutherans out of their own churches into ,calvinistic folds4 ,it clearly stated what1 according to ,god's ,word and their old confessions1 ,lutherans always will believe1 teach1 and confess1 as also what they always must reject as false and detrimental to the cause of the ,church of ,christ2 however1 in so doing1 it did not drive ,lutherans into the ranks of the ,calvinists1 but drove masked ,calvinists out of the ranks of loyal ,lutherans into those folds to which they really belonged4 ,indeed1 the ,formula failed to make true ,lutherans of all the errorists2 but neither did the ,augsburg ,confession succeed in making friends and ,lutherans of all ,papists1 nor the ,bible1 in making ,christians of all unbelievers4 ,however1 by clearly stating its position in thesis and antithesis1 the ,formula did succeed in bringing about a wholesome separation1 ridding the ,lutheran ,church of antagonistic spirits1 unsound tendencies1 and false doctrines4 ,in fact1 it saved the ,church from slow1 but sure poisoning at the hands of the ,crypto-,calvinists2 it restored purity1 unity1 morale1 courage1 and hope when she was demoralized1 distracted1 and disfigured by many dissensions and corruptions4 ,whatever1 by adopting the ,formula of ,concord the ,lutheran ,church therefore may have lost in extension1 it won in intention2 what it lost in numbers1 it won in unity1 solidity1 and firmness in the truth4 ,true1 the ,formula of ,concord completely foiled ,melanchthon's plan of a union between the ,lutheran and ,reformed churches on the basis of the ,variata of #aedj1--;a fact which more than anything else roused the ire of ,philippists and ,calvinists4 ,but that was an ungodly union1 contrary to the ,word of ,god2 a union involving a denial of essential ,christian truths2 a union incompatible with the spirit of ,lutheranism1 which cannot survive where faith is gagged and open confession of the truth is smothered2 a union in which ,calvinism1 engrafted on ,lutheranism1 would have reduced the latter to a mere feeder of a foreign life4 ,however1 though it shattered the ungodly plans of the ,philippists and ,calvinists1 the ,formula did not in the least destroy the hope of1 or block the way for1 a truly ,christian agreement4 ,on the contrary1 it formulated the only true basis for such a union1 which it also realized among the ,lutherans4 ,and if the ,lutheran and ,reformed churches will ever unite in a true and godly manner it must be done on the basis of the truths set forth by the ,formula4 #bhi4 ,necessity of ,formula of ,concord4 ,several ,lutheran states1 as related above1 declined to accept the ,formula of ,concord1 giving as their reason for such action that there was no need of a new confession4 ,the fact1 however1 that the ,formula was adopted by the great majority of ,lutheran princes1 professors1 preachers1 and congregations proves conclusively that they were of a different opinion4 ,a new confession was necessary1 not indeed because new truths had been discovered which called for confessional coining or formulation1 but because the old doctrines1 assailed by errorists1 were in need of vindication1 and the ,lutheran ,church1 distracted by prolonged theological warfare1 was sorely in need of being restored to unity1 peace1 and stability4 ,the question-marks suspended everywhere in ,germany after ,luther's death were3 ,is ,lutheranism to die or live8 ,are its old standards and doctrines to be scrapped or vindicated8 ,is the ,church of ,luther to remain1 or to be transformed into a unionistic or ,reformed body8 ,is it to retain its unity1 or will it become a house divided against itself and infested with all manner of sects8 ,evidently1 then1 if the ,lutheran ,church was not to go down ingloriously1 a new confession was needed which would not only clear the religious and theological atmosphere1 but restore confidence1 hope1 and normalcy4 ,a confession was needed which would bring out clearly the truths for which ,lutherans must firmly stand if they would be true to ,god1 true to ,his ,word1 true to their ,church1 true to themselves1 and true to their traditions4 ,a confession was needed which would draw exactly1 clearly1 and unmistakably the lines which separate ,lutherans1 not only from ,romanists1 but also from ,zwinglians1 ,calvinists1 ,crypto-,calvinists1 unionists1 and the advocates of other errors and unsound tendencies4 ,being essentially the ,church of the pure ,word and ,sacrament1 the only way for the ,lutheran ,church to maintain her identity and independence was to settle her controversies not by evading or compromising the doctrinal issues involved1 but by honestly facing and definitely deciding them in accordance with her principles3 the ,word of ,god and the old confessions4 ,particularly with respect to the doctrine of the ,lord's ,supper1 ,melanchthon by constantly altering the ,augsburg ,confession1 had muddied the water to such an extent that the adoption of the ,augustana was no longer a clear test of ,lutheran orthodoxy and loyalty4 ,even ,calvin1 and the ,german ,reformed generally subscribed to it1 in the sense1 they said1 in which ,melanchthon has explained it4 ,the result was a corruption of ,lutheranism and a pernicious ,calvinistic propaganda in ,lutheran territories4 ,a new confession was the only means of ending the confusion and checking the invasion4 #bij4 ,formula ,fully ,met ,requirements4 ,the ,formula of ,concord was just such a confession as the situation called for4 ,the ,preface to the ,apology of the ,book of ,concord1 signed by ,kirchner1 ,selneccer1 and ,chemnitz1 remarks that the purpose of the ,formula was to establish and propagate unity in the ,lutheran churches and schools1 and to check the ,sacramentarian leaven and other corruptions and sects4 ,this purpose was fully attained by the ,formula4 ,it maintained and vindicated the old ,lutheran symbols4 ,it cleared our ,church from all manner of foreign spirits which threatened to transform its very character4 ,it settled the controversies by rendering a clear and correct decision on all doctrinal questions involved4 ,it unified our ,church when she was threatened with hopeless division1 anarchy1 and utter ruin4 ,it surrounded her with a wall of fire against all her enemies4 ,it made her a most uncomfortable place for such opponents of ,lutheranism as ,crypto-,calvinists1 unionists1 etc4 ,it infused her with confidence1 self-consciousness1 conviction1 a clear knowledge of her own position over against the errors of other churches and sects1 and last1 but not least1 with a most remarkable vitality4 ,wherever and whenever1 in the course of time1 the ,formula of ,concord was ignored1 despised1 or rejected1 the ,lutheran ,church fell an easy prey to unionism and sectarianism2 but wherever and whenever the ,formula was held in high esteem1 ,lutheranism flourished and its enemies were confounded4 ,says ,schaff3 ,outside of ,germany the ,lutheran ,church is stunted in its normal growth1 or undergoes with the change of language and nationality1 an ecclesiastical transformation4 ,this is the case with the great majority of ,anglicized and ,americanized ,lutherans1 who adopt ,reformed views on the ,sacraments1 the observance of ,sunday1 church discipline1 and other points4 ,but the fact is that1 since ,schaff wrote the above1 the ,lutheran ,church developed and flourished nowhere as in ,america1 owing chiefly to the return of ,american ,lutherans to their confessions1 including the ,formula of ,concord4 ,the ,formula of ,concord fully supplied the dire need created by the controversies after ,luther's death2 and1 despite many subsequent controversies1 also in ,america1 down to the present day1 no further confessional deliverances have been necessary1 and most likely such will not be needed in the future either4 ,the ,formula of ,concord1 therefore1 must ever be regarded as a great blessing of ,god4 ,but for the ,formula of ,concord1 says ,krauth1 it may be questioned whether ,protestantism could have been saved to the world4 ,it staunched the wounds at which ,lutheranism was bleeding to death2 and crises were at hand in history in which ,lutheranism was essential to the salvation of the ,reformatory interest in ,europe4 ,the ,thirty ,years' ,war1 the war of martyrs1 which saved our modern world1 lay indeed in the future of another century1 yet it was fought and settled in the ,cloister of ,bergen4 ,but for the pen of the peaceful triumvirate1 the sword of ,gustavus had not been drawn4 ,intestine treachery and division in the ,church of the ,reformation would have done what the arts and arms of ,rome failed to do4 ,but the miracle of restoration was wrought4 ,from being the most distracted ,church on earth1 the ,lutheran ,church had become the most stable4 ,the blossom put forth at ,augsburg1 despite the storm1 the mildew1 and the worm1 had ripened into the full round fruit of the amplest and clearest ,confession in which the ,christian ,church has ever embodied her faith4 7,schmauk1 #hcj47 #bia4 ,formula ,attacked and ,defended4 ,drawing accurately and deeply1 as it did1 the lines of demarcation between ,lutheranism1 on the one hand1 and ,calvinism1 ,philippism1 etc41 on the other1 and thus also putting an end to the ,calvinistic propaganda successfully carried on for decades within the ,lutheran ,church1 the ,formula of ,concord was bound to become a rock of offense and to meet with opposition on the part of all enemies of genuine ,lutheranism within as well as without the ,lutheran ,church4 ,both ,romanists and ,calvinists had long ago accustomed themselves to viewing the ,lutheran ,church as moribund and merely to be preyed upon by others4 ,accordingly1 when1 contrary to all expectations1 our ,church1 united by the ,formula1 rose once more to her pristine power and glory1 it roused the envy and inflamed the ire and rage of her enemies4 ,numerous protests against the ,formula1 emanating chiefly from ,reformed and ,crypto-,calvinistic sources1 were lodged with ,elector ,august and other ,lutheran princes4 ,even ,queen ,elizabeth of ,england sent a deputation urging the ,elector not to allow the promulgation of the new confession4 ,john ,casimir of the ,palatinate1 also at the instigation of the ,english queen1 endeavored to organize the ,reformed in order to prevent its adoption4 ,also later on the ,calvinists insisted that a general council 7of course1 participated in by ,calvinists and ,crypto-,calvinists7 should have been held to decide on its formal and final adoption6 ,numerous attacks on the ,formula of ,concord were published #aegh1 #aegi1 #aeha1 and later1 some of them anonymously4 ,they were directed chiefly against its doctrine of the real presence in the ,lord's ,supper1 the majesty of the human nature of ,christ1 and eternal election1 particularly its refusal to solve1 either in a synergistic or in a ,calvinistic manner1 the mystery presented to human reason in the teaching of the ,bible that ,god alone is the cause of man's salvation1 while man alone is the cause of his damnation4 ,in a letter to ,beza1 ,ursinus1 the chief author of the ,heidelberg ,catechism1 shrewdly advised the ,reformed to continue accepting the ,augsburg ,confession1 but to agitate against the ,formula4 ,he himself led the ,reformed attacks by publishing1 #aeha1 ,admonitio ,christiana de ,libro ,concordiae1 ,christian ,admonition ,concerning the ,book of ,concord1 also called ,admonitio ,neostadiensis1 ,neustadt ,admonition4 ,its charges were refuted in the ,apology or ,defense of the ,christian ,book of ,concord--,apologia oder ,verantwortung des christlichen ,konkordienbuchs1 in welcher die wahre christliche ,lehre1 so im ,konkordienbuch verfasst1 mit gutem ,grunde heiliger1 goettlicher ,schrift verteidiget1 die ,verkehrung aber und ,kalumnien1 so von unruhigen ,leuten wider gedachtes christliche ,buch ausgesprenget1 widerlegt worden1 #aehc 7#aehb74 ,having been prepared by command of the ,lutheran electors1 and composed by ,kirchner1 ,selneccer1 and ,chemnitz1 and before its publication also submitted to other theologians for their approval1 this guardedly written ,apology1 also called the ,erfurt ,book1 gained considerable authority and influence4 ,the ,preface of this ,erfurt ,book enumerates1 besides the ,christian ,admonition of ,ursinus and the ,neustadt theologians1 the following writings published against the ,formula of ,concord3 #a4 ,opinion and ,apology 7,bedencken und ,apologie7 of ,some ,anhalt ,theologians2 #b4 ,defense 7,verantwortung7 of the ,bremen ,preachers2 ,christian ,irenaeus on ,original ,sin2 ,nova ,novorum 7ein famos ,libell72 other libelli1 satyrae et pasquilli2 ,calumniae et ,scurrilia ,convitia of ,brother ,nass 7,bruder ,nass72 and the history of the ,augsburg ,confession by ,ambrosius ,wolf1 in which the author asserts that from the beginning the doctrine of ,zwingli and ,calvin predominated in all ,protestant churches4 ,the theologians of ,neustadt1 ,bremen1 and ,anhalt replied to the ,erfurt ,apology2 which1 in turn1 called forth counter-replies from the ,lutherans4 ,beza wrote3 ,refutation of the ,dogma ,concerning the ,fictitious ,omnipresence of the ,flesh of ,christ4 ,in #afjg ,hospinian published his ,concordia ,discors1 tr4 note3 sic on punctuation to which ,hutter replied in his ,concordia ,concors4 ,the papal detractors of the ,formula were led by the ,jesuit ,cardinal ,bellarmin1 who in #aehi published his ,judgment of the ,book of ,concord4 #bib4 ,modern ,strictures on ,formula of ,concord4 ,down to the present day the ,formula of ,concord has been assailed particularly by unionistic and ,reformed opponents of true ,lutheranism4 ,schaff criticizes3 ,religion was confounded with theology1 piety with orthodoxy1 and orthodoxy with an exclusive confessionalism4 7#a1 #bei47 ,however1 the subjects treated in the ,formula are the most vital doctrines of the ,christian religion3 concerning sin and grace1 the person and work of ,christ1 justification and faith1 the means of grace1 --truths without which neither ,christian theology nor ,christian religion can remain2 ,here1 then1 says ,schmauk1 is the one symbol of the ages which treats almost exclusively of ,christ--of ,his work1 ,his presence1 ,his person4 ,here is the ,christ-symbol of the ,lutheran ,church4 ,one might almost say that the ,formula of ,concord is a developed witness of ,luther's explanation of the ,second and ,third ,articles of the ,apostles' ,creed1 meeting the modern errors of ,protestantism1 those cropping up from the sixteenth to the twentieth century1 in a really modern way4 7#gea47 ,tschackert also designates the assertion that the authors of the ,formula of ,concord abandoned ,luther's idea of faith and established a dead scholasticism as an unjust charge4 7#dgh47 ,indeed1 it may be questioned whether the doctrine of grace1 the real heart of ,christianity1 would have been saved to the ,church without the ,formula4 ,r4 ,seeberg speaks of the ossification of ,lutheran theology caused by the ,formula of ,concord1 and ,tschackert charges it with transforming the ,gospel into a doctrine4 7#ega47 ,but what else is the ,gospel of ,christ than the divine doctrine or statement and proclamation of the truth that we are saved1 not by our own works1 but by grace and faith alone1 for the sake of ,christ and ,his merits8 ,the ,formula of ,concord truly says3 ,the ,gospel is properly a doctrine which teaches what man should believe1 that he may obtain forgiveness of sins with ,god1 namely1 that the ,son of ,god1 our ,lord ,christ1 has taken upon ,himself and borne the curse of the ,law1 has expiated and paid for all our sins1 through whom alone we again enter into favor with ,god1 obtain forgiveness of sins by faith1 are delivered from death and all the punishments of sins1 and eternally saved4 7#iei1 #bj47 ,says ,schmauk3 ,the ,formula of ,concord was 444 the very substance of the ,gospel and of the ,augsburg ,confession1 kneaded through the experience of the first generation of ,protestantism1 by incessant and agonizing conflict1 and coming forth from that experience as a true and tried teaching1 a standard recognized by many4 7#hba47 ,the ,formula of ,concord is truly ,scriptural1 not only because all its doctrines are derived from the ,bible1 but also because the burden of the ,scriptures1 the doctrine of justification1 is the burden also of all its expositions the living breath1 as it were1 pervading all its articles4 ,another modern objection to the ,formula is that it binds the future generations to the ,book of ,concord4 ,this charge is correct1 for the ,formula expressly states that its decisions are to be a public1 definite testimony1 not only for those now living1 but also for our posterity1 what is and should remain 7sei und bleiben solle--esseque perpetuo debeat7 the unanimous understanding and judgment of our churches in reference to the articles in controversy4 7#heg1 #af47 ,however1 the criticism implied in the charge is unwarranted4 ,for the ,lutheran ,confessions1 as promoters1 authors1 and signers of the ,formula were fully persuaded1 are in perfect agreement with the eternal and unchangeable ,word of ,god4 ,as to their contents1 therefore1 they must always remain the confession of every ,church which really is and would remain loyal to the ,word of ,god4 #bic4 ,formula ,unrefuted4 ,from the day of its birth down to the present time the ,formula of ,concord has always been in the limelight of theological discussion4 ,but what its framers said in praise of the ,augsburg ,confession1 viz41 that1 in spite of numerous enemies1 it had remained unrefuted1 may be applied also to the ,formula3 it stood the test of centuries and emerged unscathed from the fire of every controversy4 ,it is true today what ,thomasius wrote #ahdh with special reference to the ,formula3 ,numerous as they may be who at present revile our ,confession1 not one has ever appeared who has refuted its chief propositions from the ,bible4 7,bekenntnis der ev4-luth4 ,kirche1 #bbg47 ,nor can the ,formula ever be refuted1 for its doctrinal contents are unadulterated truths of the infallible ,word of ,god4 ,it confesses the doctrine which ,christians everywhere will finally admit as true and divine indeed1 which they all in their hearts believe even now1 if not explicitly and consciously1 at least implicitly and in principle4 ,the doctrines of the ,formula are the ecumenical truths of ,christendom2 for true ,lutheranism is nothing but consistent ,christianity4 ,the ,formula1 says ,krauth1 is the completest and clearest confession in which the ,christian ,church has ever embodied her faith4 ,such being the case1 the ,formula of ,concord must be regarded also as the key to a godly peace and true unity of entire ,christendom4 ,the authors of the ,formula solemnly declare3 ,we entertain heartfelt pleasure and love for1 and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to advance with our utmost power that unity and peace by which ,his glory remains to ,god uninjured1 nothing of the divine truth of the ,holy ,gospel is surrendered1 no room is given to the least error1 poor sinners are brought to true1 genuine repentance1 raised up by faith1 confirmed in new obedience1 and thus justified and eternally saved alone through the sole merit of ,christ4 7#ajie1 #ie47 ,such was the godly peace and true ,christian unity restored by the ,formula of ,concord to the ,lutheran ,church4 ,and what it did for her it is able also to do for the ,church at large4 ,being in complete agreement with ,scripture1 it is well qualified to become the regeneration center of the entire present-day corrupted1 disrupted1 and demoralized ,christendom4 ,accordingly ,lutherans1 the natural advocates of a truly wholesome and ,god-pleasing union based on unity in divine truth1 will not only themselves hold fast what they possess in their glorious ,confession1 but strive to impart its blessings also to others1 all the while praying incessantly1 fervently1 and trustingly with the pious framers of the ,formula3 ,may ,almighty ,god and the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus grant the grace of ,his ,holy ,ghost that we all may be one in ,him1 and constantly abide in this ,christian unity1 which is well pleasing to ,him6 ,amen4 7#hcg1 #bc47 ,,soli ,,deo ,,gloria6 tr4 note3 original printed text ends with a #aj page index that is not included in this transcription