THE SECOND HELVETIC CONFESSION
CHAPTER I
Of The Holy Scripture Being The
True
Word of God
CANONICAL
SCRIPTURE. We believe and confess
the canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both
Testaments to be the true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority
of themselves, not of men. For God himself spoke to the fathers,
prophets, apostles, and still speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures.
And in this Holy
Scripture, the universal
Church of Christ has the most complete exposition of all that pertains
to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God;
and in this respect it is expressly commanded by God that nothing be
either added to or taken from the same.
SCRIPTURE TEACHES
FULLY ALL GODLINESS. We
judge, therefore, that from these Scriptures are to be derived true
wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as
also instruction in all duties of piety; and, to be short, the
confirmation of doctrines, and the rejection of all errors, moreover,
all exhortations according to that word of the apostle, "All scripture
is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof," etc. (II
Timothy 3:16-17). Again, "I am writing these instructions to you," says
the apostle to Timothy, "So that you may know how one ought to behave
in the household of God," etc. (I Timothy 3:14-15). SCRIPTURE IS THE
WORD OF GOD. Again, the selfsame apostle to the Thessalonians: "When,"
says he, "You received the word of God which you heard from us, you
accepted it, not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word
of God," etc. (I Thess. 2:13) For the Lord himself has said in the
gospel, "It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of my Father speaking
through you"; therefore "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects
me rejects him who sent me" (Matt. 10:20; Luke 10:16; John 13:20)
THE PREACHING OF
THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WORD
OF GOD. Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church
by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is
proclaimed, and received by the faithful; and that neither any other
Word of God is to be invented nor is to be expected from heaven: and
that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the
minister that preaches; for even if he be evil and a sinner,
nevertheless the Word of God remains still true and good.
Neither do we
think that therefore the outward
preaching is to be thought as fruitless because the instruction in true
religion depends on the inward illumination of the Spirit, or because
it is written "And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor..., for
they shall all know me" (Jer. 31:34), And "Neither he who plants nor he
that waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (I Cor.
3:7). For although "No one can come to Christ unless he be drawn by the
Father" (John 6:44), And unless the Holy Spirit inwardly illumines him,
yet we know that it is surely the will of God that his Word should be
preached outwardly also. God could indeed, by his Holy Spirit, or by
the ministry of an angel, without the ministry of St. Peter, have
taught Cornelius in the Acts; but, nevertheless, he refers him to
Peter, of whom the angel speaking says, "He shall tell you what you
ought to do."
INWARD
ILLUMINATION DOES NOT ELIMINATE
EXTERNAL PREACHING. For he that illuminates inwardly by giving men the
Holy Spirit, the same one, by way of commandment, said unto his
disciples, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole
creation" (Mark 16:15). And so in Phillippi, Paul preached the word
outwardly to Lydia, a seller of purple goods; but the Lord inwardly
opened the woman's heart (Acts 16:14). And the same Paul, after a
beautiful development of his thought, in Romans 10:17 at length comes
to the conclusion, "So faith comes from hearing and hearing from the
Word of God by the preaching of Christ."
At the same time
we recognize that God can
illuminate whom and when he will, Even without the external ministry,
for that is in his power; but we speak of the usual way of instructing
men, delivered unto us from God, both by commandment and examples.
HERESIES. We
therefore detest all the heresies
of Artemon, the Manichaeans, the Valentinians, of Cerdon, and the
Marcionites, who deny that the Scriptures proceeded from the Holy
Spirit; or did not accept some parts of them, or interpolated and
corrupted them.
APOCRYPHA. And yet
we do not conceal the fact
that certain books of the Old Testament were by the ancient authors
called apocryphal, and by the others ecclesiastical; in
as much as some would have them read in the churches, but not advanced
as an authority from which the faith is to be established. As Augustine
also, in his De Civitate Dei, book 18, ch. 38, remarks that
"In the books of the Kings, the names and books of certain prophets are
cited"; but he adds that "They are not in the canon"; and that "those
books which we have suffice unto godliness."
CHAPTER II
Of Interpreting The Holy
Scripture;
and of Fathers, Councils, and Traditions
THE TRUE
INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE. The
apostle peter has said that the Holy Scriptures are not of private
interpretation (2 Pet. 1:20), and thus we do not allow all possible
interpretations. Nor consequently do we acknowledge as the true or
genuine interpretation of the Scriptures what is called the conception
of the Roman Church, that is, what the defenders of the Roman Church
plainly maintain should be thrust upon all for acceptance. But we hold
that the interpretation of the Scripture to be orthodox and genuine
which is gleaned from the Scriptures themselves (from the nature of the
language in which they were written, likewise according to the
circumstances in which they were set down, and expounded in the light
of and unlike passages and of many and clearer passages) and which
agree with the rule of faith and love, and contributes much to the
glory of God and man's salvation.
INTERPRETATIONS OF
THE HOLY FATHERS. Wherefore
we do not despise the interpretations of the holy Greek and Latin
fathers, nor reject their disputations and treatises concerning sacred
matters as far as they agree with the Scriptures; but we modestly
dissent from them when they are found to set down things differing
from, or altogether contrary to, the Scriptures. Neither do we think
that we do them any wrong in this matter; seeing that they all, with
one consent, will not have their writings equated with the canonical
Scriptures, but command us to prove how far they agree or disagree with
them, and to accept what is in agreement and to reject what is in
disagreement.
COUNCILS. And in
the same order also we place
the decrees and canons of councils.
Wherefore we do
not permit ourselves, in
controversies about religion or matters of faith, to urge our case with
only the opinions of the fathers or decrees of councils; much less by
received customs, or by the large number of those who share the same
opinion, or by the prescription of a long time. Who Is The Judge?
Therefore, we do not admit any other judge than God himself, who
proclaims by the Holy Scriptures what is true, what is false, what is
to be followed, or what to be avoided. So we do assent to the judgments
of spiritual men which are drawn from the Word of God. Certainly
Jeremiah and other prophets vehemently condemned the assemblies of
priests which were set up against the law of God; and diligently
admonished us that we should not listen to the fathers, or tread in
their path who, walking in their own inventions, swerved from the law
of God.
TRADITIONS OF MEN.
Likewise we reject human
traditions, even if they be adorned with high-sounding titles, as
though they were divine and apostolical, delivered to the Church by the
living voice of the apostles, and, as it were, through the hands of
apostolical men to succeeding bishops which, when compared with the
Scriptures, disagree with them; and by their disagreement show that
they are not Apostolic at all. For as the apostles did not contradict
themselves in doctrine, so the apostolic men did not set forth things
contrary to the apostles. On the contrary, it would be wicked to assert
that the apostles by a living voice delivered anything contrary to
their writings. Paul affirms expressly that he taught the same things
in all churches (I Cor. 4:17). And, again, "For we write you nothing
but what you can read and understand." (II Cor. 1:13). Also, in another
place, he testifies that he and his disciples - that is, apostolic men
- walked in the same way, and jointly by the same Spirit did all things
(II Cor. 12:18). Moreover, the Jews in former times had the traditions
of their elders; but these traditions were severely rejected by the
Lord, indicating that the keeping of them hinders God's law, and that
God is worshipped in vain by such traditions (Matt. 15:1 ff.; Mark 7:1
ff).
CHAPTER III
Of God, His Unity and Trinity
GOD IS ONE. We
believe and teach that God is
one in essence or nature, subsisting in himself, all sufficient in
himself, invisible, incorporeal, immense, eternal, Creator of all
things both visible and invisible, the greatest good, living,
quickening and preserving all things, omnipotent and supremely wise,
kind and merciful, just and true. Truly we detest many gods because it
is expressly written: "The Lord your God is one Lord" (Deut.6:4). "I am
the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me" (Ex.
20:2-3). "I am the Lord, and there is no other god besides me. Am I not
the Lord, and there is no other God beside me? A righteous God and a
Savior; there is none besides me" ((Isa. 45:5, 21). "The Lord, the
Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex. 34:6).
GOD IS THREE.
Notwithstanding we believe and
teach that the same immense, one and indivisible God is in person
inseparably and without confusion distinguished as Father, Son and Holy
Spirit so, as the Father has begotten the Son from eternity, the Son is
begotten by an ineffable generation, and the holy Spirit truly proceeds
from them both, and the same from eternity and is to be worshipped with
both.
Thus there are not
three gods, but three
persons, cosubstantial, coeternal, and coequal; distinct with respect
to hypostases, and with respect to order, the one preceding the other
yet without any inequality. For according to the nature or essence they
are so joined together that they are one God, and the divine nature is
common to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
For Scripture has
delivered to us a manifest
distinction of persons, the angel saying, among other things, to the
Blessed Virgin, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will
be called holy, the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). And also in the baptism of
Christ a voice is heard from heaven concerning Christ, saying, "This is
my beloved Son" (Math. 3:17). The Holy Spirit also appeared in the form
of a dove (John 1:32). And when the Lord himself commanded the apostles
to baptize, he commanded them to baptize "in the name of the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). Elsewhere in the
Gospel he said: "The Father will send the Holy Spirit in my name" (John
14:26), and again he said: "When the Counselor comes, whom I shall send
to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the
Father, he will bear witness to me," etc. (John 15:26). In short, we
receive the Apostles' Creed because it delivers to us the true faith.
HERESIES.
Therefore we condemn the Jews and
Mohammedans, and all those who blaspheme that sacred and adorable
Trinity. We also condemn all heresies and heretics who teach that the
Son and Holy Spirit are God in name only, and also that there is
something created and subservient, or subordinate to another in the
Trinity, and that their is something unequal in it, a greater or a
less, something corporeal or corporeally conceived, something different
with respect to character or will, something mixed or solitary, as if
the Son and Holy Spirit were the affections and properties of one God
the Father, as the Monarchians, Novatians, Praxeas, Patripassians,
Sabellius, Paul of Samosata, Aetius, Macedonius, Anthropomorphites,
Arius, and such like, have thought.
CHAPTER IV
Of Idols or Images of God,
Christ and The Saints
IMAGES OF GOD.
Since God as Spirit is in
essence invisible and immense, he cannot really be expressed by any art
or image. For this reason we have no fear pronouncing with Scripture
that images of God are mere lies. Therefore we reject not only the
idols of the Gentiles, but also the images of Christians.
IMAGES OF CHRIST.
Although Christ assumed
human nature, yet he did not on that account assume it in order to
provide a model for carvers and painters. He denied that he had come
"to abolish the law and the prophets" (Matt. 5:17). But images are
forbidden by the law and the prophets" (Deut. 4:15; Isa. 44:9). He
denied that his bodily presence would be profitable for the Church, and
promised that he would be near us by his Spirit forever (John 16:7).
Who, therefore, would believe that a shadow or likeness of his body
would contribute any benefit to the pious? (II Cor. 5:5). Since he
abides in us by his Spirit, we are therefore the temple of God (I Cor.
3:16). But "what agreement has the temple of God with idols?" (II Cor.
6:16).
IMAGES OF SAINTS.
And since the blessed
spirits and saints in heaven, while they lived here on earth, rejected
all worship of themselves (Acts 3:12 f.; 14:11 ff.; Rev. 14:7; 22:9)
and condemned images, shall anyone find it likely that the heavenly
saints and angels are pleased with their own images before which men
kneel. uncover their heads, and bestow other honors?
But in fact in
order to instruct men in
religion and to remind them of divine things and of their salvation,
the Lord commanded the preaching of the Gospel (Mark 16:15) - not to
paint and to teach the laity by means of pictures. Moreover, he
instituted sacraments, but nowhere did he set up images.
THE SCRIPTURES OF
THE LAITY. Furthermore,
wherever we turn our eyes, we see the living and true creatures of God
which, if they be observed, as is proper, make a much more vivid
impression on the beholders than all images or vain, motionless, feeble
and dead pictures made by men, of which the prophet truly said: "They
have eyes, but do not see" (Ps. 115:5).
LACTANTIUS.
Therefore we approved the judgment
of Lactantius, and ancient writer, who says: "Undoubtedly no religion
exists where there is an image."
EPIPHANIUS AND
JEROME. We also assert that the
blessed bishop Epiphanius did right when, finding on the doors of a
church a veil on which was painted a picture supposedly of Christ or
some saint, he ripped it down and took it away, because to see a
picture of a man hanging in the Church of Christ was contrary to the
authority of Scripture. Wherefore he charged that from henceforth no
such veils, which were contrary to our religion, should be hung in the
Church of Christ, and that rather such questionable things, unworthy of
the Church of Christ and the faithful people, should be removed.
Moreover, we approve of this opinion of St. Augustine concerning true
religion: "Let not the worship of the works of men be a religion for
us. For the artists themselves who make such things are better; yet we
ought not to worship them" (De Vera Religione, cap. 55).
CHAPTER V
Of The Adoration, Worship and
Invocation
of God Through The Only Mediator Jesus Christ
GOD ALONE IS TO BE
ADORED AND WORSHIPPED. We
teach that the true God alone is to be adored and worshipped. This
honor we impart to none other, according to the commandment of the
Lord, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you
serve" (Math. 4:10). Indeed, all the prophets severely inveighed
against the people of Israel whenever they adored and worshipped
strange gods, and not the only true God. But we teach that God is to be
adored and worshipped as he himself has taught us to worship, namely,
"in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23 f.), not with any superstition, but
with sincerity, according to his Word; lest at anytime he should say to
us: "Who has required these things from your hands?" (Isa. 1:12; Jer.
6:20). For Paul also says: "God is not served by human hands, as though
he needed anything," etc. (Acts 17:25).
GOD ALONE IS TO BE
INVOKED THROUGH THE
MEDIATION OF CHRIST ALONE. In all crises and trials of our life we call
upon him alone, and that by the mediation of our only mediator and
intercessor, Jesus Christ. For we have been explicitly commanded: "Call
upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall
glorify me" (Ps. 1:15). Moreover, we have a most generous promise from
the Lord Who said: "If you ask anything of the Father, he will give it
to you" (John 16:23), and: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest: (Matt 11:28). And since it is written:
"How are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed?" (Rom.
10:14), and since we do believe in God alone, we assuredly call upon
him alone, and we do so through Christ. For as the apostle says, "There
is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus? (I Tim. 2:5), and, "If any one does sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," etc. (I John
2:1).
THE SAINTS ARE NOT
TO BE ADORED, WORSHIPPED OR
INVOKED. For this reason we do not adore, worship, or pray to the
saints in heaven, or to other gods, and we do not acknowledge them as
our intercessors or mediators before the Father in heaven. For God and
Christ the Mediator are sufficient for us; neither do we give to others
the honor that is due to God alone and to his Son, because he has
expressly said: "My glory I give to no other: (Isa. 42:8), and because
Peter has said: "There is no other name under heaven given among men by
which we must be saved," except the name of Christ (Acts 4:12). In him,
those who give their assent by faith do not seek anything outside
Christ.
THE DUE HONOR TO
BE RENDERED TO THE SAINTS. At
the same time we do not despise the saints or think basely of them. For
we acknowledge them to be living members of Christ and friends of God
who have gloriously overcome the flesh and the world. Hence we love
them as brothers, and also honor them; yet not with any kind of worship
but by an honorable opinion of them and just praises of them. We also
imitate them. For with ardent longings and supplications we earnestly
desire to be imitators of their faith and virtues, to share eternal
salvation with them, to dwell eternally with them in the presence of
God, and to rejoice with them in Christ. And in this respect we approve
of the opinion of St. Augustine in De Vera Religione: "Let not
our religion be the cult of men who have died. For if they have lived
holy lives, they are not to be thought of as seeking such honors; on
the contrary, they want us to worship him by whose illumination they
rejoice that we are fellow-servants of his merits. They are therefore
to be honored by the way of imitation, but not to be adored in a
religious manner," etc.
RELICS OF THE
SAINTS. Much less do we believe
that the relics of the saints are to be adored and reverenced. Those
ancient saints seemed to have sufficiently honored their dead when they
decently committed their remains to the earth after the spirit had
ascended on high. And they thought that the most noble relics of their
ancestors were their virtues, their doctrine, and their faith.
Moreover, as they commend these "relics" when praising the dead, so
they strive to copy them during their life on earth.
SWEARING BY GOD'S
NAME ALONE. These ancient
men did not swear except by the name of the only God, Yahweh, as
prescribed by the divine law. Therefore, as it is forbidden to swear by
the names of strange gods (Ex. 23:;13; Deut. 10:20), so we do not
perform oaths to the saints that are demanded of us. We therefore
reject in all these matters a doctrine that ascribes much too much to
the saints in heaven.
CHAPTER VI
Of the Providence of God
ALL THINGS ARE
GOVERNED BY THE PROVIDENCE OF
GOD. We believe that all things in heaven and on earth, and in all
creatures, are preserved and governed by the providence of this wise,
eternal and almighty God. For David testifies and says: "The Lord is
high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like
the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down upon the
heavens and the earth?" (Ps. 113:4 ff.). Again: "Thou searchest
out...all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, Thou
knowest it altogether" (Ps. 139:3 f.). Paul also testifies and
declares: "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28),
and "from him and through him and to him are all things" (Rom. 11:36).
Therefore Augustine most truly and according to Scripture declared in
his book De Agone Christi, cap. 8, "The Lord said, 'Are not two
sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground
without your Father's will' " (Matt. 10:29). By speaking thus he wanted
to show that what men regard as of least value is governed by God's
omnipotence. For he who is the truth says that the birds of the air are
fed by him and lilies of the field are clothed by him; he also says
that the hairs of our head are numbered (Matt. 6:26 ff.).
THE EPICUREANS. We
therefore condemn the
Epicureans who deny the providence of God, and all those who
blasphemously say that God is busy with the heavens and neither sees
nor cares about us and our affairs. David, the royal prophet, also
condemned this when he said: "O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult?
They say, "The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive."
Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? He
who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he
not see?" (Ps. 94:3, 7-9).
MEANS NOT TO BE
DESPISED. Nevertheless, we do
not spurn as useless the means by which divine providence works, but we
teach that we are to adapt ourselves to them in so far as they are
recommended to us in the Word of God. Wherefore we disapprove of the
rash statements of those who say that if all things are managed by the
providence of God, then our efforts and endeavors are in vain. It will
be sufficient if we leave everything to the governance of divine
providence, and we will not have to worry about anything or do
anything. For although Paul understood that he sailed under the
providence of God who had said to him: "You must bear witness also at
Rome" (Acts 23:11), and in addition had given him the promise, "There
will be no loss of life among you...and not a hair is to perish from
the head of any of you" (Acts 27:22,34), yet when the sailors were
nevertheless thinking about abandoning ship the same Paul said to the
centurion and the soldiers: "Unless these men stay in the ship, you
cannot be saved" (Acts 27:31). For God, who has appointed to everything
its end, has ordained the beginning and the means by which it reaches
its goal. The heathen ascribe things to blind fortune and uncertain
chance. But St. James does not want us to say: "Today or tomorrow we
will go into such and such a town and trade," but adds: "Instead you
ought to say, `If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or
that' " (James 4:13, 15). And Augustine says: "Everything which to vain
men seems to happen in nature by accident, occurs only by his Word,
because it happens only at his command" (Enarrationes in Psalmos 148).
Thus it seemed to happen by mere chance when Saul, while seeking his
father's asses, unexpectedly fell in with the prophet Samuel. But
previously the Lord had said to the prophet: "Tomorrow I will send to
you a man from the land of Benjamin" (I Sam 9:15).
CHAPTER VII
Of The Creation of All Things:
Of Angels, the Devil, and Man
GOD CREATED ALL THINGS. This good
and almighty
God created all things, both visible and invisible, by his co-eternal
Word, and preserves them by his co-eternal Spirit, as David testified
when he said: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all
their host by the breath of his mouth" (Ps. 33:6). And, as Scripture
says, everything that God had made was very good, and was made for the
profit and use of man. Now we assert that all those things proceed from
one beginning. MANICHAEANS AND MARCIONITES. Therefore, we condemn the
Manichaeans and Marcionites who impiously imagined two substances and
natures, one good and the other evil; also two beginnings and two gods
contrary to each other, a good and an evil one.
OF ANGELS AND THE
DEVIL. Among all creatures,
angels and men are most excellent. Concerning angels, Holy Scripture
declares: "who makest the winds thy messengers, fire and flame thy
ministers" (Ps 104:4). Also it says: "Are they not all ministering
spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain
salvation?" (Heb. 1:14). Concerning the Devil, the Lord Jesus Himself
testifies: "He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do
with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he
speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of
lies" (John 8:44). Consequently we teach that some angels persisted in
obedience and were appointed for faithful service to God and men, but
others fell of their own free will and were cast into destruction,
becoming enemies of all good and of the faithful, etc....
OF MAN. Now
concerning, Scripture says that in
the beginning he was made good according to the image and likeness of
God; that God placed him in paradise and made all thing subject to him
(Gen. chp 2). This is what David magnificently sets forth in Psalm 8.
Moreover, God gave him a wife and blessed them. We also affirm that man
consists of two different substances in one person: an immortal soul
which, when separate from the body, neither sleeps nor dies, and a
mortal body which will nevertheless be raised up from the dead at the
last judgement, in order that then the whole man, either in life or in
death, abide forever.
THE SECTS. We
condemn all who ridicule or by
subtle arguments cast doubt upon the immortality of the soul, or who
say that the soul sleeps or is a part of God. In short, we condemn all
opinions of all men, however many, that depart from what has been
delivered unto us by the Holy Scriptures in the Apostolic Church of
Christ concerning creation, angels, and demons, and man.
CHAPTER VIII
Of Man's Fall, Sin and the Cause
of Sin
THE FALL OF MAN.
In the beginning, man was
made according to the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness,
good and upright. But when at the instigation of the serpent and by his
own fault he abandoned goodness and righteousness, he became subject to
sin, death and various calamities. And what he became by the fall, that
is, subject to sin, death and various calamities, so are all those who
have descended from him.
SIN. By sin we
understand that innate
corruption of man which has been derived or propagated in us all from
our first parents, by which we, immersed in perverse desires and averse
to all good, are inclined to all evil. Full of all wickedness,
distrust, contempt and hatred of God, we are unable to do or even to
think anything good of ourselves. Moreover, even as we grow older, so
by wicked thoughts, words and deeds committed against God's law, we
bring forth corrupt fruit worthy of an evil tree (Matt. 12:33 ff.). For
this reason by our own deserts, being subject to the wrath of God, we
are liable to just punishment, so that all of us would have been cast
away by God if Christ, the Deliverer, had not brought us back.
DEATH. By death we
understand not only bodily
death, which all of us must once suffer on account of sins, but also
eternal punishment due to our sins and corruption. For the apostle
says: "We were dead through trespasses and sins...and were by nature
children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, who is rich in
mercy...even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ" (Eph. 2:1 ff.) Also: "As sin came into the world
through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men
because all men sinned" (Rom. 5:12).
ORIGINAL SIN. We
therefore acknowledge that
there is original sin in all men.
ACTUAL SINS. We
acknowledge that all other
sins which arise from it are called and truly are sins, no matter by
what name they may be called, whether mortal, venial or that which is
said to be the sin against the Holy Spirit which is never forgiven
(Mark 3:29; I John 5:16). We also confess that sins are not equal;
although they arise from the same fountain of corruption and unbelief,
some are more serious than others. As the Lord said, it will be more
tolerable for Sodom than for the city that rejects the word of the
Gospel (Matt. 10:14 f.; 11:20 ff.).
THE SECTS. We
therefore condemn all who have
taught contrary to this, especially Pelagius and all Pelagians,
together with the Jovinians who, with the Stoics, regard all sins as
equal. In this whole matter we agree with St. Augustine who derived and
defended his view from Holy Scriptures. Moreover, we condemn Florinus
and Blastus, against whom Irenaeus wrote, and all who make God the
author of sin.
GOD IS NOT THE
AUTHOR OF SIN, AND HOW FAR HE
IS SAID TO HARDEN. It is expressly written: "Thou art not a God who
delights in wickedness. Thou hatest all evildoers. Thou destroyest
those who speak lies" (Ps. 5:4 ff.). And again: "When the devil lies,
he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father
of lies" (John 8:44). Moreover, there is enough sinfulness and
corruption in us that it is not necessary for God to infuse into us a
new or still greater perversity. When, therefore, it is said in
Scripture that God hardens, blinds and delivers up to a reprobate mind,
it is to be understood that God does it by a just judgment as a just
Judge and Avenger. Finally, as often as God in Scripture is said or
seems to do something evil, it is not thereby said that man does not do
evil, but that God permits it and does not prevent it, according to his
just judgment, who could prevent it if he wished, or because he turns
man's evil into good, as he did in the case of the sin of Joseph's
brethren, or because he governs sins lest they break out and rage more
than is appropriate. St. Augustine writes in his Enchiridion:
"What happens contrary to his will occurs, in a wonderful and ineffable
way, not apart from his will. For it would not happen if he did not
allow it. And yet he does not allow it unwillingly but willingly. But
he who is good would not permit evil to be done, unless, being
omnipotent, he could bring good out of evil." Thus wrote Augustine.
CURIOUS QUESTIONS.
Other questions, such as
whether God willed Adam to fall, or incited him to fall, or why he did
not prevent the fall, and similar questions, we reckon among curious
questions (unless perchance the wickedness of heretics or of other
churlish men compels us also to explain them out of the Word of God, as
the godly teachers of the Church have frequently done), knowing that
the Lord forbade man to eat of the forbidden fruit and punished his
transgression. We also know that what things are done are not evil with
respect to the providence, will, and the power of God, but in respect
of Satan and our will opposing the will of God.
CHAPTER IX
Of Free Will, and Thus of Human
Powers
In this matter,
which has always produced many
conflicts in the Church, we teach that a threefold condition or state
of man is to be considered.
WHAT MAN WAS
BEFORE THE FALL. There is the
state in which man was in the beginning before the fall, namely,
upright and free, so that he could both continue in goodness and
decline to evil. However, he declined to evil, and has involved himself
and the whole human race in sin and death, as has been said already.
WHAT MAN WAS AFTER
THE FALL. Then we are to
consider what man was after the fall. To be sure, his reason was not
taken from him, nor was he deprived of will, and he was not entirely
changed into a stone or a tree. But they were so altered and weakened
that they no longer can do what they could before the fall. For the
understanding is darkened, and the will which was free has become an
enslaved will. Now it serves sin, not unwillingly but willingly. And
indeed, it is called a will, not an unwill (ing). [Etenim voluntas,
non noluntas dicitur.]
MAN DOES EVIL BY
HIS OWN FREE WILL. Therefore,
in regard to evil or sin, man is not forced by God or by the devil but
does evil by his own free will, and in this respect he has a most free
will. But when we frequently see that the worst crimes and designs of
men are prevented by God from reaching their purpose, this does not
take away man's freedom in doing evil, but God by his own power
prevents what man freely planned otherwise. Thus Joseph's brothers
freely determined to get rid of him, but they were unable to do it
because something else seemed good to the counsel of God.
MAN IS NOT CAPABLE
OF GOOD Per Se. In
regard to goodness and virtue man's reason does not judge rightly of
itself concerning divine things. For the evangelical and apostolic
Scripture requires regeneration of whoever among us wishes to be saved.
Hence our first birth from Adam contributes nothing to out salvation.
Paul says: "The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the
Spirit of God," etc. (I Cor. 2:14). And in another place he denies that
we of ourselves are capable of thinking anything good (II Cor. 3:5) Now
it is known that the mind or intellect is the guide of the will, and
when the guide is blind, it is obvious how far the will reaches.
Wherefore, man not yet regenerate has no free will for good, no
strength to perform what is good. The Lord says in the Gospel: "Truly,
truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin" (John
8:34). And the apostle Paul says: "The mind that is set on the flesh is
hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot"
(Rom. 8:7). Yet in regard to earthly things, fallen man is not entirely
lacking in understanding.
UNDERSTANDING OF
THE ARTS. For God in his
mercy has permitted the powers of the intellect to remain, though
differing greatly from what was in man before the fall. God commands us
to cultivate our natural talents, and meanwhile adds both gifts and
success. And it is obvious that we make no progress in all the arts
without God's blessing. In any case, Scripture refers all the arts to
God; and, indeed, the heathen trace the origin of the arts to the gods
who invented them.
OF WHAT KIND ARE
THE POWERS OF THE REGENERATE,
AND IN WHAT WAY THEIR WILLS ARE FREE. Finally, we must see whether the
regenerate have free wills, and to what extent. In regeneration the
understanding is illumined by the Holy Spirit in order that it many
understand both the mysteries and the will of God. And the will itself
is not only changed by the Spirit, but it is also equipped with
faculties so that it wills and is able to do the good of its own accord
(Rom. 8:1ff.). Unless we grant this, we will deny Christian liberty and
introduce a legal bondage. But the prophet has God saying: "I will put
my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts" (Jer. 31:33;
Ezek. 36:26f.). The Lord also says in the Gospel: "If the Son makes you
free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36). Paul also writes to the
Philippians: "It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ
you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Phil.
1:29). Again: "I am sure that he who began a good work in you will
bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (v. 6). Also: "God
is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (ch.
2:13).
THE REGENERATE
WORK NOT ONLY PASSIVELY BUT
ACTIVELY. However, in this connection we teach that there are two
things to be observed: First, that the regenerate, in choosing and
doing good, work not only passively but actively. For they are moved by
God that they may do themselves what they do. For Augustine rightly
adduces the saying that "God is said to be our helper. But no one can
be helped unless he does something." The Manichaeans robbed man of all
activity and made him like a stone or a block of wood.
THE FREE WILL IS
WEAK IN THE REGENERATE.
Secondly, in the regenerate a weakness remains. For since sin dwells in
us, and in the regenerate the flesh struggles against the Spirit till
the end of our lives, they do not easily accomplish in all things what
they had planned. These things are confirmed by the apostle in Rom.,
ch. 7, and Gal., ch. 5. Therefore that free will is weak in us on
account of the remnants of the old Adam and of innate human corruption
remaining in us until the end of our lives. Meanwhile, since the powers
of the flesh and the remnants of the old man are not so efficacious
that they wholly extinguish the work of the Spirit, for that reason the
faithful are said to be free, yet so that they acknowledge their
infirmity and do not glory at all in their free will. For believers
ought always to keep in mind what St. Augustine so many times
inculcated according to the apostle: "What have you that you did not
receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a
gift?" To this he adds that what we have planned does not immediately
come to pass. For the issue of things lies in the hand of God. This is
the reason Paul prayed to the Lord to prosper his journey (Rom. 1:10).
And this also is the reason the free will is weak.
IN EXTERNAL THINGS
THERE IS LIBERTY. Moreover,
no one denies that in external things both the regenerate and the
unregenerate enjoy free will. For man has in common with other living
creatures (to which he is not inferior) this nature to will some things
and not to will others. Thus he is able to speak or to keep silent, to
go out of his house or to remain at home, etc. However, even here God's
power is always to be observed, for it was the cause that Balaam could
not go as far as he wanted (Num., ch. 24), and Zacharias upon returning
from the temple could not speak as he wanted (Luke, ch.1).
HERESIES. In this
matter we condemn the
Manichaeans who deny that the beginning of evil was for man [created]
good, from his free will. We also condemn the Pelagians who assert that
an evil man has sufficient free will to do the good that is commanded.
Both are refuted by Holy Scripture which says to the former, "God made
man upright" and to the latter, "If the Son makes you free, you will be
free indeed" (John 8:36).
CHAPTER X
Of the Predestination of God
and the Election of the Saints
GOD HAS ELECTED US
OUT OF GRACE. From eternity
God has freely, and of his mere grace, without any respect to men,
predestinated or elected the saints whom he wills to save in Christ,
according to the saying of the apostle, "God chose us in him before the
foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). And again: "Who saved us and
called an with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue
of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages
ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ
Jesus" (II Tim. 1:9 f.).
WE ARE ELECTED OR
PREDESTINATED IN CHRIST.
Therefore, although not on account of any merit of ours, God has
elected us, not directly, but in Christ, and on account of Christ, in
order that those who are now engrafted into Christ by faith might also
be elected. But those who were outside Christ were rejected, according
to the word of the apostle, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are
holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus
Christ is in you? -- unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (II Cor.
13:5).
WE ARE ELECTED FOR
A DEFINITE PURPOSE.
Finally, the saints are chosen in Christ by God for a definite purpose,
which the apostle himself explains when he says, "He chose us in him
for adoption that we should be holy and blameless before him in love.
He destined us for adoption to be his sons through Jesus Christ that
they should be to the praise of the glory of his grace" (Eph. 1:4 ff.).
WE ARE TO HAVE A
GOOD HOPE FOR ALL. And
although God knows who are his, and here and there mention is made of
the small number of elect, yet we must hope well of all, and not rashly
judge any man to be a reprobate. For Paul says to the Philippians, "I
thank my God for you all" (now he speaks of the whole Church in
Phillippi), "because of your fellowship in the Gospel, being persuaded
that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the
day of Jesus Christ. It is also right that I have this opinion of you
all" (Phil. 1:3 ff.).
WHETHER FEW ARE
ELECT. And when the Lord was
asked whether there were few that should be saved, he does not answer
and tell them that few or many should be saved or damned, but rather he
exhorts every man to "strive to enter by the narrow door" (Luke 13:24):
as if he should say, It is not for you curiously to inquire about these
matters, but rather to endeavor that you may enter into heaven by the
straight way.
WHAT IN THIS
MATTER IS TO BE CONDEMNED.
Therefore we do not approve of the impious speeches of some who say,
"Few are chosen, and since I do not know whether I am among the number
of the few, I will enjoy myself." Others say, "If I am predestinated
and elected by God, nothing can hinder me from salvation, which is
already certainly appointed for me, no matter what I do. But if I am in
the number of the reprobate, no faith or repentance will help me, since
the decree of God cannot be changed. Therefore all doctrines and
admonitions are useless." Now the saying of the apostle contradicts
these men: "The Lord's servant must be ready to teach, instructing
those who oppose him, so that if God should grant that they repent to
know the truth, they may recover from the snare of the devil, after
being held captive by him to do his will" (II Tim. 2:23 ff.).
ADMONITIONS ARE
NOT IN VAIN BECAUSE SALVATION
PROCEEDS FROM ELECTION. Augustine also shows that both the grace of
free election and the predestination, and also salutary admonitions and
doctrines, are to be preached (Lib. de Dono Perseverantiae, cap.
14 ff.).
WHETHER WE ARE
ELECTED. We therefore find
fault with those who outside of Christ ask whether they are elected.
[Ed. 1568 reads: "whether they are elected from eternity?"] And what
has God decreed concerning them before all eternity? For the preaching
of the Gospel is to be heard, and it is to be believed; and it is to be
held as beyond doubt that if you believe and are in Christ, you are
elected. For the Father has revealed unto us in Christ the eternal
purpose of his predestination, as I have just now shown from the
apostle in II Tim. 1:9-10. This is therefore above all to be taught and
considered, what great love of the Father toward us is revealed to us
in Christ. We must hear what the Lord himself daily preaches to us in
the Gospel, how he calls and says: "Come to me all who labor and are
heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). "God so loved the
world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Also, "It is not the
will of my Father that one of these little ones should perish" (Matt.
18:14).
Let Christ, therefore be the looking glass, in whom we may contemplate
our predestination. We shall have a sufficiently clear and sure
testimony that we are inscribed in the Book of Life if we have
fellowship with Christ, and he is ours and we are his in true faith.
TEMPTATION IN
REGARD TO PREDESTINATION. In the
temptation in regard to predestination, than which there is scarcely
any other more dangerous, we are confronted by the fact that God's
promises apply to all the faithful, for he says: "Ask, and everyone who
seeks, shall receive" (Luke 11:9 f.) This finally we pray, with the
whole Church of God, "Our Father who art in heaven" (Matt. 6:9), both
because by baptism we are ingrafted into the body of Christ, and we are
often fed in his Church with his flesh and blood unto life eternal.
Thereby, being strengthened, we are commanded to work out our salvation
with fear trembling, according to the precept of Paul.
CHAPTER XI
Of Jesus Christ, True God and
Man,
the Only Savior of the World
CHRIST IS TRUE
GOD. We further believe and
teach that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, was predestinated or
foreordained from eternity by the Father to be the Savior of the world.
And we believe that he was born, not only when he assumed flesh of the
Virgin Mary, and not only before the foundation of the world was laid,
but by the Father before all eternity in an inexpressible manner. For
Isaiah said: "Who can tell his generation?" (Ch. 53:8). And Micah says:
"His origin is from of old, from ancient days" (Micah 5:2). And John
said in the Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God," etc. (Ch. 1:1). Therefore, with
respect to his divinity the Son is coequal and consubstantial with the
Father; true God (Phil. 2:11), not only in name or by adoption or by
any merit, but in substance and nature, as the apostle John has often
said: "This is the true God and eternal life" (I John 5:20). Paul also
says: "He appointed the Son the heir of all things, through whom also
he created the world. He reflects the glory of God and bears the very
stamp of his nature, upholding all things by his word of power" (Heb.
1:2 f.). For in the Gospel the Lord himself said: "Father, glorify Thou
me in Thy own presence with the glory which I had with Thee before the
world was made" (John 17:5). And in another place in the Gospel it is
written: "The Jews sought all the more to kill him because he...called
God his Father, making himself equal with God" (John 5:18).
THE SECTS. We
therefore abhor the impious
doctrine of Arius and the Arians against the Son of God, and especially
the blasphemies of the Spaniard, Michael Servetus, and all his
followers, which Satan through them has, as it were, dragged up out of
hell and has most audaciously and impiously spread abroad in the world.
CHRIST IS TRUE
MAN, HAVING REAL FLESH. We also
believe and teach that the eternal Son of the eternal God was made the
Son of man, from the seed of Abraham and David, not from the coitus of
a man, as the Ebionites said, but was most chastely conceived by the
Holy Spirit and born of the ever virgin Mary, as the evangelical
history carefully explains to us (Matt., ch. 1). And Paul says: "he
took not on him the nature of angels, but of the seed of Abraham." Also
the apostle John says that woever does not believe that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh, is not of God. Therefore, the flesh of Christ
was neither imaginary not brought from heaven, as Valentinus and
Marcion wrongly imagined.
A RATIONAL SOUL IN
CHRIST. Moreover, our Lord
Jesus Christ did not have a soul bereft of sense and reason, as
Apollinaris thought, nor flesh without a soul, as Eunomius taught, but
a soul with its reason, and flesh with its senses, by which in the time
of his passion he sustained real bodily pain, as himself testified when
he said: "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Matt. 26:38). And,
"Now is my soul troubled" (John 12:27).
TWO NATURES IN
CHRIST. We therefore
acknowledge two natures or substances, the divine and the human, in one
and the same Jesus Christ our Lord (Heb., ch. 2). And we say that these
are bound and united with one another in such a way that they are not
absorbed, or confused, or mixed, but are united or joined together in
one person the properties of the natures being unimpaired and permanent.
NOT TWO BUT ONE
CHRIST. Thus we worship not
two but one Christ the Lord. We repeat: one true God and man. With
respect to his divine nature he is consubstantial with the Father, and
with respect to the human nature he is consubstantial with us men, and
like us in all things, sin excepted (Heb. 4:15).
THE SECTS. And
indeed we detest the dogma of
the Nestorians who make two of one Christ and dissolve the unity of the
Person. Likewise we thoroughly execrate the madness of Eutyches and of
the Monothelites or Monophysites who destroy the property of the human
nature.
THE DIVINE NATURE
OF CHRIST IS NOT PASSIBLE,
AND THE HUMAN NATURE IS NOT EVERYWHERE. Therefore, we do not in any way
teach that the divine nature in Christ has suffered or that Christ
according to his human nature is still in this world and thus is
everywhere. For neither do we think or teach that the body of Christ
ceased to be a true body after his glorification, or was deified, and
deified in such a way that it laid aside its properties as regards body
and soul, and changed entirely into a divine nature and began to be
merely one substance.
THE SECTS. Hence
we by no means approve of or
accept the strained, confused and obscure subtleties of Schwenkfeldt
and of similar sophists with their self-contradictory arguments;
neither are we Schwenkfeldians.
OUR LORD TRULY
SUFFERED. We believe, moreover,
that our Lord Jesus Christ truly suffered and died for us in the flesh,
as Peter says (I Peter 4:1). We abhor the most impious madness of the
Jacobites and all the Turks who execrate the suffering of the Lord. At
the same time we do not deny that the Lord of glory was crucified for
us, according to Paul's words (I Cor. 2:8).
IMPARTATION OF
PROPERTIES. We piously and
reverently accept and use the impartation of properties which is
derived from Scripture and which has been used by all antiquity in
explaining and reconciling apparently contradictory passages.
CHRIST IS TRULY
RISEN FROM THE DEAD. We
believe and teach that the same Jesus Christ our Lord, in his true
flesh in which he was crucified and died, rose again from the dead, and
that not another flesh was raised other than the one buried, or that a
spirit was taken up instead of the flesh, but that he retained his true
body. Therefore, while his disciples thought they saw the spirit of the
Lord, he showed them his hands and feet which were marked by the prints
of the nails and wounds, and added: "See my hands and my feet, that it
is I myself; handle me, and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones
as you see that I have" (Luke 24:39).
CHRIST IS TRULY
ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. We
believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, in his same flesh, ascended above
all visible heavens into the highest heaven, that is, the
dwelling-place of God and the blessed ones, at the right hand of God
the Father. Although it signifies an equal participation in glory and
majesty, it is also taken to be a certain place about which the Lord,
speaking in the Gospel, says: "I go to prepare a place for you" (John
14:2). The apostle Peter also says: "Heaven must receive Christ until
the time of restoring all things" (Acts 3:21). And from heaven the same
Christ will return in judgment, when wickedness will then be at its
greatest in the world and when the Antichrist, having corrupted true
religion, will fill up all things with superstition and impiety and
will cruelly lay waste the Church with bloodshed and flames (Dan., ch.
11). But Christ will come again to claim his own, and by his coming to
destroy the Antichrist, and to judge the living and the dead (Acts
17:31). For the dead will rise again (I Thess. 4:14 ff.), and those who
on that day (which is unknown to all creatures [Mark 13:32]) will be
alive will be changed "in the twinkling of an eye," and all the
faithful will be caught up to meet Christ in the air, so that then they
may enter with him into the blessed dwelling-places to live forever (I
Cor. 15:51 f.). But the unbelievers and ungodly will descend with the
devils into hell to burn forever and never to be redeemed from torments
(Matt. 25:46).
THE SECTS. We
therefore condemn all who deny a
real resurrection of the flesh (II Tim. 2:18), or who with John of
Jerusalem, against whom Jerome wrote, do not have a correct view of the
glorification of bodies. We also condemn those who thought that the
devil and all the ungodly would at some time be saved, and that there
would be an end to punishments. For the Lord has plainly declared:
"Their fire is not quenched, and their worm does not die" (Mark 9:44).
We further condemn Jewish dreams that there will be a golden age on
earth before the Day of Judgment, and that the pious, having subdued
all their godless enemies, will possess all the kingdoms of the earth.
For evangelical truth in Matt., chs. 24 and 25, and Luke, ch. 18, and
apostolic teaching in II Thess., ch. 2, and II Tim., chs. 3 and 4,
present something quite different.
THE FRUIT OF
CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
Further by his passion and death and everything which he did and
endured for our sake by his coming in the flesh, our Lord reconciled
all the faithful to the heavenly Father, made expiation for sins,
disarmed death, overcame damnation and hell, and by his resurrection
from the dead brought again and restored life and immortality. For he
is our righteousness, life and resurrection, in a word, the fulness and
perfection of all the faithful, salvation and all sufficiency. For the
apostle says: "In him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,"
and, "You have come to fulness of life in him" (Col., chs. 1 and 2).
JESUS CHRIST IS
THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WORLD,
AND THE TRUE AWAITED MESSIAH. For we teach and believe that this Jesus
Christ our Lord is the unique and eternal Savior of the human race, and
thus of the whole world, in whom by faith are saved all who before the
law, under the law, and under the Gospel were saved, and however many
will be saved at the end of the world. For the Lord himself says in the
Gospel: "He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in
by another way, that man is a thief and a robber....I am the door of
the sheep" (John 10:1 and 7). And also in another place in the same
Gospel he says: "Abraham saw my day and was glad" (ch. 7:56). The
apostle Peter also says: "There is salvation in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved." We therefore believe that we will be saved through the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, as our fathers were (Acts 4:12; 10:43; 15:11).
For Paul also says: "All our fathers ate the same spiritual food, and
all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual
Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ" (I Cor. 10:3 f.).
And thus we read that John says: "Christ was the Lamb which was slain
from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 14:8), and John the Baptist
testified that Christ is that "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world" (John 1:29). Wherefore, we quite openly profess and preach
that Jesus Christ is the sole Redeemer and Savior of the world, the
King and High Priest, the true and awaited Messiah, that holy and
blessed one whom all the types of the law and predictions of the
prophets prefigured and promised; and that God appointed him beforehand
and sent him to us, so that we are not now to look for any other. Now
there only remains for all of us to give all glory to Christ, believe
in him, rest in him alone, despising and rejecting all other aids in
life. For however many seek salvation in any other than in Christ
alone, have fallen from the grace of God and have rendered Christ null
and void for themselves (Gal. 5:4).
THE CREEDS OF FOUR
COUNCILS RECEIVED. And, to
say many things with a few words, with a sincere heart we believe, and
freely confess with open mouth, whatever things are defined from the
Holy Scriptures concerning the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and are summed up in the Creeds and decrees of the first
four most excellent synods convened at Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus
and Chalcedon -- together with the Creed of blessed Athanasius [The
so-called Athanasian Creed was not written by Athanasius but dates from
the ninth century. It is also called the "Quicunque" from the opening
word of the Latin text.], and all similar symbols; and we condemn
everything contrary to these.
THE SECTS. And in
this way we retain the
Christian, orthodox and catholic faith whole and unimpaired; knowing
that nothing is contained in the aforesaid symbols which is not
agreeable to the Word of God, and does not altogether make for a
sincere exposition of the faith.
CHAPTER XII
Of the Law of God
THE WILL OF GOD IS
EXPLAINED FOR US IN THE LAW
OF GOD. We teach that the will of God is explained for us in the law of
God, what he wills or does not will us to do, what is good and just, or
what is evil and unjust. Therefore, we confess that the law is good and
holy.
THE LAW OF NATURE.
And this law was at one
time written in the hearts of men by the finger of God (Rom. 2:15), and
is called the law of nature (the law of Moses is in two Tables),
and at another it was inscribed by his finger on the two Tables of
Moses, and eloquently expounded in the books of Moses (Ex. 20:1 ff.;
Deut. 5:6 ff.). For the sake of clarity we distinguish the moral law
which is contained in the Decalogue or two Tables and expounded in the
books of Moses, the ceremonial law which determines the ceremonies and
worship of God, and the judicial law which is concerned with political
and domestic matters.
THE LAW IS
COMPLETE AND PERFECT. We believe
that the whole will of God and all necessary precepts for every sphere
of life are taught in this law. For otherwise the Lord would not have
forbidden us to add or to take away anything from this law; neither
would he have commanded us to walk in a straight path before this law,
and not to turn aside from it by turning to the right or to the left
(Deut. 4:2; 12:32).
WHY THE LAW WAS
GIVEN. We teach that this law
was not given to men that they might be justified by keeping it, but
that rather from what it teaches we may know (our) weakness, sin and
condemnation, and, despairing of our strength, might be converted to
Christ in faith. For the apostle openly declares: "The law brings
wrath," and, "Through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Rom. 4:15;
3:20), and, "If a law had been given which could justify or make alive,
then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture (that
is, the law) has concluded all under sin, that the promise which was of
the faith of Jesus might be given to those who believe....Therefore,
the law was our schoolmaster unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith" (Gal.3:21 ff.).
THE FLESH DOES NOT
FULFIL THE LAW. For no
flesh could or can satisfy the law of God and fulfil it, because of the
weakness in our flesh which adheres and remains in us until our last
breath. For the apostle says again: "God has done what the law,
weakened bythe flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh and for sin" (Rom. 8:3). Therefore, Christ is the
perfecting of the law and our fulfilment of it (Rom. 10:4), who, in
order to take away the curse of the law, was make a curse for us (Gal.
3:13). Thus he imparts to us through faith his fulfilment of the law,
and his righteousness and obedience are imputed to us.
HOW FAR THE LAW IS
ABROGATED. The law of God
is therefore abrogated to the extent that it no longer condemns us, nor
works wrath in us. For we are under grace and not under the law.
Moreover, Christ has fulfilled all the figures of the law. Hence, with
the coming of the body, the shadows ceased, so that in Christ we now
have the truth and all fulness. But yet we do not on that account
contemptuously reject the law. For we remember the words of the Lord
when he said: "I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets but
to fulfil them" (Matt. 5:17). We know that in the law is delivered to
us the patterns of virtues and vices. We know that the written law when
explained by the Gospel is useful to the Church, and that therefore its
reading is not to be banished from the Church. For although Moses' face
was covered with a veil, yet the apostle says that the veil has been
taken away and abolished by Christ.
THE SECTS. We
condemn everything that heretics
old and new have taught against the law.
CHAPTER XIII
Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
of the Promises,
and of the Spirit and Letter
THE ANCIENTS HAD
EVANGELICAL PROMISES. The
Gospel is, indeed, opposed to the law. For the law works wrath and
announces a curse, whereas the Gospel preaches grace and blessing. John
says: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Yet notwithstanding it is most
certain that those who were before the law and under the law, were not
altogether destitute of the Gospel. For they had extraordinary
evangelical promises such as these are: "The seed of the woman shall
bruise the serpent's head" (Gen. 3:15). "In thy seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 22:18). "The scepter shall not
depart from Judah...until he comes" (Gen. 49:10). "The Lord will raise
up a prophet from among his own brethren" (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22), etc.
THE PROMISES
TWOFOLD. And we acknowledge that
two kinds of promises were revealed to the fathers, as also to us. For
some were of present or earthly things, such as the promises of the
Land of Canaan and of victories, and as the promise today still of
daily bread. Others were then and are still now of heavenly and eternal
things, namely, divine grace, remission of sins, and eternal life
through faith in Jesus Christ.
THE FATHERS ALSO
HAD NOT ONLY CARNAL BUT
SPIRITUAL PROMISES. Moreover, the ancients had not only external and
earthly but also spiritual and heavenly promises in Christ. Peter says:
"The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched
and inquired about this salvation" (I Peter 1:10). Wherefore the
apostle Paul also said: "The Gospel of God was promised beforehand
through his prophets in the holy scriptures" (Rom. 1:2). Thereby it is
clear that the ancients were not entirely destitute of the whole Gospel.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL
PROPERLY SPEAKING? And
although our fathers had the Gospel in this way in the writings of the
prophets by which they attained salvation in Christ through faith, yet
the Gospel is properly called glad and joyous news, in which, first by
John the Baptist, then by Christ the Lord himself, and afterwards by
the apostles and their successors, is preached to us in the world that
God has now performed what he promised from the beginning of the world,
and has sent, nay more, has given us his only Son and in him
reconciliation with the Father, the remission of sins, all fulness and
everlasting life. Therefore, the history delineated by the four
Evangelists and explaining how these things were done or fulfilled by
Christ, what things Christ taught and did, and that those who believe
in him have all fulness, is rightly called the Gospel. The preaching
and writings of the apostles, in which the apostles explain for us how
the Son was given to us by the Father, and in him everything that has
to do with life and salvation, is also rightly called evangelical
doctrine, so that not even today, if sincerely preached, does it lose
its illustrious title.
OF THE SPIRIT AND
THE LETTER. That same
preaching of the Gospel is also called by the apostle "the spirit" and
"the ministry of the spirit" because by faith it becomes effectual and
living in the ears, nay more, in the hearts of believers through the
illumination of the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 3:6). For the letter, which is
opposed to the Spirit, signifies everything external, but especially
the doctrine of the law which, without the Spirit and faith, works
wrath and provokes sin in the minds of those who do not have a living
faith. For this reason the apostle calls it "the ministry of death." In
this connection the saying of the apostle is pertinent: "The letter
kills, but the Spirit gives life." And false apostles preached a
corrupted Gospel, having combined it with the law, as if Christ could
not save without the law.
THE SECTS. Such
were the Ebionites said to be,
who were descended from Ebion the heretic, and the Nazarites who were
formerly called Mineans. All these we condemn, while preaching the pure
Gospel and teaching that believers are justified by the Spirit [The
original manuscript has "Christ" instead of "Spirit".] alone, and not
by the law. A more detailed exposition of this matter will follow
presently under the heading of justification.
THE TEACHING OF
THE GOSPEL IS NOT NEW, BUT
MOST ANCIENT DOCTRINE. And although the teaching of the Gospel,
compared with the teaching of the Pharisees concerning the law, seemed
to be a new doctrine when first preached by Christ (which Jeremiah also
prophesied concerning the New Teatament), yet actually it not only was
and still is an old doctrine (even if today it is called new by the
Papists when compared with the teaching now received among them), but
is the most ancient of all in the world. For God predestinated from
eternity to save the world through Christ, and he has disclosed to the
world through the Gospel this his predestination and eternal counsel
(II Tim. 2:9 f.). Hence it is evident that the religion and teaching of
the Gospel among all who ever were, are and will be, is the most
ancient of all. Wherefore we assert that all who say that the religion
and teaching of the Gospel is a faith which has recently arisen, being
scarcely thirty years old, err disgracefully and speak shamefully of
the eternal counsel of God. To them applies the saying of Isaiah the
prophet: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put
darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and
sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20).
CHAPTER XIV
Of Repentance and the Conversion
of Man
The doctrine of
repentance is joined with the
Gospel. For so has the Lord said in the Gospel: "Repentance and
forgiveness of sins should be preached in my name to all nations" (Luke
24:47).
WHAT IS
REPENTANCE? By repentance we
understand (1) the recovery of a right mind in sinful man awakened by
the Word of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, and received by true faith,
by which the sinner immediately acknowledges his innate corruption and
all his sins accused by the Word of God; and (2) grieves for them from
his heart, and not only bewails and frankly confesses them before God
with a feeling of shame, but also (3) with indignation abominates them;
and (4) now zealously considers the amendment of his ways and
constantly strives for innocence and virtue in which conscientiously to
exercise himself all the rest of his life.
TRUE REPENTANCE IS
CONVERSION TO GOD. And this
is true repentance, namely, a sincere turning to God and all good, and
earnest turning away from the devil and all evil.
1. REPENTANCE IS A
GIFT OF GOD. Now we
expressly say that this repentance is a sheer gift of God and not a
work of our strength. For the apostle commands a faithful minister
diligently to instruct those who oppose the truth, if "God may perhaps
grant that they will repent and come to know the truth" (II Tim. 2:25).
2. LAMENTS SINS
COMMITTED. Now that sinful
woman who washed the feet of the Lord with her tears, and Peter who
wept bitterly and bewailed his denial of the Lord (Luke 7:38; 22:62)
show clearly how the mind of a penitent man ought to be seriously
lamenting the sins he has committed.
3. CONFESSES SINS
TO GOD. Moreover, the
prodigal son and the publican in the Gospel, when compared with the
Pharisee, present us with the most suitable pattern of how our sins are
to be confessed to God. The former said: "Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son;
treat me as one of your hired servants" (Luke 15:8 ff.). And the
latter, not daring to raise his eyes to heaven, beat his breast,
saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (ch. 18:13). And we do not
doubt that they were accepted by God into grace. For the apostle John
says: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will
forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we
have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (I John
1:9 f.).
SACERDOTAL
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION. But we
believe that this sincere confession which is made to God alone, either
privately between God and the sinner, or publicly in the Church where
the general confession of sins is said, is sufficient, and that in
order to obtain forgiveness of sins it is not necessary for anyone to
confess his sins to a priest, mumuring them in his ears, that in turn
he might receive absolution from the priest with his laying on of
hands, because there is neither a commandment nor an example of this in
Holy Scriptures. David testifies and says: "I acknowledged my sin to
thee, and did not hide my iniquity; I said, `I will confess my
transgressions to the Lord'; then thou didst forgive the guilt of my
sin" (Ps. 32:5). And the Lord who taught us to pray and at the same
time to confess our sins said: "Pray then like this: Our Father, who
art in heaven,...forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors"
(Matt. 6:12). Therefore it is necessary that we confess our sins to God
our Father, and be reconciled with our neighbor if we have offended
him. Concerning this kind of confession, the Apostle James says:
"Confess your sins to one another" (James 5:16). If, however, anyone is
overwhelmed by the burden of his sins and by perplexing temptations,
and will seek counsel, instruction and comfort privately, either from a
minister of the Church, or from any other brother who is instructed in
God's law, we do not disapprove; just as we also fully approve of that
general and public confession of sins which is usually said in Church
and in meetings for worship, as we noted above, inasmuch as it is
agreeable to Scripture.
OF THE KEYS OF THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
Concerning the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven which the Lord gave to the
apostles, many babble many astonishing things, and out of them forge
swords, spears, scepters and crowns, and complete power over the
greatest kingdoms, indeed, over souls and bodies. Judging simply
according to the Word of the Lord, we say that all properly called
ministers possess and exercise the keys or the use of them when they
proclaim the Gospel; that is, when they teach, exhort, comfort, rebuke,
and keep in discipline the people committed to their trust.
OPENING AND
SHUTTING (THE KINGDOM). For in
this way they open the Kingdom of Heaven to the obedient and shut it to
the disobedient. The Lord promised these keys to the apostles in Matt.,
ch. 16, and gave them in John, ch. 20, Mark, ch. 16, and Luke, ch. 24,
when he sent out his disciples and commanded them to preach the Gospel
in all the world, and to remit sins.
THE MINISTRY OF
RECONCILIATION. In the letter
to the Corinthians the apostle says that the Lord gave the ministry of
reconciliation to his ministers (II Cor. 5:18 ff.). And what this is he
then explains, saying that it is the preaching or teaching of
reconciliation. And explaining his words still more clearly he adds
that Christ's ministers discharge the office of an ambassador in
Christ's name, as if God himself through ministers exhorted the people
to be reconciled to God, doubtless by faithful obedience. Therefore,
they excercise the keys when they persuade [men] to believe and repent.
Thus they reconcile men to God.
MINISTERS REMIT
SINS. Thus they remit sins.
Thus they open the Kingdom of Heaven, and bring believers into it: very
different from those of whom the Lord said in the Gospel, "Woe to you
lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not
enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."
HOW MINISTERS
ABSOLVE. Ministers, therefore,
rightly and effectually absolve when they preach the Gospel of Christ
and thereby the remission of sins, which is promised to each one who
believes, just as each one is baptized, and when they testify that it
pertains to each one peculiarly. Neither do we think that this
absolution becomes more effectual by being murmured in the ear of
someone or by being murmured singly over someone's head. We are
nevertheless of the opinion that the remission of sins in the blood of
Christ is to be diligently proclaimed, and that each one is to be
admonished that the forgiveness of sins pertains to him.
DILIGENCE IN THE
RENEWAL OF LIFE. But the
examples in the Gospel teach us how vigilant and diligent the penitent
ought to be in striving for newness of life and in mortifying the old
man and quickening the new. For the Lord said to the man he healed of
palsy: "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you"
(John 5:14). Likewise to the adulteress whom he set free he said: "Go,
and sin no more" (ch. 8:11). To be sure, by these words he did not mean
that any man, as long as he lived in the flesh, could not sin; he
simply recommends diligence and a careful devotion, so that we should
strive by all means, and beseech God in prayers lest we fall back into
sins from which, as it were, we have been resurrected, and lest we be
overcome by the flesh, the world and the devil. Zacchaeus the publican,
whom the Lord had received back into favor, exclaims in the Gospel:
"Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have
defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold" (Luke 19:8).
Therefore, in the same way we preach that restitution and compassion,
and even almsgiving, are necessary for those who truly repent, and we
exhort all men everywhere in the words of the apostle: "Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.
Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but
yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to
life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness" (Rom.
6:12 f.).
ERRORS. Wherefore
we condemn all impious
utterances of some who wrongly use the preaching of the Gospel and say
that it is easy to return to God. Christ has atoned for all sins.
Forgiveness of sins is easy. Therefore, what harm is there in sinning?
Nor need we be greatly concerned about repentance, etc. Notwithstanding
we always teach that an access to God is open to all sinners, and that
he forgives all sinners of all sins except the one sin against the Holy
Spirit (Mark 3:29).
THE SECTS.
Wherefore we condemn both old and
new Novatians and Catharists.
PAPAL INDULGENCES.
We especially condemn the
lucrative doctrine of the Pope concerning penance, and against his
simony and his simoniacal indulgences we avail ourselves of Peter's
judgment concerning Simon: "Your silver perish with you, because you
thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither
part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God"
(Acts 8:20 f.).
SATISFACTIONS. We
also disapprove of those who
think that by their own satisfactions they make amends for sins
committed. For we teach that Christ alone by his death or passion is
the satisfaction, propitiation or expiation of all sins (Isa., ch.53; I
Cor. 1:30). Yet as we have already said, we do not cease to urge the
mortification of the flesh. We add, however, that this mortification is
not to be proudly obtruded upon God as a satisfaction for sins, but is
to be performed humble, in keeping with the nature of the children of
God, as a new obedience out of gratitude for the deliverance and full
satisfaction obtained by the death and satisfaction of the Son of God.
CHAPTER XV
Of the True Justification of the
Faithful
WHAT IS
JUSTIFICATION? According to the
apostle in his treatment of justification, to justify means to remit
sins, to absolve from guilt and punishment, to receive into favor, and
to pronounce a man just. For in his epistle to the Romans the apostle
says: "It is God who justifies; who is to condemn?" (Rom. 8:33). To
justify and to condemn are opposed. And in The Acts of the Apostles the
apostle states: "Through Christ forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to
you, and by him everyone that believes is freed from everything from
which you could not be freed by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38 f.). For
in the Law and also in the Prophets we read: "If there is a dispute
between men, and they come into court...the judges decide between them,
acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty" (Deut. 25:1). And in
Isa., ch. 5: "Woe to those...who aqcuit the guilty for a bribe."
WE ARE JUSTIFIED
ON ACCOUNT OF CHRIST. Now it
is most certain that all of us are by nature sinners and godless, and
before God's judgment-seat are convicted of godlessness and are guilty
of death, but that, solely by the grace of Christ and not from any
merit of ours or consideration for us, we are justified, that is,
absolved from sin and death by God the Judge. For what is clearer than
what Paul said: "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption
which is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:23 f.).
IMPUTED
RIGHTEOUSNESS. For Christ took upon
himself and bore the sins of the world, and satisfied divine justice.
Therefore, solely on account of Christ's sufferings and resurrection
God is propitious with respect to our sins and does not impute them to
us, but imputes Christ's righteousness to us as our own (II Cor. 5;19
ff.; Rom. 4;25), so that now we are not only cleansed and purged from
sins or are holy, but also, granted the righteousness of Christ, and so
absolved from sin, death and condemnation, are at last righteous and
heirs of eternal life. Properly speaking, therefore, God alone
justifies us, and justifies only on account of Christ, not imputing
sins to us but imputing his righteousness to us.
WE ARE JUSFIFIED
BY FAITH ALONE. But because
we receive this justification, not through any works, but through faith
in the mercy of God and in Christ, we therefore teach and believe with
the apostle that sinful man is justified by faith alone in Christ, not
by the law or any works. For the apostle says: "We hold that a man is
justified by faith apart from works of law" (Rom. 3:28). Also: "If
Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but
not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God,
and it was reckoned to him as righteousness....And to one who does not
work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is
reckoned as righteousness" (Rom. 4:2 ff.; Gen. 15:6). And again: "By
grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own
doing, it is the gift of God--not because of works, lest any man should
boast," etc. (Eph. 2:8 f.). Therefore, because faith receives Christ
our righteousness and attributes everything to the grace of God in
Christ, on that account justification is attributed to faith, chiefly
because of Christ and not therefore because it is our work. For it is
the gift of God.
WE RECEIVE CHRIST
BY FAITH. Moreover, the Lord
abundantly shows that we receive Christ by faith, in John, ch. 6, where
he puts eating for believing, and believing for eating. For as we
receive food by eating, so we participate in Christ by believing.
JUSTIFICATION IS
NOT ATTRIBUTED PARTLY TO
CHRIST OR TO FAITH, PARTLY TO US. Therefore, we do not share in the
benefit of justification partly because of the grace of God or Christ,
and partly because of ourselves, our love, works or merit, but we
attribute it wholly to the grace of God in Christ through faith. For
our love and our works could not please God in Christ through faith.
For our love and our works could not please God if performed by
unrighteous men. Therefore, it is necessary for us to be righteous
before we may love and do good works. We are made trulyrighteous, as we
have said, by faith in Christ purely by the grace of God, who does not
impute to us our sins, but the righteousness of Christ, or rather, he
imputes faith in Christ to us for righteousness. Moreover, the apostle
very clearly derives love from faith when he says: "The aim of our
command is love that issues from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a
sincere faith" (I Tim. 1:5)
JAMES COMPARED
WITH PAUL. Wherefore, in this
matter we are not speaking of a fictitious, empty, lazy and dead faith,
but of a living, quickening faith. It is and is called a living faith
because it apprehends Christ who is life and makes alive, and shows
that it is alive by living works. And so James does not contradict
anything in this doctrine of ours. For he speaks of an empty, dead
faith of which some boasted but who did not have Christ living in them
by faith (James 2:14 ff.). James said that works justify, yet without
contradicting the apostle (otherwise he would have to be rejected) but
showing that Abraham proved his living and justifying faith by works.
This all the pious do, but they trust in Christ alone and not in their
own works. For again the apostle said: "It is no longer I who live, but
Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, [The Latin reads: "by the faith of the Son of
God."] who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not reject the grace
of God; for if justification were through the law, then Christ died to
no purpose," etc. (Gal. 2:20 f.).
CHAPTER XVI
Of Faith and Good Works, and of
Their Reward,
and of Man's Merit
WHAT IS FAITH?
Christian faith is not an
opinion or human conviction, but a most firm trust and a clear and
steadfast assent of the mind, and then a most certain apprehension of
the truth of God presented in the Scriptures and in the Apostles'
Creed, and thus also of God himself, the greatest good, and especially
of God's promise and of Christ who is the fulfilment of all promises.
FAITH IS THE GIFT
OF GOD. But this faith is a
pure gift of God which God alone of his grace gives to his elect
according to this measure when, to whom and to the degree he wills. And
he does this by the holy Spirit by means of the preaching of the Gospel
and steadfast prayer.
THE INCREASE OF
FAITH. This faith also has its
increase, and unless it were given by God, the apostles would not have
said: "Lord, increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). And all these things
which up to this point we have said concerning faith, the apostles have
taught before us. For Paul said: "For faith is the sure subsistence, of
things hoped for, and the clear and certain apprehension" (Heb. 11:1).
And again he says that all the promises of God are Yes through Christ
and through Christ are Amen (II Cor. 1:20). And to the Philippians he
said that it has been given tothem to believe in Christ (Phil. 1:29).
Again, God assigned to each the measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). Again:
"Not all have faith" and, "Not all obey the Gospel" (II Thess. 3:2;
Rom. 10:16). But Luke also bears witness, saying: "As many as were
ordained to life believed" (Acts 13:48). Wherefore Paul also calls
faith "the faith of God's elect" (Titus 1:1), and again: "Faith comes
from hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17).
Elsewhere he often commands men to pray for faith.
FAITH EFFICACIOUS
AND ACTIVE. The same apostle
calls faith efficacious and active through love (Gal. 5:6). It also
quiets the conscience and opens a free access to God, so that we may
draw near to him with confidence and may obtain from him what is useful
and necessary. The same [faith] keeps us in the service we owe to God
and our neighbor, strengthens our patience in adversity, fashions and
makes a true confession, and in a word brings forth good fruit of all
kinds, and good works.
CONCERNING GOOD
WORKS. For we teach that truly
good works grow out of a living faith by the Holy Spirit and are done
by the faithful according tothe will or rule of God's Word. Now the
apostle Peter says: "Make every effort to supplement your faith with
virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control,"
etc.(II Peter 1:5 ff.). But we have said above that the law of God,
which is his will, prescribes for us the pattern of good works. And the
apostle says: "This is the will of God, your sanctification, that you
abstain form immorality...that no man transgress, and wrong his brother
in business" (I Thess. 4:3 ff.).
WORKS OF HUMAN
CHOICE. And indeed works and
worship which we choose arbitrarily are not pleasing to God. These Paul
calls "self-devised worship" Col. 2:23. Of such the Lord says in the
Gospel: "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts
of men" (Matt. 15:9). Therefore, we disapprove of such works, and
approve and urge those that are of God's will and commission.
THE END OF GOOD
WORKS. These same works ought
not to be done in order that we may earn eternal life by them, for, as
the apostle says, eternal life is the gift of God. Nor are they to be
done for ostentation which the Lord rejects in Matt., ch. 6, nor for
gain which he also rejects in Matt., ch. 23, but for the glory of God,
to adorn our calling, to show gratitude to God, and for the profit of
the neighbor. For our Lord says again in the Gospel: "Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to
your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). And the apostle Paul says:
"Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (Eph.
4:1). Also: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the
name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and to the Fatehr through
him" (Col. 3:17), and, "Let each of you look not to his own interests,
but to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4), and, "Let our people learn
to apply themselves to good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need,
and not to be unfruitful" (Titus 3;14).
GOOD WORKS NOT
REJECTED. Therefore, although
we teach with the apostle that a man is justified by grace through
faith in Christ and not through any good works, yet we do not think
that good works are of little value and condemn them. We know that man
was not created or regenerated through faith in order to be idle, but
rather that without ceasing he should do those things which are good
and useful. For in the Gospel the Lord says that a good tree brings
forth good fruit (Matt. 12:33), and that he who abides in me bears much
fruit (John 15:5). The apostle says: "For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10), and again: "Who gave himself
for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a
people of his own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). We
therefore condemn all who despise good works and who babble that they
are useless and that we do not need to pay attention to them.
WE ARE NOT SAVED
BY GOOD WORKS. Nevertheless,
as was said above, we do not think that we are saved by good works, and
that they are so necessary for salvation that no one was ever saved
without them. For we are saved by grace and the favor of Christ alone.
Works necessarily proceed from faith. And salvation is improperly
attributed to them, but is most properly ascribed to grace. The
apostle's sentence is well known: "If it is by grace, then it is no
longer of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. But if it is
of works, then it is no longer grace, because otherwise work is no
longer work" (Rom. 11:6).
GOOD WORKS PLEASE
GOD. Now the works which we
do by faith are pleasing to God and are approved by him. Because of
faith in Christ, those who do good works which, moreover, are done from
God's grace through the Holy Spirit, are pleasing to god. For St. Peter
said: "In every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is
acceptable to him" (Acts 10:35). And Paul said: "We have not ceased to
pray for you...that you may walk worthily of the Lord, fully pleasing
to him, bearing fruit in every good work" (Col. 1:9 f.).
WE TEACH TRUE, NOT
FALSE AND PHILOSOPHICAL
VIRTUES. And so we diligently teach true, not false and philosophical
virtues, truly good works, and the genuine service of a Christian. And
as much as we can we diligently and zealously press them upon all men,
while censuring the sloth and Hypocrisy of all those who praise and
profess the Gospel with their lips and dishonor it by their disgraceful
lives. In this matter we place before them God's terrible threats and
then his rich promises and generous rewards -- exhorting, consoling and
rebuking.
GOD GIVES A REWARD
FOR GOOD WORKS. For we
teach that God gives a rich reward to those who do good works,
according to that saying of the prophet: "keep your voice from
weeping,...for your work shall be rewarded" (Jer. 31:16; Isa., ch. 4).
The Lord also said in the Gospel: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward
is great in heaven" (Matt. 5:12), and, "Whoever gives to one of these
my little ones a cup of cold water, truly, I say to you, he shall not
lose his reward" (ch. 10:42). However, we do not ascribe this reward,
which the Lord gives, to the merit of the man who receives it, but to
the goodness, generosity and truthfulness of God who promises and gives
it, and who, although he owes nothing to anyone, nevertheless promises
that he will give a reward to his faithful worshippers; meanwhile he
also gives them that they may honor him. Moreover, in the works even of
the saints there is much that is unworthy of God and very much that is
imperfect. But because God receives into favor and embraces those who
do works for Christ's sake, he grants to them the promised reward. For
in other respects our righteousnesses are compared to a filthy wrap
(Isa. 64:6). And the Lord says in the Gospel: "When you have done all
that is commanded you, say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only
done what was our duty" (Like 17:10).
THERE ARE NO
MERITS OF MEN. Therefore,
although we teach that God rewards our good deeds, yet at the same time
we teach, with Augustine, that God does not crown in us our merits but
his gifts. Accordingly we say that whatever reward we receive is also
grace, and is more grace than reward, because the good we do, we do
more through God than through ourselves, and because Paul says: "What
have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you
boast as if you had not received it?" (I Cor. 4:7). And this is what
the blessed martyr Cyprian concluded from this verse: We are not to
glory in anything in us, since nothing is our own. We therefore condemn
those who defend the merits of men in such a way that they invalidate
the grace of God.
CHAPTER XVII
Of The Catholic and Holy Church
of God,
and of The One Only Head of The Church
THE CHURCH HAS
ALWAYS EXISTED AND IT WILL
ALWAYS EXIST. But because God from the beginning would have men to be
saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4), it is
altogether necessary that there always should have been, and should be
now, and to the end of the world, a Church.
WHAT IS THE
CHURCH? The Church is an assembly
of the faithful called or gathered out of the world; a communion, I
say, of all saints, namely, of those who truly know and rightly worship
and serve the true God in Christ the Savior, by the Word and holy
Spirit, and who by faith are partakers of all benefits which are freely
offered through Christ.
CITIZENS OF ONE
COMMONWEALTH. They are all
citizens of the one city, living under the same Lord, under the same
laws and in the same fellowship of all good things. For the apostle
calls them "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God" (Eph. 2:19), calling the faithful on earth saints (I
Cor. 4:1), who are sanctified by the blood of the Son of God. The
article of the Creed, "I believe in the holy catholic Church, the
communion of saints," is to be understood wholly as concerning these
saints.
ONLY ONE CHURCH
FOR ALL TIMES. And since there
is always but one God, and there is one mediator between God and men,
Jesus the Messiah, and one Shepherd of the whole flock, one Head of
this body, and, to conclude, one Spirit, one salvation, one faith, one
Testament or covenant, it necessarily follows that there is only one
Church.
THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH. We, therefore, call this
Church catholic because it is universal, scattered through all parts of
the world, and extended unto all times, and is not limited to any times
or places. Therefore, we condemn the Donatists who confined the Church
to I know not what corners of Africa. Nor do we approve of the Roman
clergy who have recently passed off only the Roman Church as catholic.
PARTS OR FORMS OF
THE CHURCH. The Church is
divided into different parts or forms; not because it is divided or
rent asunder in itself, but rather because it is distinguished by the
diversity of the numbers that are in it.
MILITANT AND
TRIUMPHANT. For the one is called
the Church Militant, the other the Church Triumphant. The former still
wages war on earth, and fights against the flesh, the world, and the
prince of this world, the devil; against sin and death. But the latter,
having been now discharged, triumphs in heaven immediately after having
overcome all those things and rejoices before the Lord. Notwithstanding
both have fellowship and union one with another.
THE PARTICULAR
CHURCH. Moreover, the Church
Militant upon the earth has always had many particular churches. yet
all these are to be referred to the unity of the catholic Church. This
[Militant] Church was set up differently before the Law among the
patriarchs; otherwise under Moses by the Law; and differently by Christ
through the Gospel.
THE TWO PEOPLES.
Generally two peoples are
usually counted, namely, the Israelites and Gentiles, or those who have
been gathered from among Jews and Gentiles into the Church. There are
also two Testaments, the Old and the New.
THE SAME CHURCH
FOR THE OLD AND THE NEW
PEOPLE. Yet from all these people there was and is one fellowship, one
salvation in the one Messiah; in whom, as members of one body under one
Head, all united together in the same faith, partaking also of the same
spiritual food and drink. Yet here we acknowledge a diversity of times,
and a diversity in the signs of the promised and delivered Christ; and
that now the ceremonies being abolished, the light shines unto us more
clearly, and blessings are given to us more abundantly, and a fuller
liberty.
THE CHURCH THE
TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. This
holy Church of God is called the temple of the living God, built of
living and spiritual stones and founded upon a firm rock, upon a
foundation which no other can lay, and therefore it is called "the
pillar and bulwark of the truth" (I Tim. 3:15).
THE CHURCH DOES
NOT ERR. It does not err as
long as it rests upon the rock Christ, and upon the foundation of the
prophets and apostles. And it is no wonder if it errs, as often as it
deserts him who alone is the truth.
THE CHURCH AS
BRIDE AND VIRGIN. This Church is
also called a virgin and the Bride of Christ, and even the only
Beloved. For the apostle says: "I betrothed you to Christ to present
you as a pure bride to Christ" (II Cor. 11:2).
THE CHURCH AS A
FLOCK OF SHEEP. The Church is
called a flock of sheep under the one shepherd, Christ, according to
Ezek., ch. 34, and John, ch. 10.
THE CHURCH AS THE
BODY. It is also called the
body of Christ because the faithful are living members of Christ under
Christ the Head.
CHRIST THE SOLE
HEAD OF THE CHURCH. It is the
head which has the preeminence in the body, and from it the whole body
receives life; by its spirit the body is governed in all things; from
it, also, the body receives increase, that it may grow up. Also, there
is one head of the body, and it is suited to the body. Therefore the
Church cannot have any other head besides Christ. For as the Church is
a spiritual body, so it must also have a spiritual head in harmony with
itself. Neither can it be governed by any other spirit than by the
Spirit of Christ. Wherefore Paul says: "He is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in
everything he might be preeminent" (Col. 1:18). And in another place:
"Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior"
(Eph. 5:23). And again: he is "the head over all things for the church,
which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:22
f.). Also: "We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head,
into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together, makes
bodily growth" (Eph. 4:15 f.). And therefore we do not approve of the
doctrine of the Roman clergy, who make their Pope at Rome the universal
shepherd and supreme head of the Church Militant here on earth, and so
the very vicar of Jesus Christ, who has (as they say) all fulness of
power and sovereign authority in the Church.
CHRIST THE ONLY
PASTOR OF THE CHURCH. For we
teach that Christ the Lord is, and remains the only universal pastor,
and highest Pontiff before God the Father; and that in the Church he
himself performs all the duties of a bishop or pastor, even to the
world's end; [Vicar] and therefore does not need a substitute
for one who is absent. For Christ is present with his Church, and is
its life-giving Head.
NO PRIMACY IN THE
CHURCH. He has strictly
forbidden his apostles and their successors to have any primacy and
dominion in the Church. Who does not see, therefore, that whoever
contradicts and opposes this plain truth is rather to be counted among
the number of those of whom Christ's apostles prophesied: Peter in II
Peter, ch. 2, and Paul in Acts 20:2; II Cor. 11:2; II Thess., ch.2, and
also in other places?
NO DISORDER IN THE
CHURCH. However, by doing
away with a Roman head we do not bring any confusion or disorder into
the Church, since we teach that the government of the Church which the
apostles handed down is sufficient to keep the Church in proper order,
the Church was not disordered or in confusion. The Roman head does
indeed preserve his tyranny and the corruption that has been brought
into the Church, and meanwhile he hinders, resists, and with all the
strength he can muster cuts off the proper reformation of the Church.
DISSENSIONS AND
STRIFE IN THE CHURCH. We are
reproached because there have been manifold dissensions and strife in
our churches since they separated themselves from the Church of Rome,
and therefore cannot be true churches. As though there were never in
the Church of Rome any sects, nor contentions and quarrels concerning
religion, and indeed, carried on not so much in the schools as from
pulpits in the midst of the people. We know, to be sure, that the
apostle said: "God is not a God of confusion but of peace" (I Cor.
14:33), and, "While there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not
of the flesh?" Yet we cannot deny that God was in the apostolic Church
and that it was a true Church, even though there were wranglings and
dissensions in it. The apostle Paul reprehended Peter, an apostle (Gal.
2:11 ff.), and Barnabas dissented from Paul. Great contention arose in
the Church of Antioch between them that preached the one Christ, as
Luke records in The Acts of the Apostles, ch. 15. And there have at all
times been great contentions in the Church, and the most excellent
teachers of the Church have differed among themselves about important
matters without meanwhile the Church ceasing to be the Church because
of these contentions. For thus it pleases God to use the dissensions
that arise in the Church to the glory of his name, to illustrate the
truth, and in order that those who are in the right might be manifest
(I Cor. 11:19).
OF THE NOTES OR
SIGNS OF THE TRUE CHURCH.
Moreover, as we acknowledge no other head of the Church than Christ, so
we do not acknowledge every church to be the true Church which vaunts
herself to be such; but we teach that the true Church is that in which
the signs or marks of the true Church are to be found, especially the
lawful and sincere preaching of the Word of God as it was delivered to
us in the books of the prophets and the apostles, which all lead us
unto Christ, who said in the Gospel: "My sheep hear me voice, and I
know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life. A
stranger they do not follow, but they flee from him, for they do not
know the voice of strangers" (John 10:5, 27, 28).
And those who are
such in the Church have one
faith and one spirit; and therefore they worship but one God, and him
alone they worship in spirit and in truth, loving him alone with all
their hearts and with all their strength, praying unto him alone
through Jesus Christ, the only Mediator and Intercessor; and they do
not seek righteousness and life outside Christ and faith in him.
Because they acknowledge Christ the only head and foundation of the
Church, and, resting on him, daily renew themselves by repentance, and
patiently bear the cross laid upon them. Moreover, joined together with
all the members of Christ by an unfeigned love, they show that they are
Christ's disciples by persevering in the bond of peace and holy unity.
At the same time they participate in the sacraments instituted by
Christ, and delivered unto us by his apostles, using them in no other
way than as they received them from the Lord. That saying of the
apostle Paul is well known to all: "I received from the Lord what I
also delivered to you" (I Cor. 11:23 ff.). Accordingly, we condemn all
such churches as strangers from the true Church of Christ, which are
not such as we have heard they ought to be, no matter how much they
brag of a succession of bishops, of unity, and of antiquity. Moreover,
we have a charge from the apostles of Christ "ti shun the worship of
idols" (I Cor. 10:14; I John 5:21), and "to come out of Babylon," and
to have no fellowship with her, unless we want to be partakers with her
of all God's plagues (Rev. 18:4; II Cor. 6:17).
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
OF GOD THERE IS NO
SALVATION. But we esteem fellowship with the true Church of Christ so
highly that we deny that those can live before God who do not stand in
fellowship with the true Church of God, but separate themselves from
it. For as there was no salvation outside Noah's ark when the world
perished in flood; so we believe that there is no certain salvation
outside Christ, who offers himself to be enjoyed by the elect in the
Church; and hence we teach that those who wish to live ought not to be
separated from the true Church of Christ.
THE CHURCH IS NOT
BOUND TO ITS SIGNS.
Nevertheless, by the signs [of the true Church] mentioned above, we do
not so narrowly restrict the Church as to teach that all those are
outside the Church who either do not participate in the sacraments, at
least not willingly and through contempt, but rather, being forced by
necessity, unwillingly abstain from them or are deprived of them; or in
whom faith sometimes fails, though it is not entirely extinguished and
does not wholly cease; or in whom imperfections and errors due to
weakness are found. For we know that God had some friends in the world
outside the commonwealth of Israel. We know what befell the people of
God in the captivity of Babylon, where they were deprived of their
sacrifices for seventy years. We know what happened to St. Peter, who
denied his Master, and what is wont to happen daily to God's elect and
faithful people who go astray and are weak. We know, moreover, what
kind of churches the churches in Galatia and Corinth were in the
apostles' time, in which the apostle found fault with many serious
offenses; yet he calls them holy churches of Christ (I Cor. 1:2; Gal.
1:2).
THE CHURCH APPEARS
AT TIMES TO BE EXTINCT.
Yes, and it sometimes happens that God in his just judgment allows the
truth of his Word, and the catholic faith, and the proper worship of
God to be so obscured and overthrown that the Church seems almost
extinct, and no more to exist, as we see to have happened in the days
of Elijah (I Kings 19:10, 14), and at other times. Meanwhile God has in
this world and in this darkness his true worshippers, and those not a
few, but even seven thousand and more (I Kings 19:18; Rev. 7:3 ff.).
For the apostle exclaims: "God's firm foundation stands, bearing this
seal, `The Lord knows those who are his,' " etc. (II Tim. 2:19). Whence
the Church of God may be termed invisible; not because the men from
whom the Church is gathered are invisible, but because, being hidden
from our eyes and known only to God, it often secretly escapes human
judgment.
NOT ALL WHO ARE IN
THE CHURCH ARE OF THE
CHURCH. Again, not all that are reckoned in the number of the Church
are saints, and living and true members of the Church. For there are
many hypocrites, who outwardly hear the Word of God, and publicly
receive the sacraments, and seem to pray to God through Christ alone,
to confess Christ to be their only righteousness, and to worship God,
and to exercise the duties of charity, and for a time to endure with
patience in misfortune. And yet they are inwardly destitute of true
illumination of the Spirit, of faith and sincerity of heart, and of
perseverance to the end. But eventually the character of these men, for
the most part, will be disclosed. For the apostle John says: "They went
out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they
would indeed have continued with us" (I John 2:19). And although while
they simulate piety they are not of the Church, yet they are considered
to be in the Church, just as traitors in a state are numbered among its
citizens before they are discovered; and as the tares or darnel and
chaff are found among the wheat, and as swellings and tumors are found
in a sound body, And therefore the Church of God is rightly compared to
a net which catches fish of all kinds, and to a field, in which both
wheat and tares are found (Matt. 13:24 ff., 47 ff.).
WE MUST NOT JUDGE
RASHLY OR PREMATURELY. Hence
we must be very careful not to judge before the time, nor undertake to
exclude, reject or cut off those whom the Lord does not want to have
excluded or rejected, and those whom we cannot eliminate without loss
to the Church. On the other hand, we must be vigilant lest while the
pious snore the wicked gain ground and do harm to the Church.
THE UNITY OF THE
CHURCH IS NOT IN EXTERNAL
RITES. Furthermore, we diligently teach that care is to be taken
wherein the truth and unity of the Church chiefly lies, lest we rashly
provoke and foster schisms in the Church. Unity consists not in outward
rites and ceremonies, but rather in the truth and unity of the catholic
faith. The catholic faith is not given to us by human laws, but by Holy
Scriptures, of which the Apostles' Creed is a compendium. And,
therefore, we read in the ancient writers that there was a manifold
diversity of rites, but that they were free, and no one ever thought
that the unity of the Church was thereby dissolved. So we teach that
the true harmony of the Church consists in doctrines and in the true
and harmonious preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and in rites that
have been expressly delivered by the Lord. And here we especially urge
that saying of the apostle: "Let those of us who are perfect have this
mind; and if in any thing you are otherwise minded, God will reveal
that also to you. Nevertheless let us walk by the same rule according
to what we have attained, and let us be of the same mind" (Phil. 3:15
f.).
CHAPTER XVIII
Of The Ministers of The Church,
Their Institution and Duties
GOD USES MINISTERS
IN THE BUILDING OF THE
CHURCH. God has always used ministers for the gathering or establishing
of a Church for himself, and for the governing and preservation of the
same; and still he does, and always will, use them so long as the
Church remains on earth. Therefore, the first beginning, institution,
and office of ministers is a most ancient arrangement of God himself,
and not a new one of men.
INSTITUTION AND
ORIGIN OF MINISTERS. It is
true that God can, by his power, without any means join to himself a
Church from among men; but he preferred to deal with men by the
ministry of men. Therefore ministers are to be regarded, not as
ministers by themselves alone, but as the ministers of God, inasmuch as
God effects the salvation of men through them.
THE MINISTRY IS
NOT TO BE DESPISED. Hence we
warn men to beware lest we attribute what has to do with our conversion
and instruction to the secret power of the Holy Spirit in such a way
that we make void the ecclesiastical ministry. For it is fitting that
we always have in mind the words of the apostle: "How are they to
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear
without a preacher? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes by
the word of God" (Rom. 10: 14, 17). And also what the Lord said in the
Gospel: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I
send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me"
(John 13:20). Likewise a man of Macedonia, who appeared to Paul in a
vision while he was in Asia, secretly admonished him, saying: "Come
over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). And in another place the
same apostle said: "We are fellow workmen for God; you are God's
tillage, God's building" (I Cor. 3:9).
Yet, on the other
hand, we must beware that we
do not attribute too much to ministers and the ministry; remembering
here also the words of the Lord in the Gospel: "No one can come to me
unless my Father draws him" (John 6:44), and the words of the apostle:
"What then is Paul? What is Apollos? Servants through whom you
believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but
only God gives the growth" (I Cor. 3:5 ff.).
GOD MOVES THE
HEARTS OF MEN. Therefore, let us
believe that God teaches us by his word, outwardly through his
ministers, and inwardly moves the hearts of his elect to faith by the
Holy Spirit; and that therefore we ought to render all glory unto God
for this whole favor. But this matter has been dealt with in the first
chapter of this Exposition.
WHO THE MINISTERS
ARE AND OF WHAT SORT GOD HAS
GIVEN TO THE WORLD. And even from the beginning of the world God has
used the most excellent men in the whole world (even if many of them
were simple in worldly wisdom or philosophy, but were outstanding in
true theology), namely, the patriarchs, with whom he frequently spike
by angels. For the patriarchs were the prophets or teachers of their
age whom God for this reason wanted to live for several centuries, in
order that they might be, as it were, fathers and lights of the world.
They were followed by Moses and the prophets renowned throughout all
the world.
CHRIST THE
TEACHER. After these the heavenly
Father even sent his only-begotten Son, the most perfect teacher of the
world; in whom is hidden the wisdom of God, and which has come to us
through the most holy, simple, and most perfect doctrine of all. For he
chose disciples for himself whom he made apostles. These went out into
the whole world, and everywhere gathered together churches by the
preaching of the Gospel, and then throughout all the churches in the
world they appointed pastors or teachers according to Christ's command;
through their successors he has taught and governed the Church unto
this day. Therefore, as God gave unto his ancient people the
patriarchs, together with Moses and the prophets, so also to his people
of the New Testament he sent his only-begotten Son, and, with him, the
apostles and teachers of the Church.
MINISTERS OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT. Furthermore,
the ministers of the new people are called by various names. For they
are called apostles, prophets, evangelists, bishops, elders, pastors,
and teachers (I Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).
THE APOSTLES. The
apostles did not stay in any
particular place, but throughout the world gathered together different
churches. When they were once established, there ceased to be apostles,
and pastors took their place, each in his church.
PROPHETS. In
former times the prophets were
seers, knowing the future; but they also interpreted the Scriptures.
Such men are also found still today.
EVANGELISTS. The
writers of the history of the
Gospel were called Evangelists; but they also were heralds of the
Gospel of Christ; as Paul also commended Timothy: "Do the work of an
evangelist" (II Tim. 4:5).
BISHOPS. Bishops
are the overseers and
watchmen of the Church, who administer the food and needs of the life
of the Church.
PRESBYTERS. The
presbyters are the elders and,
as it were, senators and fathers of the Church, governing it with
wholesome counsel.
PASTORS The
pastors both keep the Lord's
sheepfold, and also provide for its needs.
TEACHERS. The
teachers instruct and teach the
true faith and godliness. Therefore, the ministers of the churches may
now be called bishops, elders, pastors, and teachers.
PAPAL ORDERS. Then
in subsequent times many
more names of ministers in the Church were introduced into the Church
of God. For some were appointed patriarchs, others archbishops, others
suffragans; also, metropolitans, archdeacons, deacons, subdeacons,
acolytes, exorcists, cantors, porters, and I know not what others, as
cardinals, provosts, and priors; greater and lesser fathers, greater
and lesser orders. But we are not troubled about all these about how
they once were and are now. For us the apostolic doctrine concerning
ministers is sufficient.
CONCERNING MONKS.
Since we assuredly know that
monks, and the orders or sects of monks, are instituted neither by
Christ nor by the apostles, we teach that they are of no use to the
Church of God, nay rather, are pernicious. For, although in former
times they were tolerable (when they were hermits, earning their living
with their own hands, and were not a burden to anyone, but like the
laity were everywhere obedient to the pastors of the churches), yet now
the whole world sees and knows what they are like. They formulate I
know not what vows; but they lead a life quite contrary to their vows,
so that the best of them deserves to be numbered among those of whom
the apostle said: "We hear that some of you are living an irregular
life, mere busybodies, not doing any work" etc. (II Thess. 3:11).
Therefore, we neither have such in our churches, nor do we teach that
they should be in the churches of Christ.
MINISTERS ARE TO
BE CALLED AND ELECTED.
Furthermore, no man ought to usurp the honor of the ecclesiastical
ministry; that is, to seize it for himself by bribery or any deceits,
or by his own free choice. But let the ministers of the Church be
called and chosen by lawful and ecclesiastical election; that is to
say, let them be carefully chosen by the Church or by those delegated
from the Church for that purpose in a proper order without any uproar,
dissension and rivalry. Not any one may be elected, but capable men
distinguished by sufficient consecrated learning, pious eloquence,
simple wisdom, lastly, by moderation and an honorable reputation,
according to that apostolic rule which is compiled by the apostle in I
Tim., ch. 3, and Titus, ch. 1.
ORDINATION. And
those who are elected are to
be ordained by the elders with public prayer and laying on of hands.
Here we condemn all those who go off of their own accord, being nether
chosen, sent, nor ordained (Jer., ch. 23). We condemn unfit ministers
and those not furnished with the necessary gifts of a pastor.
In the meantime we
acknowledge that the
harmless simplicity of some pastors in the primitive Church sometimes
profited the Church more than the many-sided, refined and fastidious,
but a little too esoteric learning of others. For this reason we do not
reject even today the honest, yet by no means ignorant, simplicity of
some.
PRIESTHOOD OF ALL
BELIEVERS. To be sure,
Christ's apostles call all who believe in Christ "priests," but not on
account of an office, but because, all the faithful having been made
kings and priests, we are able to offer up a spiritual sacrifices to
God through Christ (Ex. 19:6; I Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6). Therefore, the
priesthood and the ministry are very different from one another. For
the priesthood, as we have just said, is common to all Christians; not
so is the ministry. Nor have we abolished the ministry of the Church
because we have repudiated the papal priesthood from the Church of
Christ.
PRIESTS AND
PRIESTHOOD. Surely in the new
covenant of Christ there is no longer any such priesthood as was under
the ancient people; which had an external anointing, holy garments, and
very many ceremonies which were types of Christ, who abolished them all
by this coming and fulfilling them. But he himself remains the only
priest forever, and lest we derogate anything form him, we do not
impart the name of priest to any minister. For the Lord himself did not
appoint any priests in the Church of the New Testament who, having
received authority from the suffragan, may daily offer up the sacrifice
that is, the very flesh and blood of the Lord, for the living and the
dead, but ministers who may teach and administer the sacraments.
THE NATURE OF THE
MINISTERS OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT. Paul explains simply and briefly what we are to think of the
ministers of the New Testament or of the Christian Church, and what we
are to attribute to them. "This is how one should regard us, as
servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" II Cor. 4:1).
Therefore, the apostle wants us to think of ministers as ministers. Now
the apostle calls them rowers, who have their eyes fixed on the
coxswain, and so men who do not live for themselves or according to
their own will, but for others--namely, their masters, upon whose
command they altogether depend. For in all his duties every minister of
the Church is commanded to carry out only what he has received in
commandment from his Lord, and not to indulge his own free choice. And
in this case it is expressly declared who is the Lord, namely, Christ;
to whom the ministers are subject in all the affairs of the ministry.
MINISTERS AS
STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD.
Moreover, to the end that he might expound the ministry more fully, the
apostle adds that ministers of the Church are administrators and
stewards of the mysteries of God. Now in may passages, especially in
Eph., ch. 3, Paul called the mysteries of God the Gospel of Christ. And
the sacraments of Christ are also called mysteries by the ancient
writers. Therefore for this purpose are the ministers of the Church
called--namely, to preach the Gospel of Christ to the faithful, and to
administer the sacraments. We read, also, in another place in the
Gospel, of "the faithful and wise steward," whom "his master will set
over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper
time" (Luke 12:42). Again, elsewhere in the Gospel a man takes a
journey in a foreign country and, leaving his house, gives his
substance and authority over it to his servants, and to each his work.
THE POWER OF
MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH. Now,
therefore, it is fitting that we also say something about the power and
duty of the ministers of the Church. Concerning this power some have
argued industriously, and to it have subjected everything on earth,
even the greatest things, and they have done so contrary to the
commandment of the Lord who has prohibited dominion for this disciples
and has highly commended humility (Luke 22:24 ff.; Matt. 18:3 f.; 20:25
ff.). There is, indeed, another power that is pure and absolute, which
is called the power of right. According to this power all things in the
whole world are subject to Christ, who is Lord of all, as he himself
has testified when he said: "All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me" (Matt. 28:18), and again, "I am the first and the
last, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Hades
and Death" (Rev. 1:18); also, "He has the key of David, which opens and
no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens" (Rev. 3:7).
THE LORD RESERVES
TRUE POWER FOR HIMSELF. This
power the Lord reserves to himself, and does not transfer it to any
other, so that he might stand idly by as a spectator while his
ministers work. For Isaiah says, "I will place on his shoulder the key
of the house of David" (Isa. 22:22), and again, "The government will be
upon his shoulders, but still keeps and uses his own power, governing
all things.
THE POWER OF THE
OFFICE AND OF THE MINISTER.
Then there is another power of an office or of ministry limited by him
who has full and absolute power. And this is more like a service than a
dominion.
THE KEYS. For a
lord gives up his power to the
steward in his house, and for that cause gives him the keys, that he
may admit into or exclude from the house those whom his lord will have
admitted or excluded. In virtue of this power the minister, because of
his office, does that which the Lord has commanded him to do; and the
Lord confirms what he does, and wills that what his servant has done
will be so regarded and acknowledges, as if he himself had done it.
Undoubtedly, it is to this that these evangelical sentences refer: "I
will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19). Again, "If you forgive the
sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained" (John 20:23). But if the minister does not carry out
everything as the Lord has commanded him, but transgresses the bounds
of faith, then the Lord certainly makes void what he has done.
Wherefore the ecclesiastical power of the ministers of the Church is
that function whereby they indeed govern the Church of God, but yet se
do all things in the Church as the Lord has prescribed in his Word.
When those things are done, the faithful esteem them as done by the
Lord himself. But mention has already been made of the keys above.
THE POWER OF
MINISTERS IS ONE AND THE SAME,
AND EQUAL. Now the one and an equal power or function is given to all
ministers in the Church. Certainly, in the beginning, the bishops or
presbyters governed the Church in common; no man lifted up himself
above another, none usurped greater power or authority over his
fellow-bishops. For remembering the words of the Lord: "Let the leader
among you become as one who serves" (Luke 22:26), they kept themselves
in humility, and by mutual services they helped one another in the
governing and preserving of the Church.
ORDER TO BE
PRESERVED. Nevertheless, for the
sake of preserving order some one of the ministers called the assembly
together, proposed matters to be laid before it, gathered the opinions
of the others, in short, to the best of man's ability took precaution
lest any confusion should arise. Thus did St. Peter, as we read in The
Acts of the Apostles, who nevertheless was not on that account
preferred to the others, nor endowed with greater authority than the
rest. Rightly then does Cyprian the Martyr say, in his De
Simplicitate Clericorum: "The other apostles were assuredly what
Peter was, endowed with a like fellowship of honor and power; but [his]
primacy proceeds from unity in order that the Church may be shown to be
one."
WHEN AND HOW ONE
WAS PLACED BEFORE THE OTHERS.
St. Jerome also in his commentary upon The Epistle of Paul to Titus,
says something not unlike this: "Before attachment to persons in
religion was begun at the instigation of the devil, the churches were
governed by the common consultation of the elders; but after every one
thought that those whom he had baptized were his own, and not Christ's,
it was decreed that one of the elders should be chosen, and set over
the rest, upon whom should fall the care of the whole Church, and all
schismatic seeds should be removed." Yet St. Jerome does not recommend
this decree as divine; for he immediately adds: "As the elders knew
from the custom of the Church that they were subject to him who was set
over them, so the bishops knew that they were subject to him who was
set over them, so the bishops knew that they were above the elders,
more from custom than from the truth of an arrangement by the Lord, and
that they ought to rule the Church in common with them." Thus far St.
Jerome. Hence no one can rightly forbid a return to the ancient
constitution of the Church of God, and to have recourse to it before
human custom.
THE DUTIES OF
MINISTERS. The duties of
ministers are various; yet for the most part they are restricted to
two, in which all the rest are comprehended: to the teaching of the
Gospel of Christ, and to the proper administration of the sacraments.
For it is the duty of the ministers to gather together an assembly for
worship in which to expound God's Word and to apply the whole doctrine
to the care and use of the Church, so that what is taught may benefit
the hearers and edify the faithful It falls to ministers, I say, to
teach the ignorant, and to exhort; and to urge the idlers and lingerers
to make progress in the way of the Lord. Moreover, they are to comfort
and to strengthen the fainthearted, and to arm them against the
manifold temptations of Satan; to rebuke offenders; to recall the
erring into the way; to raise the fallen; to convince the gainsayers to
drive the wolf away from the sheepfold of the Lord; to rebuke
wickedness and wicked men wisely and severely; no to wink at nor to
pass over great wickedness. And, besides, they are to administer the
sacraments, and to commend the right use of them, and to prepare all
men by wholesome doctrine to receive them; to preserve the faithful in
a holy unity; and to check schisms; to catechize the unlearned, to
commend the needs of the poor to the Church, to visit, instruct, and
keep in the way of life the sick and those afflicted with various
temptations. In addition, they are to attend to public prayers of
supplications in times of need, together with common fasting, that is,
a holy abstinence; and as diligently as possible to see to everything
that pertains to the tranquility, peace and welfare of the churches.
But in order that
the minister may perform all
these things better and more easily, it is especially required of him
that he fear God, be constant in prayer, attend to spiritual reading,
and in all things and at all times be watchful, and by a purity of life
to let his light to shine before all men.
DISCIPLINE. And
since discipline is an
absolute necessity in the Church and excommunication was once used in
the time of the early fathers, and there were ecclesiastical judgments
among the people of God, wherein this discipline was exercised by wise
and godly men, it also falls to ministers to regulate this discipline
for edification, according to the circumstances of the time, public
state, and necessity. At all times and in all places the tule is to be
observed that everything is to be done for edification, decently and
honorably, without oppression and strife. For the apostle testifies
that authority in the Church was given to him by the Lord for building
up and not for destroying (II Cor. 10:8). And the Lord himself forbade
the weeds to be plucked up in the Lord's field, because there would be
danger lest the wheat also be plucked up with it (Matt. 13:29 f.).
EVEN EVIL
MINISTERS ARE TO BE HEARD. Moreover,
we strongly detest the error of the Donatists who esteem the doctrine
and administration of the sacraments to be either effectual or not
effectual, according to the good or evil life of the ministers. For we
know that the voice of Christ is to be heard, though it be out of the
mouths of evil ministers; because the Lord himself said: "Practice and
observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do" (Matt. 23:3). We
know that the sacraments are sanctified by the institution and the word
of Christ, and that they are effectual to the godly, although they be
administered by unworthy ministers. Concerning this matter, Augustine,
the blessed servant of God, many times argued from the Scriptures
against the Donatists.
SYNODS.
Nevertheless, there ought to be proper
discipline among ministers. In synods the doctrine and life of
ministers is to be carefully examined. Offenders who can be cured are
to be rebuked by the elders and restored to the right way, and if they
are incurable, they are to be deposed, and like wolves driven away from
he flock of the Lord by the true shepherds. For, if they be false
teachers, they are not to be tolerated at all. Neither do we disapprove
of ecumenical councils, if they are convened according to the example
of the apostles, for the welfare of the Church and not for its
destruction.
THE WORKER IS
WORTHY OF HIS REWARD. All
faithful ministers, as good workmen, are also worthy of their reward,
and do not sin when they receive a stipend, and all things that be
necessary for themselves and their family. For the apostle shows in I
Cor., ch. 9, and in I Tim., ch. 5, and elsewhere that these things may
rightly be given by the Church and received by ministers. The
Anabaptists, who condemn and defame ministers who live from their
ministry are also refuted by the apostolic teaching.
CHAPTER XIX
Of the Sacraments of the Church
of Christ
THE SACRAMENTS
[ARE] ADDED TO THE WORD AND
WHAT THEY ARE. From the beginning, God added to the preaching of his
Word in his Church sacraments or sacramental signs. For thus does all
Holy Scripture clearly testify. Sacraments are mystical symbols, or
holy rites, or sacred actions, instituted by God himself, consisting of
his Word, of signs and of things signified, whereby in the Church he
keeps in mind and from time to time recalls the great benefits he has
shown to men; whereby also he seals his promises, and outwardly
represents, and, as it were, offers unto our sight those things which
inwardly he performs for us, and so strengthens and increases our faith
through the working of God's Spirit in our hearts. Lastly, he thereby
distinguishes us from all other people and religions, and consecrates
and binds us wholly to himself, and signifies what he requires of us.
SOME ARE
SACRAMENTS OF THE OLD, OTHERS OF THE
NEW, TESTAMENTS. Some sacraments are of the old, others of the new,
people. The sacraments of the ancient people were circumcision, and the
Paschal Lamb, which was offered up; for that reason it is referred to
the sacrifices which were practiced from the beginning of the world.
THE NUMBER OF
SACRAMENTS OF THE NEW PEOPLE.
The sacraments of the new people are Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
There are some who count seven sacraments of the new people. Of these
we acknowledge that repentance. the ordination of ministers (not indeed
the papal but apostolic ordination), and matrimony are profitable
ordinances of God, but not sacraments. Confirmation and extreme unction
are human inventions which the Church can dispense with without any
loss, and indeed, we do not have them in our churches. For they contain
some things of which we can by no means approve. Above all we detest
all the trafficking in which the Papists engage in dispensing the
sacraments.
THE AUTHOR OF THE
SACRAMENTS. The author of
all sacraments is not any man, but God alone. Men cannot institute
sacraments. For they pertain to the worship of God, and it is not for
man to appoint and prescribe a worship of God, but to accept and
preserve the one he has received from God. Besides, the symbols have
God's promises annexed to them, which require faith. Now faith rests
only upon the Word of God; and the Word of God is like papers or
letters, and the sacraments are like seals which only God appends to
the letters.
CHRIST STILL WORKS
IN SACRAMENTS. And as God
is the author of the sacraments, so he continually works in the Church
in which they are rightly carried out; so that the faithful, when they
receive them from the ministers, know that God works in his own
ordinance, and therefore they receive them as from the hand of God; and
the minister's faults (even if they be very great) cannot affect them,
since they acknowledge the integrity of the sacraments to depend upon
the institution of the Lord.
THE SUBSTANCE OR
CHIEF THING IN THE
SACRAMENTS. But the principal thing which God promises in all
sacraments and to which all the godly in all ages direct their
attention (some call it the substance and matter of sacraments) is
Christ the Savior -- that only sacrifice, and that Lamb of God slain
from the foundation of the world; that rock, also, from which all our
fathers drank, by whom all the elect are circumcised without hands
through the Holy Spirit, and are washed from all their sins, and are
nourished with the very body and blood of Christ unto eternal life.
THE SIMILARITY AND
DIFFERENCE IN THE
SACRAMENTS OF OLD AND NEW PEOPLES. Now, in respect of that which is the
principal thing and the matter itself in the sacraments, the sacraments
of both peoples are equal. For Christ, the only Mediator and Savior of
the faithful, is the chief thing and very substance of the sacraments
in both; for the one God is the author of them both. They were given to
both peoples as signs and seals of the grace and promises of God, which
should call to mind and renew the memory of God's great benefits, and
should distinguish the faithful from all the religions in the world;
lastly, which should be received spiritually by faith, and should bind
the receivers to the Church, and admonish them of their duty. In these
and similar respects, I say, the sacraments of both peoples are not
dissimilar, although in the outward signs they are different. And,
indeed, with respect to the signs we make a great difference. For ours
are more firm and lasting, inasmuch as they will never be changed to
the end of the world. Moreover, ours testify that both the substance
and the promise have been fulfilled or perfected in Christ; the former
signified what was to be fulfilled. Ours are also more simple and less
laborious, less sumptuous and involved with ceremonies. Moreover, they
belong to a more numerous people. one that is dispersed throughout the
whole earth. And since they are more excellent, and by the Holy Spirit
kindle greater faith, a greater abundance of the Spirit also ensues.
OUR SACRAMENTS
SUCCEED THE OLD WHICH ARE
ABROGATED. But now since Christ the true Messiah is exhibited unto us,
and the abundance of grace is poured forth upon the people of The New
Testament, the sacraments of the old people are surely abrogated and
have ceased; and in their stead the symbols of the New Testament are
placed -- Baptism in the place of circumcision, the Lord's Supper in
place of the Paschal Lamb and sacrifices.
IN WHAT THE
SACRAMENTS CONSIST. And as
formerly the sacraments consisted of the word, the sign, and the thing
signified; so even now they are composed, as it were, of the same
parts. For the Word of God makes them sacraments, which before they
were not.
THE CONSECRATION
OF THE SACRAMENTS. For they
are consecrated by the Word, and shown to be sanctified by him who
instituted them. To sanctify or consecrate anything to God is to
dedicate it to holy uses; that is, to take it from the common and
ordinary use, and to appoint it to a holy use. For the signs in the
sacraments are drawn from common use, things external and visible. For
in baptism the sign is the element of water, and that visible washing
which is done by the minister; but the thing signified is regeneration
and the cleansing from sins. Likewise, in the Lord's Supper, the
outward sign is bread and wine, taken from things commonly used for
meat and drink; but the thing signified is the body of Christ which was
given, and his blood which was shed for us, or the communion of the
body and blood of the Lord. Wherefore, the water, bread, and wine,
according to their nature and apart from the divine institution and
sacred use, are only that which they are called and we experience. But
when the Word of God is added to them, together with invocation of the
divine name, and the renewing of their first institution and
sanctification, then these signs are consecrated, and shown to be
sanctified by Christ. For Christ's first institution and consecration
of the sacraments remains always effectual in the Church of God, so
that these who do not celebrate the sacraments in any other way than
the Lord himself instituted from the beginning still today enjoy that
first and all-surpassing consecration. And hence in the celebration of
the sacraments the very words of Christ are repeated.
SIGNS TAKE NAME OF
THINGS SIGNIFIED. And as we
learn out of the Word of God that these signs were instituted for
another purpose than the usual use, therefore we teach that they now,
in their holy use, take upon them the names of things signified, and
are no longer called mere water, bread or wine, but also regeneration
or the washing of water, and the body and blood of the Lord or symbols
and sacraments of the Lord's body and blood. Not that the symbols are
changed into the things signified, or cease to be what they are in
their own nature. For otherwise they world not be sacraments. If they
were only the thing signified, they would not be signs.
THE SACRAMENTAL
UNION. Therefore the signs
acquire the names of things because they are mystical signs of sacred
things, and because the signs and the things signified are
sacramentally joined together; joined together, I say, or united by a
mystical signification, and by the purpose or will of him who
instituted the sacraments. For the water, bread, and wine are not
common, but holy signs. And he that instituted water in baptism did not
institute it with the will and intention that the faithful should only
be sprinkled by the water of baptism; and he who commanded the bread to
be eaten and the wine to be drunk in the supper did not want the
faithful to receive only bread and wine without any mystery as they eat
bread in their homes; but that they should spiritually partake of the
things signified, and by faith be truly cleansed from their sins, and
partake of Christ.
THE SECTS. And,
therefore, we do not at all
approve of those who attribute the sanctification of the sacraments to
I know not what properties and formula or to the power of words
pronounced by one who is consecrated and who has the intention of
consecrating, and to other accidental things which neither Christ or
the apostles delivered to us by word or example. Neither do we approve
of the doctrine of those who speak of the sacraments just as common
signs, not sanctified and effectual. Nor do we approve of those who
despise the visible aspect of the sacraments because of the invisible,
and so believe the signs to be superfluous because they think they
already enjoy the things themselves, as the Messalians are said to have
held.
THE THING
SIGNIFIED IS NEITHER INCLUDED IN OR
BOUND TO THE SACRAMENTS. We do not approve of the doctrine of those who
teach that grace and the things signified are so bound to and included
in the signs that whoever participate outwardly in the signs, no matter
what sort of persons they be, also inwardly participate in the grace
and things signified.
However, as we do
not estimate the value of
the sacraments by the worthiness or unworthiness of the ministers, so
we do not estimate it by the condition of those who receive them. For
we know that the value of the sacraments depends upon faith and upon
the truthfulness and pure goodness of God. For as the Word of God
remains the true Word of God, in which, when it is preached, not only
bare words are repeated, but at the same time the things signified or
announced in words are offered by God, even if the ungodly and
unbelievers hear and understand the words yet do not enjoy the things
signified, because they do not receive them by true faith; so the
sacraments, which by the Word consist of signs and the things
signified, remain true and inviolate sacraments, signifying not only
sacred things, but, by God offering, the things signified, even if
unbelievers do not receive the things offered. This is not the fault of
God who gives and offers them, but the fault of men who receive them
without faith and illegitimately; but whose unbelief does not
invalidate the faithfulness of God (Rom. 3:3 f.).
THE PURPOSE FOR
WHICH SACRAMENTS WERE
INSTITUTED. Since the purpose for which sacraments were instituted was
also explained in passing when right at the beginning of our exposition
it was shown what sacraments are, there is no need to be tedious by
repeating what once has been said. Logically, therefore, we now speak
severally of the sacraments of the new people.
CHAPTER XX
Of Holy Baptism
THE INSTITUTION OF
BAPTISM. Baptism was
instituted and consecrated by God. First John baptized, who dipped
Christ in the water in Jordan. From him it came to the apostles, who
also baptized with water. The Lord expressly commanded them to preach
the Gospel and to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). And in The Acts, Peter said to the
Jews who inquired what they ought to do: "Be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:37 f.). Hence by
some baptism is called a sign of initiation for God's people, since by
it the elect of God are consecrated to God.
ONE BAPTISM. There
is but one baptism in the
Church of God; and it is sufficient to be once baptized or consecrated
unto God. For baptism once received continues for all of life, and is a
perpetual sealing of our adoption.
WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE BAPTIZED. Now to be
baptized in the name of Christ is to be enrolled, entered, and received
into the covenant and family, and so into the inheritance of the sons
of God; yes, and in this life to be called after the name of God; that
is to say, to be called a son of God; to be cleansed also from the
filthiness of sins, and to be granted the manifold grace of God, in
order to lead a new and innocent life. Baptism, therefore, calls to
mind and renews the great favor God has shown to the race of mortal
men. For we are all born in the pollution of sin and are the children
of wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy, freely cleanses us from our
sins by the blood of his Son, and in him adopts us to be his sons, and
by a holy covenant joins us to himself, and enriches us with various
gifts, that we might live a new life. All these things are assured by
baptism. For inwardly we are regenerated, purified, and renewed by God
through the Holy Spirit and outwardly we receive the assurance of the
greatest gifts in the water, by which also those great benefits are
represented, and, as it were, set before our eyes to be beheld.
WE ARE BAPTIZED
WITH WATER. And therefore we
are baptized, that is, washed or sprinkled with visible water. For the
water washes dirt away, and cools and refreshes hot and tired bodies.
And the grace of God performs these things for souls, and does so
invisibly or spiritually.
THE OBLIGATION OF
BAPTISM. Moreover, God also
separates us from all strange religions and peoples by the symbol of
baptism, and consecrates us to himself as his property. We, therefore,
confess our faith when we are baptized, and obligate ourselves to God
for obedience, mortification of the flesh, and newness of life. Hence,
we are enlisted in the holy military service of Christ that all our
life long we should fight against the world, Satan, and our own flesh.
Moreover, we are baptized into one body of the Church, that with all
members of the Church we might beautifully concur in the one religion
and in mutual services.
THE FORM OF
BAPTISM. We believe that the most
perfect form of baptism is that by which Christ was baptized, and by
which the apostles baptized. Those things, therefore, which by man's
device were added afterwards and used in the Church we do not consider
necessary to the perfection of baptism. Of this kind is exorcism, the
use of burning lights, oil, salt, spittle, and such other things as
that baptism is to be celebrated twice every year with a multitude of
ceremonies. For we believe that one baptism of the Church has been
sanctified in God's first institution, and that it is consecrated by
the Word and is also effectual today in virtue of God's first blessing.
THE MINISTER OF
BAPTISM. We teach that baptism
should not be administered in the Church by women or midwives. For Paul
deprived women of ecclesiastical duties, and baptism has to do with
these.
ANABAPTISTS. We
condemn the Anabaptists, who
deny that newborn infants of the faithful are to be baptized. For
according to evangelical teaching, of such is the Kingdom of God, and
they are in the covenant of God. Why, then, should the sign of God's
covenant not be given to them? Whey should those who belong to God and
are in his Church not be initiated by holy baptism? We condemn also the
Anabaptists in the rest of their peculiar doctrines which they hold
contrary to the Word of God. We therefore are not Anabaptists and have
nothing in common with them.
CHAPTER XXI
Of the Holy Supper of the Lord
THE SUPPER OF THE
LORD. The Supper of the Lord
(which is called the Lord's Table, and the Eucharist, that is, a
Thanksgiving), is, therefore, usually called a supper, because it was
instituted by Christ at this last supper, and still represents it, and
because in it the faithful are spiritually fed and given drink.
THE AUTHOR AND
CONSECRATOR OF THE SUPPER. For
the author of the Supper of the Lord is not an angel or any man, but
the Son of God himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, who first consecrated it
to his Church. And the same consecration or blessing still remains
among all those who celebrate no other but that very Supper which the
Lord instituted, and at which they repeat the words of the Lord's
Supper, and in all things look to the one Christ by a true faith, from
whose hands they receive, as it were, what they receive through the
ministry of the ministers of the Church.
A MEMORIAL OF
GOD'S BENEFITS. By this sacred
rite the Lord wishes to keep in fresh remembrance that greatest benefit
which he showed to mortal men, namely, that by having given his body
and shed his blood he has pardoned all our sins, and redeemed us from
eternal death and the power of the devil, and now feeds us with his
flesh, and gives us his blood to drink, which, being received
spiritually by true faith, nourish us to eternal life. And this so
great a benefit is renewed as often as the Lord's Supper is celebrated.
For the Lord said: "Do this in remembrance of me." This holy Supper
also seals to us that the very body of Christ was truly given for us,
and his blood shed for the remission of our sins, lest our faith should
in any way waver.
THE SIGN AND THING
SIGNIFIED. And this is
visibly represented by this sacrament outwardly through the ministers,
and, as it were, presented to out eyes to be seen, which is invisibly
wrought by the Holy Spirit inwardly in the soul. Bread is outwardly
offered by the minister, and the words of the Lord are heard: "Take,
eat; this is my body"; and, "Take and divide among you. Drink of it,
all of you; this is my blood." Therefore the faithful receive what is
given by the ministers of the Lord, and they eat the bread of the Lord
and drink of the Lord's cup. At the same time by the work of Christ
through the Holy Spirit they also inwardly receive the flesh and blood
of the Lord, and are thereby nourished unto life eternal. For the flesh
and blood of Christ is the true food and drink unto life eternal; and
Christ himself, since he was given for us and is our Savior, is the
principal thing in the Supper, and we do not permit anything else to be
substituted in his place.
But in order to
understand better and more
clearly how the flesh and blood of Christ are the food and drink of the
faithful, and are received by the faithful unto eternal life, we would
add these few things. There is more than one kind of eating. There is
corporeal eating whereby food is taken into the mouth, is chewed with
the teeth, and swallowed into the stomach. In times past the
Capernaites thought that the flesh of the Lord should be eaten in this
way, but they are refuted by him in John, ch. 6. For as the flesh of
Christ cannot be eaten corporeally without infamy and savagery, so it
is not food for the stomach. All men are forced to admit this. We
therefore disapprove of that canon in the Pope's decrees, Ego
Berengarius (De Consecrat., Dist. 2). For neither did godly
antiquity believe, nor do we believe, that the body of Christ is to be
eaten corporeally and essentially with a bodily mouth.
SPIRITUAL EATING
OF THE LORD. There is also a
spiritual eating of Christ's body; not such that we think that thereby
the food itself is to be changed into spirit, but whereby the body and
blood of the Lord, while remaining in their own essence and property,
are spiritually communicated to us, certainly not in a corporeal but in
a spiritual way, by the Holy Spirit, who applies and bestows upon us
these things which have been prepared for us by the sacrifice of the
Lord's body and blood for us, namely, the remission of sins,
deliverance, and eternal life; so that Christ lives in us and we live
in him, and he causes us to receive him by true faith to this end that
he may become for us such spiritual food and drink, that is, our life.
CHRIST AS OUR FOOD
SUSTAINS US IN LIFE. For
even as bodily food and drink not only refresh and strengthen our
bodies, but also keeps them alive, so the flesh of Christ delivered for
us, and his blood shed for us, not only refresh and strengthen our
souls, but also preserve them alive, not in so far as they are
corporeally eaten and drunken, but in so far as they are communicated
unto us spiritually by the Spirit of God, as the Lord said: "The bread
which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh (John 6:51),
and "the flesh" (namely what is eaten bodily) "is of no avail; it is
the spirit that gives life" (v. 63). And: "The words that I have spoken
to you are spirit and life."
CHRIST RECEIVED BY
FAITH. And as we must by
eating receive food into our bodies in order that it may work in us,
and prove its efficacy in us -- since it profits us nothing when it
remains outside us -- so it is necessary that we receive Christ by
faith, that he may become ours, and he may live in us and we in him.
For he says: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not
hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35); and
also, "He who eats me will live because of me...he abides in me, I in
him" (vs. 57, 56).
SPIRITUAL FOOD.
From all this it is clear that
by spiritual food we do not mean some imaginary food I know not what
but the very body of the Lord given to us, which nevertheless is
received by the faithful not corporeally, but spiritually by faith. In
this matter we follow the teaching of the Savior himself, Christ the
Lord, according to John, ch. 6.
EATING NECESSARY
FOR SALVATION. And this
eating of the flesh and drinking of the blood of the Lord is so
necessary for salvation that without it no man can be saved. But this
spiritual eating and drinking also occurs apart from the Supper of the
Lord, and as often and wherever a man believes in Christ. To which that
sentence of St. Augustine's perhaps applies: "Why do you provide for
your teeth and your stomach? Believe, and you have eaten."
SACRAMENTAL EATING
OF THE LORD. Besides the
higher spiritual eating there is also a sacramental eating of the body
of the Lord by which not only spiritually and internally the believer
truly participates in the true body and blood of the Lord, but also, by
coming to the Table of the Lord, outwardly receives the visible
sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord. To be sure, when the
believer believed, he first received the life-giving food, and still
enjoys it. But therefore, when he now received the sacrament, he does
not received nothing. For he progresses in continuing to communicate in
the body and blood of the Lord, and so his faith is kindle and grows
more and more, and is refreshed by spiritual food. For while we live,
faith is continually increased. And he who outwardly receives the
sacrament by true faith, not only receives the sign, but also, as we
said, enjoys the thing itself. Moreover, he obeys the Lord's
institution and commandment, and with a joyful mind gives thanks for
his redemption and that of all mankind, and makes a faithful memorial
to the Lord's death, and gives a witness before the Church, of whose
body he is a member. Assurance is also given to those who receive the
sacrament that the body of the Lord was given and his blood shed, not
only for men in general, but particularly for every faithful
communicant, to whom it is food and drink unto eternal life.
UNBELIEVERS TAKE
THE SACRAMENT TO THEIR
JUDGMENT. But he who comes to this sacred Table of the Lord without
faith, communicates only in the sacrament and does not receive the
substance of the sacrament whence comes life and salvation; and such
men unworthily eat of the Lord's Table. Whoever eats the bread or
drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the
body and blood of the Lord, and eats and drinks judgment upon himself
(I Cor. 11:26-29). For when they do not approach with true faith, they
dishonor the death of Christ, and therefore eat and drink condemnation
to themselves.
THE PRESENCE OF
CHRIST IN THE SUPPER. We do
not, therefore, so join the body of the Lord and his blood with the
bread and wine as to say that the bread itself is the body of Christ
except in a sacramental way; or that the body of Christ is hidden
corporeally under the bread, so that it ought to be worshipped under
the form of bread; or yet that whoever receives the sign, receives also
the thing itself. The body of Christ is in heaven at the right hand of
the Father; and therefore our hearts are to be lifted up on high, and
not to be fixed on the bread, neither is the Lord to be worshipped in
the bread. Yet the Lord is not absent from his Church when she
celebrates the Supper. The sun, which is absent from us in the heavens,
is notwithstanding effectually present among us. How much more is the
Sun of Righteousness, Christ, although in his body he is absent from us
in heaven, present with us, not corporeally, but spiritually, by his
vivfying operation, and as he himself explained at his Last Supper that
he world be present with us (John, chs. 14; 15; and 16). Whence it
follows that we do not have the Supper without Christ, and yet at the
same time have an unbloody and mystical Supper, as it was universally
called by antiquity.
OTHER PURPOSES OF
THE LORD'S SUPPERS.
Moreover, we are admonished in the celebration of the Supper of the
Lord to be mindful of whose body we have become members, and that,
therefore, we may be of one mind with all the brethren, live a holy
life, and not pollute ourselves with wickedness and strange religions;
but, perservering in the true faith to the end of our life, strive to
excel in holiness of life.
PREPARATION FOR
THE SUPPER. It is therefore
fitting that when we would come to the Supper, we first examine
ourselves according to the commandment of the apostle, especially as to
the kind of faith we have, whether we believe that Christ has come to
save sinners and to call them to repentance, and whether each man
believes that he is in the number of those who have been delivered by
Christ and saved; and whether he is determined to change his wicked
life, to lead a holy life, and with the Lord's help to persevere in the
true religion and in harmony with the brethren, and to give due thanks
to God for his deliverance.
THE OBSERVANCE OF
THE SUPPER WITH BOTH BREAD
AND WINE. We think that rite, manner, or form of the Supper to be the
most simple and excellent which comes nearest to the first institution
of the Lord and to the apostles' doctrine. It consists in proclaiming
the Word of God, in godly prayers, in the action of the Lord himself,
and its repetition, in the eating of the Lord's body and drinking of
this blood; in a fitting remembrance of the Lord's death, and a
faithful thanksgiving; and in a holy fellowship in the union of the
body of the Church.
We therefore
disapprove of those who have
taken from the faithful one species of the sacrament, namely, the
Lord's cup. For these seriously offend against the institution of the
Lord who says: "Drink ye all of this"; which he did not so expressly
say of the bread.
We are not now
discussing we what kind of mass
once existed among the fathers, whether it is to be tolerated or not.
But this we say freely that the mass which is now used throughout the
Roman Church has been abolished in our churches for many and very good
reasons which, for brevity's sake, we do not now enumerate in detail.
We certainly could not approve of making a wholesome action into a vain
spectacle and a means of giving merit, and of celebrating it for a
price. Nor could we approve of saying that in it the priest is said to
effect the very body of the Lord, and really to offer it for the
remission of the sins of the living and the dead, and in addition, for
the honor, veneration and remembrance of the saints in heaven, etc.
CHAPTER XXII
Of Religious and Ecclesiastical
Meetings
WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE IN MEETINGS FOR WORSHIP.
Although it is
permitted all men to read the Holy Scriptures privately at home, and by
instruction to edify one another in the true religion, yet in order
that the Word of God may be properly preached to the people, and
prayers and supplication publicly made, also that the sacraments may be
rightly administered, and that collections may be made for the poor and
to pay the cost of all the Church's expenses, and in order to maintain
social intercourse, it is most necessary that religious or Church
gatherings be held. For it is certain that in the apostolic and
primitive Church, there were such assemblies frequented by all the
godly.
MEETINGS FOR
WORSHIP NOT TO BE NEGLECTED. As
many as spun such meetings and stay away from them, despise true
religion, and are to be urged by the pastors and godly magistrates to
abstain from stubbornly absenting themselves from sacred assemblies.
MEETINGS ARE
PUBLIC. But Church meetings are
not to be secret and hidden, but public and well attended, unless
persecution by the enemies of Christ and the Church does not permit
them to be public. For we know how under the tyranny of the Roman
emperors the meetings of the primitive Church were held in secret
places.
DECENT MEETING
PLACES. Moreover, the places
where the faithful meet are to be decent, and in all respects fit for
God's Church. Therefore, spacious buildings or temples are to be
chosen, but they are to be purged of everything that is not fitting for
a church. And everything is to be arranged for decorum, necessity, and
godly decency, lest anything be lacking that is required for worship
and the necessary works of the Church.
MODESTY AND
HUMILITY TO BE OBSERVED IN
MEETINGS. And as we believe that God does not dwell in temples made
with hands, so we know that on account of God's Word and sacred use
places dedicated to God and his worship are not profane, but holy, and
that those who are present in them are to conduct themselves reverently
and modestly, seeing that they are in a sacred place, in the presence
of God and his holy angels.
THE TRUE
ORNAMENTATION OF SANCTUARIES.
Therefore, all luxurious attire, all pride, and everything unbecoming
to Christian humility, discipline and modesty, are to be banished from
the sanctuaries and places of prayer of Christians. For the true
ornamentation of churches does not consist in ivory, gold, and precious
stones, but in the frugality, piety, and virtues of those who are in
the Church. Let all things be done decently and in order in the church,
and finally, let all things be done for edification.
WORSHIP IN THE
COMMON LANGUAGE. Therefore, let
all strange tongues keep silence in gatherings for worship, and let all
things be set forth in a common language which is understood by the
people gathered in that place.
CHAPTER XXIII
Of the Prayers of the Church, of
Singing, and
of Canonical Hours
COMMON LANGUAGE.
It is true that a man is
permitted to pray privately in any language that he understands, but
public prayers in meetings for worship are to be made in the common
language known to all.
PRAYER. Let all
the prayers of the faithful be
poured forth to God alone, through the mediation of Christ only, out of
faith and love. The priesthood of Christ the Lord and true religion
forbid the invocation of saints in heaven or to use them as
intercessors. Prayer is to be made for magistracy, for kings, and all
that are placed in authority, for ministers of the Church, and for all
needs of churches. In calamities, especially of the Church, unceasing
prayer is to be made both privately and publicly.
FREE PRAYER.
Moreover, prayer is to be made
voluntarily, without constraint or for any reward. Nor is it proper for
prayer to be superstitiously restricted to one place, as if it were not
permitted to pray anywhere except in a sanctuary. Neither is it
necessary for public prayers to be the same in all churches with
respect to form and time. Each Church is to exercise its own freedom.
Socrates, in his history, says, "In all regions of the world you will
not find two churches which wholly agree in prayer" (Hist.
ecclesiast. V.22, 57). The authors of this difference, I think,
were those who were in charge of the Churches at particular times. Yet
if they agree, it is to be highly commended and imitated by others.
THE METHOD TO BE
EMPLOYED IN PUBLIC PRAYERS.
As in everything, so also in public prayers there is to be a standard
lest they be excessively long and irksome. The greater part of meetings
for worship is therefore to be given to evangelical teaching, and care
is to be taken lest the congregation is wearied by too lengthy prayers
and when they are to hear the preaching of the Gospel they either leave
the meeting or, having been exhausted, want to do away with it
altogether. To such people the sermon seems to be overlong, which
otherwise is brief enough. And therefore it is appropriate for
preachers to keep to a standard.
SINGING. Likewise
moderation is to be
exercised where singing is used in a meeting for worship. That song
which they call the Gregorian Chant has many foolish things in it;
hence it is rightly rejected by many of our churches. If there are
churches which have a true and proper sermon but no singing, they ought
not to be condemned. For all churches do not have the advantage of
singing. And it is well known form testimonies of antiquity that the
custom of singing is very old in the Eastern Churches whereas it was
late when it was at length accepted in the West.
CANONICAL HOURS.
Antiquity knew nothing of
canonical hours, that is, prayers arranged for certain hours of the
day, and sung or recited by the Papists, as can be proved from their
breviaries and by many arguments. But they also have not a few
absurdities, of which I say nothing else; accordingly they are rightly
omitted by churches which substitute in their place things that are
beneficial for the whole Church of God.
CHAPTER XXIV
Of Holy Days,
Fasts and the Choice of Foods
THE TIME NECESSARY
FOR WORSHIP. Although
religion is not bound to time, yet it cannot be cultivated and
exercised without a proper distribution and arrangement of time. Every
Church, therefore, chooses for itself a certain time for public
prayers, and for the preaching of the Gospel, and for the celebration
of the sacraments; and no one is permitted to overthrow this
appointment of the Church at his own pleasure. For unless some due time
and leisure is given for the outward exercise of religion, without
doubt men would be drawn away from it by their own affairs.
THE LORD'S DAY.
Hence we see that in the
ancient churches there were not only certain set hours in the week
appointed for meetings, but that also the Lord's Day itself, ever since
the apostles' time, was set aside for them and for a holy rest, a
practice now rightly preserved by our Churches for the sake of worship
and love.
SUPERSTITION. In
this connection we do not
yield to the Jewish observance and to superstitions. For we do not
believe that one day is any holier than another, or think that rest in
itself is acceptable to God. Moreover, we celebrate the Lord's Day and
not the Sabbath as a free observance.
THE FESTIVALS OF
CHRIST AND THE SAINTS.
Moreover, if in Christian liberty the churches religiously celebrate
the memory of the Lord's nativity, circumcision, passion, resurrection,
and of his ascension into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit
upon his disciples, we approve of it highly. but we do not approve of
feasts instituted for men and for saints. Holy days have to do with the
first Table of the Law and belong to God alone. Finally, holy days
which have been instituted for the saints and which we have abolished,
have much that is absurd and useless, and are not to be tolerated. In
the meantime, we confess that the remembrance of saints, at a suitable
time and place, is to be profitably commended to the people in sermons,
and the holy examples of the saints set forth to be imitated by all.
FASTING. Now, the
more seriously the Church of
Christ condemns surfeiting, drunkenness, and all kinds of lust and
intemperance, so much the more strongly does it commend to us Christian
fasting. For fasting is nothing else than the abstinence and moderation
of the godly, and a discipline, care and chastisement of our flesh
undertaken as a necessity for the time being, whereby we are humbled
before God, and we deprive the flesh of its fuel so that it may the
more willingly and easily obey the Spirit. Therefore, those who pay no
attention to such things do not fast, but imagine that they fast if
they stuff their stomachs once day, and at a certain or prescribed time
abstain from certain foods, thinking that by having done this work they
please God and do something good. Fasting is an aid to the prayers of
the saints and for all virtues. But as is seen in the books of the
prophets, the fast of the Jews who fasted from food but not from
wickedness did not please God.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FASTING. Now there is a public and a private
fasting. In olden times they celebrated public fasts in calamitous
limes and in the affliction of the Church. They abstained altogether
from food till the evening, and spent all that time in holy prayers,
the worship Of God, and repentance These differed little from mourning,
and there is frequent mention of them in the Prophets and especially by
Joel in Ch. 2· Such a fast should be kept at this day, when the
Church is in distress. private fasts are undertaken by each one of us,
as he feels himself withdrawn from the Spirit. For in this manner he
withdraws the flesh from its fuel.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FASTING. All fasts ought to proceed from a free and
willing spirit, and from genuine humility, and not feigned to gain the
applause or favor of men, much less that a man should wish to merit
righteousness by them. But let every one fast to this end, that he may
deprive the flesh of its fuel in order that he may the more zealously
serve God.
LENT. The fast of
Lent is attested by
antiquity but not at all in the writings of the apostles. Therefore it
ought not, and cannot, be imposed on the faithful. It is certain that
formerly there were various forms and customs of fasting. hence,
Irenaeus, a most ancient writer, says: "Some think that a fast should
be observed one day only, others two days, but others more, and some
forty days. This diversity in keeping this fast did not first begin in
our times, but long before us by those, as I suppose, who did not
simply keep to what had been delivered to them from the beginning, but
afterwards fell into another custom either through negligence or
ignorance" (Fragm. 3, ed. Stieren, I. 824 f.). Moreover,
Socrates, the historian, says: "Because no ancient text is found
concerning this matter, I think the apostles left this to every man's
own judgment, that every one might do what is good without fear or
constraint" (Hist. ecclesiast. V.22, 40).
CHOICE OF FOOD.
Now concerning the choice of
foods, we think that in fasting all things should be denied to the
flesh whereby the flesh is made more insolent, and by which it is
greatly pleased, and by which it is inflamed with desire whether by
fish or meat or spices or delicacies and excellent wines. Moreover, we
know that all the creatures of God were made for the use and service of
men. All things which God made are good, and without distinction are to
be used in the fear of God and with proper moderation (Gen. 2:15 f.).
For the apostle says: "To the pure all things are pure" (Titus 1:15),
and also: "Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any
question on the ground of conscience" (I Cor. 10:25). The same apostle
calls the doctrine of those who teach to abstain form meats "the
doctrine of demons"; for "God created foods to be received with
thanksgiving by those who believe and know this truth that everything
created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received
with thanksgiving" (I Tim. 4:1 ff.) The same apostle, in the epistle to
the Colossians, reproves those who want to acquire a reputation for
holiness by excessive abstinence (Col. 2:18 ff.).
SECTS. Therefore
we entirely disapprove of the
Tatians and the Encratites, and all the disciples of Eustathius,
against whom the Gangrain Synod was called.
CHAPTER XXV
Of Catechizing and of Comforting
and Visiting the Sick
YOUTH TO BE
INSTRUCTED IN GODLINESS. The Lord
enjoined his ancient people to exercise the greatest care that young
people, even from infancy, be properly instructed. Moreover, he
expressly commanded in his law that they should teach them, and that
the mysteries of the sacraments should be explained. Now since it is
well known from the writings of the Evangelists and apostles that God
has no less concern for the youth of his new people, when he openly
testifies and says: "Let the children come to me; for to such belongs
the kingdom of heaven" (Mark 10:14), the pastors of the churches act
most wisely when they early and carefully caetchize the youth, laying
the first grounds of faith, and faithfully teaching the rudiments of
our religion by expounding the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed,
the Lord's Prayer, and the doctrine of the sacraments, with other such
principles and chief heads of our religion. Here let the Church show
her faith and diligence in bringing the children to be catechized,
desirous and glad to have her children well instructed.
THE VISITATION OF
THE SICK. Since men are
never exposed to more grievous temptations than when they are harassed
by infirmities, are sick and are weakened by diseases of both soul and
body, surely it is never more fitting for pastors of churches to watch
more carefully for the welfare of their flocks than in such diseases
and infirmities. Therefore let them visit the sick soon, and let them
be called in good time by the sick, if the circumstance itself would
have required it. Let them comfort and confirm them in the true faith,
and then arm them against the dangerous suggestions of Satan. They
should also hold prayer for the sick in the home and, if need be,
prayers should also be made for the sick in the public meeting; and
they should see that they happily depart this life. We said above that
we do not approve of the popish visitation of the sick with extreme
unction because it is absurd and is not approved by canonical
Scriptures.
CHAPTER XXVI
Of the Burial of the Faithful,
and of the Care to Be Shown for the Dead;
of Purgatory, and the Appearing of Spirits
THE BURIAL OF
BODIES. As the bodies of the
faithful are the temples of the Holy Spirit which we truly believe will
rise again at the Last Day, Scriptures command that they be honorably
and without superstition committed to the earth, and also that
honorable mention be made of those saints who have fallen asleep in the
Lord, and that all duties of familial piety be shown to those left
behind, their widows and orphans. We do not teach that any other care
be taken for the dead. Therefore, we greatly disapprove of the Cynics,
who neglected the bodies of the dead or most carelessly and
disdainfully cast them into the earth, never saying a good word about
the deceased, or caring a bit about those whom they left behind them.
THE CARE FOR THE
DEAD. On the other hand, we
do not approve of those who are overly and absurdly attentive to the
deceased; who, like the heathen, bewail their dead (although we do not
blame that moderate mourning which the apostle permits in I Thess.
4:13, judging it to be inhuman not to grieve at all); and who sacrifice
for the dead, and mumble certain prayers for pay, in order by such
ceremonies to deliver their loved ones from the torments in which they
are immersed by death, and then think they are able to liberate them by
such incantations.
THE STATE OF THE
SOUL DEPARTED FROM THE BODY.
For we believe that the faithful, after bodily death, go directly to
Christ, and, therefore, do not need the eulogies and prayers of the
living for the dead and their services. Likewise we believe that
unbelievers are immediately cast into hell from which no exit is opened
for the wicked by any services of the living.
PURGATORY. But
what some teach concerning the
fire of purgatory is opposed to the Christian faith, namely, "I believe
in the forgiveness of sins, and the life everlasting," and to the
perfect purgation through Christ, and to these words of Christ our
Lord: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes
him who sent me, has eternal life; he shall not come into judgment, but
has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). Again: "He who has bathed
does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over,
and you are clean" (John 13:10).
APPARITION OF
SPIRITS. Now what is related of
the spirits or souls of the dead sometimes appearing to those who are
alive, and begging certain duties of them whereby they may be set free,
we count those apparitions among the laughingstocks, crafts, and
deceptions of the devil, who, as he can transform himself into an angel
of light, so he strives either to overthrow the true faith or to call
it into doubt. In the Old Testament the Lord forbade the seeking of the
truth from the dead, and any sort of commerce with spirits Deut.
18:11). Indeed, as evangelical truth declares, the glutton, being in
torment, is denied a return to his brethren, as the divine oracle
declared in the words: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear
them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
convinced if some one should rise from the dead" (Luke 16:29 ff.).
CHAPTER XXVII
Of Rites, Ceremonies and Things
Indifferent
CEREMONIES AND
RITES. Unto the ancient people
were given at one time certain ceremonies, as a kind of instruction for
those who were kept under the law, as under a schoolmaster or tutor.
But when Christ, the Deliverer, came and the law was abolished, we who
believe are no more under the law (Rom. 6:14), and the ceremonies have
disappeared; hence the apostles did not want to retain or to restore
them in Christ's Church to such a degree that they openly testified
that they did not wish to impose any burden upon the Church. Therefore,
we would seem to be bringing in and restoring Judaism if we were to
increase ceremonies and rites in Christ's Church according to the
custom in the ancient Church. Hence, we by no means approve of the
opinion of those who think that the Church of Christ must be held in
check by many different rites, as if by some kind of training. For if
the apostles did not want to impose upon Christian people ceremonies or
rites which were appointed by God, who, I pray, in his right mind would
obtrude upon them the inventions devised by man? The more the mass of
rites is increased in the Church, the more is detracted not only from
Christian liberty, but also from Christ, and from faith in him, as long
as the people seek those things in ceremonies which they should seek in
the only Son of God, Jesus Christ, through faith. Wherefore a few
moderate and simple rites, that are not contrary to the Word of God,
are sufficient for the godly.
DIVERSITY OF
RITES. If different rites are
found in churches, no one should think that for this reason the
churches disagree. Socrates says: "It would be impossible to put
together in writing all the rites of churches throughout cities and
countries. No religion observes the same rites, even though it embraces
the same doctrine concerning them. For those who are of the same faith
disagree among themselves about rites" (Hist. ecclesiast. V.22,
30, 62). This much says Socrates. And we, today, having in our churches
different rites in the celebration of the Lord's Supper and in some
other things, nevertheless do not disagree in doctrine and faith; nor
is the unity and fellowship of our churches thereby rent asunder. For
the churches have always used their liberty in such rites, as being
things indifferent. We also do the same thing today.
THINGS
INDIFFERENT. But at the same time we
admonish me to be on guard lest they reckon among things indifferent
what are in fact not indifferent, as some are wont to regard the mass
and the use of images in places of worship as things indifferent.
"Indifferent," wrote Jerome to Augustine, "is that which is neither
good nor bad, so that, whether you do it or not, you are neither just
nor unjust." Therefore, when things indifferent are wrested to the
confession of faith, they cease to be free; as Paul shows that it is
lawful for a man to eat flesh if someone does not remind him that it
was offered to idols; for then it is unlawful, because he who eats it
seems to approve idolatry by eating it (I Cor. 8:9 ff.; 10:25 ff.).
CHAPTER XXVIII
Of the possessions of the Church
THE POSSESSIONS OF
THE CHURCH AND THEIR PROPER
USE. The Church of Christ possesses riches through the munificence of
princes and the liberality of the faithful who have given their means
to the Church. For the Church has need of such resources and from
ancient time has had resources for the maintenance of things necessary
for the Church. Now the true use of the Church's wealth was, and is
now, to maintain teaching in schools and in religious meetings, along
with all the worship, rites, and buildings of the Church; finally, to
maintain teachers, scholars, and ministers, with other necessary
things, and especially for the succor and relief of the poor.
MANAGEMENT.
Moreover, God-fearing and wise
men, noted for the management of domestic affairs, should be chosen to
administer properly the Church's possessions.
THE MISUSE OF THE
CHURCH'S POSSESSIONS. But if
through misfortune or through the audacity, ignorance or avarice of
some persons the Church's wealth is abused, it is to be restored to a
sacred use by godly and wise men. For neither is an abuse, which is the
greatest sacrilege, to be winked at. Therefore, we teach that schools
and institutions which have been corrupted in doctrine, worship and
morals must be reformed, and that the relief of the poor must be
arranged dutifully, wisely, and in good faith.
CHAPTER XXIX
Of Celibacy, Marriage and the
Management of
Domestic Affairs
SINGLE PEOPLE.
Those who have the gift of
celibacy from heaven, so that from the heart or with their whole soul
are pure and continent and are not aflame with passion, let them serve
the Lord in that calling, as long as they feel endued with that divine
gift; and let them not lift up themselves above others, but let them
serve the Lord continuously in simplicity and humility (I Cor. 7:7
ff.). For such are more apt to attend to divine things than those who
are distracted with the private affairs of a family. But if, again, the
gift be taken away, and they feel a continual burning, let them call to
mind the words of the apostle: "It is better to marry than to be
aflame" (I Cor. 7:9).
MARRIAGE. For
marriage (which is the medicine
of incontinency, and continency itself) was instituted by the Lord God
himself, who blessed it most bountifully, and willed man and woman to
cleave one to the other inseparable, and to live together in complete
love and concord (Matt. 19:4 ff.). Whereupon we know that the apostle
said: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage
bed be undefiled" (Heb. 13:4). And again: "If a girl marries, she does
not sin" (I Cor. 7:28).
THE SECTS. We
therefore condemn polygamy, and
those who condemn second marriages.
HOW MARRIAGES ARE
TO BE CONTRACTED. We teach
that marriages are to be lawfully contracted in the fear of the Lord,
and not against the laws which forbid certain degrees of consanguinity,
lest the marriages should be incestuous. Let marriages be made with
consent of the parents, or of those who take the place of parents, and
above all for that purpose for which the Lord instituted marriages.
Moreover, let them be kept holy with the utmost faithfulness, piety,
love and purity of those joined together. Therefore let them guard
against quarrels, dissensions, lust and adultery.
MATRIMONIAL FORUM.
Let lawful courts be
established in the Church, and holy judges who may care for marriages,
and may repress all unchastity and shamefulness, and before whom
matrimonial disputes may be settled.
THE REARING OF
CHILDREN. Children are to be
brought up by the parents in the fear of the Lord; and parents are to
provide for their children, remembering the saying of the apostle: "If
anyone does not provide for his relatives, he has disowned the faith
and is worse than an unbeliever" (I Tim. 5:8). But especially they
should teach their children honest trades or professions by which they
may support themselves. They should ;keep them from idleness and in all
these things instill in them true faith in God, lest through a lack of
confidence or too much security or filthy greed they become dissolute
and achieve no success.
And it is most
certain that those works which
are done by parents in true faith by way of domestic duties and the
management of their households are in God's sight holy and truly good
works. They are no less pleasing to God than prayers, fasting and
almsgiving. For thus the apostle has taught in his epistles, especially
in those to Timothy and Titus. And with the same apostle we account the
doctrine of those who forbid marriage or openly castigate or indirectly
discredit it, as if it were not holy and pure, among the doctrine of
demons.
We also detest an
impure single life, the
secret and open lusts and fornications of hypocrites pretending to be
continent when they are the most incontinent of all. All these God will
judge. We do not disapprove of riches or rich men, if they be godly and
use their riches well. But we reject the sect of the Apostolicals (The
Apostolicals were followers of a religious fanatic, Gherardo Segarelli,
of Parma, who in the thirteenth century wanted to restore the poverty
of the apostolic life.)
CHAPTER XXX
Of the Magistracy
THE MAGISTRACY IS
FROM GOD. Magistracy of
every kind is instituted by God himself for the peace and tranquillity
of the human race, and thus it should have the chief place in the
world. If the magistrate is opposed to the Church, he can hinder and
disturb it very much; but if he is a friend and even a member of the
Church, he is a most useful and excellent member of it, who is able to
benefit it greatly, and to assist it best of all.
THE DUTY OF THE
MAGISTRATE. The chief duty of
the magistrate is to secured and preserve peace and public
tranquillity. Doubtless he will never do this more successfully than
when he is truly God-fearing and religious; that is to say, when,
according to the example of the most holy kings and princes of the
people of the Lord, he promotes the preaching of the truth and sincere
faith, roots out lies and all superstition, together with all impiety
and idolatry, and defends the Church of God. We certainly teach that
the care of religion belongs especially to the holy magistrate.
Let him,
therefore, hold the Word of God in
his hands, and take care lest anything contrary to it is taught.
Likewise let him govern the people entrusted to him by God with good
laws made according to the Word of God, and let him keep them in
discipline, duty and obedience. Let him exercise judgment by judging
uprightly. Let him not respect any man's person or accept bribes. Let
him protect widows, orphans and the afflicted. Let him punish and even
banish criminals, impostors and barbarians. For he does not bear the
sword in vain (Rom. 13:4).
Therefore, let him
draw this sword of God
against all malefactors, seditious persons, thieves, murderers,
oppressors, blasphemers, perjured persons, and all those whom God has
commanded him to punish and even to execute. Let him suppress stubborn
heretics (who are truly heretics), who do not cease to blaspheme the
majesty of God and to trouble, and even to destroy the Church of God.
WAR. And if it is
necessary to preserve the
safety of the people by war, let him wage war in the name of God;
provided he has first sought peace by all means possible, and cannot
save his people in any other way except by war. And when the magistrate
does these things in faith, he serves God by those very works which are
truly good, and receives a blessing from the Lord.
We condemn the
Anabaptists, who when they deny
that a Christian may hold the office of a magistrate, deny also that a
man may be justly put to death by the magistrate, or that the
magistrate may wage war, or that oaths are to be rendered to a
magistrate, and such like things.
THE DUTY OF
SUBJECTS. For as God wants to
effect the safety of his people by the magistrate, whom he has given to
the world to be, as it were, a father, so all subjects are commanded to
acknowledge this favor of God in the magistrate. Therefore let them
honor and reverence the magistrate as the minister of God; let them
love him, favor him, and pray for him as their father; and let them
obey all his just and fair commands. Finally, let them pay all customs
and taxes, and all other such dues faithfully and willingly. And if the
public safety of the country and justice require it, and the magistrate
of necessity wages war, let them even lay down their life and pour out
their blood for the public safety and that of the magistrate. And let
them do this in the name of God willingly, bravely and cheerfully. For
he who opposes the magistrate provokes the severe wrath of God against
himself.
SECTS AND
SEDITIONS. We, therefore, condemn
all who are contemptuous of the magistrate - rebels, enemies of the
state, seditious villains, finally, all who openly or craftily refuse
to perform whatever duties they owe.
We beseech God,
our most merciful Father in
heaven, that he will bless the rulers of the people, and us, and his
whole people, through Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Savior; to whom
be praise and glory and thanksgiving,for all ages. Amen.
