Locus 13 — The Sacraments
there are many statements of this kind: Matt. 16:24; greatest of all and most worthy of recognition, which testifies that God is truly efficacious through the ministry of those who have been chosen by the voice of the church, as the universal statement testifies of the apos tles and all who proclaim the Word which has been given through the apostles: "The Gospel is the power of God unto-salvation for everyone who believes" [Rom.
10:30.
There are some very well known statements re garding almsgiving: Luke 6:38; Is. 58:7.
Regarding the forgiving of injury [it says]: "For give and it shall be forgiven you," Luke 6:37. This is the glorious promise added to our forgiveness, not be cause our forgiving can placate the wrath of God, but to remind us of the Gospel, just as the other sacraments
[do].
1:16], And Christ says in John 17[:20], "I do not pray for these only, but for all who will believe through their word." Note also John 20:23; Eph. 4:8 ff.; Luke 10:16;
John 15:1 ff.; 2 Cor. 5:19-20, 3:6. These and many other passages like them clearly testify that God is ef ficacious through this very ministry of those who teach the Gospel, which He wills to preserve in the church by the constant calling [of ministers]. For Paul is ex pressly speaking about the external Word or of the min istry that proclaims the Word of the Gospel when he says, "The Word is near you, in your mouth" [Rom.
Therefore, if the name "sacrament" is to be ap plied not only to ceremonies but also to moral works, then marriage can also be called a sacrament, because it is both instituted by the command of God and adorned with a promise, such as Ps. 128:6. And it has been instituted for the spreading and conserving of the church. Moreover it is also an image both of the love of Christ toward [His] bride the church and of the af flictions and works of the church. Just as a husband who truly loves his wife and children fights for them and bestows his goods on them, so Christ truly loves the church [and] adorns it with His blessings, His righteous ness, and the fellowship of eternal life. Paul indicates that this love and affection of an honorable husband is attached to nature for this reason, that it might be a picture representing the true love of Christ toward [His] bride, the church. Further, afflictions and domestic du ties are a picture of the afflictions and duties of the church.
10:8], and again, "He has committed to us the Word of reconciliation; therefore we are ambassadors for Christ," 2 Cor. 5:19-20. And the command has been given to the church that such ministers or ambassadors be chosen, as is expressly written to Titus.
Therefore the rite of ordination reminds us of this command and these promises, and we should give thanks to God for instituting and preserving this ministry and for receiving us in this way and freeing us from sin, the power of the devil, and eternal death and for re storing to us righteousness and eternal life. In this faith we should honor and uphold the minstry and use it, learn and hear the Gospel, exercise faith by the use of the sacraments, and understand that through this min istry eternal blessings are given to us. Likewise we should pray God that He would give able ministers and support them, as Christ enjoins us to pray that God may send out laborers into His harvest. And in Col.
4[:3] Paul enjoins others to pray that God may aid him in his work.
But when we thus use the term "sacrament" in a general way, we are speaking not only of ceremonies which were first instituted in the preaching of Christ but in one way or another of those works which we will always remember have been set forth in the Decalogue as the sum of all the moral works which are necessary and have been commanded by God. Moreover let us seek everywhere for added promises and threats and examples of them.
We should also know that there is a difference between the promises connected with the Law and the promise which belongs to the Gospel, which is the promise of free reconciliation.
There is also this great comfort, that since the ministry was instituted by God, even if in the world it is always variously tossed about and many people with draw from it and perish, yet it cannot be completely overturned. For Christ says in Matt. 16:18, "On this rock
But when the word "sacrament" is understood of ceremonies instituted in the preaching of Christ, we list these sacraments: Baptism, the Lord's Supper, [and] absolution, which are external rites and are signs of the entire Gospel, and properly speaking are in fact testi monies of the remission of sins or of reconciliation, which is especially mentioned in the common definition:
A sacrament is a sign of grace, that is, of free recon ciliation, which is given for the sake of Christ and pro claimed in the Gospel.
I will build My church," that is, on this ministry, and "the gates of hell will not prevail against it." With this con solation the godly also in our own times sustain them selves and know that there will be remnants of the church and of the true ministry remaining even if em pires fall. Yet this does not mean that the church will be without troubles, but such things are and always have been the punishments of the world, as Amos says
[9:8-9]. Here the prophet sets forth threats and comfort at the same time. And it is no wonder that empires are punished, because, whereas they should have sup ported and upheld the ministry, as the psalmist says,
"Open your gates, O you princes" [Ps. 24:7 (Vulgate)] the ungodly rulers try to destroy the churches. Others,
In my opinion there is considerable merit in add ing also ordination, that is, the call into the ministry of the Gospel and the public approval of this call, because all these things are enjoined as injunctions of the Gos pel, e.g., Titus [1:5], "Appoint elders, as I have com manded," and there is added the promise which is the
indifferent, by their neglect deform [and] do not support studies, do not seek learned ministers, do not provide a fair living for them, and show no interest in being reconciled with them. Finally, they either neglect this part of the public estate, as of the lowest priority, or severely restrict it. mankind," prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, whom
He adorns with the light of doctrine and other gifts [Eph.
4:8-12], Then He makes them subject to Himself, so that they should teach only the Gospel and serve the kingdom of Christ alone, not seek power for them selves, nor set up empires under the pretext of religion, they are events be sacrifices, that is, endure hatred, troubles, and torments for the sake of the true doctrine, as the psalmist says [Ps. 44:22], Basil laments that in his time the most unworthy, unlearned, and laziest of all the ministers were elevated to the governance of the church. Later, as wealth in creased, ecclesiastical offices were prey for the pow erful. But the ministry itself was neglected and was corrupted by unlearned mercenaries partly out of su perstition, partly out of greed.
Therefore, when you consider that this rite was used by the earliest fathers and the apostles, not by accident or in a meaningless way, the mind should be stirred up to recognize the efficacy of this function so as to honor it and to seek signs which remind us of Christ [our] High Priest and of the work of this function.
But on the other hand we should consider also corrup tions in the doctrine of ordination. The sacrificing priests who perform Masses for others imagine that ordination has been established so that power might be given to make sacrifices for the living and the dead; and they even say that they offer up the Son of God and by their sacrifice merit for others the remission of sins. They also add that without this sacrifice the death of Christ is of no benefit to the church. Now though some things were drawn from unhappy imitation of the Levitical priesthood incorrectly understood, yet they have added many other things from heathen notions. These errors must be rejected; they have spawned manifold idol madness, which is undoubtedly being punished by the Turkish tyranny. But for the sake of the work of preach ing the Gospel and the efficacy of this gift, it must be retained and highly honored.
Now again also in those places where the true doctrine has been received, many unlearned and un worthy men are admitted to the ministry, because the leaders neglect the whole matter, do not support stud ies, and are not concerned that ministers Have a living.
Thus the church is afflicted with constant difficulties in this world, about which godly men must be concerned so that each in his own place may relieve them as much as he can and that God also would mitigate [His] punishments.
And indeed, God most strongly requires these duties which are beneficial for the preservation of the ministry, and He provides great rewards [Matt. 10:42].
There are notable examples: the widow of Zarephath, who took care of Elijah; Obadiah in 1 Kings 18, who defended and fed the 100 prophets who were hidden in caves; Hezekiah, who in 2 Chronicles 31 arranged for support of the priests and Levites; the Ethiopian who saved Jeremiah [Jer. 38:7-13].
The teaching on ordination, when it is listed among the sacraments, should remind us of all these things, of the efficacy of the ministry, of prayer for the ministry, of the functions that belong to the ministry,
[and] of the punishments for spurning the ministry; and the rite itself, when we publicly witness the very ancient practice, undoubtedly approved by the earliest fathers, namely the laying on of hands, which was always a sign of something set aside for the worship of God, has also been a sign of His blessing. By this rite Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph [Gen. 48:14], By this rite
Moses appointed Joshua to govern the people of God, Num. 27[:18]. By this rite Christ blessed the children
[Mark 10:13-16], By this rite animals were set aside for sacrifice [Lev. 16:21], and sacrifices in a special way pointed to Christ. God the eternal Father laid [His] hands on Him, that is, He chose Him, blessed Him, anointed Him, and subjected [Him] to Himself; He loaded a great burden on Him and made Him a sacrifice for us. This rite of laying on of hands pointed especially to this.
But the Anabaptists despise ordination along with the ministry [and] imagine that we are to await new revelations and illuminations from God and that they are to be sought by great torments of the body, as the monks and the enthusiasts of old imagined. These fa natic absurdities are to be abominated, for they arise out of false persuasions regarding the discipline of the Law and from ignorance of the doctrine of faith.
We, on the other hand, should know that God out of immeasurable goodness has revealed His will in the Gospel, and we are to seek no other enlightenments, but faith and prayer are stirred up when this Gospel itself is proclaimed to us. And God wills that there be the public ministry, and He wonderfully preserves and continually cleanses it so that we may know that the church is bound to this Gospel which is proclaimed.
Paul says this in Eph. 4[:14] when he says that the ministry of the Gospel was established in order that the Gospel might be preserved, lest [the ministry] be
"tossed about by every wind of doctrine."
But later the meaning [of the act] was applied to ministers. Christ the High Priest laid [His] hands on them, that is, He chose them by the voice of the church, blessed them, and anointed them with His gifts, as it is written, "He ascended on high [and] gives gifts to Confirmation In days gone by they used to have an exami nation of the teaching in which individuals recited a summary of the doctrine and showed that they dis
sented from the heathen and the heretics; and there was also the very useful practice of instructing people in how to distinguish between the profane and the godly. Afterwards there was public prayer and the apos tles laid hands on them. Thus they were given manifest gifts of the Holy Spirit. But in our day the rite of confir mation, which the bishops keep for themselves, is an absolutely useless ceremony. But it would be useful to have examination and profession of teaching and public prayer for the godly, nor would that prayer be in vain.
This is the constant use of Baptism. In the same way circumcision was a constant testimony to Abraham, written upon his body, by which he was put in mind of the coming Seed and the blessing promised for the sake of the Seed, [and] as often as he thought about [his] circumcision, he rested in faith, believing that he pleased God and gave Him thanks and called upon Him.
Furthermore, in order that the fulness of the promise might be better seen, we must consider the words of Baptism, which include the sum of the Gospel and are a benediction by which we are consecrated to God and through which we invoke the name of God upon us. The minister says, "I, by the command of God and in the place of Christ, baptize you," that is, by this sign I bear witness that your sins are washed away and that you have been reconciled with the true God, who Unction At one time, anointing with oil was a medical con cern. For God, in order to invest the fathers and the prophets with some authority, therefore equipped them from the beginning with the gift of healing, as in the case of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, and men like them who were physicians by profession. And it is through these men that, together with the doctrine of the true religion, there was spread information about the physical world, things pertaining to plants, and other aspects of nature. Christ revived this ancient custom when He sent the apostles, ordered them to heal the sick, and equipped [them] with the gift of healing. This gift remained in the church also later, and it is certain that many are still healed by the prayers of the church.
It is useful to point these things out so that we may learn that a healthy body is a gift of God which He gives us so that we might serve others. He wants this to be sought and fostered with some diligence. But the rite of anointing as it now exists is only a superstitious cer emony. And invocation of the dead was added, which is ungodly. Therefore this rite of unction with its addi tions is to be rejected. is the eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who has sent for you His Son with marvelous and indescribable wisdom, that He might remit your sins and begin in you the new righteousness and eternal life through the Holy Spirit. This blessing consecrates us to God and separates the church from all nations, because no other nation truly invokes God as He has revealed Himself, that is, as the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, pleased [with us] through the Son, and sanctifying [us] through the Holy Spirit. And because the sum of the Gospel is contained in these words, the fullest consolations are offered to us here. For how pleasant it is to hear that you have so truly been ac cepted by God the eternal Father, because the benefits of the Son have been given to you, that God wants to rule you through [His] Holy Spirit, that He has rescued you from eternal death and from the chains of the devil!
The more attentively you will consider the words of Bap tism, the more will your mind be kindled with the knowl edge of the mercy of God and strengthened by faith and moved to prayer.
Baptism Baptism is a complete action, that is, a washing (mersio) and the pronouncement of the words, "I bap tize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." And the principal significance and purpose of Baptism is found in the promise, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Hence Baptism is properly called a sacrament because there has been added to this promise the testimony that the promise of grace truly does apply to the person who is baptized.
And we should likewise believe regarding this testi mony, as if God Himself with some new voice were testifying from heaven, that He receives him. Therefore when the baptized person learns the doctrine, he should exercise his faith [and] believe that he truly is received by God for the sake of Christ and is sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Baptism is to be used in this way throughout life. It should daily remind us: Behold, by this sign God testified that you have been received into grace. He does not want this testimony to be despised.
Therefore you should believe that you have truly been received and you should call upon Him in this faith.
Moreover, as the words put before us promise and comfort, so they in turn demand faith and this ob ligation, that we acknowledge the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the Son and the Holy Spirit as the true God. Peter says of this mutual covenant, in 1 Peter
3[:21], "Baptism, which is not the removal of filth from our physical body, but the assurance of a good con science toward God through the resurrection of Christ
..For he understands a mutual obligation and a mu tual covenant. God declares that He receives us; this the conscience believes and clings to, and in this faith it now truly knows God and calls upon [Him.] This cor rect understanding about God is called a "good con science," that is, to know God rightly and to invoke Him rightly. And there is added, "through the resurrection of Christ," for [Peter] teaches that Baptism is efficacious because of the reigning Christ, and enjoins [us] to ac knowledge by faith that this reconciliation has been granted for the sake of Christ.
pentance for the remission of sins," [Luke 3:3; Mark The Signs 1:4], Therefore, although there was a difference on this point in that John preached of the Christ who was to suffer, whereas the apostles preached of the Christ who suffered and rose again, yet the ministry was the same and had the same effects in the believers. For John taught about both things, about the remission of sins and about the efficacy of the Holy Spirit in those who believed in the Son, as he says, [Matt. 3:11], "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Again [John 1:16],
"Of His fullness we have all received," where he tes tifies that the believers are not received in such a way that Christ is not efficacious in them, but he teaches that the new light and righteousness are begun in them.
I said above that there are many signs in the sacraments, but one especially, namely that of grace, must be put in first place. The rite itself also gives us a picture of this, for the washing signifies that sins are washed away for the sake of Christ and that the benefits of Christ's suffering are applied to us when we are put into the water as into the death of Christ. Nor is it out of line to add other signs. Just as the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea was a figure of the af flictions of the church and [its] deliverance, so the im mersion in Baptism is a figure of afflictions and deliverance. But the other sign is preferable, which re minds us of the promise and of grace and requires faith.
Furthermore, just as it was sufficient to be cir cumcised once, when circumcision was commanded, so also is Baptism to take place only once, as this very weighty reason indicates: It is a sin to misuse the name of God and to reject true prayer. But those who rebap tize reject the first baptism [and] indicate that it was vain and useless. And so they reject the true invocation of God made for the person who is baptized. Therefore the ceremony itself is not to be repeated. As for the rest, we shall soon say more about the Anabaptists, who have mingled many pernicious errors with their
Anabaptism.
But why does John make a distinction, saying, "I baptize you with water, but He who is about to come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire"? I reply: He is not distinguishing external ministries but persons. He wants them to understand the differ ence between the Messiah and ministers. Ministers only perform the outward ministry, but through it Christ is efficacious [and] for His sake and through Him is given reconciliation, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. The ministers do not effect these things; for this reason it is necessary to differentiate the person of Christ from the ministers. Those who do not know the Gospel do not observe this distinction; they imagine that Christ is only a teacher, as the Pharisees thought, and they did not understand that He had been sent to be the sacrifice and to be the giver of new and eternal life and righteousness.
The godly should also understand that Baptism once performed remains forever as a perpetual testi mony and covenant. A new circumcision was not nec essary for David after [his] fall, but that previous circumcision reminded him of both things, namely that this nature is circumcised because it is under sin and that one must come back to the promise of reconcili ation for those who have fallen. Thus those who have fallen must now understand that they should not repeat the ceremony, but, reminded by the covenant which was made before, in which the Son is mentioned, which is a testimony to the remission of sins, they should return to the reconciliation set forth. Thus Baptism brings great teaching and consolation to one who has fallen, because the very mention of the Son puts us in mind of repentance and the remission of sins and tes tifies that those who return become members of the people of God.
The Baptism of Infants Paul most earnestly commands that we investi gate the spirits [1 John 4:1], and Christ gives [us] the rule: "By their fruits you shall know them" [Matt. 7:16].
For it is a sure sign of a fanatic mind and one troubled by an evil spirit stubbornly to defend certain notable errors. Moreover the Anabaptists not only overthrow this one article of the baptism of infants, but they stir up many egregious errors. Their whole madness is a hodgepodge from the ravings of many ancient sects, from the Manichaeans, from the enthusiasts, and from the fables of recent Jews. They do not understand the difference between spiritual and civil righteousness.
Therefore they deny that it is permissible for Christians to be a ruler, to function as a magistrate, to act as a judge, and to give an oath in court, and they contend that people must give up their personal possessions and must assign them to common ownership, and they say that spouses who are shocked at Anabaptist teach ing must be abandoned.
The Baptism of John and of the Apostles The entire ministry of John the Baptizer was the work of God and the beginning of a new ministry which was to follow after the Law. Therefore we should not think improperly of his baptism or that it was merely a useless spectacle. And as for some saying that it sig nified only repentance, not remission [of sins], this is absurd. For the preaching of repentance without re mission is heathenish, and is a preaching of wrath and eternal death which is not proclaimed in the church without the preaching of remission. Hence Luke and Mark expressly say, . preaching the baptism of re
These ravings can only arise from the devil and are the firebands of seditions. Because they do not understand the chief point of the Gospel regarding the righteousness of faith but strongly contend that man is righteous because of his own works and harsh afflic
tions, as they themselves put it, therefore they devise for themselves other monastic works, so that they ap pear to be doing something new and difficult. The An abaptists of Munster added much worse errors. They imagined, in keeping with Jewish custom, that there will be a kingdom of the godly before the resurrection, and in order to establish this kingdom, they took up seditious arms. This insanity was clearly demonic. It has forced sane people to conclude that they must flee the con tagion of the Anabaptists. But even though some are more moderate, yet they retain seeds of similar ravings.
Finally, they all err in regard to the sin of origin, the righteousness of faith and the external ministry. In man ifest madness they abolishe the doctrine of original sin and do not consider anything to be sin except external deeds or actions which are contrary to the law of God.
Now I hear that new ravings are devised by them: Christ died not to do away with sin but to abolish physical death. This idea is not only wrong, it is stupid, because to abolish death is to do away with sin. For as Paul says [Rom. 5:12], "Through sin came death." Finally, it is never only one great error which is defended, but many must be added to the mixture. Therefore it is easy to render a judgment about fanatical ideas, once such
And the first absolute certainty is this: The kingdom of God, that is, the promise of grace and eternal life do not pertain only to adults but in fact to infants who also have been implanted in the church, because Christ most clearly says of infants, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven" [Matt. 19:14], and again [Matt. 18:14], "It is not the Father's will that one of these little ones should perish." These lovely voices bear witness that children on whom the name of God has been invoked are a large part of the church. Hence we ought to love and uphold these statements and not allow them to be lost through cunning cavils, as the Anabaptists contend that nothing is promised to infants but that the command to baptize is given to adults in order that they may imitate the innocence of infants who do not yet have an incli nation to do wrong. This sophistry shbuld not hinder you from believing that these statements are faithful promises which testify that these children of whom He is speaking are pleasing to God, that is, infants im planted in the church.
This also is certain, that outside the church, that is, among those on whom the name of God has not been invoked through Baptism and who are without the Gospel, there is no remission of sins and a share in eternal life, as among the enemies of Christ, blas phemers, Jews, Mohammedans, and the like. This is clearly proved by this statement, "There is no other name given to mankind whereby [we] must be saved," except the name of Jesus Christ [Acts 4:12]. marks are gathered. And since there are clear marks of an evil spirit in the hodgepodge of the Anabaptist teachings, we must avoid their contagion and not be moved by their hypocrisy.
Moreover the following statements demonstrate that the baptism of infants is not a recent custom, but approved by the testimony of the ancient purer church.
In Ephesians 5 Paul, in describing the church, says [vv. 25-26], "Christ loved the church and gave
Himself for it, that He might sanctify it, cleansing it with the washing of water," [and] he defines the church as the kingdom of Christ which He sanctifies, and He gives to the church a sign to distinguish it from other nations
[or peoples; gentibus ], upon whom the name of Christ has not been invoked.
I shall list them because I do not doubt that the pious are strengthened by the example of the purer church.
Origen, on Romans 6:3 [MPG 14.1047] writes thus: "Therefore also the church has received from the apostles the tradition that baptism is to be given also to small children. For they, to whom had been entrusted the doctrines of the divine mysteries, knew that in all people there are the true stains of sin which must be washed away through water and the Spirit." These words of Origen contain a clear testimony concerning points, both original sin and the baptism of infants.
Again, Rom. 8[:30], "Whom He chose them He also called." Hence there is no choosing of those who are not brought into the church by an external calling.
Likewise in Matt. 18[:20], "Where two or three are gath ered in My name, I am in their midst." Therefore in the assembly which is not gathered in Christ's name, Christ is not present. Hence we must cling very tenaciously to the statement: Outside the church there is no re mission of sins and eternal salvation. When these two principles have been established that the promise of grace applies to infants but not to infants outside the church, the conclusion clearly follows that infants must be implanted in the church through Baptism, in which the name of God is invoked upon them. The invocation of the name of God is a great thing which is done through the ministry. Therefore Christ has joined these two: "Let the little children come unto Me, for of such
Cyprian writes that in a synod the opinion of a certain man was condemned because he did not want infants to be baptized before the eighth day. For the synod held that infants are to be baptized and that pre cept regarding the eighth day need not be observed.
Augustine, De Baptismo Contra Donatistas, 4, says in regard to the baptism of small children that the church universal holds to this, and it has not been es tablished by councils but has always been held and handed down by apostolic authority [and] is most cor rectly believed.
First Argument is the kingdom of heaven." Of such, that is, of those who are brought to Me [and] upon whom My name is invoked.
But we shall draw arguments also from the Gos pel, and they of necessity must be valid because sound conclusions follow from absolutely sure statements.
Therefore I have no doubt that all sane people
will be convinced by this argument: Outside the church there is no salvation, that is, where the ministry of the Gospel is not proclaimed and the sacraments are not administered. To infants pertains the promise of sal vation; therefore it is necessary that infants be im planted in the church through Baptism, in which is invoked upon them the name of the eternal Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This argument is so firm that it cannot be overturned. For it can never be affirmed that salvation belongs to an infant outside the church, as the Anabaptists furiously contend without any testimony. to them by God, for it is necessary to hold to the position that infants who are in the church, upon whom the name of God has been invoked, are received into grace, not Turks [and] not Jews.
But the Anabaptists cry out [and] deny that Bap tism benefits infants, since they do not understand the Word, and a ceremony without faith is worthless to those who receive it. To this I reply: It is certainly true that in all adults repentance and faith are required. But it is sufficient to hold this regarding infants, that the Holy
Spirit is given to them through Baptism, and [He] effects in them new affections, new inclinations toward God in proportion to their condition. Nor is it rash to say this.
For these things are certain, that infants are received by God through this ministry, likewise that the Holy
Spirit is always given with the remission of sin, and that no one is pleasing to God unless he has been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, as Christ clearly says, "Except a person is born again of water and the Spirit he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Again, 1 Cor.
15[:50], "Flesh and blood," that is, without the Holy Spirit, "cannot possess the kingdom of God." And Rom.
8[:14], "Those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Therefore, since it is certain that these infants are part of the church and are pleasing to God, this is also certain, that God is efficacious in them, because eternal life must be begun in this life.
Second Argument Infants are born with sin, and they are not made heirs of eternal life without the remission of sin. Now,
God has established in the church the ministry of re mitting sins and distributing remission through the sac raments. He wills remission to be given as we use its ministry. Hence this benefit must be given to infants through Baptism.
But because the Anabaptists completely deny the whole doctrine of the sin of origin, they display their madness even more. For if infants are without sin,
Christ did not suffer for them. But we have collected in another place testimonies from the prophets and apos tles which show that all who are born bring sin with them, e.g., Rom. 5[:12], "Death passed upon all people, because all have sinned," that is, they are guilty. Eph.
2:3, "We also were by nature the children of wrath," that is, guilty of or delivered over to wrath or con demned. Therefore, since there is no doubt that there is sin in infants, there must be some difference between the infants of the heathen, who remain guilty, and the infants in the church who are received by God through the ministry.
We should all consider these things regarding Baptism devoutly and diligently, in order that we may encourage ourselves and [our] elders with this pact and covenant, as I have said above. But particularly the young should be on their guard that they not discard the gift of Baptism nor lose the great glory which Christ proclaims regarding infants in the church: "It is not the Father's will that one of these little ones should perish"
[Matt. 18:14], Who can think of greater glory than that He affirms that these [little ones] are pleasing to God and of concern to Him? And parents with this faith re garding Baptism invoke God on behalf of their children and commend them to God; and immediately, when they can be taught, train them that they themselves call upon God and His Son, and gradually they teach them the sum of the Gospel. Finally since the children are a large part of the church, parents and teachers should know that no small treasure has been entrusted to them. Therefore they should show faithfulness and dil
Third Argument To whom the promise pertains to them also the sign pertains. For the sign was given for the sake of the promise. Furthermore, it is certain that the promise of grace pertains to infants. Therefore it is necessary that the sign be applied to them through the ministry by which the name of God is invoked upon them.
Fourth Argument igence in teaching and governing the youth.
The command regarding baptism is universal and applies to the entire church. See John 3:5. Therefore it pertains also to infants that they might become part of the church. Nor is there any doubt that there have always been some signs by which infants in the church have been brought to God, e.g., there was circumcision of the males from [the time of] Abraham and other cer emonies by which both male and female infants were brought to God, that is, ceremonies in which the name of God was invoked upon them and the divine blessing promised to the fathers was applied to them. The pa triarchs, even before Abraham, had other signs given
The Lord's Supper It has often been said that there is a singular and enormous blessing of God, even more admirable than the creation itself. God has revealed Himself to the hu man race by sure and clear testimonies, and has de clared His own will for our salvation by giving us clear promises. By the voicing of these promises, He has established and gathered for Himself the church from the very beginning after taking back our first parents.
For God wills that His church on earth be seen and heard, and He wills that it be separate from the many public and well-known remains of heathenism. In the same way Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, and Abra ham had their congregations. And later the nation of Israel had many worship rituals in order that the dif ference from the Gentiles might be clearly seen.
This revelation clearly convinces our minds so that they are compelled to determine that we are of concern to God, and that we are seen by Him. Therefore all the accounts of revelations which have been written must often be considered as dealing with God's reception of our fallen first parents and His giving of the first promise.
He commanded Noah to build an ark, gave the new promise to Abraham, led the people out of Egypt, and (so to speak) gave to His church a sure home, that is to say, a sure place of residence. He sent His prophets, and finally His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by rais ing Him from the dead and by other miracles God de clared that Christ was truly sent from Him.
The devil always has tried and still is trying to destroy the ministry of the Gospel and scatter the flock and the gatherings of the church through tyrants and heretics. Yet out of His -immeasurable mercy God has always preserved and restored both the ministry of the Gospel and the public gatherings of the church. What else are the arms of the Turks endeavoring to do except to destroy the voice of the Gospel and disperse the gatherings of the church of God? But Go'd has promised
Further, mention is often made of the promises and the founding or establishing or restoring of the church. Just as often you should consider the testi monies added by God which come before our eyes, which are guarantees of the promises. that He will preserve His church, and He will preserve it. And in the Lord's Supper itself is included this prom ise, which affirms that the church of God will not be destroyed in this world. For He commands that the Lord's death shall be announced, and this Supper given, until He returns. This consolation must be a blessing for pious people. And those who retain the purity of the Gospel and the godly use of the sacra ments are certainly defended and protected by this.
There are great and important reasons why these external rites have been added to the promise.
First, they are a personal admonition to those using them of the promise and of God's will toward us.
Through them faith toward God is aroused in us and strengthened.
The second reason was and is that the memory of the event may be publicly more lasting and the prom ise more faithfully passed on to all posterity. For the rites come before our eyes over and over again, just as we see that the Gentiles have retained the rites which they have received from their fathers, even when the teaching of the fathers has been lost. Yet when the rites have become corrupted, then suddenly they de vise new ideas and new idols. But it is manifest that rituals are conducive to keeping things in our memory and propagating them. And many rituals paint a picture of the promises, just as circumcision served as an in struction to Abraham and his posterity regarding the Seed. The eating of sacrificed victims instructed the fathers regarding the coming death of the Lord.
I have stated these points by way of preface in order that we may consider the reasons for the insti tution of the Lord's Supper, which is itself also a witness to the remarkable revelation of God. You hear the hu man words of the Supper in no other way than if you were hearing Christ Himself speaking to you, and at the same time you should think of His resurrection and His other miracles, by which God has truly revealed
Himself to us. And you should understand that this Sac rament has been instituted first to instruct individuals and to arouse and strengthen faith in us; and then in order that the memory of the suffering and resurrection of Christ might be forever taught among us by this rite; and finally, that it may be the basis for the public gath ering, in which the church of God shows that it is sep arate and distinct from the other opinions of the Gentiles.
The third reason was and is that the rites may be the basis for the public gathering together. For God wills that there be the public ministry of the Gospel. He does not will that it take place in hidden places, or that the voice of the Gospel be kept shut up in secret, as in the Eleusinian mysteries. He wants it to be heard by the whole human race, and He wants Himself to be known and worshiped. Therefore, He wills that there be public and honorable gatherings, and that in these the voice of the Gospel sound forth. He wants to be worshiped and celebrated there. He wants these gath erings to be witnesses of the separation of the church of God from the sects, factions, and opinions of other
Gentiles. John gathered at Ephesus with his congre gation and taught the Gospel. By the use of the Sac rament the entire congregation showed that they held to this teaching and worshiped this God who had given them the Gospel, and that they had separated them selves from the worship of Diana, Jove, and other idols.
After this introduction, we should consider four points:
First, how the Lord's Supper was instituted.
Second, whom does the eating benefit?
Third, who are to be admitted to it?
Fourth, the abuse and profanation of the Sacrament.
The First Point The rite is described by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul. And Paul specifically says [1 Cor. 11:18],
"When you come together..." He wants this Supper to be a ceremony of the public gathering. At the same time, He wills that the Gospel be taught in connection with it, that God be invoked through discussion of and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that we give thanks.
Therefore He says [vv. 24, 25], "Do this in remem brance of Me." severe in sins contrary to conscience, are unworthy to eat. Some indulge in lusts, others in hatred and unjust desire for revenge; some pollute themselves with other kinds of iniquities knowingly, and lay plans for doing evil. These evils in themselves are displeasing to God.
But Paul says that this offense is increased by new and tragic offense, because they bring shame upon the body and blood of the Lord. Then he adds still another contamination [v. 29], "He who eats and drinks un worthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not dis cerning the Lord's body," that is, he increases his punishment not only for his previous sins but also for this crime of bringing shame upon the body of the Lord.
Therefore repentance or the fear of God is necessary in those who come to Communion.
Nor is this an empty spectacle. Christ is truly present. Through this ministry He gives His own body and blood to those who eat and drink. The ancient fa thers spoke the same way. Cyril says in his Commen tary on John, "Hence we must understand that Christ is in us not only through love, but also by participation in our nature," that is, He is present not only with His efficacy but also with His substance.
And Hilary says, "For the things which we say concerning His natural presence in us would be foolish and ungodly unless we had truly spoken as He teaches us. For He Himself says, 'The bread is truly My flesh, and the cup is truly My blood.' " And then He continues that when these things are received and consumed they cause us to be in Christ and Christ to be in us.
Nor should we imagine that this is a memorial to a dead man, like the spectacles in honor of Hercules and the like. We must reject these profane notions, and having been instructed by this testimony, we should believe that Christ has truly been made a sacrifice and put to death for us, but also that He has truly been raised and reigns and is present with His church, and in this min istry He truly joins Himself to us as His members.
This same action indeed speaks of both repen tance and faith. We celebrate the memory of the death of Christ. You hear that the body of Christ has been given for you. You hear that the blood of Christ has been shed for you. These words first instruct us re garding the great anger of God against our sins, which the virtues and merits of neither angels nor men could placate, but which must be placated by the death of the Son. And the pious mind can judge that sin is no minor evil. The many great calamities of mankind, such as diseases, exiles, torments, poverty, wars, violent death, and other plagues, are signs of the wrath of God against sin. They have been placed upon us in order that we may be instructed regarding the judgment and anger of God. But a far more graphic testimony to the terrible anger of God is the Son of God sweating blood, struggling with the wrath of God, tortured and hanging on the cross. If a person is not moved by this testimony, and is not terrified by the thought of the wrath of God and the death of Christ in this action itself and in the eating, he is not aware of what is going on here. O
Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, You who have been crucified for us and raised again, kindle our minds that we may be turned to God and not despise His wrath and Your death, but truly be turned to the knowledge of Your benefits and the wonderful counsel regarding
Your death.
The Second Point In the churches which are correctly instructed the hearers and churchgoers are to be invited to make more frequent use of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ and be moved to more ardent prayer and thanksgiving. But at the same time men are to be instructed about who benefits from this eating. For we must both denounce and deplore the fact that many who wish to appear as members of the church receive the Sacrament only once or twice in a decade. And at the same time because of this negligence worldly opin ions thrive, prayer is forgotten, and other vices arise.
In days gone by, at the beginning of the church, the use of the Sacrament was more frequent, as the histories and the canons testify. And there is another evil against which we must contend with care and stern ness, so that the unwary do not partake while in the midst of manifest vices and attend Communion without repentance.
This counsel far surpasses the universal wisdom of all created things. Therefore, You, O Jesus Christ the Son of God, should instruct us, You who have said
[Luke 10:22], "No one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son has revealed Him."
It is useful to research the godly institution of the Sacrament in advance so that we may understand what various individuals were teaching, and so that we may teach the unlearned both what the Sacrament is and what benefit there is in using it.
Furthermore, there is also the necessity for faith which seeks and receives the remission of sins. For here [in the Sacrament] the remission of sins is offered and applied to the believer. For when it is said here,
"This is the blood of the new covenant," we are being instructed regarding the entire Gospel and the entire benefit of the new covenant. And this promise requires faith, as we have said above fully. But he who does not repent neither seeks nor receives remission. Therefore by this doctrine we are taught to lift up our minds to repentance and to show faith. Thus the ones who come
Furthermore, it is manifest that in this area we must repeatedly teach that the eating is of no benefit to those who are not repentant and continue in their sins against conscience, as Paul clearly affirms [1 Cor.
11:27], "He who eats this bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." Also these who do not have the fear of God and faith, or repentance and faith, and knowingly per
Jesus Christ, Creator of all things and Preserver of them together with Your coeternal Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ, and Your Holy Spirit, have mercy on me for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ. With marvelous wis dom and inerrant counsel You have willed Him to be made a sacrifice for us; and at the same time You have shown Your wrath against sin and Your immeasurable mercy toward the human race. Sanctify, guide, and aid me by Your Holy Spirit. Guide and preserve Your church and Your governments, which are protectors of the churches. worthily are the ones who seriously repent and so ap proach the Table of the Lord. Having been instructed by the testimony and promise of the new covenant, they strengthen their faith. And toward this end the eating by those who repent is beneficial, that is, for strength ening faith. And when by this eating a person receives the Sacrament, he also acquires the remission of sins and the Holy Spirit. If the new voice of God sounding from heaven testifies that you are received in grace, then with strong assent you will say that you will trust in God and you will thank Him. Thus it has been nec essary that we believe this way regarding the use of the Sacrament. Christ bears witness by this great guar antee that you are received [by Him] and that you have become a member of His body. By this testimony you are instructed that you are truly received by Him. Thus you shall believe, and in this faith you shall call upon God and give thanks to Christ, that by His death He has satisfied the wrath of God, because He has given the Gospel and His witnesses to us.
I give You thanks, Almighty God, eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Creator and Preserver of all things, together with Your coeternal Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ, and Your Holy Spirit, that in your immea surable goodness You have revealed \o Your church also Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that He might be made a sacrifice for us and that through Him there is given to us the remission of sins and life everlasting.
You bestow these great blessings of Yours to us through the Gospel and the Sacraments. You preserve the church and the ministry of the Gospel, and do not allow them to be destroyed. God, grant that we may be able to consider and celebrate with grateful and burning hearts this great goodness of Yours and the enormous benefits. But I pray that You would raise us up by Your Holy Spirit, so that our minds may be truly grateful and that gratitude may shine forth in our lives, etc.
Therefore we must reject the error of the monks and the sacrificing priests, who devise the idea that by the mere doing of the work (ex opere operate), as they say, the reception is of benefit without any good inten tion on our part. From where have these Pharisaic rav ings entered the church? It clearly says [Rom. 1:17],
"The just shall live by his faith." Therefore in the re ception of the Sacrament it is necessary to add faith, which is thinking of many very important matters, such as the wrath of God against sin; the death of the Son of God, by which the Father is reconciled; and the giving of the Gospel and the Sacraments, by which He applies to us the promised remission of sins. For the Sacra ments apply the promise to individuals. And in this ac tion Christ joins us to Himself as His members.
To You also, O Jesus Christ, Son of God, cru cified and raised for us, I give thanks that in Your great love for us You have interceded with the eternal Father for the human race and have been made a sacrificial victim for us and have drawn down upon Yourself the wrath of God toward our sins. Kindle our hearts so that we may rejoice in true gratitude for Your enormous benefit, which is beyond our understanding, etc.
By thinking of such things, and by faith when we call upon God, and with Christ, our high priest, leading us, we draw near to Him, and our hearts are set on fire by the Holy Spirit. Therefore the external voice of the Gospel sounds forth, so that hearts may receive it by faith, as Paul says [Rom. 10:17], "Faith comes from hearing." Thus the outward action of the Sacrament is conducted so that it may instruct our hearts and kindle faith, not that it may be an end in itself and merit reconciliation.
The uneducated should use this kind of formula, so that they may arouse themselves to meditating about these great things. For faith is cultivated and kindled by thinking about such things. The mind is moved when you meditate upon the stern righteousness of God, which does not remit sins without a price, and therefore
He is frightfully angry at sin. But how great is the love of the Son in that He intercedes for us and takes this wrath upon Himself? How great was His rejection? He was cast down before God, experiencing His wrath as one who had been polluted with your sins and the sins of the most wicked of men—scoundrels, idolaters, adul terers, and other criminals. How shall we survive? Be cause the Son of God subjected Himself to such great humiliation. It is salutary to think of such things in our giving of thanks.
Now, after we have spoken regarding the prin cipal purpose [of the Sacrament], namely, the strength ening of faith, then it is correct to add many other purposes. For there can be many goals for this one action, but they come in a particular order.
Of necessity for the strengthening of faith we need to add the next purpose, that is, the giving of thanks. Thus the name that is given to this ceremony is the Eucharist. For at this point in the teaching of this matter we must remember the benefits of Christ. In public proclamation and in our private prayers we must give clear expression of thanksgiving:
Now we come to the third purpose [of the Sac rament], namely, that your example is of benefit to pre serve the entire congregation in its public gathering.
For if only a few use the Sacrament, little by little people Almighty God, the eternal Father of our Lord will be led away from the services. Finally, the church
says [1 Pet. 3:15], "We should be ready to give an account of our faith." will almost entirely neglect public worship, preaching, and the Sacrament, as has happened in a great part of the world, where the sacrificing priest only reads masses, and the people are absent from the churches and do not hear sermons and do not understand the use of the Sacrament itself.
But those who are repentant and truly ashamed should not flee from using the Sacrament because of previous lapses. They should understand that this great guarantee is given here in order that faith might be kindled and strengthened regarding the remission of sins, and that when the mind has been reconciled to God it may again invoke Him and serve Him with a good conscience. The mind should not trust in its own worthiness and purity. The prodigal son returned to his father and did not put forth his own good works or mer its, but acknowledged, accused, and deplored his own guilt. So also we must acknowledge our sins and ac cuse them and flee for mercy, which has been promised for the sake of Christ. And this very Supper is a seal of His mercy. In it Christ joins us to Himself as His members, and testifies that the remission of sins is given to us freely, that is, not because of our worthiness, but because He Himself was made a sacrifice for us.
When we meditate piously on these things in our prayer and use the Sacrament, we can understand more fully from these exercises of faith than from long disputa tions. And a comparison of these things easily points out the misuses of the Sacrament.
Furthermore, it is the command of God that in dividuals by their example invite others to the public services, as the precept about the Sabbath teaches.
For God wills that there be the public ministry. He wills that the voice of the Gospel sound forth publicly. He wills that all people hear and learn it. And He promises that He will be with these gatherings and will hear their prayers, as it clearly says in Matt. 18[:20], "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am in the midst of them," [and v. 19], "If two people agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." With this most beau tiful promise Christ commends to us the public gath ering together. He wants us to love the congregation.
He wants the church to be people in fellowship. He hates things which tear it apart and destroy it.
The fourth purpose [of the Sacrament] is the confession of doctrine. When you take the Sacrament, you are showing that you accept the teaching of His church and that you want to be a member of His con gregation, with which you are eating the Lamb [of God].
The Fourth Point In opposition to the godly use of this Sacrament (of which I have been speaking), they have brought into the church horrendous profanations, which we must attack and destroy in keeping with the statement [1 Cor.
10:14], "Flee idolatry." First, we must cling firmly to the clear rule: The outward observance does not have the character of a Sacrament. That is, it is not a sign of grace which is pleasing to God when something is set up outside or beside the Word of God, or when the ceremony is changed into a work of a different kind, that is, when a different purpose is set forth than that which has been established by God. Examples would be when a person carries around the water of baptism to be looked at and teaches that the Holy Spirit is en closed in it, or when someone uses baptism to cleanse
The fifth purpose is that eating together is a bond of mutual love. In olden times it was very common in drawing up covenants or treaties to eat the same con secrated food. And Paul teaches that this Communion is a bond of mutual love [1 Cor. 10:17], "As there is one bread, so we, being many, are one body." We need to understand these points regarding the purposes so that the principal purpose is not omitted, and so that nothing is added which would conflict with the principal purpose and which would corrupt the doctrine of the true use of the Sacrament and the exercise of faith.
The Third Point Those who are to be admitted to the Sacrament can be easily identified from Paul's statement [1 Cor. a leper. In this way the Jewish and Turkish circumcision does not have the character of a sacrament, that is, it is not pleasing to God but is an ungodly spectacle which is condemned by God, for it takes place contrary to the Word of God.
11:27, 29], "He who eats unworthily ... eats judgment to himself." They participate unworthily, as the passage says, if they persevere in their sins contrary to con science, whether overtly or covertly; likewise, if they do not come with repentance and faith.
On the basis of this example the many clear abuses of the Lord's Supper can be judged. There is the spectacle in which the bread is carried around but is definitely not eaten. But Christ says [Matt. 26:26],
"Take and eat." It in no way squares with the character of a sacrament to carry it around and bind Christ to that place without any divine Word. Thus the ceremony is changed into a work of a different kind when they say that they are offering the Son of God for the living and the dead, and that this merits for them the forgiveness of sins. It is a great departure from the institution when
But the ministers cannot judge except concerning manifest sins. Therefore they must prohibit those who are polluted with manifest sins and do not mend their ways. And they must remember the precept [Matt. 7:6],
"Do not give that which is holy to dogs."
This also pertains to the work of pastors. They are to determine the doctrine and faith of individuals among the people. And it is our obligation as individuals among the pastors to confess our faith and demon strate what we believe regarding doctrine, as Peter
the Sacrament is given to obtain good things for the subject oneself to this wrath, to be the mediator be tween God and the human race, and to enter into the holy of holies with God. Therefore it is said in Heb.
9[:12], "Through His own blood He entered once into the holy of holies, having obtained eternal redemption."
Again [v. 14], "who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God." Christ offered Himself.
We are to acknowledge that this sacrifice was made by Him, and believe that through it the eternal Father has been reconciled to us, and we should give thanks for it. Godly people should consider these things and seek out the true testimonies of the ancient church. I know that many people are gathering many worthless testimonies from more recent times. But diligence is necessary in order that the godly may be able to dis tinguish useless and adulterated testimonies from those which are true. Therefore we should retain the practice of the apostles, which remained in use by the apostles for about thirty years in the church: pious read ings were recited, the people were instructed by a ben eficial sermon, prayers were offered, and then the words of Christ regarding the Supper were recited and the Sacrament was distributed to the godly who were examining themselves and praying, and finally a prayer of thanksgiving was spoken. This should be done so that there will not be any private sacrifices by individuals. body, for victory, for success in a business venture, or to dispel disease. When the priest offers the Sacrament so that it may bestow these good things, this is done with a different purpose than that for which it was in stituted. But most alien to this is the fact that since the priests are ignorant of what they are doing, they are performing this so-called offering only for the sake of their belly.
Further, I know that these abuses are most te naciously and stubbornly defended, excused by the most prestigious and astute thinkers and painted with all kinds of colors. But the godly must encourage the godly to flee this horrendous profanation under the rub ric [1 Cor. 10:14], "Flee idolatry," and they must teach the godly use of the Sacrament. Moreover, just as pub lic calamities, the fall of kingdoms, wars, devastations, seditions, the ravings of princes, famines, and pestil ences have always been the punishments for these sins—especially the worship of idols, unjust murders, and lusts—so I believe that the arms of the Turks are attacking us because of the idols which have been brought into the church: the profanations of masses, the prayers for the dead, and the wild lusts. Therefore we must pray that the Son of God would correct these errors and mitigate the punishments.
But there is no need for a long disputation in a matter which is obvious. Just as in ancient times the Pharisaic priests imagined that they merited the remis sion of sins by their sacrifices, so today monks and priests imagine that by their sacrifice they are meriting the remission of sins for themselves and others, both living and dead. In this error are contained many false and pernicious persuasions, namely, that the one pas sion of Christ did not make satisfaction for the whole church, and that therefore men should seek reconcili ation for the sake of this sacrifice by the priest, and not by confidence in the mercy which was promised for the sake of the Son of God, who was crucified for us. And many other errors follow from this.
Because this subject requires an explanation showing what a sacrifice is and whether there is one understanding of the term, I will add that exposition, as I indeed consider necessary.
Sacrifice Although it seems childish to distinguish between the words "sacrament" and "sacrifice," yet the situation demands that in religious ceremonies the difference be observed and boundaries defined. Some ceremonies are signs and notices of promises in which God shows something to us; but other ceremonies are not properly the signs of promises, but works which we render to God.
We must put the true doctrine of the merit of the suffering of Christ in opposition to these ravings, as it says in Heb. 10[:14], "By one offering He has perfected the saints." Therefore the death of Christ alone was the sacrifice for all our sins, not the works of the Levitical law or some later law.
It is necessary in the case of ceremonies to note the distinctions on account of which we use certain words. And since the words "sacrament" and "sacri fice" are in common use, we shall retain them also.
Thus a sacrament is a ceremony which is a sign of a promise whereby God promises or shows something to us. Circumcision was a sign by which God promised that He would receive those who had been circumcised.
Baptism is a sign that God is with us and receives us into grace and in a sense baptizes us Himself. For the minister baptizes us in the stead of Christ. A sacrifice
Also it is clear that we receive the remission of sins by faith, for the sake of Christ, not because of any work of ours or of the priest, as it says in that most noteworthy and firm statement [Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17],
"The righteous man shall live by his faith." From these words it is easy for all godly people to judge the hor rendous abuses defended by the priests who are bring ing the Lord's Supper into question. is a ceremony or a work of ours which we render to God so that we honor Him, that is, we bear witness that we acknowledge that He to whom we give obedience is the true God, and for this reason we do render Him this obedience.
Finally, where do they get the idea that they are offering up the Son of God? It is a very important matter to offer a sacrifice. To sacrifice is to acknowledge the wrath of God against the sins of the human race, to
take away sin and death. Paul corroborates this inter pretation when he says, "He was made a curse," [Gal.
3:13] and again, "Because of sin He condemned sin,"
[Rom. 8:3], that is, He punished sin and destroyed it through His sacrifice for sin. For the Hebrews called this very sacrifice a sin—or transgression—offering, just as the Latins speak of a sin offering [piaculum].
Therefore we should cling to the fact that in the history of the world there was only this unique [unicum] pro pitiatory sacrifice. For those sacrifices which are spo ken of in the law as propitiatory, as I have said, are called by this name because of their similarity, and thus they have been abolished after Christ appeared. More over, since the Gospel has promised that it would offer true propitiation, it is necessary that the Levitical cer emonies would not be true propitiations, because they ceased with the revelation of the Gospel.
There are two kinds of sacrifices which are very similar to one another, and there are no others. There is the propitiatory sacrifice, that is, a work which merits for some the remission of guilt and eternal punishment, or a work which reconciles God and placates the wrath of God on behalf of some people and is a means of satisfaction for sin and eternal punishment. The second kind of sacrifice is the eucharistic sacrifice which does not merit the remission of sins or reconciliation, but comes from those who have been reconciled, so that we give thanks to God for the remission of sins which we have received and for His other benefits, or we return thanks by means of our obedience. This distinc tion can be clearly shown from the Epistle to the He brews [10:1-18] which teaches that there was only one propitiatory sacrifice made in the world. Therefore, there remain all the other works in which tfiose who have been reconciled must demonstrate their obedience.
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Furthermore, under these two kinds, which I have mentioned, can be distributed all the Levitical sacrifices in their proper locations. For certain of these are men tioned in the law as propitiatory sacrifices because of their signification or similarity, not because they merited the remission of sins before God, but because they signified or were a sign of the sacrifice of Christ which was to come. But there they merited the remission of sins in outward life, that is, so that they were not ex cluded from the Mosaic civil life. Thus they were called propitiatory sacrifices for sin [sin offerings] or sacrifices for transgressions, and these were called burnt offer
In our era eucharistic sacrifices still remain. They are called sacrifices of praise, the preaching of the Gos pel, faith, invocation, the giving of thanks, confession, the afflictions of the saints, indeed all the good works of the saints. These sacrifices are not satisfactions for those who perform them, nor do they apply to others so that they might merit ex opere operate the remission of sins or reconciliation. And thus besides the one pro pitiatory sacrifice, namely, the death of Christ, the other sacrifices in the New Testament are only eucharistic sacrifices, as Peter teaches in 1 Peter 2:5, "a holy priesthood, that you should offer spiritual sacrifices."
Further, these spiritual sacrifices are put in opposition not only to the sacrifices of bulls but also to human works which are offered in a purely external way ex opere operate, that is, without faith and the good in tention of the heart, because the word "spiritual" refers to the actions of the Holy Spirit within us. And con cerning these sacrifices the Epistle to the Hebrews also speaks in 13:15, "Through Him we always offer to God the sacrifice of praise." And the author adds the inter pretation, "the fruit of the lips which confess His name," that is, prayer, thanksgiving, confession, and the like.
These things have value not from the mere external doing of them ex opere operate, but because of faith.
The preposition teaches us this: through Him [v. 15] we make our offering, that is, through faith in Christ. Fur ther, there is great consolation for the Christian mind to know that all good works and all afflictions are sac rifices, that is, works which are pleasing to God and which God pronounces an honor to Him. ings or holocausts. But the eucharistic sacrifices were called oblations, libations, recompenses, first fruits, or tithes.
But the truth is that in the whole world there was only one propitiatory sacrifice, namely, the suffering or death of Christ, as the Epistle to the Hebrews teaches
[10:4], "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." And a little later [v. 10] concerning the will of Christ it says, "And by that will we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Christ once for all."
For Christ Himself also applies His own sacrifice to us when He prays for us, John 17:19 ff. "For them
I sanctify Myself that they may also be truly sanctified.
I do not pray only for them, but also for those who shall believe in Me through their word." These are truly the words of our pope and high priest by which He offers
Himself for the whole church and prays for the church, something which we must always remember and keep in our mind. Isaiah also interprets the law so that we may know that the death of Christ is the true satisfaction or expiation for our sins, and not the ceremonies of the law. Thus he says in 53:10, "After He has given His life as an offering for sins, He shall see His offspring and prolong His days," as if he were saying that another sacrifice remains which will truly take away sin and death. Therefore these customary ceremonies do not There are many statements concerning this kind of sacrifice in the Psalms and the Prophets, for ex ample, Ps. 50:14-15, "Make a sacrifice of praise to God
... Call upon Me in the day of trouble." Again, Ps.
51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit."
In the second place we should know that in the New Testament worship is spiritual, that is, it is the
of the nature of a certain kind of sacrifice that it be applied to someone else, is false. For our afflictions are sacrifices, and yet they are not to be applied to others, in keeping with the statement [1 Cor. 3:8], "Each one will receive his own reward in keeping with his own labor." Again [Gal. 6:4] "Let each prove his own work, and thus he-shall have glory in himself." Again, [Hab.
2:4], "The just shall live by his own faith." The parable of the foolish virgins proves the same point. Besides, since our works are worship which must be performed by us, as Paul says [Rorrv. 8:12], "We are debtors," and again [1 Cor. 9:16], "Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel," therefore, since they are insufficient in and of themselves and require faith which seeks that our weakness not be laid to our charge or imputed to us, what arrogance it will be if we conclude that such works righteousness of faith and the fruit of faith; because the new testament offers righteousness and eternal and spiritual life, according to the statement [Jer. 31:33], "I will put My law in their hearts." And Christ says [John
4:23], "The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth," that is, with true heart-felt emotion.
And the Levitical forms of worship have been abrogated because the spiritual worship of the mind must follow and the fruits and signs of it.
From this it follows that there is no sacrifice or worship in the New Testament which merits for the doer or others the remission of sins ex opere operate. For this is directly opposed to the statement "The true wor shipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth."
Indeed it is a Pharisaic notion that a worship form merits the remission of sins ex opere operate. And although because of this notion the Jews kept piling up their forms of worship, with the purpose that they might merit much grace and other benefits, yet the prophets sharply contended against this piling up of worship forms.
Psalm 50, which requires invocation and the repudia tion of sacrifices, condemns this notion, when it says in v. 13, "Do I eat the flesh of bulls?" And in Is. 1:11,
"What are the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" And Jer. 7:22 ff., "I did not speak with your fathers or com mand them . .. regarding burnt offerings and sacri fices." And it is evident that the law gives command concerning sacrifices. But the prophet condemns the notion of ex opere operato. God does not require such sacrifices. In the church under a similar persuasion masses are piled high, because they are [considered] sacrifices which are pleasing to God ex opere operato and merit for the one who performs them and for others the remission of sins. For they taught that through the mass the sacrifice of Christ is applied [to the sinner].
But let each person through his own faith apply or ap propriate to himself the sacrifice of Christ, and indeed freely, that is, not because of the work of another. are not only rewards for us, but also for others, since
Christ says [Luke 17:10], "When you have done all things, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.' " Likewise
Ps. 50:14 ff. calls invocation in "the day of trouble" a sacrifice, likewise "the giving of thanks." Furthermore, this work, when we give thanks, is not a work which we can apply for the sake of others, so that there is a benefit for them because of the worthiness of the work.
Therefore, it is a false persuasion that it is the nature of a sacrifice that it be applied for the sake of others.
For only the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ was to be applied for others. Our other sacrifices which are eu charistic are beneficial to those who perform them in the same way that a good work is profitable for the one who does it, but they are not to be applied in such a way that they merit for others the remission of their sins.
But prayer for others has an entirely different na ture than works, for it does not offer any work to God which is the price for others, but it only desires to re ceive from God. And God has promised that He will give both to us and to others the things for which we pray. This can be easily discerned. In prayer we do not oppose God, nor do we offer Him any work of ours as a price for others, but we only wish to receive from God, and this indeed for the sake of the mediator, Christ, as it is written [John 14:13], "Whatsoever you ask the Fa ther in My name He will give to you." It is one thing to deal with God in faith and not on account of any work of ours; it is another thing to put before to God the merit of some particular work, and this on behalf of others.
Therefore, the application of our works on behalf of others, especially for the remission of sins, must never be permitted, for it is written [Hab. 2:4], "The just shall live by his own faith." In addition, we need to know this about works: just as some are punished for the sins of others, so the righteousness of a few obtains many good things for others. There are many testimonies and examples of this sentiment in Scripture: Jer. 49[:12],
"Behold, they whose judgment it was not to drink the cup have surely drunk." And concerning public and in dividual benefits, Isaiah 33[:15—17] says, "He who walks uprightly and speaks the truth, who rejects av
But there can be many purposes for one work.
We use the Lord's Supper as a sacrament inasfar as it is a testimony by which faith is guided. Secondly, this faith itself with the outward participation in the sacra ment is a kind of sacrifice, because God pronounces that this faith, and exercises of this kind, in the New
Testament are sacrifices of praise and a form of wor ship. Thus, this spiritual obedience itself becomes a kind of sacrifice by which honor is given to God which He requires and approves. Then, since with this faith there is of necessity joined the giving of thanks for the highest benefit which He has bestowed upon us and the church, thus it is called a eucharistia (a sacrifice of thanksgiving). Besides this there is also the need for confession; for we have shown that we believe the Gos pel and should invite others to follow our example. All these things are eucharistic sacrifices. Therefore the ancients called this ceremony [the Lord's Supper] a sacrifice.
But the point which some are arguing, that it is
forever be the enemies of God. Therefore, the chief voice of God is spoken in the church [Mk. 1:15], "Re pent and believe the Gospel," that they may be deliv ered from eternal destruction. This was the first preaching in paradise, when God cursed our first par ents after the fall and then added the absolution with the giving of the faint promise of the coming deliverer.
Thus always thereafter in the church the patriarchs, the prophets, Christ, the apostles, and all faithful ministers of the Word of God have clung to these two kinds of teaching, and have declared the wrath of God against sin. They have shown that because of sin the human race in enormous calamities also is subject to the eter nal punishment which is coming upon all who are not converted to God. And, secondly, they also held forth remission for those who were terrified in their sins and clung in faith to the Son of God and made a beginning arice and shakes his hands lest they hold a bribe, who shuts his ears so that they do not hear of bloodshed, and closes his eyes, so that they see no evil, he shall dwell on high, his places of defense will be fortresses of rocks, bread will be given to him, his water supply shall be sure, his eyes shall see the king in his beauty and a land which stretches far." Among his other re wards He promises that the state of the public realm will be more tranquil, that is, a common benefit which pertains to many people. There are examples of this.
Because of the sin of David the people were punished [cf. 2 Sam. 24], Because of a few righteous people God was willing to spare the people of Sodom [cf. Gen.
18:22 ff.]; because of Naaman He blessed the king of Syria [cf. 2 Kings 5:1], Thus we should learn that pun ishments and rewards spread far and wide, in order that we should be motivated to perform good works.
But yet in such situations we must remember these two things: first, that these points do not refer to the matter of our justification, that is, that for the un righteous the works of others, such as the saints, are of no benefit to their justification, but for the righteous they do obtain many common benefits, because we are members of the common body. The second thing is that it is not within our power to apply our merits to others, because this would be a certain confidence in our own works. But we must permit God to give us the common or particular rewards that He wishes. But prayer is applied on behalf of others, because it does not rely on our own worthiness but on the gracious promise of Christ. From what we have said, it is easy to determine what we ought to think concerning appli cation. For that which pertains to our justification is not an application without our own faith. But faith uses as its instruments the Word and the sacraments, which testify that the benefit of Christ does apply to us, and this benefit does not depend on the worthiness of the work of another person. These points should be suffi cient concerning the shamefulness of the mass. in obedience in keeping with the Word of God.
Therefore, in order that we may be moved to re pent, we should learn the entire doctrine concerning this article and meditate upon it carefully. We must gather all the testimonies concerning the wrath of God against sin, concerning personal and public calamities of all times, the warning of eternal punishments, and finally the death of the Son of God. For this last is the clearest possible proof of all concerning the wrath of God against sin. Nor should we imagine that this is merely some idle spectacle. It is necessary that the wrath of God against sin be serious, enormous, and indescribable, since it cannot be placated unless the Son intercedes for us and is made a victim for us. If the human race correctly understands this testimony, all people should be devastated with sudden fear, and yet in the meantime the world despises these testi monies in ungodly carnal security.
But we must get rid of this security and be moved by these terrifying works of God and again consider the greatness of His mercy because God has not willed that the whole human race should perish. He has re vealed Himself to us so that He might be recognized and invoked, because God has given His Son for us that He might be the Emmanuel, that is, God with us, and walk among us as our helper and Savior, because
He has given the promise of grace and eternal life, because He gives His Holy Spirit as the guardian of those who seek Him. When we consider all of these things, we must confess our hardness of heart and la ment it and pray that God would turn us to Himself. He has surely promised that He will give His Holy Spirit to those who seek Him. He commands us to believe that we are received by Him for the sake of the Son, as we shall teach below.
Repentance When certain people told Christ about the cruel action of Pilate, who had killed certain Galileans and had compelled others to drink in their sacrifices the blood of those who had been killed, Christ in replying did not accuse Pilate by name, but rather he warned
His hearers and testified that they also were guilty, and He urged them to repent, saying in Luke 13[:3], "Unless you repent you shall likewise perish." Thus we should understand that all the calamities in the world are warn ings to us all to repent.
In this life, even in the saints, many sins remain which we must acknowledge and deplore with sincere repentance. Furthermore, there are others who have lapses contrary to conscience and are outside the grace of God, who, unless in this life they are converted to God, are running into eternal punishments and will
I have prefaced these points in order that we may move ourselves to earnest consideration of this article.
Now I shall speak about the name. I do not wish to get into an argument over the terminology. I use the term
"repentance" as we use it in the church, as a turning to God, and I distinguish, for the sake of teaching the
skill that the majority of the people in Egypt and Syria followed this Meletius and despised the opinion of Pe ter. And this is a memorable matter because he tells that Peter, in the defense of the truth, cited both the Scriptures and the examples of earlier history which had been handed down from the apostles and their followers. And we still see an example in the history of John the apostle as recorded in Eusebius, book 3, p.
60 [book III, chap. 23, para 6-19], of a young man who had fallen away whom John reclaimed from a band of thieves. Further, the raving of the Cathari is sufficiently demonstrated to have arisen from their ignorance of the doctrine of the righteousness of faith. For after they had developed the idea that hypocritical men are righ teous by reason of their own worthiness and without sin, then they dreamed up the idea thht if this purity was lost, there was no longer any hope for forgiveness. subject, two parts or different activities. These two parts
I call contrition and faith. Of necessity the new obedi ence must follow, which if a person wishes to call the third part of repentance, I will not quarrel with him. So let us not stir up controversies over words, but we must be vigilant in observing the substantive aspects of the matter which are necessary for the church in refuting errors that bring darkness and confusion upon the true doctrine.
But before explaining the two divisions of the sub ject, we must briefly refute two errors of fanatical men who have dreamed up the notion that the regenerate cannot fall and that even though they fall contrary to conscience, yet they are still righteous. This insanity must be condemned, and examples put in opposition along with statements of Scripture from the prophets and apostles, such as that Saul and David were pleas ing to God and were righteous and received the Holy
Spirit, even though they later fell so greatly that the one utterly perished and the other was again turned to God.
There are many statements which deal with this matter, such as Matt. 12[:43-45], "When the unclean spirit has gone forth from the man, he wanders in deserted places
... and says, 'I will return,'... and he finds the place empty,... and the last conditions of that man become worse than the first."
Furthermore, we must on the basis of Scripture cite testimonies which oppose these notions. For ex ample, David, Manasseh and Peter after frightful lapses again achieved the remission of sins. The church of the Galatians had fallen away, and was called to repen tance by Paul. Likewise Paul himself commanded the incestuous man at Corinth to be received back after he had repented, 2 Cor. 2[:6-8], We are adding other statements of Scripture:
Ezek. 33[: 11 ], "As I live," says the Lord, "I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and live." And there are other similar statements in the prophets, such as, Is. 1 [:18 ff.]. This passage in Ezekiel is more memorable, because there is added to it the oath, "As I live," in order that consciences may be guided not only when they hear the promise but also when the promise is confirmed by an oath. Therefore, we should firmly impress this comfort in our minds and consider how great the power of divine love is toward us which ardently desires our salvation, as it is so cor rectly stated in Tobit, "You are not delighted, O God,
Similar is the very sad message in 2 Pet. 2[:20], "If, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord . .. they are again entangled ... the last state has become worse than the first." And 1 Cor. 10[:12], "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." And Rev. 2[:5], "Re member from whence you have fallen, and repent and do your former works."
These and other passages concerning the re generate bear witness that they can indeed fall, and that those who have fallen contrary to conscience are not pleasing to God unless they are again converted.
Therefore, let us not fool ourselves that in our security we need not control our weakness, but let us be on watch and alert, let us fight against our infirmity and take extremely great care to avoid the pitfalls of the devil, as Peter warns [1 Pet. 5:8], "Your adversary the devil walks about as a raging lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him strongly and in faith." in our being lost." And by thoughts of this kind we must urge ourselves to repentance and true invocation.
There is no value at this point for the sophistry that the Old Testament has a blessing which is different from that in the New Testament concerning the con version of those who have fallen. For the message of Ezekiel pertains to the universal church of all ages, and the church of all ages is the same and the Gospel is the same.
On the other hand, we must not let our despair take over, for this produces a hatred against God just as the Novatians and the Cathari did who denied that those who had fallen after baptism could again obtain the remission of sins. This crass and poisonous error, which in ancient times flourished so widely, is astonishing!
But let us take up the proofs from the New Tes tament. Christ says, Matt. 18[:15],"if your brother sins against you, correct him; and if he hears you, you have gained your brother." When He says, "you have gained your brother," He is clearly asserting that He is speak ing of those for whom this correction is beneficial. And because He is speaking about brothers, that is, about those who have fallen after justification, He is also tes tifying to the fact that He still wills that he be cast out of the church if he does' not hear; therefore He is speak
Epiphanius tells that at Alexandria, when Peter was the bishop whom the tyrant Maximinus put to death, there was a certain Meletius, who along with crying loudly against Peter, spread the ridiculous notion that forgiveness was to be denied those who had fallen.
He added this to his hypocrisy with such marvelous ing about those who had previously been in the church.
And then when Peter [Matt. 18:21] asks, "How many times shall I forgive?'' Christ replies, "Till seventy times seven." Therefore, those who have lapsed after justi fication can obtain forgiveness. For when He com mands the church to forgive, He Himself also wills to forgive the person who repents and believes. There fore, He said previously, "You have gained your brother." simplest possible terms, I understand this passage as having this meaning: such people cannot be called back to repentance who do not heed the Gospel more fully, but despise it, and are not eager to retain the beginnings of godliness of which I have spoken, namely, baptism and the doctrine of repentance. It seems to me indeed that this is the true meaning of the passage and there is nothing wrong with this interpre tation, inasfar as they cannot be called to repentance unless they hear the Gospel, but instead they crucify
Christ and heap shame upon Him.
I realize that it is argued by some whether this passage is speaking about fraternal reconciliation or about the public ministry which pronounces the remis sion of sins. But it is a valid argument against the Novatians, even if the text is applied only to fraternal reconciliation, for He says, "You have gained your brother." In [Matt. 18:18] He says, "Whatsoever you shall loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." And these words also testify that this passage is teaching about the ministry. For Christ has willed to establish the discipline of the church and the correction of those who have fallen, and they say that this practice was instituted by the old synagogue. Christ also wanted to distinguish the correction which belonged to the church from that of civil government. He wills that admonition come first in order that the first concern shall be the salvation of the man. Civil discipline is more rigorous, it hastens to punish, and it does not deliberate before hand about the salvation of the person. Then Christ has also established the method of punishment. He wills that the unrepentant person be put out of the church, but he does not add civil punishments, but leaves these to the magistrates.
We must confess also that there is an unforgiv able sin because Christ expressly affirms the fact. And this passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews is applied to this sin. But here some raise the objection that this makes forgiveness a matter of uncertainty since a cer tain sin is unforgivable. For our mind will always be in a state of anxiety when it thinks that perhaps it has committed this sin, and this question bothers many peo ple, but for those who are godly the explanation is plain and simple.
There is an unforgivable sin, but what it is must be judged only a posteriori, that is, it must be attributed to those who persevere until the end in their ragings against God in Epicurean contempt or Pharisaic hatred or hopelessness, as in the case of Nero, Pharaoh, Saul,
Judas, and others like them. Nor can the determination concerning the unforgivable sin be made in anyway other than a posteriori; because in our hearts, before this judgment has been revealed, we must always re tain these three things: the promise of grace, the com mandment which directs us to believe in the Son, and the commandment given to the church to loose sins
[Matt. 18:18], "Whatsoever you shall loose on earth."
The promise is explained by Paul in these very lovely words [Rom. 5:20],"Grace abounded over sin." It is the height of blasphemy to cast Christ aside for the sake of sin and to diminish His merit. Further, it is an eternal and immutable command and far above the law that we are to believe in Christ. And these are universals— the promise and the command—as it is said [Matt.
11:28], "Come unto me all you who labor." And each should include himself in this universal.
But let us return to the Scripture passages. Gal.
6[:1] says, "If a person is apprehended in some sin, you who are spiritual should correct him in a spirit of gentleness." Here he commands that the fallen be re called to repentance. Rev. 2[:5], "Remember from whence you have fallen and repent and do your former works." Luke 15[:7], "There is joy among the angels over one sinner who repents." In this teaching Christ is speaking of the repentance of the prodigal son, that is, about people who were previously godly.
But the Novatians raise objection to this by citing two passages from the Epistle to the Hebrews: Heb.
6[:4 ft], "It is impossible to bring to repentance those who have once been enlightened." Although this seems to be a harsh passage, if the conscience has been fortified by the true testimonies cited above it cannot be terrified by this passage. But after it has been es tablished as a matter of certainty by the testimonies quoted above that we cannot deny forgiveness to those who have fallen away, then it is a simple matter to judge that this statement cannot be retained at this point, but it must be added that its interpretation is not difficult.
Some soften it in one direction and place it among ob scure or ambiguous passages on the grounds that in the Greek it does not sound so difficult. For it says, "It is not possible that they be called back to repentance who crucify Christ and hold Him in derision." In the After the mind has been strengthened and knows that it is God's command that we believe that all sins are forgiven us, then the mind must learn that we are not to judge regarding the unforgivable sin except a posteriori, that is to say, after the judgment of God has been declared. Pharaoh and Judas committed such a sin because their actions showed that they did not re turn to God. Thus Augustine says it very well when he says that blasphemy is the final impenitence or despair, for these sins contend against grace to the end. For other sins are remitted when we flee to grace. But Ep icurean contempt or despair repudiates grace. There fore the statement of Christ [Matt. 12:32], "He who speaks a word against the Holy Spirit," that is, he who stubbornly and to the end resists the preached Word
which is confirmed by the testimonies of the Spirit, should be interpreted as meaning that such a person has committed the unpardonable sin. The statement of Augustine is quite adequate. of Christ shall be saved; he who does not retain it is headed for destruction. Here the passage does not deny that the fallen can come back to the benefit of Christ, but it excludes other victims and new sacrifices.
Under the law there were frequent expiations for un clean acts, and the Pharisees taught that these merited the remission of sins. Thus, afterwards in the church many devised satisfactions and masses, and not only did they think up false worship forms but this erring persuasion also fostered security and self-indulgence regarding the expiation-through such sacrifices. The Epistle to the Hebrews strongly attacks these notions.
It certainly wishes that the benefit of Christ be retained, as it later says that God does not will that the blood of Christ be trodden under foot or shame be heaped upon the Spirit of grace [cf. v. 29]. These sefious warnings urge us to beware that we do not lose the benefit of Christ, nor, on the other hand, do they forbid those who have fallen to return to Christ. This is the simple and appropriate meaning.
For not every lapse against the known truth must be judged to be an unforgivable sin, as the Novatians contended. For we have shown above examples and testimonies which teach that such lapses can be for given, and not every persecution of the Gospel must be judged as an unpardonable sin, because Manasseh,
Nebuchadnezzar, Paul, Justin, Augustine, and finally countless other persecutors have been forgiven, as Pe ter also says [Acts 4:10], "whom you crucified." But certain people have a special fury. They have known the truth, they have been admonished, they have been convicted of acting against conscience, and yet they are without faith and condemn the truth and practice and grow strong in their fierce opposition. Of such peo ple it is said [in] Rom. 11 [:7, 8], "The rest have become hardened, and God has given to them a spirit of in sensibility; eyes that they should not see, ears that they should not hear." By this statement and others like it they are described as people who persevere in their persecution of the Gospel, and even after they have been admonished they will not return to God. Such was the fury of the Anabaptists at Munster.
Contrition Although no created being can fully understand the enormity of God's wrath against sin or have any realization of the wrath of God, as it says in Deut. 4[:24],
"God is a consuming fire," yet God wills that in His church His wrath against sin be in some way recog nized, and He wills that sin not be disregarded, and He does will that our hearts not be made of iron and without remorse, as it is said of the ungodly in Eph. 4[:18 ff.].
Therefore, in the church there was always at the be ginning of a sermon the message: Repent. Thus Christ begins this way, and before Him the Baptist. Paul says the same [Rom. 1:18], "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all." The prophets began in the same way. Is. 1[:4], "Alas, sinful nation." Even in paradise after the fall, the first sermon was to convict them of sin and show the wrath of God.
Thus, having been instructed by statements like this and examples we must be on our guard that we not contend for errors. It is common to all men to fall and to err, but the stubbornness which gives birth end lessly to sophistic pretenses is a greater and more se rious sin under which many people struggle. Therefore,
Paul says [Titus 3:10], "The man who is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject, because he is condemned by his own judgment," that is, by his stub bornness he demonstrates that he is caught in the traps of the devil.
But we must always keep in our mind this teach ing that we must obey the command and the promise of the Gospel. It is an eternal and immutable mandate which commands us to repent, to hear the Son, and to believe that for the sake of the Son of God we have been received [by God]. And we must cling to Paul's dictum [Rom. 5:20], "Grace abounds over sin."
Ultimately all the calamities of the human race— death, sickness, poverty, hunger, murders, wars, de structions, and the countless disasters—are in truth warnings regarding the wrath of God against sin, as Ps. 39[:11] [says], "You correct man because of his iniquity."
In keeping with these commands we must de termine also to obey them, because when we do, it is certain that we have not committed the unforgivable sin.
Finally, the greatest of all testimonies to the wrath of God is that it was necessary for the Son to be made a sacrifice. It is a certainty that God wills that this wrath in some way be recognized by us and that we be mo tivated by His judgment and indignation. Thus it is nec essary that there be contrition in us. And we call contrition, as the church uses the term, the fears of the conscience which recognize the wrath of God against our sins and which lament because of our sins. The word "repent" commands this contrition. See 2 Cor.
7[:9], "You sorrowed unto repentance." 1 Cor. 11 [:31], "If we should judge ourselves, we would not be judged by the Lord," that is, but if we are troubled with true
A second passage is also cited from the Epistle to the Hebrews [10:26 ff.], "If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins but a fearful expec tation of judgment." If we are willing to judge critically about this passage, it does not deny that those who have fallen can rise again, but it does make a direct comparison in this statement between the benefit of Christ and the punishments [of God]. These two points are extreme and immediate: he who keeps the benefit
sorrow, we have recognized the wrath of God. Joel 2[:13], "Rend your hearts and not your garments." Jer. the notion that depicts the Law as nothing and that it should not be preached. For it was preached through the patriarchs and then revealed with a terrifying voice on Sinai, and vigorously repeated through the prophets,
Christ, and the apostles, in order that we might know that it is the eternal and immutable sentence of God declaring His wrath against sin. Likewise we should understand that all men have been condemned by this sentence of God under this corruption of our nature and are thus under the Law, as Paul says [cf. Rom.
3:9], "We have already charged that they are all under sin," that is, condemned and guilty before God. Just as the divine mind always remains, so the Law must al ways remain. And the knowledge of this Law remains
31 [:19], "After you showed me, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed and confounded." Nah. 1 [:6], "Who can stand before the face of His indignation? Who can resist the fury of His anger? His indignation is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken asunder by Him." Again,
Is. 66[:2], "For whom shall I have regard except for him who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My words?" Is. 1 [:16], "Cease to do evil." Ps. 38[:4], "My iniquities have gone over my head." Again [Prov. 9:10],
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Over and over again the psalms enjoin fear and faith: [Ps.
147:11], "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him and who hope in His mercy." To the same point pertain many statements of Paul [Rom. 6:6], "Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." in our consciences and is explained by the voice of God, of the patriarchs, the prophets, Christ, and the apostles. Thus Christ over and over again inculcates the Law, as in Matthew 5, and He even adds an ex planation that we must know that we are accused by the Law not only because of outward sins, but also because of inner vices, blindness, unjust hatred, the flames of lust, and other things. Thus God wills that in the church the voice of this Law always shall be pro claimed, which instructs us regarding the obedience of the heart.
Some examples might be added, such as Adam and Eve, who were rebuked by God [cf. Gen. 3], and David who was rebuked by Nathan [cf. 2 Sam. 12]. They were greatly terrified. The sinful woman in Luke 7[:38] laments, and in Luke 22[:62] Peter weeps bitter tears.
These and similar testimonies show that some contri tion is necessary, which indeed ought to increase, so that we recognize not only outward sins but our inner uncleanness, namely, our doubting about God, our self confidence, our pride or arrogance, our looking down on others, our hatred, our greed, our lust after wicked love, and other evil inclinations.
We must also utilize the voice of the Gospel, which accuses in this world our contempt for the wrath of God and His mercy which we can see in the offering of His Son. Thus Christ says [cf. John 16:8 ff.], "The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they did not believe in Me." Now we must understand how widely this preaching reaches which accuses and con demns sin. The whole human race is included. We are all filled with doubt and carnal security; we are negligent and misled in our prayer life; we are contaminated by corrupt desires; we care very little for the wrath of God; we abuse His blessings; we are all ungrateful to the Son of God. Therefore we should not be surprised that the whole world is burdened down with deadly punish ments which are signs of the wrath of God. But we should consider, as Paul says, that "We are all under sin, and the whole world is guilty before God" [cf. Rom.
3:9,19], and each person must condemn his own sins and deplore them.
There is no repentance in hypocrites who are not affected by any feeling of sorrow or remorse, whom
Jeremiah describes [6:15], "They do not know how to blush." And Paul says to the Ephesians that they lack sorrow [cf. 2 Cor. 12:21].
Moreover, in order that we may banish this carnal security from our mind, we must often call to mind the many statements which deal with contrition, the wrath of God, punishments both present and eternal, the ex amples of punishments, the calamities which befall our selves and others, and above all the death of the Son of God for us, in order that we may recognize our mis erable condition and learn to fear the wrath of God. It belongs to the ministry of the church, which Christ has instituted as a necessary function, that it condemn sins, as Paul clearly asserts [Rom. 1:18], "Now is revealed from heaven the wrath of God upon all ungodliness."
And the voice of the Law, the moral law, as they call it, must be used for this part of the ministry. For this
Law is the eternal and immutable sentence of God which declares His wrath against sin. For although God does receive the man who flees to Christ for refuge, yet He does not approve his sin. Therefore, Paul says
[Rom. 3:20], "Through the Law is the knowledge of sin" and in the church this has always been proclaimed from the very beginning right after the fall, as is evident in Genesis 4, and forever after.
We must contemplate these things often and deeply, for that which is said, "The Spirit convicts the world," takes place through the Word which shows the wrath of God, and in this meditation on His Word the Holy Spirit is efficacious. And in 2 Tim. 2[:25] Paul clearly commands that those who are "opponents should be instructed and corrected, for perhaps God will give to them repentance." And in Jer.[31:19],"After you showed me,... I was confused and confounded."
[ 1 Sam. 2:6], "The Lord puts to death and He restores to life." These things take place through the Word of God, as it is said in Heb. 4[:12], "The Word of God is living and efficacious and sharper than a sword."
Therefore in those who neglect and despise the Word And absolutely false, absurd, and pernicious is
of God the Holy Spirit is not working efficaciously, but rather their fierce resistance is increased. As it is said in Gen. [6:3], "My Spirit will not always be carrying on His work of judgment in man," which is to say that after they have undertaken to despise the Word, the Spirit ceases to judge, and so also the knowledge of sin ceases and prayer ceases. dread to which faith has been added, which steers be tween these two kinds of dread and comforts the heart and approaches God, prays for and receives remission.
These descriptions are plain and can be understood in our struggles. Contrition without faith is a horrible anx iety and sorrow of the mind which flees God, as in the case of Saul and Judas, and thus it is not a good work.
But contrition with faith is a dread and sorrow of the mind which does not flee God, but recognizes that the wrath of God is just and it truly laments over its neglect or despising of God, and it also comes to God and seeks forgiveness. This kind of sorrow is a good work and a sacrifice, as the Psalm [51:17] says, "The sac rifice of God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
Faith But to contrition (that is, to the terrors of con science) it is necessary to add consolation, namely, faith, which establishes for us that our sins are forgiven for the sake of the Son of God, and by the knowledge of this great mercy He guides us back so that we are not burdened down under despair and do not fall into eternal destruction. For if faith is not added, contrition only becomes eternal death. There is, therefore, a sec ond part of faith, which is not only a matter of knowing the historical facts or the law, but there is a confidence or trust by which each person believes that his sins have truly been forgiven him by God for the sake of Christ, freely, that is, not on account of our own wor thiness or merits.
And it is still necessary to attack and reject the opinion which imagines that men merit remission be cause of their contrition or that remission is given be cause of the worthiness of our contrition. But we must retain the voice of the Gospel which proclaims that sins are freely forgiven for the sake of the Son of God. We must keep this above all, that to Christ must be attrib uted the honor which is due Him, and that our terrified minds must cling to this certain consolation, for they would be driven to despair if they were compelled to believe that they did not have the remission of sins unless their sorrow were worthy and sufficient. This simple statement removes entire labyrinths of arguments.
Concerning this second part, that is, the faith which receives the remission of sins, the books of the monks are silent. But we should understand that this is the chief and proper voice of the Gospel, and this doctrine concerning faith is absolutely necessary for the church, and at the same time when we speak of re pentance this teaching must be embraced.
Therefore we must make the determination that some degree of contrition is necessary, along with true fears and terrors, but yet the remission of sins is not given to us because of any contrition or worthiness of ours but only for the sake of the Son of God, who in keeping with the marvelous counsel of God was made the victim, the mediator, and the intercessor.
At this point many argue that there is a difference between the contrition of Peter and Judas, and between David and Saul. And there are intricate disputations about the love of righteousness and the fear of pun ishment. But this distinction is plain and obvious. To the contrition of Judas no faith was added, and there fore he was burdened with terrors and rushed to his eternal destruction. On the contrary, faith was added to the contrition of Peter. Therefore he regained his life from out of his sorrows. And when we are guided by faith, then comes the knowledge of the goodness of God, and we are not only tormented by the fear of punishments but by a purer sorrow over the fact that we have offended God to whom we owe obedience and gratitude. But there is no need to explore these subtleties and emotions, for God wills that we fear His wrath and that it be seen in the light of His punishments.
But faith is also added so that we do not run away from God, but rather return to Him and seek to be received and understand that it is the eternal and immutable will of God that He wants to receive those who have been terrified, who believe that they have been forgiven for the sake of the mediator. He commands us to believe this with certainty and as an established fact.
And in order that we may keep in mind the doc trine of contrition we should set forth these main points for our consideration:
The Law of God The wrath of God Eternal punishments Death Present calamities, public and individual
The loss of His gifts Poverty Sickness A bad reputation Bad advice Unsuccessful enterprises Mistakes and anger Problems with children The tyranny of the devil, which forces us into many sins and even greater miseries Inward punishments, namely, that sins are pun ished by sins, by blindness and the rages which follow such things.
Offenses This faith makes a clear distinction between ser vile and filial fear. Servile fear is a dread without faith and it actually runs away from God; but filial fear is a
in the Creed, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins." It is not enough to believe in a general way that God forgives some people, as the devil also believes. For it is well known that in the church there is reconciliation, but as individuals we must determine that we ourselves have been forgiven, that we are received by God. By this special faith, so to speak, each person must apply to himself the benefit of Christ. This seems ridiculous to human judgment that we must determine about so great a thing, that is to say, that we are pleasing to God. But we must learn that God has in such a way revealed Himself that He has revealed this will of His to us; and His promises have been so given, His Son so sent, and the Gospel so spread throughout the world, that this statement has revealed what no crea ture can discover. Divine reconciliation is an immea surable good, and therefore we assent to it only with difficulty. But let us arouse ourselves to believe the Gospel and understand that in this life we must be tied to the Word of God, in the same way that a fetus in the womb of its mother remains tied to her belly or the interior of her womb, nor must we break away from this umbilical cord, namely, the Gospel which instructs us about the will of God. But afterwards, when we have come out of the womb into eternal life and light, then we will perceive face to face the will of God and His admirable wisdom.
Public discord Wars We should also consider the benefits of God in this area in order that we may accuse and condemn our own ingratitude:
Creation The revelation of God The sending of His Son The giving of the Word and the Gospel The giving of the Holy Spirit The promise of eternal life The feeding and protection of our body and soul
The repulse of the devil The showing of the sacred letters and of the true doctrine Divine governance in morals and counsels
Good advice Successful endeavors and fairness in judgment Happy relationships with our children Good examples and freedom from offense A good name Public concord Peace and good government The salutary condition of the church We should remember the examples of Saul and David who possessed the benefits I have recounted before they fell, and after their fall they were deprived of these great blessings and felt the punishments I have mentioned. And Saul perished under the burden of physical punishments and offenses during his entire life. We should consider from the example of Adam and Eve what great punishments one lapse can bring, like wise in the adultery of David and the insanity of Sol omon, on account of whose idols the kingdom of Israel was later overturned. And this overturning produced immeasurable evils, the division of their religion and its dissipation, and civil wars. When we consider these things we should not take our own lapses lightly or consider that small sins pertain to only a few people; and we should become much more careful in governing our morals.
Testimonies Acts 10[:43], "To Him all the prophets give tes timony, that through His name all who believe in Him receive remission of sins." This is a clear and plain statement in which Peter bears witness that he is giving a summary of the prophetic Scripture, and he is op posing this statement to the popular opinion which the people had regarding the Messiah. He affirms that Jesus has been sent by the Father that He might be made a victim for sins and that for His sake the remis sion of sins is given to those who believe that for His sake they have been received [by God]. And because this dictum cites all the prophets, we should understand that here is the true consensus of the universal, or cath olic, church.
It is more useful to weigh these matters carefully than to consider them as mere nonsense, as is done, for example, by asking whether it is fair to punish a finite action with eternal punishment. Let us avoid such frivilous questions and keep in mind that in sin there is contempt for the infinite Good. This contempt is also a violation of the infinite Good and is worthy of infinite punishment.
Rom. 5[:1], "Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God," that is, we have it as a certainty that God is favorable toward us, that we have been received into grace and delivered from His anger and eternal punishments.
But the adversaries play games with these pas sages. They confess that faith, that is, the profession of the historical facts, is necessary (the same kind of faith that the devil has) but they deny that sins are forgiven freely, and they command us to doubt that they really are remitted. These errors have already been refuted above under the locus on justification, and for this reason I shall at this point only give a brief instruc tion to the reader. For it is useful in our daily invocation to understand these struggles of faith. No one is ig
Now, after we have spoken about contrition, we need to explain the second part of this subject. For the ministry in the church does not only convict of sin, but it also proclaims the remission of sins to those who are terrified and who believe in Christ. Therefore, terrified minds must determine with certainty that they do indeed receive the remission of sins freely and by faith for the sake of Christ. Nor should faith be understood only as historical knowledge, but it must keep in mind the article
norant of the fact that God is merciful; nor do men question whether God will remit the sins of some. But they think that sins are remitted to the worthy but not to the unworthy, and as individuals we do discern a great deal of unworthiness in ourselves. Then a second question exhausts our minds regarding the matter of particularity. Thus it is necessary for us to keep in mind the testimonies of [Scripture] which give us assurance so that we may know these two things, namely, that the promise is both universal and gracious. Romans 3 contains testimonies to both of these points. Regarding the universal promise it says [a variant reading of v.
22], "The righteousness of God ... is to all and upon all who believe." Then he adds [vv. 24 ff.], "We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God has put forward as a propitiation through faith in His blood.'' Thus we must cling to this alone and oppose all the strenuous efforts about our worthiness. For the voice of the Law always clamors against us to deter us so that we do not determine as an established fact that we are re ceived on the grounds that we are unworthy. In op position to this message we must understand that the Gospel has been revealed from the bosom of the Fa ther, which testifies that we are received for the sake of the Son, the mediator, and not on account of our own worthiness. tification, where we have spoken also about the word
"faith," which certainly can be much more clearly un derstood in this present argument, where the godly mind experiences that it is at rest in the mercy [of God] which has been promised for the sake of Christ; and the godly mind also understands that this mercy is ob tained through faith (fide), that is, through trust (fiducia).
This faith is not only a belief of the historical facts, but it looks to this article [of the Creed], "I believe in the remission of sins," and it clings to the promise, as is clearly said in Rom. 4[: 16]. And this faith which assents to the promise is confidence in His mercy.
Finally, in these testimonies we must compare the statements of the apostles and prophets in order that we may see the continuous consensus of the uni versal church from the beginning down to the present.
Thus Paul cites from the Psalms numerous statements from time to time which support this concept. Ps. 32[:5],
"I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the iniquity of my sin." Ps. 143[:2], "In Your sight shall no living man be justified." Ps. 51 [:4],
"Against You only am I a sinner... that You may be justified in Your words." These statements and others like them testify that when we draw near to God we should not offer our own righteousness, nor can we put our own merits up in opposition to the judgment and wrath of God, but we must flee for refuge to Christ the mediator and truly understand that for His sake we are forgiven freely and received into grace.
We must remember this daily in our prayers and understand that contrition and other virtues are not being excluded from being present. For repentance cer tainly is necessary, but the cause of our forgiveness of sins must not be attributed to our worthiness but to Christ. Therefore we must determine that the remission of sins does not depend upon the worthiness of our contrition or our works, but only on our confidence in the benefit of Christ, as it says in Eph. 2[:8], "By grace are you saved... it is the gift of God, not of yourselves."
Many writers have also omitted this part from faith because it seems absurd to human reason to affirm that God is favorably inclined toward you. We must get rid of this judgment of our reason and seek the will of God in His Gospel. When we read that forgiveness was announced to David by a special command of God, we marvel at this singular benefit, and each person thinks that it would also be freely credited to him if he were given such a word from heaven. But we need to know that this word already has been imparted to us. For giveness is just as surely given to you if you believe the Gospel as it was surely given to David and it is just as surely required of you that you believe the word of the Gospel which proclaims remission as it was re quired of David that he believe the word of Nathan.
Rom. 4[:16] deals with the principal argument which arises out of the causes and power of the prom ise, "Therefore it is from faith, freely, that the promise might be sure," that is, if reconciliation depended on the worthiness of our contrition or our works, since none of us satisfies the Law the promise of reconciliation would also become unsure and empty. This syllogism is set up by Paul:
Thus far I have spoken of contrition and faith. It is also necessary at the same time that the new obe dience begin, as it says in Rom. 6[:12], "Let not sin reign in your mortal body." Rom. 8[:1], "There is now no condemnation to those who live in Christ Jesus."
And John [the Baptist] says [Luke 3:8], "Bring forth the fruits worthy of repentance," that is, things which are in keeping with repentance. This new obedience is usu ally called good intention; but it is truly and without hypocrisy possible to determine both to will to obey God and to retain the righteousness of a good conscience.
And in order that there may be this firmness of the will, we must be helped bythe Holy Spirit, who is given when we sustain ourselves by faith, as it says in Gal. 3[:14],
The promise of reconciliation must be sure; A promise which depends on the condition of the Law is unsure; Therefore, the promise of reconciliation does not depend on the condition of the Law.
Paul proves the minor premise when he says [Rom. 4:15], "The Law works wrath," it always accuses
(semper accusat). Now consider the sum and sub stance of Paul's argument. He is contending that Christ is the victim or the sacrifice for our sins, in order that by this antithesis he may establish the single fact that our works are not the merit for the remission of sins.
Other testimonies may be taken from the locus on jus
when David says [Ps. 32:5], "I said, I will confess my sins to the Lord," this confession refers to the secret acknowledgment of his guilt before God (which ac knowledgment is contrition itself), joined with the prayer for pardon. James also uses the term "confession" when he speaks of reconciliation [5:16], "Confess your sins one to another"; that is, among those who had had dissensions, let each confess his faults and let them all return to mutual favor with one another. As Solomon says [Prov. 18:17],"The just man is his own first ac cuser, and then he investigates another," that is, God does not will that we shut our eyes to our own faults and sharply criticize others, but He wills that we first investigate our own conscience, confess our own faults, and mend our lives, as it says in Matt. 7[:5], "First take the beam out of your own eye."
"that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Again, Rom. 8[: 15], "You have received the Spirit of the adoption of sons, by which we cry, 'Abba, fa ther.' " For when by faith we assent to the promise, we acknowledge the mercy and the presence of God who looks out for us, cares for us, and receives us, and we begin to invoke Him in truth and to subject ourselves to Him, to fear and to obey Him.
Thus in Zechariah [12:10] these two concepts are very skillfully joined together, grace and invocation: "I shall pour out upon the house of David the Spirit of grace and of prayers." That is to say, we are first moved by the Holy Spirit so that we may recognize and con sider it a certainty that we are received into grace. And the most important worship of God and the work of the church alone is the true invocation which comes from the recognition of grace. For the mind which does not know reconciliation flees from God and does not call upon Him. But those who have been received into grace draw near to Him and call upon Him, as it says in Rom.
5[:2], "Through Him we have access by faith." Eph.
3[:12], "Through whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith." And how the new obe dience is pleasing to God when it is still far short of the perfection of the Law, and while other sins still remain
Therefore, after we have observed the various uses of this word, then we can distinguish the ancient meanings from the later practice of enumeration.
Confession is twofold: one part is the public judg ment, when those who are guilty of manifest crimes are accused before the church, and there we must openly confess that in regard to this manifest sin we have fallen and lament the fact that we have offended God and corrupted the church. Here it is necessary, since the crime is an open one, that the enumeration or recitation of the sins not be omitted. But the second part of confession is the private or secret confession. Here we say that an enumeration is not necessary, and although many people strongly contend that when this chain is loosened discipline will cease to exist, yet we must see to it in the second kind that the light of faith is not extinguished and that traps are not laid for our con sciences. And yet we shall note shortly how the method of discipline is to be retained. in this life in those who have been reconciled—this we have discussed above.
Confession It is worth the effort for those who are learned to see how varied is the use of the term "confession."
Popularly the word "confession" is understood to mean the enumeration of individual sins, which takes place before the ministers of the church from whom abso lution is sought; and perhaps in the beginning this cus tom of enumerating individual sins arose from those who made a public confession of their sins before the ministers or the church. For in olden times people were not received [at communion] unless they had confessed before the ministers that they knew their sins, sought forgiveness, and promised to amend their lives.
Now there are three reasons why it is necessary to assert the doctrine that the enumeration of sins is not necessary: First, because the monks have devised this enumeration as a form of worship and as deserving the remission of sins; second, they demand its reten tion, because satisfaction can be required as a penalty; and third, because in this way the conscience can be led into doubt and despair by this meticulous enumer ation. These errors have to be attacked, for remission does not depend on the enumeration [of our sins] as a condition, and we must retain the proclamation of the Gospel of free pardon. Then, this raving about satis faction must be even more put under attack. Finally, it is evident that this enumeration was a harsh torment for the godly, who, when they saw that they could not recollect all their sins, were never at peace and their faith was destroyed by their doubt. It was necessary for godly physicians to find a remedy for this evil.
The word "confession" is used very commonly among the apostles and prophets, as in Matt. 3[:6],
"They were being baptized in the Jordan, confessing their sins." Likewise, Neh. 9[:1 ff.], the sons of Israel came together for a fast and confessed their sins. Lev.
16[:21 ], Aaron confesses the iniquities of all the children of Israel. Here the public custom is described in which by the voice of the high priest the entire church con fessed that it was guilty. In these passages "confes sion" not only refers to the secret acknowledgment of guilt before God, but also the public confession in a general way before God and the church on the part of those who confessed that they were guilty and were seeking pardon.
Therefore, it is manifest that in the secret confes sion the enumeration of all or even a few sins had not been commanded by divine law because neither Christ nor the apostles had commanded it. Furthermore, an enumeration of all sins is impossible, according to the Therefore, it is apparent that this public and gen eral confession was the practice of the ancients. But
statement [in Ps. 19:12], "Who can understand his er rors?" For there are many sins of ignorance in the most important deliberations, as when Josiah began an un necessary war; likewise in other matters, such as cer tain errors in doctrine, as in the case of those who spread stubble on top of true teachings and thus ob scure them. Likewise, there are many sins of omission which we do not understand. Thus it is absurd to say that an enumeration of all sins is necessary, since it is explaining the delerium of the Cathari, who in keeping with the common custom in the church offered the ex amples of absolution. The minds of all are moved greatly by these rites which are carefully performed in the sight of all the people, and which have been con firmed not only in antiquity but were in use among the kind of church officers of whose piety and doctrine we approve with sure testimony. Thus, also at that time there was the useful practice of confirming the true statement of Peter, and for us the understanding of this continuous practice can be very beneficial. Further more, when Christ clearly says [Matt. 18:18], "What soever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven," it impossible. Therefore these points should be carefully delineated so that the doctrine of free remission and faith is not obscured.
But on the other hand, because of private ab solution, which must be retained in the churches, the custom of seeking absolution must also be retained.
And there are many other useful aspects of this private conversation which should be kept, even though the enumeration is not used. is certain that a command is given to absolve. And although absolution or reception of the lapsed is un derstood to have taken place when they are again ad mitted to the congregation, this express absolution must still not be abolished.
The first is that absolution should be sought.
The second is that the pastor should ask his hear ers about their teaching. For to every pastor is given the command that he should look into the ideas of his hearers regarding doctrine and should learn whether they are progressing. He should correct and instruct the dilatory, and he should explain to the people what he believes.
Among the Gentiles, the doctrine of the remission of sins for the sake of the mediator, the Son of God, was entirely lost, but the doctrine of the Law is still retained. For the nature of man easily forgets the Gos pel since it is a doctrine which is not innate in the mind of man, just as even the monks covered up the light of the Gospel of the free remission by their manufacturing of all kinds of crazy ideas about satisfaction and other things. Therefore now, if the custom of giving absolution were to be abolished, the clouds of darkness would descend again and the doctrine of receiving back those who had fallen would become even more obscure.
Thus it is useful to retain this practice, since it has always existed in the church. And the godly should un derstand that in the retention of this custom they are not only serving their own need but that of ages to come.
The third is that before the uninstructed are ad mitted to the sacraments, they must be instructed in doctrine, and this conversation can be used in place of the catechism.
The fourth is that although the pastor must not force anyone to reveal secret facts, yet he can, in keep ing with the age of the person and the kind of life they live, ask certain questions about their morals and give them useful instruction. For example, if he is listening to merchants, he can ask them what kind of contracts they are drawing up.
I hope that this godly and useful practice will con tinue among many in order that they will treasure the custom of seeking absolution and be more eager to retain it. When you draw near to seek absolution, think of these three things: [First] the general confession
(confessio generalis) has always existed in the church.
By it the godly may show that they acknowledge their failures and that they confess that they are guilty of the wrath of God, and that you thus may also lament your guilt and you confess that you are guilty, as Daniel says
[9:7], "To us belongs confusion." Then second, pray that to you may be applied the word of the Gospel by which the remission of sins is proclaimed to you. And console yourself with this word and strengthen your faith. Third, remember to retain this custom, in order that your posterity also may know that they have fallen and emend their lives, be received by God, and be taken back into His church.
The fifth is that just as in Nehemiah [9:1 ff.] and Matthew [3:6] the statement is made, "They were con fessing their sins" (that is, they were confessing in gen eral that they were guilty, and they submitted themselves to God, and showed their sorrow), so in the request for absolution, even when the recitation of in dividual sins is omitted, yet it is necessary to show in a general way that we do confess that we are guilty, that we are submitting ourselves to God, that we are truly sorry that we have offended God, that we have dishonored the church, and that we have piled up public offenses. When this custom is retained in this way, pru dently and reverently, it is beneficial for instruction.
The sixth is that of all the points we have men tioned this above all can move all thinking and prudent people. The custom of seeking absolution is a testi mony to this article that those who have fallen are amending their lives and are received back by God, and then they must be received by the church. And it is useful that this testimony be kept alive in the church.
For Peter of Alexandria refuted Meletius when he was And it is useful that the uneducated may develop some kind of enumeration established in keeping with the order of the Decalogue. This diligence is profitable.
Just as the Catechism, it instructs those who recite it as to which actions and which failures are actually sins,
and what are the different degrees of sins, and what the difference is between forensic judgment and the judgment of the Gospel regarding sins. It also compels men to examine themselves and acknowledge their sins and failures of which many people in seeking ab solution do not even think. Furthermore, how can con trition or sorrow exist without at least some degree of thinking about our failures, about the wrath of God, and about punishments both present and eternal? behavior I give occasion to others to teach the Gospel wrongly or do some other wrong thing. Sometimes I err in some teaching, and by this error I have corrupted the heavenly doctrine.
The Third Commandment I often neglect public worship and ceremonies on festival days, even when not hindered by other [valid] reasons; and by my example I lead others astray. I do not thank God for His establishment of the ministry, for His preservation of the church, for His preservation of the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures. I do not support the church in its prayers for the government in the gath erings of the congregation; I am not sufficiently con cerned with our common miseries whereby churches and government are overthrown by ignorance, discord, and wars, and the souls and bodies of many perish; and I myself do not support the ministry of the church with my efforts; I do not reverence, as I should, godly ministers. Sometimes I curse them and by my example
Moreover, a great part of the people only under stand as sins those outrageous crimes which are pun ished with public torments, but of false invocation and sins of the heart they know nothing. Therefore men must develop that habit of learning the Decalogue which, although in other situations is often explained and taught by our teachers, yet is best understood by the people when each person looks at his own life in that mirror and sees his own errors.
The Commandments I strengthen contempt and hatred toward them. I do not pay them what I ought. I often spend holidays in the wrong way on shameful things, and I provoke God against many people.
The First Commandment I must think properly about God and determine with firm faith that He is the one God, the creator of all things, and that He will be the judge of all men, and that He has revealed Himself in the giving of His Word and the sending of His Son. I must with true fear obey
Him and fear His wrath and judgment, with true faith call upon Him for the sake of His Son, and love Him and feel the movement of a grateful heart toward God.
The Fourth Commandment I am negligent in my calling, in zeal, in governing my family. I am ungrateful to God for the benefits of an orderly government. Sometimes I am unjustly angry at our rulers and I curse them; I do not give them the respect I owe them from my heart. Sometimes I stir up opposition to the laws and I violate the political order with offensive living to the detriment of others, and by my foolish tumults I hinder other necessary public busi ness. I am not intent on keeping myself in my own station or concerned that I not make an uproar against the common harmony of good government. I am greedy and serve my own interests far more than the public interest, or I seize opportunities to stir up trouble.
I must experience the greatness of His mercy whereby He has revealed Himself to us, truly loves the human race, and truly wills that we be saved. I must be moved by the benefits of the Son whereby He suf fered for us, gave the Gospel, promised the Holy Spirit to govern us, and promised us eternal life.
But all these things have less influence on my mind than they ought to have. I am not sufficiently fear ful, I often doubt, and with a kind of perpetual doubt I coldly ask good things of God. I am cold in my prayers, and meanwhile I trust in things present and I ask pro tection for this life while neglecting the order God has established. I have often offended God, erring in a false invocation. I have called upon dead men. I have thought more of invoking a statue as God or someone holy rather than the other way around. Even now I also err.
The Fifth Commandment I often blaze with unjust indignation and desire for revenge. I pile up curses which rise out of the desire to inflict harm. I am moved by jealousy. I regret the power of another person or that his authority increases, and I desire to put him down. I am proud. I look down on my peers and I want for myself superiority over them.
I am suspicious, and sometimes I develop unjust hatreds because of false suspicions. I sow and strengthen discord. I often spread rumors and words which hurt people and arouse hatred. I have my share of spite and malevolence. I delight in disparaging peo ple. Sometimes in a critical manner I misconstrue the words and actions of others; I am not at all anxious to remove offenses and reconcile opposing wills. I allow hatred to increase by my private spite or for some other private reason I curse those who are absent. And some times I pour insults on those who are present. I hinder
I do not think of the true God who has revealed Himself through His Son, nor do I think of His Son and His promise. Finally, I am not burning in my prayer, as I should be.
The Second Commandment I must diligently learn the Gospel, celebrate it in my speech and adorn it by my example, and I acknowl edge my negligence in this matter. Indeed, I often ne glect the Gospel under the pretext of some private and personal lust. Often by my example and scandalous
and from you as from the minister of Christ I implore that you would proclaim the word of the Gospel, which my own prayers and stir up hatred and dissent among others.
I believe, and at the same time to the church I promise that I will amend my conduct and contend against offenses.
The Sixth Commandment I have wandering desires and many flaming lusts; I indulge my eyes and my thoughts with shameful things, and my body is made impure. I add to these evils by intemperance and drunkenness. I hinder godly thoughts and prayers by these burning lusts and de sires and disgusting drunkenness, and I bring with me the savagery of wild beasts. I increase by my impurity the wrath of God against myself, my family, and society.
The common people should be made accus tomed to this general kind of confession, so that they may know what they are doing when they seek abso lution and may be able to examine themselves, rec ognize that they have great and many failures, learn the different levels of sins, and learn from the Deca logue itself to understand seriously the sins which lie hidden within them, so that they may contend against their iniquities and begin to improve themselves.
The Seventh Commandment Finally, how can sorrow exist in the mind if there is no recognition of our miserable condition? Not in vain did Christ say [John 16:8], "The Holy Spirit will convict
... of sin." And this takes place through the knowledge of the Word, of the wrath of God, and of our own un cleanness. Therefore, in order that the Holy Spirit may convict you and create in you true terrors of conscience and correct your carnal security and pride, so that you may become terrified and submit yourself to God and humble yourself beneath other men, let each person take a look at the Word of God and his own ragings, so that you do not come seeking absolution filled with self-confidence and without grieving, as the Pharisee did in Luke 18[:11] who said, "I am not as other men."
And it is useful to set forth' this kind of general confes I enjoy the generosity of my parents or the sup port of the public dole, and I do not save it. I defraud my brothers or other poor people. I am crooked in my business dealings. I am not anxious for the sake of God to practice fair-play financially. I pay my debts with great reluctance. I lay traps to get money by unjust means.
I borrow money under false pretenses and I have no concern to repay it. I keep things which belong to oth ers. I am not trustworthy and diligent in carrying out the work which I have been directed to do. I sell inferior merchandise, and I ruin things which I have borrowed.
The Eighth Commandment I am not open and truthful, as God requires, in my words and actions. I mix double-talk with my coun sels and business dealings or doctrine. Sometimes I support false things out of hatred, anger, or sinful stub bornness, or out of adulation for someone or out of fear. sion in sermons and catechism instruction.
Now I want to return to the discussion of the enu meration of individual sins which some people contend is necessary under two pretexts:
In my morals there is hypocrisy, a pretense of virtue or a false pride.
Absolution cannot take place without thinking about these things.
Finally, I acknowledge that I am wretched in my blindness and false security, that I am terribly unmindful of the wrath of God, and that in many ways have strayed from His precepts and have harmed others in many offensive ways. I have brought punishments upon my self and others so that I cannot even comprehend the greatness and number of my sins and failures. But I must confess that I deserve present and eternal pun ishments, and with true sorrow I cry out [Ps. 51:4],
"Against You only have I sinned, before You I have done evil, that You may be justified." I truly lament that God has been offended by me and that the church and the rest of the human race have been harmed and corrupted by me. I flee for refuge to the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the propitiator, and for His sake
Absolution must be sought here.
Therefore, thinking about these things is necessary.
I reply to the major premise. There is a difference between judgment and the ministration of the Gospel.
In judgment there must be thinking about these things; but the ministration of the Gospel is a definite command to receive a benefit, namely, the announcement of the remission of sins, whether we are aware of them or not.
For many sins are forgiven which the person who is absolved neither remembers nor understands, and the word of absolution must be received by faith. Here we must not debate whether the form of judgment has been sufficiently preserved, for faith does not rely in the work of the priest, but it looks to Christ the propitiator, knows that for His sake the wrath of God has been turned away from us, and understands that the will of God is revealed and proclaimed to us in the word of the Gospel.
I pray that God the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the good, wise judge and defender may turn away His wrath from me and forgive me my sins for the sake of His Son and receive me with His im measurable mercy, as it says [Ezek. 33:11], "As I live,
David would have died in shame and sorrow when he was accused by Nathan if he had not after wards also heard the'absolution [2 Sam. 12:13], "The Lord has taken away your sin." When he heard this
I do not wish the death of the sinner, but that he may be turned and live." And I promise that I will fight against my sin and will do nothing against my conscience, and I pray God that He would rule me by His Holy Spirit;
divine word, he again began to be at peace, to come back to life, and to call upon God. Moreover, a person may now have the idea "If God would indicate to me by such a remarkable message, then it would also be well with me." This notion must be corrected by a con sideration of the word of the Gospel or absolution, for the word of the Gospel or absolution does proclaim this very thing to you and to any one of us, because this message was spoken to David regarding the remission of sins, and you must believe the Gospel as it is pro claimed through ministers today no less than it was necessary in those days for David to believe it.
Therefore, I testify that your sins are forgiven and you have become an heir of eternal life.
Certain people are using a new insight to defend the rule of enumeration thus: The unbroken consensus of the church is looked upon as a dogma of the Holy
Spirit; there has always been the practice of enumer ation in the church; therefore it is necessary to retain the practice.
I reply to the minor premise: it was the practice to recite manifest sins and deplore them, but the ancient church did not mandate the secret recitation by indi viduals, as Chrysostom clearly says in his commentary on Psalm [51], "If it embarrasses a person to speak his sins, let him speak them daily in his heart; I do not say that you must confess publicly what you want to keep to yourself so that you might reproach yourself; speak to God who cleanses your sins." Similar statements might be quoted from others which can be used to op pose those who allege that it is the unbroken consen sus, in order that they might defend the harshness of this very superstitious regulation (canon). Furthermore, it is the duty of the godly pastor to consider all of this and to warn of the dangers to consciences and about corruptions in doctrine, and yet at the same time see how discipline and instruction may be preserved in a godly manner.
Therefore, this is a true and firm reply to the ar gument that absolution must not take place without this thinking about these things [enumeration]. This is true in the case of judgment, but not in the performance of the ministration of the Gospel by which the (benefit is given to us. And the power of this ministration is seen when men are instructed regarding the distinction be tween judgment and the ministration of the Gospel, for this ministration pertains to our conscience and is a testimony of divine absolution. But judgment is an en tirely different matter and it pertains to open sins. No one should be either excommunicated or received back without thinking about these things, but in that case the thinking is valid not with regard to conscience but with reference to external morals, and this absolution is valid before the church, even if he who is absolved only pre tends to be repentant.
Satisfaction There was an ancient practice in the church that those who had fallen (lapsi), those who had defected from the Gospel because of fear of punishments and had become polluted because of bloody sacrifices or manifest lusts, were not taken back until they had been previously chastised. And this custom was observed from the very beginning both for the sake of example in order that others might be instructed more thoroughly to control their moral actions, but also that their inten tions might be examined as to whether they were re turning to the church with serious purposes. The entire matter was a civil or external ritual which did not pertain to conscience or the remission of sins before God. But later on, as it turned out, many superstitious notions were added, from which finally labyrinthine questions arose. Therefore, it is necessary that the churches be instructed regarding this aspect of the matter, espe cially since in the refutation of errors many very serious matters need to be explained at the same time. We need to explain the doctrine of the remission of sins, show the distinction between the remission of guilt and the remission of temporal penalties, and describe the temporal penalties in which God wills that His wrath against sins be observed (as in the punishment of David, Manasseh, and others which show the distinc tion between true and fabricated worship). It is nec essary to include all of these important points.
And that the Gospel can be applied publicly to many and privately to individuals, this statement is a faithful witness [John 20:23], "Whosoever sins you re mit they are remitted to them;" and again [Matt. 18:21],
"How many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?" For this passage is speaking about the forgiveness which God approves.
But some object that men cannot remit sins, and this is true, but they can and must proclaim the Word of God in which God bears witness that He does forgive sins. For God remits sins through the ministration of the Gospel and the sacraments. And it is obvious that these people are not hearing what the word of the Gos pel or the administration of it is when they do not want the announcement of forgiveness to be made ex pressly. But God sent His Son to reveal from the bosom of the Father His secret will concerning the remission of sins, and He commanded that this be proclaimed in the churches. And the sacraments are applications of this remission, that is, they testify that the benefits of the Gospel apply to individuals. "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit," that is, by the command of God I assert that you are now received by the true God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; by His Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ, who suffered for you; and by the Holy Spirit, who is given into the hearts of the reconciled, in order that He may rule over them and begin eternal life in them.
Now, in order that I may speak about the external rite of these chastenings or chastisements from the very
beginning [of the practice], I believe we must trace the matter back to the time of the patriarchs. For vestiges remain even among the Greeks, where a person who had unjustly shed blood or committed incest was ex communicated, that is, he was excluded from the com mon association of his fellow men, and certain signs were attached to his clothes which asserted that he was a man who was guilty and polluted who must be avoided, and no one should break bread with him as long as he was wearing these signs of his guilt. There were certain imprecations and ominous portents or warnings which were spoken against those who were polluted. Thus Phoenix, in Homer, tells that warnings were spoken against him because of the shameful mar riage of his father [Iliad 9.168 ff.]. And Orestes wan dered about Greece, keeping away from association with other people and wearing a badge of his guilt; and from time to time other examples are found, such as Pelius, Antilochus, and Adrastus, who came to Croesus wearing a badge of guilt. It is obvious that these ex amples have been taken from the ancient patriarchs who observed these rituals for the sake of discipline, in order that men might contemplate the enormity of the wrath of God against those who have become pol luted, and that they might ever more stay away from such crimes. sins and were a payment for sins. And thus they came to be called satisfactions. Thus was obscured the light of the Gospel regarding faith which receives the re mission of sins for the sake of Christ. Finally these regulations [canones] became intolerable, and they were forgotten and neglected. The name remained, as did the vestiges, which the monks debate and spawn many corruptions of the Gospel, about which I shall speak shortly.
But first we must understand that the term "sat isfactions" in this context is not understood in the sense of civil satisfactions, as when a person who has de frauded others must compensate for the theft, or when a person has injured someone by reviling him or inflict ing improper physical violence on him and he must make satisfaction for the injury and withdraw his slan ders and undergo punishment in proportion to the phys ical harm he has done. These are works which must be performed and pertain to the matter of contrition, according to the statement [Is. 1:16], "Cease doing wrong." He who runs off with and keeps the wife of another man does not have contrition as long as he keeps her. Thus these things are civil satisfactions in volving material things and the restoration of a good reputation, works which must be done under the man date of the Law of God. They are necessary for true contrition and good intention and good conscience.
The replica of this ancient custom was also pre served in the church in the practice of excommunica tion. The lapsed were excluded from common association with people and the wrath of God was pro nounced upon them. Nor was this pronouncement something empty, but the punishments of God followed.
When those who had fallen sought to be received back, sometimes they were investigated for days before being absolved. They stood outside the place of the Lord's Supper with the badges of their guilt, that is, imploring and shamed and pleading for absolution.
When this was announced to them, they were again admitted to the Lord's Supper and received back into the fellowship of the congregation.
But the monks here define satisfactions as works which we do not owe, and by them they want to deliver us from the punishments of purgatory and certainly from other temporal punishments. Thus they teach that God, since He is merciful, does remit guilt, but since
He is righteous and an avenger, He changes eternal punishment into temporary punishment in purgatory.
They go on to add that a part of the punishments is remitted by the power of the keys and a part must be paid for by satisfactions. This is the substance of their idea. They are correct when they admit that guilt is not remitted because of a satisfaction, but later on they hallucinate regarding the payment for eternal punish ment. For their error lies in the fact that they believe eternal punishments are remitted for the sake of our payment. It is even more absurd when they figure that there is a remission of works which we do not owe, of which it is written [Matt. 15:9], "In vain do they worship
Me by the commandments of men."
We in no way disapprove of this ritual of public chastisement and examination. Indeed we would hope that it be observed without any false notions, without superstition and without intolerable burdens attached to it; and it would be an example of discipline, as when
Paul praises the church at Corinth in 2 Cor. 7 because it had with great seriousness given a censure to the incestuous man and excluded him [cf. 2 Cor. 2:5 ff.].
(But afterwards he received the declaration of his re pentance.) [2 Cor. 7:11]: "What great indignation, zeal, and punishment your grief created," that is, what a pen alty, namely, the excommunication of a person who was corrupted by a shameful relationship with his step mother.
Therefore we must conclude that the remission of guilt and eternal death are joined together. For it is one and the same benefit given us freely by Christ, both to take away guilt and to assuage the wrath of God, nor is eternal death anything else than believing that the frightful and indescribable wrath of God re mains over us, as John says [3:36], " ... the wrath of God remains upon him." Thus we need to understand that guilt and eternal death are both taken away at the same time for the sake of Christ, and not for the sake of or because of any compensation on our part. There fore, Paul says [1 Cor. 15:56 ff.], "The sting of death
But after the time of the apostles the canons be came corrupted by increasing superstitions, and some times years of fastings were imposed under the false persuasion that these works merited the remission of
sorrows as signs of his guilt, not at the hands of man but of God, in order that he might recognize that God was truly angry at his sin, that he must submit himself to God and not arrogate to himself praise for his own righteousness or elevate himself above other sinners, and that others should be instructed by his example. is sin ... but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." And Rom. 6[:23], "The gift of God is life eternal through Jesus Christ." And Hos. 13[:14], "O death, I will be your death; O grave,
I will be your plagues."' Therefore we must believe that by faith for the sake of Christ, freely, we have peace with God. The benefits of Christ are these: to take away guilt and eternal death, that is, to assuage the enor mous wrath of God. Therefore, whoever attributes the remission of eternal death to our own endeavors brings shame on Christ.
Thus, by particular punishments Samson also was punished, along with Solomon, Uzziah, who was smitten with leprosy [cf. 2 Chron. 26:19 ff.], Josiah, Neb uchadnezzar, and countless other saints who daily en dured punishments of this kind. And I am not speaking of ungodly people or those who have been cast out whose enormous sins God has punished in this life with the normal signs of His punishments, since He is the guardian of society and civil righteous—here I am think ing of such people as Cataline, Nero and ordinary day by day thieves. But I am speaking about the church, about the saints. Many of them in all ages have fallen and been punished with penalties peculiar to them in keeping with the statement in Ps. 89[:32], "I will visit their transgressions with the rod." And again [1 Peter
4:17], "Judgment begins at the house of God."
Third, we need to understand that although those who have been converted endure temporal punish ments, yet these punishments in no way pertain to the power of the keys. They are neither imposed by or remitted by the power of the keys, with the result that this matter itself demonstrates that neither death, nor diseases, nor wars can be imposed or removed by the ministers of the Gospel. But by these struggles God allows us, in a sense, to be surrounded by signs of our guilt, since He does indeed punish particular sins in order that He may instruct us—both ourselves and oth ers—regarding His judgment against sin. And since these punishments are examples for many people, many by these calamities are shown to be burdened down as in a public spectacle. For David's expulsion— what a sad public spectacle it was!
Second, although we must not confuse the re mission of guilt and the remission of eternal death, yet it is necessary to distinguish between the remission of guilt and the remission of the temporal punishments of this life. Indeed, as often as we consider repentance, we also must consider the greatness of the( wrath of God even in the temporal punishments of this life. For although there are many reasons why the church is under the cross, yet the principal cause is the sin which clings to our flesh. The entire human race is pressed down under great calamities and death, but this is es pecially so with the church.
God wills that in the church His wrath against sin (which the world holds in contempt) be understood.
Therefore, He loads onto the church even heavier bur dens in order that we might recognize that we are bear ing our punishments with us, that we are guilty of truly angering God with our sin, but that we are received [by Him] for the sake of His Son. Adam knew he was re ceived into grace because the Son of God had in terceded for the human race, and this marvelous decree concerning the redemption of the human race had been made in the counsel of the eternal Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. Yet he [Adam] was subject to phys ical penalties so that he might recognize his fall. And the most tragic chastisements followed in which Adam saw that the signs of his guilt really surrounded him.
One example of this was the terrible sorrow he went through because of the crime of Cain and the murder of Abel, and many similar things which the wretched parents saw during those long years.
What a terrible tragedy was the destruction of the Emperor Maurice! When Phocas dragged him back from his flight and ordered him with his wife and daugh ters and sons to be brought before him, he first com manded his daughters to be put to death while their father and their most honorable mother watched the sight, and then his adolescent son [was killed]. But the youngest child, who was still very young, was not pres ent but was with his nurse, and when [Phocas] ordered him brought forward, the husband of the nurse did not bring this child but his own son, so great was his faith in his friend. But when Maurice saw the child he inter rupted Phocas and told him this was not the right child and that he did not want this terrible thing to befall his friend. And therefore the son of Maurice was brought forward and put to death. And afterwards the poor, mis erable mother was cut to pieces. In this unspeakable calamity no impious word was heard from Maurice, but he stood as a spectator to these incredible atrocities and made confession of his own guilt, saying, "You are
Furthermore, in addition to common troubles, the saints are punished with individual penalties because of some of their personal sins. Because of his adultery,
David for a long time endured terrible troubles. First his daughter was raped, then the violent murder of his son followed. Then a sedition was stirred up against him by his son, his wives were molested, his citizens killed, his father was beaten in battle, and the defeat of David's kingdom was of less sorrow to him than his great loss of the glory of the power and favor of God. He realized that he had truly been excommunicated and that he had become surrounded with these great miseries and ' Melanchthon follows the Hebrew Masoretic text. Paul in 1 Cor. 15:55 follows the LXX and Vulgate, "Death, where
righteous, O Lord, and your judgment is upright." Fi nally he himself was put to death. Maurice was en dowed with many other virtues and he was a promoter of the Christian religion. But when he became very an gry, he did some very harsh things. Therefore, he fell into these punishments, and he had previously re pented of these wrongs when he was admonished about them. But God by means of this calamity even added to his repentance, and willed to admonish others by His act of judgment. Thus it is sufficient that we understand that these punishments in no way have per tained to the power of the keys. the Gospel] with him. For the same reason the people were kept in the desert.
This entire teaching regarding the primary sources of human calamities is unknown to philosophy, which thinks that the cause of human death is the un certainty of our mortal frame, like the death of an ani mal, and that miseries are piled upon us either by sheer chance or because of human carelessness. For this reason we should omit all reference to the fables con cerning compensating for purgatory. They have no tes timony in the prophetie and apostolic Scripture. We should consider the other major causes of calamities as taking place in order that we might recognize the wrath of God and be sorry for it, and place before us once more our true consolation and comfort. And fi nally, we should understand that the final purpose of all calamities is that faith might increase, according to the statement [Ps. 50:15], "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you."
Fourth, these punishments are not substitutes for purgatory or eternal death. Indeed the calamities of many people, such as John the Baptist, Jeremiah, and Josiah have entirely different causes, and they are not punishments which have been called down upon some sin they may have committed, just as God Himself ex cused Job.
Thus, there are other reasons why the church is subject to the cross, and it is worthwhile to think about them. They can be arranged in this order:
Fifth, although God often punishes particular sins with particular punishments, we need to understand that the punishments are lessened by our repentance or even entirely remitted, as the story of Jonah testifies.
And Is. 1 [:18] says, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Again [Zech. 1:3],
1. Sin is common to the human race because all men are universally subject to death.
2. Since the world does not recognize this dis ease and its contempt for God and His wrath against this evil, God oppresses the church even more in order that it might understand these evils and we might be called to repentance.
"Return to Me ... and I will return to you." Jer. 3[:22], "Return, you children, and I will heal your backslidings,"
30[:11], "I will correct you in justice and will not let you appear to yourself as innocent," that is I will admonish you about your sin by means of a chastisement, yet I will not destroy you. Joel 2[:13], "Return to God, be cause He is merciful ... and remits His punishment."
3. Because the devil roars and commits slaughter in the church.
4. God wills that the understanding of our own weakness increase in us and that we set aside our confidence in ourselves and be ardent in our prayer to God. Therefore He puts His saints to work, as Paul says [2 Cor. 1:9], "We have the sentence of death in us, so that we should not trust in our own virtue but call upon God."
1 Cor. 11 [:31 ], "If we were to judge ourselves, we would not be judged. Here pertain those statements which seek mitigation in our punishment and at the same time testify that sins do indeed deserve even greater pun ishment, but we pray God to spare our infirmity, as it says [in Ps. 130:3] "If You, should mark iniquities, O
Lord, who shall stand?", that is, if You will to carry out all punishments, we all will be immediately destroyed.
Again [Ps. 6:1-2], "Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger ... Have mercy on me, for I am weak." Jer.
10[:24], "O Lord, correct me, but with justice, not in Your anger, lest you bring me to nothing." Hos. 11 [:8 ff.], "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I afflict you, Israel? With justice I could destroy you as Admah and Zeboiim. My heart is turned within Me, My sym pathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger. I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst." That is to say, "When I reveal Myself among you, I will give you
My Word. I do not want you to perish. I will preserve a remnant among you." Hab. 3[:2], "In wrath remember mercy."
5. That our afflictions might be testimonies of our immortality and the glory to come. Because there is no difference between Nero and Paul in this life, the future life is absolutely necessary.
6. That our afflictions might be testimonies to our doctrine. Because the saints give preference to con fessing their sins, it is evident that they sincerely believe this way.
7. That we may be made like the image of the Son of God. For in the same way Abel, Isaac, the Bap tist, Jeremiah, and Josiah were types of Christ.
8. Often afflictions are punishments for certain sins, as in the case of the exiles of David and Manasseh, and the illness of the king of Babylon.
9. That the saints are showing obedience not for the sake of their own pleasure, but because of God.
Finally, we must always keep in mind the state ment in Ezek. 33[:11], which is proclaimed regarding the mitigation of punishment, "As I live, says the Lord,
10. That the church might understand that it does not rely on human protection but that it has God as its protector. Thus Abraham was schooled in the dangers of his wanderings in which he carried the doctrine [of I do not will the death of the sinner, but that he may
turn and live." Here are pertinent the many examples of those people whom Christ healed, to whom present punishments were remitted. teaches us that freely, not for the sake of our own works, our guilt is removed and eternal death abolished. Yet in the meantime we need to understand that the church is under the cross and often punished for certain sins by particular temporal punishments, but that these are moderated by our total repentance and by performing the works which we owe to God. Therefore, in order that repentance may increase, there should also be an increase in the performance of the good works of our vocation and in our total obedience which we owe to God, and so that we may properly distinguish between true worship and the observance of human rituals.
Let us keep before us every day these state ments and others like them, since we ought to think about the public and individual punishments and seek their mitigation. These very troubles instruct us con cerning these passages, and we should remember that each of us is chastened by our present punishments and that our repentance and prayers mitigate them. I believe that this is the meaning of many other pas sages, such as [Tobit 4:11], ''Alms deliver from all sin," that is to say, it is something which pertains to punish ments in this present life, that is, they merit the miti gation of the calamities of this life. This teaching concerning present punishments and the mitigation of them is useful and gives instruction to godly minds re garding many important matters: the wrath -of 'God, the Others may scream about the ceremonies of ca nonical satisfactions as much as they will, yet these things which I have said must be taught regularly in the church as things which are true, clear, firm, and useful for pious people.
Nor am I ignorant of the fact that in our time var ious pretexts are being sought for the defense of these ceremonies. For sophistry knows no boundaries. They drag in Cyprian, who speaks of the office of censor
(which was a civil function) as an example which per tains to the remission of sins. Then, however, the opin ions of the monks regarding recompensing for the penalties of purgatory had not yet arisen in the time of Cyprian. causes of many of our great troubles, divine promises, and the strengthening of faith and good works. For we learn that the punishments of men are softened by all our repentance, not by those rituals of satisfactions of which the monks speak—which they say are works that we do not owe [to God] but have value even when they are done in a state of mortal sin. But there are many crazy ideas among the notions of the monks, and it is helpful to refute some of them.
Some are contending that the concept of satis faction as a chastisement must be retained, just as Paul chastised the incestuous man. This chastisement was an excommunication which, since it was a matter of a true judgment, is a genuine bolt [from heaven], for God adds penalties [of His own], as it is written [Gen. 12:3]:
"I will curse them who curse You." And we have re peatedly said that those who stubbornly resist must be struck down with excommunication. If the church, for the sake of example, with a certain degree of ear nestness and yet moderation, wants to add a caution in the case of those fallen ones who are being received back, such a practice would not be improper, so long as there are no ideas about recompense or payment mixed in with the matter. Nor should we imagine that this practice is necessary because of the need of com pensation for the penalties of eternity or purgatory, just as in days gone by the rites of satisfaction crept in and grew under this superstition.
Sixth, the satisfactions of the monks obscure both the Law and the Gospel, and augment the worthiness of the traditions of men. [1] For they have the idea that in performing satisfactions there is something greater than the Law of God, and they dream that the Law of God is satisfied by other works. Thus, it is necessary in the church that there be taught the doctrine that in this life even the regenerate fall far short of the per fection of the Law. [2] Furthermore, they also obscure the Gospel because they think that eternal death is abolished by what we earn. Indeed, the unschooled easily transfer these satisfactions to the remission of guilt. [3] They overemphasize human traditions and de fine satisfactions as being works which we do not have to perform, that is, such things as human ceremonies, fasting on certain days, abstinence from certain foods, the reading of certain prayers. But in the church this word must be proclaimed: "In vain do they worship Me by the traditions of men," [Matt. 15.9], that is, human observances are not the worship of God, and they are of even less value as compensation to escape eternal death.
Our adversaries raise these objections: Just as the mercy of God remits sins, so the righteousness of God punishes them. Therefore it is necessary that there be a payment or recompense for penalties, just as there was no remission of sins for Adam and David without punishment. I reply: The first part of this syllogism is correct. It does belong to the righteousness of God to punish, and the principal punishment and the one which assuages the wrath of God has been laid upon the Son.
Further, in the case of those who have been converted, God does also universally punish sins in contrition, as Hezekiah says [Is. 38:13], "As a lion breaks all my bones..." Here the sorrow in Adam, David, and other
From all these testimonies it is evident that even if the ancient church had certain rituals by which those who had become polluted [by sin] were separated from the others, yet the notions of the monks regarding sat isfactions and compensations are imaginary and vain.
For it is false to say that eternal death is abolished by our payment. Godly minds must be brought to Christ, our propitiator, and the light of faith must be kept burn ing so that we keep in mind the merit of Christ. This
pious people is far more painful than death itself. Fur thermore, He also punishes certain sins with certain temporal punishments, but also He often spares us so that all punishments are not carried out. For this weak nature of ours cannot endure such great anger, as it says [Ps. 130:3], "If You should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" And Ps. 78[:38], "He did not stir up all His wrath." Therefore, He promises a mitigation of these penalties for those who repent. For He does not wish the utter destruction of men, but that the church remain and that there be many who are suitable for the labors of this life and who are necessary for the church.
Therefore He spares many in order that they can en dure this training. toward God and not only with external duties and rit uals. Therefore, in this locus we should carefully note the confusion: in place of true chastisement, that is, complete repentance, they propose to us a shadowy image of it, namely, the external ceremonies of satis factions, although they thereby move the statement of Paul [1 Cor-. 11:31 ], "If we should judge ourselves ..." over into the realm of the outward display of satisfac tions. And it is a falsifying of the statement which is simple in itself, in keeping with this example: A man is pictured; therefore it is a man when his shadow is shown in place of his substance.
They ornament their satisfactions under the title of mortification: when the command is given to mortify the flesh, the church is correct (they say) in imposing certain acts of mortification on those whb are repentant.
Here again we need to caution the godly to distinguish between the hypocritical or unowed mortification and that mortification which indeed we do owe. Genuine mortification is either true sorrow in contrition or patient endurance of true afflictions, as when David was ac cused by Nathan and he truly was ashamed when he recognized the wrath of God, and he was in a state of true sorrow [cf. 2 Sam. 12], Again, when he endured the calamities which followed, he underwent the mor tification of which 2 Cor. 4[:10] speaks, " ... always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus
Christ"; and Rom. 6[:6], "Our old man was crucified with Him"; and Rom. 12[:1], "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, which is your reasonable service."
These passages are not talking about some simulated severity but about true sorrow and true patient endur ance, about which it says in Ps.[51:17], "The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit"; and in Peter [1 Peter 5:6],
"Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God."
Also this objection is raised: "If we should judge ourselves, we would not be judged," [1 Cor. 11:31],
Therefore, lest God chastise us, the church is doing the right thing in imposing penalties in order that it may turn away divine punishments. This argument, although it is entirely specious, must be carefully considered. For in this very important matter there is great confusion between hypocritical and genuine chastisements. This statement of Paul is both salutary teaching and con solation, and he says it with regard to our entire re pentance: "If we should judge ourselves," that is, if we should accuse and chastise ourselves with true sorrow and be converted, we would not be overwhelmed by punishments from God.
In the same way, the passages cited above teach us that by repentance the penalties are taken away or lessened. Isaiah 1 and Joel 2[:13], "Return to the Lord, because He is good and remits our punishment." And there are other statements like this. And thus it correctly follows: If the church is chastised, divine chastisement is mitigated. But these statements should not be un derstood in a hypocritical or outward way with reference to ceremonies, but of the true ministry of the church which calls for repentance not in the performance of ceremonies but in turning back to God. Therefore, true chastisement is the true sorrow of the heart and the mending of our sinful life. It is not a public spectacle consisting of the performance of a certain ritual which has been thought up by men that there might be the public display of satisfactions. The ministry of the church is spiritual, and it speaks of the conversion of the heart to God, of true sorrow, and of true spiritual renewal. These things merit the mitigation of punish ments, for this is the worship which is pleasing to God.
But chastisements or other works without any of the other parts of repentance—that is, without contrition and without faith—do not merit mitigation, because works which are without fear and without faith are not the worship of God, even though they are outwardly splendid. For the Law of God gives precepts concerning the heart [Deut. 6:5]: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart." And in Rom. 7[:6] it is said, "We should serve Him in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter," that is, with true conversion of the heart
This patient endurance is a work which we owe and is the true worship of God, of which we have spo ken elsewhere. And since the church is under the cross, it understands that this worship of necessity must be offered to God, and it makes a great distinction between this kind of worship and pretended external exercises or fabricated satisfactions. Nor are they [true] mortifi cations—the ones they perform without the command of God, which consist of unnatural punishments of the body such as the wounds which the prophets of Baal inflicted on themselves. Such unnatural tortures pertain to the rule [Matt. 15:9], "In vain do they worship Me ... with the commandments of men." Likewise, these prac tices are in conflict with the precept [Ex. 20:13], "Thou shalt not kill." And again [1 Cor. 12:24], "Give honor to the body."
For God wills that we acknowledge that this life of ours and this marvelous nature with the harmony of all its parts and senses is His work and His gift, and that it is even the continuation of the image of God.
Therefore He wills that the nature of men be treated reverently and taken tare of, and it is against His will that it be corrupted by either pleasures or torment. But
because sin remains in us, sometimes there will be more than enough calamities which quickly destroy this mortal nature. He commands us to endure these when he says [Matt. 6:34], "Sufficient for the day is the af fliction thereof," that is, do not call down upon your selves even greater calamities, but patiently bear those things which befall you because of the wretchedness of this world, even those things which you have not called down upon yourselves. the flesh among the unregenerate, as in the case of Socrates, Pomponius Atticus, and others like them, who had many virtues, temperance, continence, and kindness. But in the case of the regenerate there are other factors and other goals which help them. These things came together in Joseph: he had control over his eyes and he fled adultery, and at the same time he prayed to God for help that he might prevail and that his desires might not overcome him. Further, he gave credit for his continence to God. He did not want to pervert the doctrine [the Gospel] by giving offense. It is necessary that the godly understand these struggles.
Because it is a difficult matter, Paul includes this strug gle under the term "mortification" so that when he says
[Rom. 8:13] "If you mortify [put to death] by the Spirit the deeds of the flesh, you shall live," he is not only commanding us to repress our flesh in the way that Socrates did, but "by the Spirit," that is, looking to God, lamenting the weakness of our natures, seeking God's help and fighting against the devil. Thus also in another place [Col. 3:5] he says, "Mortify [put to death] your members," fear greatly when you think of the judgment of God and control your corrupt desires.
It is useful to give instruction about this term "mortification" so that we may distinguish between pre tended and true sorrows. And there is also another kind of voluntary way of suppressing our flesh: temperance and moderation in eating and drinking; industriousness in our labors; serious attention to our studies, to prayer and the other activities connected with our calling; the repression of our wandering lusts; and reigning in our anger. All these are works which we owe and virtues which we have often been commanded to practice.
Luke 21 [:34], "Take heed that your hearts are not bur dened down with drunkenness"; Rom. 6[:13], "Do not offer your members as instruments of unrighteous ness"; 1 Cor. 9[:27], "I take my body captive and keep it in subjection."
We know that we owe it to perform these exer cises, and constantly, not as if they were satisfactions for a certain period of time or in a certain way. Thus the church in its sermons always gives such com mandments. But what form applies to individual cases must be left to the conscience and opportunity of each person, so that consciences are not caught in traps and the prescription of a particular form, the eating of certain foods and fasts becomes a "tradition of men," and then we have something which pertains to the rule, "In vain do they worship Me by the traditions of men," and this, in turn, contributes little to true moderation. But we must be mindful of the constant mandate regarding moder ation and continence [cf. 1 Cor. 6:10]: "Drunkards and fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God."
These exercises must be inculcated and prac ticed in order to control the flesh, not in order that they may constitute payment for past sins, but that they may thereafter prevent sin from taking place. For debauch ery, hatred and neglect invite many other vices, as it is said [Ex. 32:6], "The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." And our daily lives attest to the complete truth of this statement: "Our minds revel in things which are especially wicked." [Ovid, de arte amoris 2.437], Again, "When the brutes of the field have a good time they are not made to feel guilty with remorse. They do things openly and then caressing
Venus draws near with her art" [Ibid. 1.361 ff.].
There can even be a concern about repressing
Locus 14 Predestination Since there is no human political organization— no great gathering of people—without many weak nesses, and since all nations are burdened down with calamities of one kind or another, the minds of men often ask whether there is some part of the human race which is under the particular care of God, and what this part is, or whether God hears some people and brings blessing to them, or has any kind of dealing with them except as secondary causes come into play.
God will remain. And in order that we may continue to possess this comfort, it is useful to say something about election or predestination.
Christ says in John 10[:27 f.], "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hands." And in Eph.
1 [:4] it is said, "He has chosen us in Christ before the creation of the world." And in 2 Tim. 2[:19], "The foun dation of God stands firm, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His.' "
Since no empire is eternal and great destructions happen to all nations, a more difficult question arises when we discuss these matters: where the church of God will remain in this world. John saw the church in Ephesus, Smyrna, and places nearby. But now in these same places everything is filled with raging Turks who condemn the Gospel, nor is there any permanent place for the church of God in this mortal life. God Himself has armed us with clear and firm testimonies in the face of these questions. First, He has demonstrated with manifest miracles that there certainly is a definite gathering of people which he loves, cares for, and will adorn with eternal blessings. We may turn our eyes to these miracles to strengthen ourselves, such as the preservation of Noah in the flood, the exodus of the people from Egypt, the sending and actions of the prophets, and the restorations from the dead which were accomplished by Christ, the prophets, and the apostles. All of these events testify that this gathering is of concern to God, and that these benefits have been given to it, and that God is truly present with them and is doing many things which are above and beyond the order and area of activity of secondary causes.
Therefore a church of the elect shall always re main, which God, in a miraculous manner—even in this life—shall preserve, defend, and govern, as it says in Isa. *46[:3—4], "You are carried in My bowels, you are borne up by My womb, to your old age I will carry you," that is, even in the final tragic times I will carry the church in its old age, "I made you, I will carry you, I will bear you, and I will save you." We must comfort our selves with statements like this when we are troubled in the midst of these ruins and destructions of empires and when we ask where the church will endure.
There has always been an argument about the cause of our election. For example, there is the case of the two brothers Cain and Abel. Why was one pre ferred above the other? Likewise, people argue about Esau and Jacob. And there are many who know nothing except the doctrine of reason and the Law, who use their human judgment to conclude that the cause of our election is the Law or our own merits and worthiness.
This is the way the Jews believed, and many of the Sententiarians1 do likewise. But we must hold to these three propositions:
Thus, there is indeed a certain church of God.
The entire human race has not been created for de struction and for the present miseries and for the things which befall our perishing condition, as is the case with plants and animals, whose physical matter soon per ishes, taking on a different form in the cycles of birth and corruption. Although our eyes see that human bod ies are now subject to death in the same way, yet these miracles and the resurrection of the dead testify that the human race was created in a different way and for a different purpose. The origin of men and the cause of their death and restoration has been revealed to the church.
The first is that we must judge regarding our elec tion not on the basis of the Law but on the basis of the Gospel.
The second is that the entire number of those who are to be saved is chosen (electus) for the sake of Christ (propter Christum). For unless we hold to the knowledge of Christ, we cannot speak of election.
The third is that we must seek no other cause for our justification or election. Thus Peter is elect because he is a member of Christ, just as he is righteous, that is, pleasing to God, because by faith he has been made a member of Christ. Just as when we speak about jus tification, we are governed by the Gospel or by our knowledge of the voice of the Gospel, so when we are going to speak about election, we must include the voice of the Gospel. This is the way we, who ought to This doctrine must be placed in opposition to hu man opinions and speculations about matter (materia).
We must consider the fact that God has revealed Him self to the human race by many and clear testimonies to be no less of a blessing of God than the very act of the creation of things itself. Furthermore, although the ruins of kingdoms are great and frequent, yet we must know from these testimonies of God that the church of ' A sententiarius was an advanced theological student certified to teach Peter Lombard's Four Books of Sentences.