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reddimur, quod mera gratia, sine inasmuch as by it we are rendered ullo nostro merito, in Christo ad certain that by mere grace, withvitam æternam electi simus, et out any merit of our own, we are quod nemo ex ipsius manibus ra- chosen in Christ to eternal life, and pere nos possit. Et hanc cle- that no one can pluck us out of his mentissimam electionem non nu- hands. And this most merciful dis verbis, sed interposito jure-election the Lord hath attested and jurando Dominus contestando confirmed, not by mere words, but confirmavit, et venerabilibus Sa- by the mediation of an oath, and cramentis nobis obsignavit, quo- hath sealed to us by the holy sacrarum in summis tentationibus ments, which we ought to call to meminisse, et ex iis consolatio- mind in our deepest temptations, nem petere debemus, ut ignita and seek consolation from them, Diaboli tela extinguamus.

that we may quench all the fiery darts of the Devil.

XIV. This brief explication of

XIII. Interim tamen summo XIII. Yet none the less ought we studio in eo elaboremus, ut ad to take the utmost pains to fashion normam voluntatis divinæ vitam our life agreeably to the norm of nostram instituamus, et vocatio- the divine will, and to make our nem nostram [ut D. Petrus (2 calling and election sure, as St. PePet. i. 20) loquitur] firmam fa- ter says (2 Pet. i. 10), nor to recede ciamus, neque a Dei revelato a hair-breadth from the revealed verbo latum unguem recedamus; Word of God; for that will never illud enim nunquam nos fallet. fail us. XIV. Hac brevi explicatione æternæ electionis divinæ honos the eternal election of God, attribsuus Deo plene et in solidum tri- utes fully and completely to God buitur: quod videlicet, secundum his own proper honor, showing that voluntatis suæ propositum, mera he saves us according to the purmisericordia, sine ullo nostro me- pose of his own will, of mere comrito salvos nos faciat. Neque ta- passion, without any merit of our men hac doctrina, vel gravioribus own. While by this doctrine no illis animi perturbationibus, et pu- handle is given to vehement dissillanimitati, vel Epicurismo [zur turbances of mind and faint-heartKleinmüthigkeit oder rohem, wil- edness, nor to Epicureanism. dem Leben] ansa præbetur.

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Rejection of false doctrine touching this Article.

False doctrina de hoc Articulo rejectio. Credimus igitur et sentimus, We believe, therefore, and judge quando doctrina de electione Dei that when the doctrine of God's ad vitam æternam eo modo pro- election of men to eternal life is so ponitur, ut perturbatæ piæ men- propounded that godly minds can tes ex ea consolationem nullam ca- derive no consolation from it under pere queant, sed potius per eam in anxiety, but are by it the rather animi angustias [Kleinmüthig- thrown into distress of mind or keit] aut desperationem conjician- desperation, or the impenitent are tur, aut impœnitentes in dissoluta confirmed in their dissolute life, sua vita confirmentur, quod arti-that this article is not then handled culus hic non ad normam verbi et agreeably to the rule of the word voluntatis Dei, sed juxta humane and will of God, but according to rationis judicium, et quidem impulsu Satanæ, male et perperam tractetur. Quæcunque enim scripta sunt' [inquit (Rom. xv. 4) apostolus] ad nostram doctri- the apostle (Romans xv. 4)] 'were nam scripta sunt, ut per patien- written for our learning, that we tiam et consolationem Scriptura- through patience and comfort of rum spem habeamus.' Rejicimus the Scriptures might have hope.' itaque omnes, quos jam enumera- We therefore reject all the errors bimus, errores. which we will now enumerate:

I. Quod Deus nolit, ut omnes homines pœnitentiam agant, et Evangelio credant.

II. Quando Deus nos ad se vocat, quod non serio hoc velit, ut omnes homines ad ipsum veniant.

the judgment of human reason, and that badly and falsely by the instigation of Satan. For whatsoever things were written aforetime' [says

I. That God is unwilling that all men should repent and believe the Gospel.

II. That when God calls us to him, he does not earnestly wish that all men should come to

him.

III. Quod nolit Deus, ut om- III. That God is not willing that nes salventur, sed quod quidam, all men should be saved, but that non ratione peccatorum suorum, some men are destined to destrucverum solo Dei consilio, pro- tion, not on account of their sins, posito et voluntate, ad exitium but by the mere counsel, purpose,

destinati sint, ut prorsus salutem | and will of God, so that they can consequi non possint.

IV. Quod non sola Dei misericordia et sanctissimum Christi meritum, sed etiam in nobis ipsis aliqua causa sit electionis divinæ, cujus causæ ratione Deus nos ad vitam æternam elegerit.

Hæc dogmata omnia falsa sunt, horrenda et blasphema, iisque piis mentibus omnis prorsus consolatio eripitur, quam ex Evangelio et sacramentorum usu capere deberent, et idcirco in Ecclesia Dei nequaquam sunt ferenda.

not in any wise attain to salvation.

IV. That the mercy of God and the most holy merit of Christ is not the sole cause of the divine election, but that there is also some cause in us, on account of which cause God has chosen us to eternal life.

All these dogmas are false, horrid, and blasphemous, and by them all consolation is utterly taken away from godly minds, such as they ought to receive from the Gospel and the use of the sacraments, and therefore they are by no means to be borne with in the Church of God. This is a brief and most simple explication of the controverted arti

Hæc brevis est et simplicissima articulorum controversorum explicatio, de quibus inter theologos cles, touching which there has been, Augustana Confessionis aliquan- for some time, discussion among the diu disceptatum et discrepantibus divines of the Augsburg Confession, inter se sententiis disputatum est. and touching which they have disEt ex hac declaratione homo pius, puted among themselves with varyquamtumvis simplex, secundum ing opinions. And from this stateanalogiam Verbi Dei et Cate- ment and exposition a man, however chismi simplicem doctrinam de- unlearned, is able, according to the prehendere potest, quid verum analogy of the Word of God, and sit, quid falsum. Non enim tan- according to the simple doctrine of tummodo sincera doctrina diserte the Catechism, to discover what is est recitata, verum etiam contraria et falsa doctrina repudiata est et rejecta, et controversiæ illæ, offendiculorum plena, solide sunt decisa atque dijudicata [und also die eingefallene ärgerlichen Spaltungen gründlich entschieden seind].

true and what is false. For not only has the genuine doctrine been distinctly set forth, but also the contrary and false doctrine has been repudiated and rejected, and controversies full of occasions of offense have been solidly decided and settled.

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Ne tacita cogitatione hæreses Lest such heresies and sects should illæ et secta nobis tribuantur, tacitly be attributed to us, for the propterea, quod earum in com- reason that we have not made exmemorata declaratione expressam press mention of them in the statementionem non fecimus: visum ment given above, it has seemed est, articulos earum ad calcem good simply to recite this docu(ut dicitur) hujus scripti nude ment at the end of their articles of recitare, in quibus nostri tem- belief, wherein the heretics of our poris hæretici a veritate dissen- time dissent from the truth, and tiunt, et sincere nostræ religioni teach contrary to our sound conet confessioni contrarium docent. fession and doctrine.

ERRORES ANABAPTISTARUM.

ERRORS OF THE ANABAPTISTS.

The Anabaptists are divided into. many sects, of which some maintain more, some fewer errors. Nevertheless, in a general way, they all profess such a doctrine as can be tolerated neither in the Church,

Anabaptiste in multas sectas [viel Haufen] sunt divisi, quarum alia plures, aliæ pauciores errores defendunt: generatim [ingemein] tamen omnes talem doctrinam profitentur, quæ neque in Ecclesia, neque in politia [noch in der Po- nor by the police and in the com-> lizei und weltlichem Regiment], monwealth, nor in daily [domestic neque in œconomia [Haushaltung] and social] life.

tolerari potest.

Articuli Anabaptistici, qui in Ecclesia ferri Anabaptist Articles which can not be endured in the Church.

non possunt.

I. Quod Christus carnem et I. First, that Christ did not assanguinem suum, non e Maria sume his flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, but brought them from heaven.

virgine assumserit, sed e cœlo attulerit.

II. That Christ is not true God,

II. Quod Christus non sit verus Deus, sed tantummodo cæteris but is merely superior to other saints, sanctis sit superior, quia plura because he has received more gifts Spiritus Sancti dona acceperit, of the Holy Spirit than any other quam alius quispiam homo sanctus. holy man whatsoever.

III. Quod justitia nostra co- III. That our righteousness beram Deo, non in solo Christi fore God does not consist in the merito, sed in renovatione atque merit of Christ alone, but in our adeo in nostra propria probi- renewal, and thus in our own uptate, in qua ambulemus, consistat. rightness in which we walk. Now Ea vero Anabaptistarum justitia this righteousness of the Anabapmagna ex parte electitia et hu- tists consists in great part in a cermanitus excogitata quadam sanc- tain arbitrary and humanly devised timonia constat, et revera nil sanctimony, and in truth is nothaliud est, quam novus quidam ing else than some new sort of monachatus. monkery.

IV. Quod infantes non baptiIV. That infants not baptized are zati coram Deo non sint pecca- not sinners before God, but just and tores, sed justi et innocentes, et innocent, and in this their innoin illa sua innocentia, cum usum cence, when they have not as yet rationis nondum habeant, sine the use of reason, may, without bapbaptismo (quo videlicet, ipsorum tism (of which, to wit, in the opinopinione, non egeant) salutem con- ion of the Anabaptists, they have sequantur. Et hoc modo rejici- no need), attain unto salvation. unt totam de peccato originali And in this way they reject the doctrinam, reliqua etiam, quæ ex whole doctrine of original sin, and ea dependent. all the consequences that follow therefrom.

V. Quod infantes baptizandi non sint, donec usum rationis

V. That infants ought not to be baptized until they attain the use

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