§ 239.

DIVISION OF THE MATERIAL.

To facilitate the survey of the history of doctrines during the present period, it will be necessary to begin, in the special part of it, with those doctrines which most distinctly represent the doctrinal differences between the two greater ecclesiastical bodies-i. e. the opposition between Roman Catholics and Protestants-and then pass over to those in which these sections of the church were more or less agreed (in contrast with the minor sects), and where the antithesis between Romanism and Protestantism either becomes of minor importance or entirely disappears. To the first class belong the doctrine concerning the sources of religious knowledge (which may be said to constitute the formal principle of Romanism and Protestantism); the doctrine respecting man, sin, justification, and redemption (in which the so-called material principle of Protestantism and Romanism respectively, is brought out); and lastly, those doctrines which most clearly display the logical consequences of both these principles-viz. the doctrines of the church,2 of the sacraments (with the exception of baptism), and of purgatory (which forms a part of eschatology). To the second class belong theology proper, and christology, the doctrine of baptism, and eschatology (with the exception of purgatory).

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Here, too, we must have constant regard to the subordinate antagonism between the Lutherans and the Reformed (Calvinists), which first came out in the doctrine respecting the Lord's Supper, afterwards in the doctrine of predestination, and was also exhibited on other points, without however involving on either side an abandonment of the common ground of Evangelical Protestantism in its fundamental principles. Here, too, may be considered the deviating views of the lesser religious parties, somewhat receding from the general Protestant principles, so far as they bear upon those doctrinal points.

2 The doctrine concerning the church also belongs, in a certain aspect, among the fundamental controverted points, especially in the Roman Catholic point of view; see the treatise of Baur in answer to Möhler's Symbolik, p. 60, ss. But the views of Protestants concerning the church resulted rather from their principles on other points.

3 It has, indeed, its inconveniences, thus to separate the different points embraced in the locus about the sacraments, and in eschatology; but the advantage is found in presenting Symbolism in its true and natural relation to the whole History of Doctrines, thus facilitating a general view of the antagonistic positions. In the doctrines that have respect to Theology, and Christology, and in the doctrine respecting Baptism, come up the chief points of opposition between the larger churches and the sects (Unitarians, Anabaptists).

B. SPECIAL HISTORY OF DOCTRINES

DURING THE FOURTH PERIOD.

FIRST CLASS.

THE CHARACTERISTIC DOCTRINES OF ROMANISM AND PROTESTANTISM.

(INCLUDING THE OPPOSITION BETWEEN LUTHERANS AND CALVINISTS, AND THE OPINIONS OF THE MINOR RELIGIOUS PARTIES AND SECTS.)

FIRST DIVISION.

THE DOCTRINES CONCERNING THE SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE.

(THE FORMAL PRINCIPLE).

FORMAL PRINCIPLE.

§ 240.

ROMANISM AND PROTESTANTISM.

Heppe, Die Dogmatik des deutschen Protestantismus. [Comp. the works referred to, vol. i., p. 42. W. O. Dietlein, Vorträge über Protest. und Katholicismus, Halle, 1854. Schenkel, Das Princip. des Protestantismus, 1852. Twesten, Protest. und Kathol. in his Dogmatik, i. Bp. Edmond Gibson, Preservative against Popery, 18 vols., Lond. 1848-9, and Supplement, 8 vols., 1849, contains many of the leading English treatises on the points of difference. D. Schenkel, Ursprüngliches Verhältniss der Kirche zum Kanon, Basel, 1838. William Goode, Divine Rule, repr. Phil., 2 vols., 1848. Richard Baxter, Key for Catholicy, 1659; Roman Tradition Examined, 1676. E. B. Pusey, Rule of Faith as maintained by the Fathers of the Church of England.]

From the commencement of the Reformation it became evident, in the course of the struggle, that its adherents proceeded upon a different formal principle (as to the source of knowledge, and rule of faith), from that held by the Roman Church of that period. For

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while the advocates of the Romish Church continually appealed to the authority of tradition, the Protestants refused to yield to any arguments but those clearly drawn from Scripture.' This primitive difference was prominently brought forward in the symbolical books in general, and in those of the Reformed Church in particular. It may be specified in the four following particulars; 1. While the Protestant Church asserts that the sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only sure source of religious knowledge, and constitute the sole rule of faith, the Roman Catholic Church assumes the existence of another source together with the Bible-viz. tradition. 2. Acording to Protestants, the Holy Bible is composed only of the canonical writings of the Old and New Testament, while the Roman Catholics also ascribe canonical authority to the so-called Apocrypha of the Old Testament. 3. The Roman Catholic Church claims the sole right of interpreting the Scripture,' while the Protestant church concedes this right in a stricter sense, to every one who possesses the requisite gifts and attainments, but in a more comprehensive sense to every Christian who seeks after salvation; it proceeds upon the principle, that Scripture is its own interpreter, according to the analogia fidei. With this is connected, in the fourth place, the assumption of the Roman Catholic Church, that the Vulgate version, which it sanctions, is to be preferred to all other versions, as the authentic one, and is thus to a certain extent of equal importance with the original,' while Protestants. regard the original only as authentic.10

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1 Luther was led to his view about the Scriptures, as the only rule of faith, from his views about justification; he came to the formal by means of the material principle. Contending against the false doctrine of justification, as seen in relation to the sale of indulgences, he first of all appealed to the Pope; then from the Pope ill instructed, to the Pope better instructed; then to a council; until at last he recognized the authority of Scripture as alone decisive; and elevated this to the rank of a formal principle. Even in his Protestation at the end of his Theses, he says, that he is not so presumptuous as to prefer his opinion to the opinion of all; but also, that he is not so thoughtless as to put the Divine Word below fables of human invention (Werke, Walch's edition, xviii., 254 sq.). He is more definite at the Leipsic Disputation (ibid., p. 1160), saying, that no Christian can be forced to bind himself to aught but the Holy Scriptures, which alone have divine right. In his Resolutiones, he rises distinctly above the authority of councils. Compare his other controversial works, and his position at the Diet of Worms; see, further, Schenkel, Das Wesen des Protest., i., 20 sq. [Gieseler, Church Hist., New York ed., vol. v., § 34.] What Luther thus attained unto was further developed by Melancthon: Loci Theol., ed. Augusti, p. 4 sq. Imo nihil perinde optarim, atque si fieri possit, Christianos, omnes in solis divinis litteris liberrime versari et in illarum indolem plane transformari. Nam cum

in illis absolutissimum sui imaginem expresserit divinitas, non poterit aliunde neque certius neque purius cognosci. Fallitur quisquis aliunde Christianismi formam petit, quam e Scriptura canonica. Comp. also the passages in the later editions, in Bretschseider, Corpus Reform., xxi., p. 453, 685 sq., 732. On the distinction which he makes between Scripture and the word of God, see Heppe, u. s., p. 216.-Zwingle came more speedily than Luther to a clear view of the Scriptures as a rule of faith, although he did not at first emphasize Scripture as such, but the Word of God in contrast with the doctrines of man. Thus, in his treatise "Von der Klarheit und Gwüsse des göttlichen Wortes" (Werke, i., 81), he says: "In fine, that we may stop having to give an answer to every body about all sorts of objections, this is our view, that the Word of God must be held by us in the highest honor (by Word of God meaning only what comes from the Spirit of God), and that to no word should be given such faith as to that. For this word is certain, cannot fail; it is clear, and will not let us wander in darkness; it teaches itself, expounds itself, and makes the human soul to shine with all salvation and grace,” etc. See, too, his declarations at both of the Zurich Disputations. He speaks of the Scripture itself first in his Architeles (Opera iii.; see Ebrard, Abendmahlslehre, ii. 46, sq.). Thus on p. 32: Scripturam sacram ducem et magistram esse oportet, qua si quis recte usus sit, impunem esse oportet, etiamsi doctorculis maxime displiceat. And here the highest rule is what Christ teaches, ibid., p. 30; Cunctis post habitis huc tandem veni, ut nulla re, nullo sermone tam fiderem, atque eo, qui ex ore Domini prodiit. Pag. 31: Dum lapidem inquiro, non invenio alium, quam lapidem offensionis et petram scandali, ad quam offendunt, quotquot Pharisæorum more irritum faciunt præceptum Dei propter traditionem suam. His itaque in hunc modum comparatis, cœpi omnem doctrinam ad hunc lapidem explorare, et si vidissem lapidem eundem reddere colorem vel potius doctrinam ferre posse lapidis claritatem, recipi eam; sin minus, rejeci.... Ad hunc thesaurum, puta ad certitudinem verbi Dei, dirigendum est cor nostrum.-And in his Expositio Simplex (Opera, iv. p. 67): Non vel jota unum docemus, quod non ex divinis oraculis didicerimus, neque sententiam ullam, cujus non primarios ecclesiæ doctores, prophetas, apostolos, evangelistas, episcopos, interpretes, sed priscos illos, qui purius ex fonte hauserunt, auctores habeamus. (That is, he urges in respect to Scripture, the idea of its original and primitive authority.) Moreover, according to Zwingle, "Scripture can be understood only through and by faith, and faith be confirmed, as to its being right, only by the Scripture, which is rightly understood by faith." (The Analogia fidei. He gives as an illustration, the case of one, who should try to put a horse to a cart without harness or lines, or to draw the cart with ropes without the horse; both belong together-German Works, ii. 2, p. 3).-The principle about Scripture is more abstractly presented by Calvin, Instit. I. c. 6, § 2: Sic autem habendum est, ut nobis affulgeat vera religio, exordium a cœlesti doctrina fieri debere, nec quemquam posse vel minimum gustum rectæ sanæque doctrinæ percipere, nisi qui Scripturæ fuerit discipulus. Unde etiam emergit veræ intelligentiæ principium, ubi reverenter amplectimur, quod de se illic testari Deus voluit. (Compare what he says in the context of this chapter, and in the subsequent chapters.)

The Lutheran symbols do not contain any separate article de Sacra Scriptura, but occasionally oppose tradition. Comp. Confess. August., p. 13, 28 ss. Apolog., p. 205 ss. Articles of Smalcald, p. 337. The Form. Concord. is more definite, p. 570. On the other hand, the symbols of the Reformed Church, for the most part, commence with the article de Sacra Scriptura, or have a special article elsewhere (see the next note). The only exception is the first Confession of Basle, which, nevertheless, concludes with a submission of all its articles to the authority of Scripture. Compare note 3.

• Articles of Smalcald, 1. c.: Regulam autem aliam habemus, ut videlicet verbum Dei condat articulos fidei et præterea nemo, ne angelus quidem. Form. Conc., 1. c.: Credimus... unicam regulam et normam, secundum quam omnia dogmata omnesque doctores æstimari et judicari oporteat, nullam omnino aliam esse, quam prophetica et apostolica scripta cum V. tum N. T. Reliqua vero sive patrum sive neotericorum scripta, quocunque veniant nomine, sacris litteris nequaquam sunt æquiparanda. Comp. Sol. Decl., p. 632.-Conf. Helv., I. (Bas. II.): Scriptura canonica verbum Dei, Spiritu S. tradita, omnium perfectissima et antiquissima philosophia, pietatem omnem, omnem vitæ rationem, sola perfecte continet.-Helv., II., 1: In Scriptura sancta habet universalis Christiana ecclesia plenissime exposita, quæcunque pertinent cum ad salvificam fidem tum ad vitam Deo placentem recte informandam... Sentimus ergo ex hisce scripturis petendam esse veram sapientiam et pietatem, ecclesiarum quoque reformationem et gubernationem omniumque officiorum pietatis institutionem, probationem denique dogmatum reprobationemque aut errorum confutationem omnium, sed admonitiones * Cap. 2: Non alium sustinemus in causa fidei judicem, quam ipsum Deum per Script. S. pronunciantem, quid verum sit, quid falsum, quid sequendum sit, quidve fugiendum.-Repudiamus traditiones humanas, quæ tametsi insigniantur speciosis titulis, quasi divinæ apostolicæque sint, viva voce apostolorem et ceu per manus virorum apostolicorum succedentibus episcopis ecclesiæ traditæ, compositæ tamen cum scripturis ab his discrepant, discrepantiaque illa sua ostendunt, se minime esse apostolicas. Sicut enim Apostoli inter se diversa non docuerunt, ita et apostolici non contraria apostolis ediderunt. Quinimo impium esset asseverare, apostolos vive voce contraria scriptis suis tradidisse.-Comp., Conf. Gall., Art. 5; Belg. 7; Angl. 6; Scot. 18, etc., quoted by Winer, pp. 30, 31. The Remonstrants and Socinians agreed with the Protestants in this general formal principle. See Conf. Remonstr., i. 10 ss., i. 13; Cat. Racov., Qu. 31 and 33, quoted by Winer, pp. 31, 32. Concerning the sense in which Protestants take tradition, see below (§ 241). That the same importance should afterwards be

omnes.

* The Confession, however, grants, that God can enlighten man on extraordinary cases, even without the preaching of the word: Agnoscimus interim, Deum illuminare posse homines, etiam sine externo ministerio, quos et quando velit; id quod ejus potentiæ est. Nos autem loquimur de usitata ratione instituendi homines, et præcepto et exemplo tradita nobis a Deo.

In reference to external rites (which are transmitted to us by tradition) the Conf. Angl., says, Art. 34: Traditiones atque ceremonias easdem, non omnino necessarium est esse ubique, aut prorsus consimiles. Nam ut variæ semper fuerunt, et mutari possunt, pro regionum, temporum et morum diversitate, modo nihil contra verbum Dei instituatur.