particular care, that the Augsburg Confession
was prepared under the most favorable circumstances for an impartial
and full exhibition of all the views of the confessors, both of positive
truth and papal errors. The contrary was, however, the case, as will be
distinctly shown in the sequel. But we will first reply to the General
Observations of the Plea of our esteemed brother, the Rev. Mr. Mann.
Let it be remembered, however, that whatever may be the import of this
and other creeds, they have all been formed since the age of inspiration,
they are all uninspired and therefore fallible. Hence, it is equally the
duty of the church, in every generation, to test her existing creed by the
word of God, and to correct and improve it, if found unscriptural in any
of its teachings, or if experience has taught that it is too brief or too
extended, successfully to accomplish the legitimate purposes of such
documents. The idea of the infallibility of any human creed, or even its
semi-inspiration, is philosophically unreasonable, and either a remnant
of Romish superstition, or an amiable weakness of judgment.
Melancthon himself did not regard his Confession as perfect, for he
made sundry alterations in it in his successive editions. And even at
Augsburg, after the confession had been sent to Luther, at Coburg, and
returned with his approbation on the 16th of May, Melancthon, in a
letter to him, dated six days later, (May 22,) employs the following
language: "In the Apology, (which was the name first intended for the
Augsburg Confession,) I daily make many changes. The section
concerning 'Vows,' which was too meagre, I have stricken out, and have
treated the subject more fully. I am now doing the name with the
section concerning 'The Keys.' I wish you could have reviewed the
doctrinal articles," (namely, as now amended,) "and then, if you found
nothing defective in them, I would discuss the remaining articles as
well as may be. _For, in Articles of faith, some change must be made,
from time to time, and they must be adapted to the occasions." [Note 3]
Here is anything else than the idea of the immaculate and unalterable
nature of the Augsburg Confession for all after times.
Note 1. In 1529, whilst Melancthon was attending the Conferences at
Spire, this great and good man made a little excursion to Bretton, to
visit his mother. During their interview, she asked him what she should
believe amid so many disputes, and repeated to him her prayers, which
were free from superstition. "Go on, mother," said he, "to believe and
to pray as you have done, and never trouble yourself about religious
controversies."
Note 2. As this oath is a literary curiosity, we subjoin it, in the original,
for the gratification of our learned readers: Ego juro Domino Decano et
Magistris Facultatis Theologiae obedientiam et reverentiam debitam, et
in quocunque statu utilitatem universitatis, et maxime Facultatis
Theologicae, pro virili mea procurabo, et omnes actus theologicos
exercebo in mitra, (nisi fuerit religiosus) vanas, peregrinas _doctrinas,
ab ecclesia damnatas, et piarum aurium offensivas non dogmatisabo_,
sed dogmatisantem Dn. Decano denunciabo intra octendium, et
manutenebo consuetudines, libertates et privilegia Theologicae
Facultatis pro virili mea, ut me Deus adjuvet, et Sanctorum
evangeliorum conditores. _Juro etiam Romanae ecclesiae obedientiam_,
et procurabo pacem inter Magistros et Scholasticos seculares et
religiosos, et biretum in nullo alio gymnasio recipiam." Lib. Statutorum
facultatis theol. Academiae Wittemberg. Cap. 7.
Note 3. An der Apologie (Confession) aendere ich taeglich Vieles. Den
Abschnitt von den Geluebden, der zu mager war, habe ich gestrichen
und den Gegenstand ausfuehrlicher abgehandelt. Eben so verfahre ich
jetzo mit dem Abschnitt von "den Schluesseln." Ich wuenschte, du
haettest die "Glaubensartikel" ueberblickt, wo ich dann, wenn du nichts
fehlerhaftes darin gefunden, das uebrige, so gut es gehen will,
abhandeln werde. Denn es musz zum oeftern an den Glaubensartikeln
abgeaendert werden, und man musz sie den Gelegenheiten anbequemen.
In the Latin: Vellem percurisses articulos fidei, in quibus si nihil
putaveris esse vitii, reliqua utcunque tractabimus. "_Subinde enim,
mutandi stint atque ad occasiones accommodandi." Christian
Niemeyer's Philip Melancthon_, im Jahre der Augsburgischen
Confession, pp. 13, 14.
CHAPTER II.
REPLY TO THE GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE PLEA.
In replying to the general observations, which constitute the
introduction of the Plea, we shall pursue the order of their occurrence.
"We shall, in this short tract," says the author, "not speak of the
objections, which in the Definite Platform are set forth against some
errors, contained in some other symbolical books of the Lutheran
Church, but we shall confine ourselves exclusively to the errors pointed
out in the Augsburg Confession, the work of Luther and Melancthon
themselves, and _the only one of our Confessions which was
universally received as such, by the whole Lutheran Church in all parts
of the world_,"
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the
Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.
