Stellhorn Schmidt Et Al Schodde Editor Error of Modern Missouri 1887

8/8/2019 Stellhorn Schmidt Et Al Schodde Editor Error of Modern Missouri 1887

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T h e Error of Modern Missouri:I T S IN C E P TIO N , D E V E L O PM E N T ,A N D R E F U T A T I O N ,

As set for th in

I. T h e Present Controversy on Predestination: A Con-tribution to its History and Proper Estimate.By F. W. ST EL LH OR N, D. D.,

Prof. of Theo logy in th e Ev . Lu th . Sern inary , Co lu rnbus, Ohio ; Auth or ofW o er t e r b u ch zu m g r iech i s ch en N eu en T es t am en t ; A Bri ef Co m-m e n t a r y o n t h e B o o ks of t h e N e w T e s t a m e n t ; Anno-t a t i o n ~ n t h e Ac ts of t h e A p o st l es i n t h eLutheran Cornrnen tary .

11. " ntuitu Fidei."By REV. F. A. SC HM ID T, D. D.,

Prof. in the Theo log ical Se min ary of th e Norwegian Uni t ed Ch urc h ,Minneapo l i s , Minn .

111. A Testimony Against the False Doctrine of Predes-th a t on recently introduced by the Missouri Synod.By S EV E R A L F O R M ER M E M B E RS O F T H EMISSOURI SYNOD.

Trans la ted f ro rn th e German .

Edited by GEORGE H. SCHODDE, Ph. D.,Prof. of Theo logy in th e Ev . Lu th . Seminary , Co lumbus , Ohio.

C O L U M BU S , O H I O :L U T H E R A N B O O K CO N C E R N

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INTRODUCTION.

T is a matter of deep regret tha t the Synod of Mis-souri and other States has, for the past twentyyears and niore, set itself against the faith it at

I

one time was the chief defender and pronloter ofin this count ry. Whether the membership of thatbody are aware of it or not, it is not for us t o judge; but thefact remains that their doctrine of a particular yet unconditioilalelection unto salvation subver ts the entire system of Gospel truthand deprives every doctrinal member of that system of i ts savingpower and comfort. Whils t the Lutheran Church in enti re con-formity with Scripture teaches but one decree unto salvation theMissourians teach, as coordinate to i t , a second and oue wherebythe first is logically set aside and practically emptied of its gra-cious content. Professing to believe with us that God by Hismercy would have all men to be saved, they at the same timeconteud for the doctrine that God has decreed to save only a fewby giving to thenl-for reasons no nian can know-the faithadequate to that end. Never were two articles of belief moreglaringly contradictory offered for acceptance to the mind ofman; and, as this last, never was doctrine so utterly destructiveof every well-grounded hope of salvation.

Th e grave charge of heresy must stand against the synod ofMissouri until it retracts. A liiere correction of phrases cannotacquit that body; nor cail it satisfy ail offended church by anyprofession of belief iii the universality of diviiie grace, howeverloud and unctious it nlay be iii giving expression to it.

I ts official utteraiices on the doctrine of predestination asultimately set forth in the thirteeii theses of 1S81,* when con-sidered apart froiil their his tory, might be allowed to pass; buttakeii iii connection with the coritroversy that has called themforth they have settled nothiiig, escept that the Missouri Synodas a body has adopted the positioii of its leadiiig men and made

"See Minutes of the Delegate Synod of that year.( i i i


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TA BL E O F C O N T E N T S.T H E PR ES EN T CONTROVERSY ON PRE.DESTINATION .

D o g m a f i c o H is fo ri cn Z I z f r o d u r t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A ) Before th e Formula of Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B ) After the Formu la of Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

......he F o r m d a o f Concord a z d fh e OZd Lu f he r a n Dog?)z nf ic ia it sT ' e Do cfr i ne o f Predes ti tza fio it itt f h e i lIisso uri S y ~ o d.............A ) Before the Year 1877. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B ) Th e Synodical Keport of th e Western District for th e Year 1577.C ) Th e Synodical Repo rt of th e Western District for t he Year 1879.D ) ('Altes und Neues" and " Leh re und Wehre " before the General....astoral Conference at Chicago in th e Autumn of 1850. . . . . . . .) Th e General Pastoral Couference in th e Autumn of 1850F ) After the Pastoral Conference in the Autumn of 1580. . . . . . . . . . .G ) Comparative Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1. What is predestination ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .a ) Old Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) Modern hlissouri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) Th e Calvinists . . . . . . . . . . . . .) Th e Old Luth eran dogmaticians2. What has God regarded in electio n? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) Old Missouri

b ) Modern hlissouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C ) Th e Calviiiists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) The Lutheran Church3 What is the relation especially of faith to election? . . . .a ) Old Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .b ) Modern Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C ) Th e Calvaiiists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .d ) The Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 . I n what sense does the For mula of Concord spe ak ofelection ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a ) 01d Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .b ) hloderii Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C ) Th e Lutlieraii Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. 1s man's coiiversioii aiid salvation in every sense inde-peiideut of his conduct ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a ) Old Missouri . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .b ) Modern Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C ) The Calviiiists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .d ) The Lutheran Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

( v i i )

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G ) Coniparative' Suiiimary -- Concluded . PAGE6. 3Iay we speak of niaii's decisioii or " self-deterniiilation "

in coi~rersioii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .a ) Old AIissouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171b ) AIoderi i J l isso~~ri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171C ) The Calvanists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171d ) Th e Lutheran Cliiirch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

7. TVhat is t he differeiice betweeii th e Lu the ran an d Re-doctriiie of electioii ?

a ) Old nlissouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172b ) Aloderii nIissoiiri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173C ) Liitheraii Tlieologiaiis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173d ) Schiieckeilburger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

S. How rriiist tlie cloctrine of the dogmaticiaiis of thesereii teeritli ceiitury be regarded ? . . . . . . . . . .

a ) Old Jlissoiiri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 51 ) AIoderii Nissouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 3C ) Old Doginaticiaiis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 5

9. How is tlie doctrine of llo derii JIissouri to be regarded ?a ) Modern nIissouriaiis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176b ) Erery iinpartial iriaii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 6H ) Appendix : An Ally of 3Ioderii nlissouri iii Gerniany . . . . . . . . . 147

Th e Docfrinc of Predesf un ion iiz fhe 0hio Sjrnod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1P. jTheo logiaiis of Seveiiteeiith Ceii tu ry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 5Colloquiuiii in Coluiiibus, 1879 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1SGColuni bus Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1S iMeeting of Joint Syiiod ISS1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ISS

" INTUITU FIDEL''PART I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .li'hat wet-e fh e co uf en fs01-fhe szrbsfnuce of fhe docfl-iue fnzlghf by ont-

Lzlt1zc1-atz C ~ Z I I - C / Zikfhe~.s. hnt Godelecfcd lz v iew o f i a i t h ?Introductory Reniarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Over agaiiist Roinaiiisin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2. Sola Fide. Intuitu Fidei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3. Saniuel Huber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 . Correct uiiderstandi~igof Testiinonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

a ) Calrinists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .b ) H u b e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) Lutlieraiis

5 Jlissouri's New Discorery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6. AZissouri Holds Fast the Doctrine of ou r Olcl Teacliersand also Rejects it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. JIeetiiig of Syiiodical Coiifereiice iii Chicago . . . . . . . .S. Quotatioiis frorn 0rtl;odos Publicatioiis aiid Teacliers ..

A ) Azlfhors o j fhe Fo~-mzlLaof Co~zcord. . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . . .David Chy trz us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .acob Aiidreze

Christopher Koeriier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


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PAGEC ) Th e Imnzedinte Pzlpils o f t h e Sz~bsbvibevs f the F. C.- oncluded.Conrad Dietrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415Closiug Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

PART I1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I. Did uur Fnthel-s depart fi.onz the Cotz essioiz by teachiizg thnt fhe

election of certnin p e ~ s o mook place iiz view of nith ? . . . .I1. Does Missouri claim tha t our Fatliers departed froin the Confes-

sion witli their doctrine of " electioii in view of faitli " . . . .Northern D istrict and Prof.Fritschel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Professor Stoeckhardt on " i n view of faith." Philadelphia Faculty .

Lehre und Wehre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Did Missouri hold to he r present doctr iue in 1S72?. . . . . . . . . . . . ."Correct understandiiig " of a Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IV Colloquy iii Colunibus, 1879 and followiug i t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Scripture, Fathers, Coiifessioii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hub eri an Controversy-a test of the seuse of the Eleven th Article . .Three definitions of Election . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Church of For mula of Concord knew of no election to salvation escept

of believers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Testimony of Wittenb erg men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rostock meii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tuebi gen aiid Stu ttg art Schools, Wuerternberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .V. Scr iptu res, ordination to Salvation, Acta Huberiana, Wuerteni-berg men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pecific electionRegard to faith -TVittenberg aud Wuertembe rg nien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Election an d subse quent will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grace of God and nierits of Christ the complete cause of election . . .Did Rostock, Witteilberg, Tuebin gen know th e L uthera n defiuition

of electiori ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ART 111I . 1s the Doctvi?ze thnt God elected meiz to snlvntion i 7 z uiew o fnitlzfozr 7zd i ? ~ul- L1rthem71 Coiz essions ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I1 Intuit i Fidei found in Book of Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aug sburg Coufession and electiori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Apology and electioii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Differerlce betweeu merl arld tlre clivine verdict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Order of decree of election and order of eterrial purpose . . . . . . . . .A uiystery iii th is cloctriiie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I11 Tlie Foriiiula of Coi~corcl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tliircl Article of Forulula of Loiicord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sonship ancl inheri tance reflectiorl of eteriial cotinsel of God . . . . . . . .IV Eleverith Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .lection in detailTreiid of Eleveuth -4rticle against Calvii~isticelectiori . . . . . . . . . .Revealed and liidderi will of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Definitiori of electioii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .lection of grace


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THESISV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Th e point of controversy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Math. 22. 1-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cheninitz on Math. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rom . S. 28-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Foreknow " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p h. 1 . 3-62 Thess 2. 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Pet. 1. 1 an d 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.Obedienc e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Review of Scripture passages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aiialogy of faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\Vhat elect meails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electioii and the preacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

APPENDIX.

PAGE706707705

Which of the two parties has forsaken their former standp oitit? . . . . 7 6 0Brief sketch of the iilception of the controversy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 789


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DOGMATICO = HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

A. B E F O R E T H E FORMULA OF CONCORD.

Sin has most deeply depraved and corrupted man's body andsoul togetlier with alI his powers. His mind and will, for instance,rarely cl-iooseby nature, eveii in eartldy and temporal things, thegolden middle-path; inan is ever inclined to run to estremes, tocleviate to the one side or tlie otl-ier. Tl-iis proclivity inheres even intlie best of Cliristiaiis, because tlieir depraved flesli and blood stillclings to them. Ancl it lnanifests itself in tlle most varied ways,in tliiiigs bodily as well as in things spiritual, in tlie social aiidcivil as well as in the religious ancl inoral life. And nre find tliatw en tlle religious arid dogmatic thinkiiig of rnost inen revealst l~ isnborn onesicledness. All, even the worst of lieresies containat least a grain of truth, arid liave arisen in tliis very way tliat sometruths were neglectecl or set aside, nrhile otliers were in a onesidedJvay einpliasized and developed and thus perverted aiid distorted.We accordiiigly nieet tliis onesidedeness repeateclly wlien we es-amine tlie History of Do gma on tlie doctrine of Preclestinationand subjects connected wit1-i it.The doctrine of pi-edestination held by any teacl-ier or cle-nomination in tlie c1iurcl-i is in reality tlieir final answer to tliequestion as to tlie relation of human liberty to divine grace,-oneof tlie ii-iost difficult, and at the sanie time one of tlie most im-portant questions in the fielcl of religion and dogmatics. Iii an-swering this question tliere appeared quite early the onesidednessjust nientioned; the teachers of the Greek or Oriental Churcli laidtlie greatest stress on liuinan liberty, while tllose in tlie older orlTTesterii Church placecl most empllasis 011 dix+ie grace. The

~ l a n -~ r n i e r nesided view found its consistent outcoine in Pela,'isni, the other in an absolute predestination and in an irresistiblegrace.- Tlle Greek teacliers were influenced by tlieir justifiable andeven necessary opposition to tlie l~ea th en , nd especially Stoic,


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philosopl-iy with its doctrine of fate, "which rules with irresistiblepower the clestiny of men, and recluces inoral freedom to a mini-nium"; they were influencecl likewise by tlieir opposition toGnosticisni with its doctrine of evil created in man; and thus theypermittecl the~nselves o fall into the opposite extreme.

John of Darnascus, the well-knowii representative clogma-tician oi tlie Greek Churcl-i (diecl about 7 ( i O ) , gives expressioii tothis view in tl-ie following words: "Election is in our own hands;thc perfecting of the good, however, is something belonging tothe CO-operatioii of God ( r c c r o G 8 e o ~ u v c ~ ~ s ~ u ; ) ,hich is activein those who choose the good with an honest resolution. . . .R4'oral goodness has been implanted into our nature by God. H eis the source ancl cause of all goocl, and without His CO-operationand help ( G U Y ~ ~ Y E L C I i ~ ~ { R s L u )ll willing and doing of the goodis in-ipossible for us. Yet it is left to us, either to continue in rnoralgoodness and to follow God, who calls us thereto, or to forsaketlie good, i. e., to turn to the evil and to follow tlie devil, who draws11s thereto, although without coercion." (Tliomasius, "Dogmen-geschichte," I., 492.) With these synergistic principles predesti-nation coulcl, of course, be inade to rest oiily oll the divine fore-kiiowledge of man's free conduct toward that which is good.John of Darnascus speaks ii-ideed quite correctly about an an-tecedent will of God desiring the salvation of all inen, and abouta subsequent will conferring salvation only upon a few; yet hewrongly rests this latter will on the divine foresight of the right,and wl-iolly free, conduct of man toward things praisewortliy andblarnewortliy.

S he cliief representatives of the older Latin Cliurch are Anl-brosius of Milan (d. 397) ai-id Augustine of Hippo Regius (d. 430).The forrner is not far reinovecl frorn the view of the Greeks, al-though he einphasizes far more tlie deptli of inherited depravityan d the necessity of divine grace, which must precede the human~vill nd prepare and enable it to choose the good. At least, herests predestination on tl-ie divine foreknowledge of the goodworks or inerits of the individual concernecl: quorum ineritaprcescivit, eoruni prceinia prceclestiiiavit (whosesoever inerits H eforesaw, tl-ieir rewards did H e predestinate-referring to Rom. 8 ,i9).-Before tl-ie Pelagian controversy began even Augustii-iestood essentially on syi-iergistic ground. Accorcling to his ownconfession in tlie Retractationes, 11e at that time thoiight that tobelieve and to will were in man's own power, and that God's part


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was to bestow upon hin1 wlio believed aiid willed tlie ability to dogood, by His Holy Spirit, tlirougli wlioiii love is poured out iiiour liearts (nostruni est credere et velle, illius auteiii dare cre-deiitibus et volentibus facultatem bene operandi per SpiritumSanctum, per quem cliaritas diffunditur in cordibus nostris). Tliiswas tlie synergistic extreme to wliich Augustine permitted liirnselfto be driven by liis oppositioii to the dualistic and fatalistic hIani-clieism, whose sataiiic deptlis he liad leariied to understand iii apainful experience of iiine years. His later thorougli uiiderstand-ing of tlie inlierited depravity of huinaii nature, of tlie doctriiie ofthe Scriptures, of the process of liis own conversioii, arid espe-cially tlie wariiiiig esaniple of Pelagiaiiisiii, this recldessly coiisist-eilt syiergisiii; turiied liiiii back froni tliis estreiiie. Che r qai i is tPelagiiis aiid liis adherents with their deiiial of original siii andoi tlie absolute iiecessity of diviiie grace, Augustine \-ictoriouslyupiield both, aiid liis work in tliis regard will ever he appreciatedh?-the orthodox church. Unfortuiiately, however, lie too was car-ried into an extreme, naniely into an absolute predestinatioil aiidan irresistible grace. Predestination he takes to be the eternal actof God, by wliicli, froni amoiig the mass of ineii lost in sin, H e in-fallibly foreordained tliose whorn H e would uiito conversion, sanc-tification, and salvation, whilst H e left tlie rest to their clestructioii."For tlie elect, and only for them did Christ die; for thein thesaviiig institution of the Gospel esist s; to tliein the efficacious callcoines which also irresistibly produces its results in them; tothem is given tlie doiium" (perseverantiz, tlie gift of persever-ance) 'hvhicli tliey caiinot lose again. The rest God leaves (re-liiiquit) to their destruction. And tliis is aii act not of injustice, butof justice, for in tliis tliey receive oiily wliat they deserve for tliesin in which they are entangled: pro meritis justissime judican-tur; qui darnnantur non habent quod reprehendant" (accordiiigto their merits they ar em os t j ~ ~ s t l yudged; they who are damnedliave no cause for coinplaint). "And tliere is also iio especialdecretum divinuni reprobationis" (divine decree of reprobatioii),"inasmuch as the final cause of their damnation does not lie in thisthat God willed their destruction and caused their siii; ' but wlio-soever is lost perislies because lie belongs to tlie race wliicli liassiiiiied in Adam. Whoever is saved has salvatioii purely aiidsolely by grace. But why, when all are equally sinful aiid un-worthy, God sliould elect the one and leave tlie otlier, t l~ isAugus-tine explains at tinies by declaring : 'Tliat liberty may sliow itself


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in all tl-ie clearer light,' and cominoilly by saying that man musthere seal his lips, and bow his head in reverence beneath the un-searchable counsel of God." (Thomasius, ibid., p. 541.)-Con-cerning the operation of converting and saving grace Augustinehas, among other utterances, the following: "When God wills tosave no will of man resists. I t is not to be doubted that no will ofixa.11 can resist the will of God, wllich has inade in heaven andeartll all that H e wotild, so that H e should not do what H e wills;inasmuch as He even does what H e wills with the will of manhimself. . . . And yet H e does this in no way but through the willof man himself, as beyond doubt H e has the most omnipotentpower over the ,human heart to incline it whither H e pleases."(Eeo volenti salvum facere nulluni hominurn resistit arbitriuin.Non est dubitandum, voluntati Dei, qui in coelo et in terra omiiia,quxcumque voluit, fecit, hunlanas voluntates non posse resistere,quomii~usaciat ipse quod vult; quondoquidem de ipsis hominurnvoluntatibus, quod vult, facit. . . . Qui tarnen hoc non facitnisi per ipsoruin hominuin voluntates, sine dubio habens human-orum cordium quo placeret inclinandorurn oinnipotentissimanlpotestatenl.) Luthardt ("Die Lehre vom freien Willen," Tl-ieDoctrine of Free Will, p. 36, sq.) summarizes the opinion of Au-gustine on this point in tl-ie following sentences: "It is the al-mighty God w11o turns the resisting will unto faith, operatingtherefore with the same unconditional will and power of omnipo-tence, which H e exerts in the domain of nature, also in the domainoI moral choice (self-determination), thus lowering it into a inereform of His own operation. God utilizes and deternlines also theevil will in the don-iain of sinful action according to His pleas-ure, so that here also He is the actor. Accordingly God turns thehuman will as H e wills, agreeeably to His nlercy or to Hi srighteousness. IlThy H e works in the one in this way and inthe other in that, saves the one, pernlits the other to be lost-whocan explaiii this? This is the secret will of God. And it is thusestablished, Augustine reiterates in his work De corr. et gr.,that in all things God's will is to be acknowledged. For man canhave no other will than God wills him to have; and whicheverGod's will wills him to have, that man must have, for God's willcannot fail of its result. These are, if not thewords, yet the thoughtswl~ichAugustine here develops. As in our natural life, so also inthe spiritual, all gifts are to be referred back to God's will, that isto His omnipotent will. And thus also perseverailce in the good


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is a pure gift of God's grace. For could not Gocl have called thosewho fell an.aJT, ut of the world hefore they fell? If H e did not callthcm away, if H e permitted them to fall, it was only because H e didnot will to give them the donum perseverantice" (the gif t of perse-veraiice), "with which, if they had had it, they could not have fallen.Those alone, however, to whom God gives this gift are children ofGod in His eyes. For those who fall away have in full truth neverbeen children of God. They belong, indeed, to the vocati (thecalled), but not to the electi (the elect); for the latter cannot be lost.E'or the result must be in accordance with the will of God. Thesealone are sons of God; yet also all these, even if they have not yetbeen born again; yea, even if they have not yet been born a t all.For .only God's predetermining will is decisive here. With thiswill God's assisting grace and its operation coincides . . . NewTestament grace, as the saints predestinated to the kingdoin ofGod receive it, includes of necessity" (not only the possibility ofperseverance, but also) "its actuality-non solum ut sine ist0 donoperseverantes esse non possint, verum etiam est per hoc donumnonnisi perseverantes sint" (not only that without this gift theycannot persevere, but also that through this gift they cannot other-wise than persevere).

Evidently it was nothing but self-deception when Augustineimagined that he could hold fast, together with these propositionsof absolute predestination, the freedom of the will and the libertyof man, and when he even declared in his Retractaticnes: "Bot11faith and the production of good works is our own by reason ofthe liberty of our wil1,and both, therefore, have been imparted toLIS through the spirit of faith and love. Bot11 are of God, becauseHe prepares our will; and both are our own, because we willthem." I t is only playing with words to say of a will of God, Oper-ating unavoidably and insuperably (indeclinabiliter et insupera-biliter), bringing the most almighty power to bear in an irresistiblemanner, that this will does not coerce the will of man, since itworks not without but in hirn, as also the operations, faith andlove, are in the strictest sense acts of man's free will. This is trueonly in the sense that, taken strictly, the will itself can never becoerced, but only man, to will as he wills, and therefore it reallysays nothing. I t was likewise a strange self-deception when Au-gustine imagined that his doctrine agreed with the Scriptures ; andonly by the delusion into which the most shrewd and approved in-fluential theologian may fall, when once he has fully started on a


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onesicled line, caii it be explained, that Augustine did not scrupleto misinterpret the beautiful passage 1Tim. 2, 4: "Who will haveall men to be saved and conle unto t l ~ e nowledge of t l ~ eruth,'' innumberless ways: soinetimes "all men" are taken as all those ofwl~oinGod wills tliat they shall come to grace, hence only theelect. Again, they are taken as nlen of all kincls and all branchesof the human family; again, siinply as many; again, the passage isthougl~to say that no inan can be saved escep t God will it; agaiil,that it can be said of God, tllat H e would have all men to be saved,because H e iilduces its to wish this!

It is to be ascribed, at least in great part, to this unevai~gelicaloi~esicledness ild llarsl~ness f Augustine's doctrine that his coil-tention against Pelagianism did not receive undivided approvalin the church, especially in that of the West. Augustine was uil-doubteclly right over agaiilst Pelagius; for tlie latter carriecl theonesided view of the Greek Church, with which he hacl becoineconversant through its writings or through a visit to the East , con-sistently to its last extreme, makiilg preclestinatioil depend 011 theclivii~e orelinonrleclge of man's free choice (self-determination),which really needs no grace; and this good werk of Augustinethe cliurch acknonrledged. His onln onesidedi~ess, however,could not be adopted. Yet to offset this the whole tritt11 was un-fortunately not taken. The middle-path between the extremes ofPelagius and Augustiile was not really choseil, although this wasintendecl; repelled by the predestinariailism of the latter, a Coursetoo near Pelagianism was entered. This is the Semi-Pelagianismof John Cassianus, a pupil and frieild of tlie Greek Chrysostoma n d of his likeminded adherents, the Llassiliails. "The relationof grace to free will Cassianus sets fort11 as a coilstailt being-side-by-side and working together of both, in which he nlakes the goodproceed at one time from grace, at another fronl human choice(self-detern~ination).' Which of the two is the rule caimot be de-cided a priori. Experieiice shows, on the one hand, that God an-ticipates Inan in that H e calls hiin, yea, at tinles clraws somewithout o r against tlieir will itnto salva tioi~~". g., the publicanMattliew, the Apostle Pau l; oll tlie other band, that man alsowithout being moved or solicited from withoitt, wholly from with-iii, disposes hiinself for the goocl aild nlakes the beginning (initiumfidei et boni operis), e. g., Zacchceus, or tlle nlalefactor on thecross" (?). (Thomasius, ibid., p. SG1.) Here pi-edestinatioil wasmade to i-est entirely 011 the divine forelinowledge of the moral


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condition of man. This controversy between Pelagiai-iism andAugustinianism, waged especially in Frame, was finally closed 'for several centuries at the Council of Orange in tl-ie year 519.Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianisin were rejected with all clearness and decision, likewise the most objectionable form of pre-destinarianism, predestination unto evil, which, to be Sure, neitherAugustine nor, as far as we know, any adherent of his doctrinel-ias ever n-iaintained. Irresistible grace, however, and the par-ticularism of predestination were passed over in silence.

How the Western Cl-iurcli, without being conscious of thefact? gradually left tl-ie standpoint of Augustine, wllo was honoredas the l-iighest authority, we see in Gregory tlie Great (d. G0-i).God l-ias elected those from eternity of w11on-i H e foresaw thattl-iey would accept His grace and persevere therein unto the end.Suos et electos nomiiiat, quia ceri-iit, quod in fide et bono operepersistant (He calls tl-iem His own and His elect, becaiise HeSees tliat tl-iey persevere in faith and good work). T l~ i sustaposi-tion of faith and good vvork already reveals tl-ie Semi-Pelagianposition of Gregory, and indeed it forn-is the tramition to theSemi-Pelagianism of the Romish Church later On. This positionoi Gregory is shown even more fully by liis declaratioiis on tl-ierelation between divine grace and human action. "hian, sickwith sin, in need of a pliysician, must be ivilling to be l-ielped, ifl-ie is to be healed. Grace alone heals 1iii-i-iof l-iis disease; but tl-iefact tliat lie receives this grace willii-igly is his nierit. The goodtliat we do is the result of a CO-operation between God and our-selves. . . . Grace is anticipatii-ig and liberating, but tl-ie subse-quens liherum arbitrium" (tlie subsequent free will) "consentsjconsentit), and tl-iis establishes the meritum liberi arbitrii" (meritof free will). Foreordination is determinecl according to the

, conduct of free will toward prevenient and liherating grace; itrests on the foreknowledge of tl-iis conduct." (Lutl iardt, ibid., p.5 . ) In tl-ie first half of tl-ie 9th century, however, the rnonk Gott-schalk, detained against liis will in a monastery, and then seek-ing comfort in the study of Augustine's writings, revived tl-iisfatl-ier's doctrine of predestination in its harshest fo rm ; indeed,he developed it to a double foreordination, tliat of the elect untolife and tl-iat of the reprobate unto death, alt11ougl-i Augustine asa rule had spoken only of a committal (relinquisl-iing) of the evilto their deserved punishinent. The cruel treatment of Gottscl-ialkby his ecclesiastical superiors made rnany sympathize wit1-i him,


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Stellhorn Schmidt Et Al Schodde Editor Error of Modern Missouri 1887