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SermonIndex.net : Christian Books : § 40. The Lutheran Confessions.

Creeds Of Christendom With A History And Critical Notes by Various

§ 40. The Lutheran Confessions.

Literature.

I. Collections of the Lutheran Symbols.

(1.) Latin Editions.

Concordia. Pia et unanimi con ensu repetita Confessio Fidei et Doctrinæ Electorum, Principum et Ordinum Imperii, atque eorundem Theologorum, qui Augustanam Confessionem amplectuntur et nomina sua huic libro subscripserunt. Cui ex Sacra Scriptura, unica illa veritatis norma et regula quorundam Articulorum, qui post Doctoris Martini Lutheri felicem ex hac vita exitum, in controversiam venerunt, solida accessit Declaratio, etc. (By Selnecker.) Lips.1580, 4to; 1584. The second ed. 'communi consilio et mandato Electorum.' Another edition, Lips.1602, 8vo, by order and with a Preface of Christian II., Elector of Saxony; republished, Lips.1606, 1612, 1618, 1626, 8vo; Stettin, 1654, 8vo; Lips.1669, 8vo; 1677. The second ed. (746 pages) is the authentic Latin editio princeps.

The same edition, cum Appendice tripartita Dr. Adami Rechenbergii, Lips. first, 1677, 1678, 1698, 1712, 1725; last, 1742. Rechenberg's edition is the standard of reference, followed by the later Latin editions in the paging.

Ecclesiæ Evangelicæ Libri Symbolici, etc. C. M. Pfaffius, ex editionibus primis et præst. recensuit, varias lectiones adjunxit, etc. Tubing.1730, 8vo.

Libri Symbolici Ecclesiæ Evangelico-Lutheranæ accuratius editi variique generis animadvers. ac disput. illustrati a Mich. Webero. Viteb.1809, 8vo.

Libri Symbolici Ecclesiæ Evangelicæ. Ad fidem optim. exemplorum recens. J. A. H. Tittmann. Lips.1817, 8vo; 1827.

Libri Symbolici Ecclesiæ Evangelicæ sive Concordia. Recens. C. A. Hase. Lipsiæ, 1827, 8vo; 1837, 1845.

Libri Symbolici Ecclesiæ Lutheranæ ad editt. principes et ecclesiæ auctoritate probat. rec., præcipuam lectionum diversitatem notavit, Christ. II. ordinumque evangelicor. præfationes, artic. Saxon. visitator. et Confut. A. C. Pontific. adj. H. A. Guil. Meyer. Gotting.1830, 8vo.

Concordia. Libri Symbolici Ecclesiæ Evang. Ad edit. Lipsiensem, 1584; Berolin. (Schlawitz), 1857, 8vo.

(2.) German Editions.

Concordia. yhvh Christliche, Widerholete, einmütige Bekenntnüs nachbenanter Churfürsten, Fürsten und Stende Augspurgischer Confession, und derselben zu ende des Buchs underschriebener Theologen Lere und Glaubens. Mit angeheffter, in Gottes wort, als der einigen Richtschnur, wohlgegründter erklerung etlicher Artickel, bei welchen nach D. Martin Luther's seligen absterben disputation und streit vorgefallen. Aus einhelliger vergleichung und bevehl obgedachter Churfürsten, Fürsten und Stende, derselben Landen, Kirchen, Schulen und Nachkommen, zum underricht und warnung in Druck verfertiget. Mit Churf. Gnaden zu Sachsen befreihung. Dresden, 1580, fol. (See the whole title in Corp. Ref. Vol. XXVI. p.443.)

Concordia. Magdeburg, 1580, 4to, two ed.; Tübingen, 1580, fol.; Dresden, 1581, 4to; Frankfurt a. O., 1581, fol.; Magdeburg, 1581, 4to; Heidelberg, 1582, fol., two ed.; Dresden, 1598, fol.; Tübingen, 1599, 4to; Leipzig, 1603, 4to; Stuttgart, 1611, 4to; Leipzig, 1622, 4to; Stuttgart, 1660, 4to; 1681, 4to.

Concordia. Mit Heinr. Pipping's Hist. theol. Einl. zu den symb. Schriften der Evang. Luth. Kirchen. Leipz.1703, 4to; 2te Ausg. mit Christ. Weissen's Schlussrede. Leipz.1739, 4to.

Christliches Concordienbuch, etc., von Siegm. Jac. Baumgarten. Halle, 1747, 2 vols.8vo.

Christl. Concordienbuch mit der Leipziger Theol. Facultaet Vorrede. Wittenberg, 1760, 8vo; 1766, 1789.

Die Symb. Bücher der Ev. Luth. Kirche, etc., von J. W. Schöpff. Dresden, 1826-27, 8vo.

Concordia. Die Symb. Bücher der ev. luth. Kirche, etc., von F. A. Koethe. Leipzig, 1830, 8vo.

Evangel. Concordienbuch, etc., von J. A. Detzer. Nürnberg, 1830, 1842, 1847.

Evangel. Concordienbuch, etc., von Fr. W. Bodemann. Hanover, 1843.

Christliches Concordienbuch, New York, 1854.

(3.) German-Latin Editions.

Concordia. Germanico-Latina ad optima et antiquissima exempla recognita, adjectis fideliter allegator. dictor. S. Scr. capitibus et vers. et testimoniorum P. P. aliorumque Scriptorum locis. . . . cum approbatione Facult. Theol. Lips. Wittenb. et Rostoch. Studio Ch. Reineccii. Lips.1708, 4to; 1735.

Christliches Concordienbuch. Deutsch und Lateinisch mit historischen Einleitungen J. G. Walch's. Jena, 1750, 8vo.

Die Symbolischen Bücher der Evang. Luther. Kirche, deutsch und lateinisch, etc., von J. F. Müller (of Windsbach, Bavaria), 1847; 3d ed. Stuttgart, 1869. (A very useful edition.)

(4.) Translations.

Dutch: Concordiaof Lutersche Geloofs Belydenis in't licht gegeven door Zach. Dezius. Rotterdam, 1715, 8vo.

Swedish: Libri Concordiæ Versio Suecica, Christeliga, Enhelliga, och Uprepade och Läras, etc. Norköping, 1730, 4to.

English: The Christian Book of Concord, or Symbolical Book of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, translated by Ambrose and Socrates Henkel (two Lutheran clergymen of Virginia), with the assistance of several other Lutheran clergymen. Newmarket, Virginia, 1851; 2d ed. revised, 1854. This is the first and only complete English edition of the Book of Concord; but the translation (made from the German) is not sufficiently idiomatic.

II. Historical and Critical Works on the Lutheran Symbols in General.

Jo. Benedict Carpzov: Isagoge in libros ecclesiarum Lutheranarum symbolicos. Opus posthumum a J. Oleario: Continuatum ed. J. B. Carpzov (filius). Lipsiæ, 1665, 4to; 1675, 1691, 1699, 1725.

Jo. Georg Walch: Introductio in libros Ecclesiæ Lutheranæ symbolicos, observationibus historicis et theologicis illustrata. Jenæ, 1732, 4to.

J. Albr. Fabricius: Centifolium Lutheranum. Hamb.1728-30, 2 vols.8vo.

S. J. Baumgarten: Erleuterungen der im christlichen Concordienbuch enthaltenen symbolischen Schriften der evang. luth. Kirche, nebst einem Anhange von den übrigen Bekenntnissen und feierlichen Lehrbüchern in gedachter Kirche. Halle, 1747.

J. Christoph. Koecher: Bibliotheca theologiæ symbolicæ et catecheticæ. Guelph. et Jenæ, 1751-69, 2 vols.

Jac. W. Feuerlin: Bibliotheca symb. evang. Lutherana. Accedunt appendices duæ: I. Ordinationes et Agenda; II. Catechismus ecclesiarum nostrarum. Gotting.1752. Another enlarged edition by J. Barthol. Riederer. Nürnberg, 1768, 2 vols.8vo.

J. G. Walch: Bibliotheca theologica selecta. Jena, 1757-65, 4 vols.8vo.

Chr. Guil. Fr. Walch: Breviarium theol. symb. eccles. luther. Göttingen, 1765-1781, 8vo.

Eduard Köllner: Symbolik der lutherischen Kirche. Hamburg, 1837.

J. F. Müller: Die symb. Bücher der evang. luth. Kirche. Stuttgart, 1847; 3d ed.1869. Introduction pp. cxxiv.

Charles P. Krauth (Dr. and Prof. of Theology in the Evang. Theol. Seminary in Philadelphia): The Conservative Reformation and its Theology, as represented in the Augsburg Confession and in the History and literature of the Evang. Lutheran Church. Philadelphia, 1871.

For fuller lists of editions and works, see Feuerlin (ed. Riederer), J. G. Walch, Köllner, l.c., and the 26th and 27th vols. of the Corpus Reformatorum, ed. Bindseil.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, in whole or in part, acknowledges nine symbolical books: three of them are inherited from the Catholic Church, viz., the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed (with the Filioque), and the Athanasian Creed; six are original, viz., the Augsburg Confession, drawn up by Melanchthon (1530), the Apology of the Confession, by the same (1530), the Articles of Smalcald, by Luther (1537), the two Catechisms of Luther (1529), and the Form of Concord, prepared by six Lutheran divines (1577).

These nine symbols constitute together the Book of Concord (Concordia, or Liber Concordiæ, Concordienbuch), which was first published by order of Elector Augustus of Saxony in 1580, in German and Latin, and which superseded older collections of a similar character.

The Lutheran symbols are not of equal authority. Besides the three oecumenical Creeds, the Augsburg Confession is most highly esteemed, and is the only one which is generally recognized. Next to it comes the Shorter Catechism of Luther, which is extensively used in catechetical instruction. His Larger Catechism is only an expansion of the Shorter. The Apology is valuable in a theological point of view, as an authentic commentary on the Augsburg Confession. The Smalcald Articles have an historical significance, as a warlike manifesto against Rome, but are little used. The Form of Concord was never generally received, but decidedly rejected in several countries, and is disowned by the Melanchthonian and unionistic schools in the Lutheran Church.

Originally intended merely as testimonies or confessions of faith, these documents became gradually binding formulas of public doctrine, and subscription to them was rigorously exacted from all clergymen and public teachers in Lutheran State churches. The rationalistic apostasy, reacting against the opposite extreme of symbololatry and ultra-orthodoxy, swept away these test-oaths, or reduced them to a hypocritical formality. The revival of evangelical Christianity, since the tercentenary jubilee of the Reformation in 1817, was followed by a partial revival of rigid Lutheran confessionalism, yet not so much in opposition to the Reformed as to the Unionists in Prussia and other German States, where the two Confessions have been amalgamated. The meaning and aim of the Evangelical Union in Prussia, however, was not to set aside the two Confessions, but to accommodate them in one governmental household, allowing them to use either the Lutheran or the Heidelberg Catechism as before. The chief trouble was occasioned by the new liturgy of King Frederick William III., which was forced upon the churches, and gave rise to the Old Lutheran secession. In the other States of Germany, and in Scandinavia and Austria, the Lutheran churches have, with a separate government, also their own liturgies and forms of ordination, with widely differing modes of subscription to the symbolical books.

In the United States, the Lutherans, left free from the control of the civil government, yet closely connected with the doctrinal and confessional disputes of their brethren in Germany, are chiefly divided into three distinct organizations, which hold as many different relations to the Symbolical Books, and are, in fact, three denominations under a common name, viz.: the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the United States, organized in 1820; the Synodical Conference of North America, organized in 1872; and the General Council, which, under the lead of the old Synod of Pennsylvania, seceded from the General Synod, and met first at Fort Wayne, Indiana, Nov.20, 1867. The first has its theological and literary centre in Gettysburg, the second at St. Louis and Fort Wayne, the third in Philadelphia.

The 'General Synod,' which is composed chiefly of English-speaking descendants of German immigrants, and sympathizes with the surrounding Reformed denominations, adopts simply 'the Augsburg Confession as a correct exhibition of the fundamental doctrines of the divine Word,' without mentioning the other symbolical books at all, and allows a very liberal construction even of the Augsburg Confession, especially the articles on the Sacraments. With this basis the Lutheran Synod of the Southern States, which was organized during the civil war, is substantially agreed.

The Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, which is so far almost exclusively German as to language, requires its ministers to subscribe the whole Book of Concord (including the Form of Concord), 'as the pure, unadulterated explanation and exposition of the divine Word and will.'

With the Missourians are agreed the Buffalo and the Iowa Lutherans, except on the question of the origin and nature of the ministerial office, which has been the subject of much bitter controversy between them.

The 'General Council,' which is nearly equally divided as to language and nationality, stands midway between the General Synod and the Synodical Conference. It accepts, primarily, the 'Unaltered Augsburg Confession in its original sense,' and, in subordinate rank, the other Lutheran symbols, as explanatory of the Augsburg Confession, and as equally pure and Scriptural.

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