John William Baier's
Compendium of Positive Theology_
Edited by C. F. W. Walther
Published by:
[Translator's Preface. These are the major loci or topics of
John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ as ed-
ited by Dr. C. F. W. Walther. These should be seen as the
broad outline of Baier-Walther's dogmatics, but please don't
assume that this is all. Each locus usually includes copious
explanatory notes and citations from patristics and other
Lutheran dogmaticians.]
Prolegomena
Chapter One
On the nature and definition of theology
1. "Theology," in the meaning of the word, designates precisely
"the word concerning God," that is, the word or knowledge about
God. However from the way this word is normally used it brings in
the aptitude [habitus] of knowing God and divine things and
teaching, confirming and defending them, which agrees with the
object of theology and in humans is consistent with the state of
this life.
2. True theology for men in this life, because of a double
principle of knowing, is two-fold, Natural and revealed. The first
one is supported by the light of nature, the second by supernatural
manifestation or revelation. Both are about God, not only what he
is in himself, but also as he is the goal and the highest good to
humans.
3. Natural theology is a knowledge, and indeed a practice, in which
there occurs a goal, a subject of the operation and a cause and a
method, likewise a material object and a formal object.
4. The goal (to which ultimately and in itself it tends, and all
things which it teaches, which natural theology refers to) is the
ultimate blessedness of humans, by which in God's name we are
embraced; as an objective goal, both the consequence and its
product, and as the formal goal, consisting in the most perfect
operation of intellect and will.
5. The subject of the operation is the human pilgrim or the human
tending toward eternal blessedness.
6. To the cause of blessedness is referred (1) the effecting cause,
which is God, (2) the internal motivating cause, which is the
goodness or free favor of God.
7. The means of following blessedness in natural theology are the
act of mind and will occupied about God, by which rightly God is
recognized and worshipped. It is designated by the one name
"religion." It is limited by the law of nature or morals, and
partly it is occupied directly and immediately about God, partly
directly man to himself, or to the nearest creature, however it is
arranged consequently to God.
8. Truly how far this cult of the divine is sufficient, which
natural theology prescribes, as it follows in order to the
blessedness after this life, the greatest and most careful
diversity occurs and is observed, just as the state of humans are
diverse, the youthful state or purity, or the state of corruption
or sin. In that former state humans were able, by the leading of
natural theology and through the concession of their own power, to
attain to a sufficient knowledge of God and the worship owed to
God, standing before Him without defect or sin, and so far in this
way to obtain eternal blessedness from God. In this later state
however through the condition of the corrupt nature itself humans
are inclined to turn from God and to those things which displease
God; whoever has a hostile God toward themselves on account of sin,
he does not find in natural theology a means, by which he is able
to satisfy God gladly and to be led back in grace with Him; on the
contrary, he is not able to offer those things, which otherwise
relate to the worship of God, to perfectly know Him and to set it
down in writing, nor his worship, which he knows by the power of
the light of nature to be owed to God. From which it is clear that
for the present state natural theology is not sufficient for the
salvation of any human.
9. Sometimes natural theology, as far as its principles, and also
as far as the conclusions which hang from them, is altogether true
and certain, and sometimes it is not opposed to the truths of
revealed religion, and natural religion is allowed, just as people
after the fall are caught in acts of sin, to be contaminated by
prejudgement and various errors.
10. The formal object of natural theology, as a practical science,
is the goal, and it is the object or God, in so far as it is
learned from the light of nature before demonstration, through the
knowledge which is inborn, or a certain light of the in born
intellect and instinct of nature, also a vulgar or common
"acquiring" from an inspection of creatures.
11. To the material object they apply the subject of the operation,
and the end following the cause and the means, but on the contrary
in his way also the end itself, with the formal object, also the
object of the operation, in so far indeed as this is known
precisely through demonstration.
12. The parts of natural theology are three: First about the goal,
second about the subject of the operation, and third about the
principles and means.
13. Natural theology can be described (because it is a practical
science) from the principles of nature about God, prescribing,
explaining, confirming and defending to human pilgrims the
appropriate worship of God, and the things following from God and
the cause by God of eternal blessedness.
14. As we are instructed rightly about revealed theology, before
all things it is necessary to be certain, to be given a certain
supernatural divine revelation. However, this is not so much for
us, who are born in the church, but also it exists for the
gentiles.
15. However the aptitude of revealed theology is knowledge, if not
thus said first or rigorously, at least in broader significance, and
indeed is a practical knowledge.
16. The goal of revealed theology is two-fold: Internal, which
consists in the actions of knowing the object of theology, not in
any way, but in so far as they are accurately explained, confirmed
and defended, for the cause of faith and human salvation: and
external, which is itself faith and human salvation, and which are
joined with faith.
17. The external goal is usually distinguished as to the ultimate
goal and the intermediate goal. Further, both are distinguished in
object and form. The object is God, infinitely perfect and
supremely good. The formal is a certain operation about God, by
which we possess and have the benefit of it as by the highest good.
And the objective goal of both the ultimate and intermediate is
one. Truly the formal goal is different, one thing if talking
about the ultimate goal, another if talking about the intermediate.
18. Certainly the ultimate formal goal consists in the intuitive
and clear knowledge of God, and likewise by the intuitive love of
God by the most intense knowledge.
19. The intermediate formal goal is faith in Christ, as the cause
of the accomplishing grace from God. However then to the same place
pertains the love of God, as to us being reconciled; on the
contrary there is also an action to another, by which divine
goodness we are given back a participation: and in this way a total
holiness of life.
20. The subject of the operation is man the sinner, in so far as he
is being led to eternal life.
21. The efficient cause of the ultimate formal end is the triune
God.
22. The internal impulsive cause is the goodness of God; and the
external impulsive cause is the earned merit of Christ.
23. But also faith in Christ is rightly reckoned as a saving cause.
24. And because faith is not attributed to men unless it is applied
by God, who teaches that faith through word and sacraments, as
through instruments he produces and confirms such faith; therefore
also the word and sacraments are also rightly numbered among the
causes of salvation.
25. The object of revealed theology is two-fold: Material and
formal. The material object is the content [lit. res] of
revelation, which is known in revealed theology. And this applies
not so much to the subject of the operation and the cause and means
of the following goal, but also the goal itself, in so far as it is
known by the aptitude of theology. The formal object, or principle
and ground of knowing, from where also the knowledge of things
come, things which are put forward in revealed theology, is divine
revelation.
26. The material object is distinguished in what is believed and in
what is done. The believing things are said to be that of which
thus faith exists, so that formally they are not direct operations
by previous practical acts: however they are believed from this, by
those who have arrived at salvation; e.g. God loving the human
race, Christ being the son of God and son of man, etc. The name of
the things being done is understood themselves as describing the
operations of theology by practical actions, also as it happened
the aptitude of transferring to an operation, or acquiring through
an operation, if not following the cause of salvation, however, not
healthily we forget these actions; e.g., the actual and habitual
apprehension of the merits of Christ, which we call faith, the
actual and habitual love, by which we love God, Christ, and our
neighbor, the hope of eternal life, etc.
27. What is believed is otherwise called the articles of faith,
which in a wider understanding are divided (1) in articles pure and
mixed, (2) and in articles of faith fundamental and non-fundamental.
28. The articles of faith are called pure, which are especially
understood from divine revelations: such is the article about the
holy Trinity, about the incarnation of the Son of God, and others.
Mixed articles are said to be those, which not alone from
revelation, but are also consistent with the truth according to the
light of nature: e.g., the article about the existence of God, and
about the divine attributes.
29. Articles of faith are fundamental, which as they cause the
aptitude towards the foundations of faith and salvation, so that
for salvation they are not possible to ignore or at least to deny.
However the foundation of faith is said to be with that thing, by
which the faith and salvation of people are supported, and it is
Christ, in so far as he is the cause of our salvation: also
doctrine, by which that thing, on which faith is leaning, is held
together; and it is a complex of many propositions of divine
revelations, which cause a certain aptitude towards salvation. That
foundation is real or substantial, and this foundation is called
dogmatic by authors.
30. The fundamental articles of faith are distinguished as primary
and secondary.
31. The primary articles of faith are commonly said to be those
which for salvation, faith and health are not able to be denied,
but also are not able to be ignored.
32. The primary articles are able to be distinguished in another
way, that the thing signified by them is about the inward plan of
the real foundation: e.g., the article about Christ the God-man,
also the article about Christ's merits and satisfactions for our
sins; and in another way that the thing signified by them, is not
permitted to be about the internal plan of a real foundation,
however it is connected most tightly with it, thus that, unless it
is clearly understood, the other appropriate things of those
foundations have not been leading toward the point of generating
and sustaining saving faith: e.g., the article about God and from
there the point about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the article
about the gracious will of God, which wishes all humans to be
saved, the article about sin, by which we are defiled, and by God
are delivered to hatred and are worthy of punishment, the article
about justification or the remission of sins obtained through
Christ, and then faith, through which the remission of sins is
obtained, about the blessed life, which they have tried to gain,
who by the gracious God have departed from this life.
33. The secondary fundamental articles are usually described as
parts of Christian doctrine, which are permitted to be ignored by
the sound foundation of salvation: however they are not possible to
be denied by that sound foundation. Such are the articles about the
characteristic properties of the divine persons, about the clearly
observed union of persons, and the communication of attributes in
Christ, about original sin, about the decree of the final election
in view of faith, about justification through faith alone, apart
from the merit of works, etc., which articles even if the knowledge
is not easy for the faith of simple ones, however a denial of them
on the part of a denier is not able to stand with faith and
salvation, unless because of a vast simplicity on their part and an
ignorance of the consequences of the denial, through which the
denial is turned away from the foundation of faith itself through
the consequences, and the spirit intercedes from error, which is
turned directly away from the foundation of faith, shrinking back
and prepared to admit a better interpretation.
34. The non-fundamental articles are said to be those which for the
saving foundation of faith people are not only able to ignore, but
also to deny, or in each part to dispute. E.g., about the sin and
perpetual rejection of certain angels, about the immorality of the
first people before the Fall, about the AntiChrist, about the
origin of spirits through creation or transference (lit.,
traducem), etc.
35. The object of formal theology is divine revelation, through
which it performs its office, which affects, influences and stirs
the human will, so that it orders the assent of the intellect.
36. And from there it is established, that theology is an aptitude
supernatural in its substance, by our actions indeed, but through
men of grace and acquired through the operation of the Holy Spirit.
37. However theology is distinguished from faith, so that including
from it, because it is included. For theology beyond faith also
implies the faculty of explaining and confirming those things which
are revealed.
38. Theology is able to be defined, as a practical knowledge,
teaching, confirming and defending everything from divine
revelation, doing this to human sinners when they are known to
faith in Christ, then when these things are made necessary to
sanctity of life, following from God and in God they are the cause
of eternal blessedness.
39. The parts of revealed theology are arranged according to
analytic order, so that first is drawn out, what is about the goal,
then what is about the subject of the operation, and then what
applies to the causes and means.
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This text was translated by Rev. Theodore Mayes and is copyrighted
material, (c)1996, but is free for non-commercial use or distribu-
tion, and especially for use on Project Wittenberg. Please direct
any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.
E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu
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