C. O. Rosenius:
A Faithful Guide to peace with God.
Translated into English from the Norwegian edition by bishop N. I. Laache, by George Taylor Rygh. 1923/1954. Electronic edition by NDH.
1. The Holy Law of God.
We know that the Law is good, if a man use it lawfully. 1 Tim. 1: 8.
Doctor Swebelius says: “The Law is fairly well known by nature; the Gospel, however, is a mystery concealed from reason.” This is true, and strikingly expressed. And yet the greatest misapprehension and misuse of the Law are frequently found within the bounds of Christendom, a misapprehension and a misuse which render the whole Law and the entire Word of God without power and benefit, thereby destroying souls in their helplessness. By the gracious assistance of God, we shall consider the gravest of these misapprehensions and misuses.
We do not speak of the despisers of the law, whose condemnation is swift and easily understood. For everybody understands well enough that God does not admit into His heaven such as are not only sinful, but also contemners of his holy will.
What is the Law but the will of God? He who despises the will of God despises God, and surely no one has ever found a single promise that God would be merciful to those who despise Him. You may be weak and sinful; you may have transgressed the Law of God; yet His mercy is great enough to forgive your sin and guilt for the sake of Christ.
But if you despise God and His will, not even trying to love and obey Him, how can you expect that such utter contempt of God and His word shall be forgiven? How can you believe that you are on the way to heaven? Stop a moment and consider.
We have, then, a matter before us which may not be brushed aside as of no importance. It is a matter which involves the eternal destiny of your soul. We shall soon discover, however, that it is not enough to respect the Law of God and to make some sort of use of it. What is required is, that we use it “lawfully”, that is rightly, or as God wants us to use the Law.
The Apostle Paul writes concerning his brethren in Israel, that “they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10: 2); that they “follow after the law of righteousness” (Rom 9: 31); that “they go about to established their own righteousness” (Rom 10: 3); but that for their sakes he had “great heaviness and continual sorrow” in his heart (Rom 9: 2), and that he could wish himself “accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom 9: 3), if thereby they might be saved.
What, then, was the fault with Israel? The fault was, the apostle says, that “when Moses was read, the veil was upon their heart” (2 Corint 3: 15), so that “they went about to establish their own righteousness” (Rom 10: 3).
“But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, have not attained to the law of righteousness” (Rom 9: 31). They did not allow the law to serve them by condemning them, convicting them, driving them to Christ; they made the law a way of salvation. They failed to understand the purpose of the law and as a result, made a wrong use of the law.
The essential purpose of the law is to arose and drive the sinner to Christ, who is “the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom 10: 4). “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom 8: 3). “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the son, hath not life” (1 John 5: 12). “Wherefore the law is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ” (Gal 3: 24).
Such is the purpose of God’s holy law. The law is a Boanerges, a son of thunder (Mark 3: 17), who indeed does not baptize with spirit and with fire, but with “the baptism of repentance,” thus presenting unto the Lord a well-prepared people. The law is the prison-house wherein “we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed”! (Gal 3: 23-24).
This, then, is the first, greatest and most dangerous misuse of the law. It renders the entire law useless. It misses its purpose altogether. When the law is thus made useless, “when the salt has lost its savor” (Matt 5, 13), wherewith shall souls be aroused and humbled?
When the heart has no experience of the power of the law to its abasement, the Gospel also remains ineffective; Christ, with all his merit, remains ineffective. For “they that be whole need not a physician, but the sick” (Matt 9: 12), that is to say, they that have been made sick through the harsh dominion of the law.
But when both law and gospel, that is, the whole word of God, no longer exert any influence upon the human heart, the soul is hopelessly lost; it cannot be saved.
Let us, however, consider how it happens that the law, and thereby the entire word of God, is rendered futile. It happens in this way: You make the law a way of salvation, while it should be a condemning judge, a schoolmaster to bring you to Christ.
This comes to pass when any one modifies, mitigates and whittles down the commandments and judgements of the Lord, in order that they may agree with the sinner’s opinions, or, at all events, correspond with his natural powers. It is sometimes said:
“No mortal man can meet this or that requirement of the law. Therefore, it cannot be God’s purpose to demand strict fulfilment of the law in every respect; for God cannot demand more than we can do.” This is the fundamental error. In this way “every mouth” is not stopped”, and “all the world” does not “become guilty before God” (Rom 3: 19. If a single human being could fulfil all the demands of the law, his mouth would not be stopped; he would be able to “boast” before God.
He who would understand why the law requires more than we are able to perform, and also how far the law goes in its requirements, must consider what the law is. The law is nothing else than God’s holiness, God’s holy will expressed in human words and in men’s consciences. Therefore the law reaches as far in its demands as God’s holiness reaches.
It is the law which says to you, This and that God requires of you; this and that he forbids. Now it is clear that this will of God must demand a constantly increasing righteousness before you become as holy as God himself. For what he himself will not do, he does not ask you to do.
Consequently, he never says: This or that I do not which you to do, but since you ask me for permission, I will give you leave to do this thing. But he says: “Be ye holy, even as I, the Lord your God, am holy”(Lev 19: 2). When we consider that the law is simply the holiness of God, the will of God, we understand why the law may not be changed or modified in a single letter to suit the weaknesses of the fallen race; for in that case God’s holiness would have an end.
He who receives the grace rightly to discern the holiness of God’s law, can no longer hope to become perfect before God, that is, to become as holy as God himself is. On the contrary, he will surely be humbled and crushed. He who hopes to gain righteousness by the law, has a “veil” before his eyes: he is blind, and does not realize what the law demands of him.
But you say: “True, no man can become perfect as God is perfect. But we can do as much as we are able to do in the way of fulfilling His holy law.” God does not accept that sort of righteousness. You must keep the law perfectly, or you are condemned. The law says distinctly: “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them” (Deut 27: 26). And an apostle says in the New Testament: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2: 10).
You say, however: “But God is merciful for the sake of Christ. He will forgive me if I do not perfectly keep his law.” God is by no means merciful to him who is guilty of violating the law. The matter is quite different with them who through faith possess the righteousness of Christ.
They are not in the least indepted to the law, for through Christ they have the righteousness which the law demands (Rom 8: 4), the righteousness to which the apostle refers when he says: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom 8: 3). In short, “they are not under the law, but under grace (Rom 6: 14-15). But he who is under the law has no remission of sin, as Jesus himself declares: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt 5: 18).
O what injury is done to the soul when we do not remember that there are those who are under the law, while others are not under the law, but under grace (Rom 3: 19; 6: 14; and 7: 4, 6).
These two classes of men are under quite different judgement. It is true that the grace of God in Christ is boundless, but it can do them no good whatever who are under the law and desire to remain “the disciples of Moses” (John 9: 28). The apostle Paul says: “For as many as are under the law are under curse” (Gal 3: 10).
To suppress this truth, and to preach in its stead the gospel of the flesh; to detract from the law that which the sinner regards as too severe: to lower the goal of the striving after holiness down to such a plane that the sinner may reach up to it, creating in the sinner self-satisfaction, self-righteousness and carnal security – this is the most dangerous misuse of the law.
In this way, the entire purpose of the law is frustrated. For that purpose was to drive and chastise the soul, not to the yoke of bondage, but into the slough of despair, and thence to Christ, who is “the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom 10_ 4).
But this levelling down of the law, this breaking off of the point of the law, may also be accomplished by persuading oneself or others to hope for the future: that which is still lacking in the fulfilment of the law may be accomplished by the grace of God later on. When the victory has been won, the time is come to appropriate to oneself the merit of Christ in all its fullness.
Alas, what a Satanic deception! Remember that if death should come to you this night, you would be condemned, since you are not holy as God’s law requires of you. You reply: “I have this hope that God will not call me away before I am prepared for heaven.”
It is all very well that you have such fine thoughts about God. But where is it written that God will hold death back from you until you are as holy as the law requires? In that case you would never die.
We ask: Have you not received the help of God’s spirit? Are you certain that you have rightly made use of His grace, rightly prayed for his help, watched and fought in the power of God as strenuously as you should have watched and fought?
If you consider this, you shall possibly find that you have nothing to expect which God has not already given you. If you realize that according to the law you are lost, the answer is: That is precisely what the law would show you, in order that you might take refuge in Christ.
You need not wait for the future. The Kingdom of God is near you. You shall learn that the righteousness which the law demands, but which you cannot produce, will be found in another way, namely, through faith in the blood of Jesus.
søndag 18. mai 2008
onsdag 7. mai 2008
Prolegomena 1
by C. F. Walter.
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.
Taken from Wikimed, where you will find the rest of his Dogmatic.
by C. F. Walter.
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.
Taken from Wikimed, where you will find the rest of his Dogmatic.
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