The Formula of Concord, Its Origin and Contents; A Contribution to Symbolics - Tapa blanda

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1916 Excerpt: ... ARTICLES VII AND VIII. CONCERNING THE LORD'S SUPPER AND THE PERSON OF CHRIST. Historical Introduction I. The Position Of Melanchthon Dr. Frank says: "It may be confidently stated as a historical fact that Melanchthon never came to full clearness or lasting conviction in the conception of the dogma of the Lord's Supper--neither in the former nor in the latter period of his life." And this statement--endorsed also by Schmid in his excellent monograph on the controversies concerning the doctrine of the Eucharist--is correct. Melanchthon endeavored to formulate this doctrine as simply and as plainly as possible. And he did so in an ideal way in the Augsburg Confession. But he was always influenced in his view, to a large degree, by other scholars and formulated their productions. Hence it made a deep impression upon him when CEcolampadius (the Melanchthon of Zwingli) absolutely established the fact that many old teachers had taught similarly to Zwingli. What did Luther care for what scholars had said and taught in ancient times, when he had the clear word of God? But for Melanchthon the matter is of scholastic importance; for this reason he tries to produce formulas which make it possible also to retain the historical assertions of antiquity. For him it is not in the first place a matter of faith (being certain from the Word of God), but of theological science. His scholastic inclination predisposes him to modify the ecclesiastical contradictions as much as possible. His general tendency can be noticed, above all, in the doctrine concerning the sacrament. When he composed the Augsburg Confession, he still fully shared the position of Luther, and was merely the amanuensis or interpreter of the great Reformer. But the historical proof of (Ecolampadius soon made a...