John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ Edited by C. F. W. Walther Published by: St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 187 [Translator's Preface. These are the major loci or topics of John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ as edited 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. -------------------------------------------------------------- This text was translated by Rev. Theodore Mayes and is copy- righted, (c) 1996, but is free for non-commercial use or distribution, 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 Surface Mail: 66000 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126 --------------------------------------------------------------