John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ Edited by C. F. W. Walther Published by: St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1877 [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. Part Three Chapter One On the grace of God towards fallen humans, the first principle of our salvation. 1. Among the principals and causes of human salvation, which are the subjects revealed theology has in its care, the grace of God holds the first place, by which God does not wish to let the human race go into a common destruction, which they brought on themselves in Adam and through original sin, and he intends more from there to demolish that sin and to lead humans to eternal blessedness. 2. Therefore by the words 'divine grace' is understood in this place the kind good-will of God towards sinners, by which God, having received our mode of life, is moved, so that he wishes to apply to their salvation the sacrificing, which is his. It is otherwise called the pity, love, kindness of God, etc. 3. The object of this grace are humans one and all, even if corrupted by sin. 4. Likewise this grace of God is not a certain indifferent complacency of God, limited to the salvation of all, if it happens to deal with that salvation, but with him it causes an inclination of God for applying on his part that which is done for the procuring of the salvation of all, so that it, as much as it is from God's part, it is restored to all possible people as a covering. 5. And when in God besides goodness also punishing justice has been known, it is certain, that goodness thus inclines toward human salvation, but it does not make justice depart; and therefore the same goodness of God moves God to procure a medium which might satisfy the divine justice for sinners. 6. Therefore it is ascribed to divine grace that God wanted to give the mediator Christ to humans, who are not able by themselves to make satisfaction for sins, and he gave Christ, who fulfilled the law for all sinners and vicariously he discharged the penalties of the violations. 7. However it is also divine grace, looking at our salvation, to move God, so that , that which is his, he wishes to apply and he applies to that salvation, so that by an alien satisfaction of the mediator we are able to have the benefit of all things. 8. The end, for the cause of obtaining which God is moved to the procuring of human salvation, is itself the glory of divine goodness. 9. It is possible to describe the grace of God in this locus, that it is an act of divine goodness, by which God, having seen human misery contracted through sin, is moved, so as to free all those and to extend salvation and therefore he seriously wished to procure the mediator, and those things of his which are necessary for his use, to the good of all, by which things they are brought to light from that ruin and they are brought along to eternal salvation, for the cause of celebrating the glory of divine goodness. -------------------------------------------------------------- This text was translated by Rev. Theodore Mayes and is copy- righted material, (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 --------------------------------------------------------------