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. Chapter Thirteen On the church. 1. Those humans, whom God, according to his eternal decree, gave faith and his grace, collectively together are called the church. And indeed, seen by reason of the present life, they are called the militant church, however by reason of the other or future life the triumphant church; granted even that the name of church embraces both assemblies, the other, absolutely speaking, precisely indicates the militant church. 2. This same church militant also is accepted in two parts: in one way properly and precisely for the congregation of the truly believing and of the saints, who are implanted into Christ the head through faith, just as the living members are made one with the same mystical body; in another way improperly and by synecdoche, for the whole gathered assembly out of which those truly believing come, saints mixed with hypocrites and evil ones. 3. The head of the church, properly understood, is the God-man Christ, not only by reason of the dignity and perfection on account of the members of the body, truly also especially as far as the virtues and power, not only moral, but truly also physical. 4. And as in the human body there are various connections, through which the living soul from the head into the members are diverted; thus the manifold power of Christ the head extends itself into the church partly through various functions from the things established by that one in the church, partly through gifts given to the church, both ministry and sanctification. 5. But beyond Christ another certain head of the church, who visibly governs the universal church in place of Christ, is recognized neither from necessity, nor from the free will and institution of God. 6. The efficient cause of the church is the triune God and Christ, the God-man. 7. The internal impulsive cause is the goodness or free favor of Christ; the external or meritorious cause is Christ the mediator. 8. Humans truly believing and holy constitute the matter of the church. 9. The form of the church consists in a true union of the believing and holy with Christ through a true and living faith. 10. The end of the church, and it the nearer end, is the building up of both the whole body, and the individual members; the ultimate end, the eternal salvation of them. 11. The attributes of the church are commonly constituted as four: namely that it is 1. one, 2. holy, 3. catholic,, and 4. apostolic. 12. However the church is one partly absolutely and in itself, through the internal unity of faith in Christ, which is joined with love of God, but also love of our neighbor by an individual joining; partly exclusively and in opposition to many assemblies of the same species or plan, either coexisting or alternately succeeding to themselves. 13. The external unity, as far as its profession of the doctrine of faith and participation of the same sacraments, and also the conversation and communion of life though the mutual office of brotherly love does not equally pertain to the attributes of the church; for it is not perpetual. However the unity by reason of the one visible head, the vicar of Christ, has absolutely no place. 14. The church is properly called holy, first indeed, because its head is holy; then, because the members also are all holy both by imputed righteousness, and by inherent righteousness, however which last sanctity is imperfect. 15. The church is and is said [to be] catholic, not in so far as it is orthodox, but as far as [it is] universal 1. of places, peoples and races, 2. with respect of persons, namely all the faithful, 3. by reason of time. 16. Further the church is said to be apostolic, because it embraces the apostolic doctrine by faith and holds it complete. 17. The effect of the church properly speaking is the vivification of those, who are now in it, and the generation, or regeneration. of many others. 18. It is possible to define the church properly speaking, that it is an assembly of the truly believing and saints, gathered by God and Christ the God-man from the free favor toward humans on account of the merit of Christ, the gathering of those united by the Lord and his redeemer Christ through true faith, in which Christ through word and sacraments repeatedly regenerates some and implanted those through faith in him one with others and now before rebirth he vivifies and sanctifies for the building and salvation of the whole body and individual members. 19. The church of Christ spread throughout the world holds many partial assemblies, who advertise for themselves the same name and definition of church. And the distinction of the church is noted as universal and particular. Also particular churches are able to be subdistinguished as simple, which do not stand with other churches, and composite, which stand with other churches. 20. Meanwhile that more distinguished praise and the promises of perpetual duration, which are assigned in Scripture to the church, are not assigned to some certain particular church, but they ought to be referred to the church of Christ seen absolutely. 21. The truly believing and saints, who constitute the church properly speaking, have everywhere in the world to themselves the joined non-holy, or sinners, hidden and manifest, not only as far as cohabitation and purely civil society, truly also thus, that they have some ecclesiastical society and external communion with the truly believing; and that when this happens, it is customary for the name of church to be attributed to these indiscriminate churches in a way through synecdoche. 22. However it truly happens, that, when saints and non-saints are gathered, sometimes those, otherwise these stand out, and the holy indeed are estimated to stand out by reason of doctrine, when it, harmful errors being excluded, is publicly and purely preached; then as far as the integrity of morals, when good examples of Christian virtues thrive, vices being suppressed; however the non-holy outweigh by reason of morals indeed, when defaults proceed or reign with impunity, however by reason of doctrine, when false dogma publicly is scattered and the true doctrine and its confessors are suppressed: thus then at last the church with the joined non-holy is said to be the church of Christ simply and absolutely, when the holy by reason of doctrine and morals are outstanding; when however the non-holy, especially by reason of doctrine and public profession, are outstanding in the church, then that indistinct assembly, gathered from saints and non-saints, is not called the church absolutely, but a church according to that, or with adding a corrupt church. 23. And this distinction pertains between a true or pure church, in which truly believing and saints constitute a greater part, and false or impure, in which the non-holy erring in the doctrine of faith constitute the greater part. 24. The true or pure church is able to be described, that it is a gathering of humans, in which all, having those things necessary for salvation by believing and for sanctity of life by doing, without harmful errors being mixed in, are taught from the word of God and are administered the sacraments according to the institution of Christ, and thus spiritual people are brought forth by the son of God, spiritual people who through true faith are joined to Christ the head and are made one body in him. 25. And thus it is customary to be done, that to churches so called through synecdoche also in this way are applied the attributes of the church properly speaking, that it is called one, holy, catholic and apostolic. 26. Although truly many assemblies of the called, seen singly, are rightly called churches of Christ, however not therefore do all of those chosen constitute one catholic or universal church, which according to the content in them, the whole multitude of those truly believing and saints rightly called are called the catholic or universal church of Christ. 27. Truly also in a corrupt church those spiritual people are possible to be born, and spiritual sons are born by God through the word of God, which is preached there also, and they are complete in substance through baptism. 28. Otherwise the church properly speaking indeed is not distinctly visible, but only confusedly. This particular church, which is said synechdochly, is thus visible, so that just as a true church, as far as its members are concerned, may be distinctly recognized and are able to be discerned from false or corrupt churches. 29.However it is possible to be done, and it is divinely proclaimed to be, so that the church for some time has none of its parts visible, or that the visible church straightforwardly fails. 30. Meanwhile to the particular true, or pure, church, that such, from humans experienced in Scripture or known by Christians, two marks are sufficient: namely the preaching of the pure word and the lawful administration of the sacraments. 31. The ecclesiastical ministry in its own way represents the church, and also councils or sacred gatherings of humans learned in holy doctrine, by the public authority of those called together and by a conveniently orderly beginning in considering and thoroughly judging controversies of faith and Christian doctrine according to Scripture, and what pertains to the external order and good order of the church, being instituted and outstanding of those occupied with the building of the church and the glory of God. 32. Councils are divided into ecumenical or universal, which contained some bishops and learned men either out of the whole Roman world, or almost the whole church, or at least by that whole church their decrees were approved and received, and particular councils, which from at least one of the two parts of the church were called together. Some councils, deriving their name from the learned men of one nation called together are called national councils. Others consisting of men from one diocese are called diocesan councils. 33. Councils, which have an undoubted authority, do not have such authority from this, that the church, whish is the pillar of truth, is represented, but truly it is an authority dependent on the Sacred Scriptures and from the agreement of the synod's decisions with them, although a certain authority comes to their decrees from the latter agreement from the consensus of the churches through the whole world. 34. To the unity of the church is opposed 1. schisms, or divisions of the church in parts, the mutual love and peace being taken away, as far as the actual ecclesiastical or fraternal communication is concerned , or as far as the faith of individuals is concerned. 35. However, schisms arise partly out of dissension about doctrines in the foundation of faith, especially if they come to corruptions of doctrine by rage and by deceits, partly from dissension on less necessary parts of doctrine, or ceremonies, or things which pertain to ecclesiastical discipline, if someone obtrudes into someone else's under the opinion of necessity, from which those, holding to their liberty, prefer to, and do, abstain. 36. But those who are separated form some church by an unjust excommunication and who cease to commune, it is not possible to impute the guilt of schismatics to them, and the hatred of those, which the authors of the schism accomplished, it is not opposed to love. 37. 2. Syncretism is opposed to the unity of the church, or it is a union in fraternal and ecclesiastical harmony of dissenting parties in religion, not obstinately disagreeing, so that either errors of doctrine on the part of the dissenting are tolerated, or at least those same erring persons are tolerated within the ecclesiastical society, as brothers in Christ and co-heirs of eternal life; which, however, is a harmful tolerance of both. 38. Finally 3. and especially the Antichrist opposes the Christian Church, whether it may be a series or complex of many humans in the same impiety of succession to themselves, or indeed to give as private property a kingdom in the church, or an arrogating to themselves of divine power in everything, especially it is true of those having a seat in the city of Rome, of those also bringing in various corruptions of doctrine and public sanctity and doing so by fraud and much violence, by the oppressing of confessors of the true faith, of those fighting against, thus however, so that that impiety at length is publicly manifested and while that impiety and Antichrist are increased, Christ comes to judgment, and they are destroyed. -------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --------------------------------------------------------------