A PREFACE TO THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION PRESENTED IN QUESTIONS ANSWERS From the Eleventh Article of the Formula of Concord of the Evangelical Lutheran Church by C.F.W. Walther St. Louis, MO., 1881. Translated by J. Humberger PREFACE A short time ago there appeared in the "Lutheran Concordia Publishing House" at St. Louis, a tract bearing the title: "The Controversy concerning Predestination." At the conclusion of this tract the author promised his readers, by the assistance of God, immediately to publish another in which he would present the pure Lutheran doctrine concerning predestination in the most simple manner. Pursuant to that promise this pamphlet is published. Whether this tract has been gotten up in a manner desired and expected by our readers, remains, indeed, to be seen. Probably many would have preferred it, in the first place, if we would have presented the doctrine of election in a short and concise manner in our own words. But we thought it preferable to take the answers on the questions put, literally from our church confession, from the Formula of Concord. And this for the following reasons: 1. because we could not at any rate have answered the questions better; 2. because the Lutheran reader will just in this way the sooner be convinced that the doctrine presented in this little book is not a new, but the old pure doctrine of our orthodox Lutheran church on predestination; 3. because in this way every one can see, who wants to see, that at this time just the only real Lutheran doctrine on predestination is rejected and condemned as godless Calvinistic heresy,and that, too, by men who desire to be regarded as particularly true Lutherans; 4. because, in this way, it will be prevented by the grace of God, that a controversy should arise on account of this book even among Lutherans who are true to the confessions; 5. and, finally, because our confession itself says that it has incorporated the unanimous doctrine of our church on predestination, for the very purpose "only, in order to prevent disunion and discussion among our posterity." It is now 44 years ago, when in Germany, at our ordination, we already took a solemn oath on the Symbolical Books of our church, and there publicly promised our church, in whose service we entered, that, at the risk of our salvation, we would be a faithful guardian over these precious treasures; hence we would be a cursed and perjured man, if we would now while the doctrine of our confession is loudly denounced as Calvinism, be ashamed of our sworn confession, and not much rather bear all the disgrace at present cast upon us, than to deny it, and, now in our old days when we have arrived at the portals of eternity,apostatize from it. No, we would rather, on account of our firmly holding fast to our confession, depart from this world cursed as a heretic and condemned by men, and be accepted of God through His grace as His faithful steward,than to be praised by men on account of our unsteadfastness, and, thus praised,to depart as an unjust steward, and hear the terrible voice of God: "In ever knew you; depart from me, thou worker of iniquity." We know very well that not all who at present condemn us and call us heretics, are no longer Christians; but, God be praised, we are not the first person who,for the sake of the truth, has been called a heretic and condemned, even by Christians, out of ignorance. As Jerome of Prague on the 30th of May 1416 arrived at the stake, where he was to be burned on account of the truth,a peasant stepped up with a large bundle of twigs, in order to do his part that the supposed heretic might be put out of the world. But Jerome of Prague,the faithful witness to the truth, by no means rebuked the peasant, but exclaimed smilingly: "O! holy simplicity! he that deceives you, is guilty of a thousand fold sin." The holy martyr, however, did not on that account begin to doubt his doctrine, when he saw that even Christians,deceived by others, assisted in his condemnation from ignorance. Thus we will neither scold our deceived Christian opponents, nor on their account become doubtful concerning the truth; but remain with the confession of the truth, let come upon us what may on this account. For to remain with the confession when we reap praise and honor by it, is no great task; but when a person is declared as unfaithful, yea, blasphemed as having apostatized from the confession, just because he remains true to the confession: then is the time to stand the test and by deed to prove one's faithful adherence to the confession. Although they may again cry like the papists: "The fathers! The fathers!" a faithful Lutheran answers: "God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall to eternity endure! But perhaps some may think, as in this pamphlet the object is to repeat the doctrine of our confession, that is of our Formula of Concord, it would, indeed, have been sufficient if we would only have simply had reprinted the eleventh article of the Formula of Concord. But we hope that the attentive reader will soon observe that our questions will do him good service. He will observe that by a mere hurried reading of the Formula of Concord often just such points which are of the greatest importance, are too easily passed over unnoticed, to which his attention is now directed by the questions presented. For this purpose former great theologians have already in like manner presented the entire Formula of Concord in the form of questions and answers. We can testify on our conscience, that by our questions we have in no case intended to substitute foreign thoughts into our confession, but have only intended,by our questions. to clearly present the real doctrine contained therein. From a certain source the report has been spread that we formerly held a different doctrine on predestination from the one we hold at present; yet this is a gross falsehood, as we could clearly prove from the manuscripts of our sermons written in the earliest days of our ministry in America, if it were necessary. But it would not pay the trouble to do this; for it does not matter in the least, whether we formerly taught this or that on predestination, as far as the question, what is the true doctrine, is concerned. Luther also taught differently in the year 1517 when he publicly posted up his 95 propositions from what he did ten years before when he was consecrated a priest; but his 95 propositions were not false on that account. He that brings up and employs such proofs in order to overthrow his opponent, only shows that he is forced to do this from the absence of real substantial arguments. But, as already said, as we teach to day, so we always taught since God, in His marvellous ways, has brought us to the living knowledge that God by the Lutheran Church-Reformation has really again restored to Christianity the Christian doctrine in its Apostolic purity. Perhaps, also, many readers have hoped that the second tract promised would so present the doctrine of predestination, as to clear out of the way every thing at which their reason, or the reason of others, has been offended. This, of course, is not the case. But why not? Because such a representation is not at all possible, if we would not pervert the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and our confession. The holy Apostle Paul, as every diligent reader of the Bible knows, has presented the doctrine on predestination most extensively, in the 8, 9, 10 and 11 chapters of his epistle to the Romans, and what does he write at the conclusion of his argument? He exclaims: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His thoughts, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen." Rom. 11:38-36. From this you can see, dear reader, that when these concluding words of Paul do not apply to a representation of the doctrine of predestination, if the doctrine as presented does not move the reader also to exclaim: "O how unsearchable! O how past finding out!"; if the presentation much rather nicely agrees with reason, then, on the contrary, it certainly does not agree with the Holy Scriptures and with the Scriptural confessions of the orthodox church; then it certainly contains a false doctrine, mixed with human opinions. Do not become offended,dear Lutheran reader, because we have made no attempt in this pamphlet to present the doctrine on predestination in such a way that it may nicely agree with reason; but consider: this doctrine contains mysteries which no human understanding can fathom in this life. Hence, as in every article of faith, so also in this doctrine you, as a faithful Lutheran Christian, must always only ask: "What is written?" and then yield your reason captive unto the obedience of Christ, of His Word and of faith. (2 Cor. 10:5) But you must also, if you have become certain what the clear doctrine of God's Word on predestination is, guard against drawing all kinds of conclusions from it; no, then, on the contrary, put your hand upon your mouth and desire to know nothing whatever about it, but what God has revealed in His Word. You should dread the question by which Satan once misled our mother Eve: "Yea, hath God said [this]? "(Gen 3:1) Nor should you ask with Nicodemus: "How can these things be?" (John 3:9.) For if you do this, you have already departed from God's Word. But rather speak humbly to God with Samuel: "Speak; for Thy servant heareth."(1 Sam. 3:10.) If you find that in the Holy Scriptures two doctrines are clearly and plainly revealed, which appear to contradict each other, you must not endeavor to reconcile them with your reason, much less must you accept the one and reject the other; but you must then believe both heartily, and wait until the next world, where God will then reveal to you how both doctrines most gloriously harmonize. Many have already thought and said: "In the Bible it is written that there is only one God, and yet, at the same time, it is written, that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God; but this can, indeed, not be reconciled!" Hence some following their reason, have drawn the conclusion: Hence, the Father only can be true God; others, on the contrary, following their reason in like manner, have accepted three gods; and thus both have shamefully trifled away, and lost the true God and, consequently, their salvation. O beware! then, dear reader, of such desire to reconcile! Even now many desire to explain and make the unsearchable and inexplicable mysteries which the doctrine on predestination contains, agree with reason, by saying: Why the elect are predestinated, may be explained from this that God foresaw their conduct, that they, namely, would accept the Gospel in faith, and remain steadfast in every cross and temptation, and endure in the true faith to their end. True, many now say in order to justify this subtle reasoning, that many pure teachers of our church have also taught that the elect are predestinated in view of their foreseen faith; but if our present opponents only taught this, they would then not decry our doctrine as heresy, and much less would we accuse them of heresy, although we, indeed, regard that method of teaching by which it is taught that God has elected in view of foreseen faith, as subject to misunderstanding, which can not only easily be misused in favor of false doctrine, but also has really been thus misused, and is still misused. For this reason the _Formula of Concord_ also expressly warns against drawing conclusions from the foreknowledge of God. [720, 3.] Hence beware, beware, dear reader, from reconciling articles of faith with your reason! Leave to God His mysteries unsearched, and do not wonder that God knows more than you, and that He does not permit us poor short- sighted mortals, yea, not even angels and archangels to look into His secret counsels, until the day of the revelation of His glory. Luther says in his House-Postil: "The Bible and Scripture is not such a book which flows out of reason and human wisdom. Therefore, whoever undertakes to measure and compass the Scripture, how it agrees with reason, abandons it entirely. For all heretics, from the beginning, have arisen on this account, because they thought that what they read in the Scriptures, they might so interpret according to the teachings of reason. . . .St. Augustine complains that, at first, he entered the Scripture with his reason and studied it for nine entire years, and desired to grasp the Scripture with his reason; but the more he studied it, the less he understood it, until he had finally experienced by his loss, that a man must put out the eyes of reason, and say: What the Scriptures say, that I leave unsearched by reason; but believe it with an honest heart. If a man will do this, then the Scriptures will be come clear and plain, which were dark before. Thus St. Gregory also says: The Holy Scriptures are a stream in which an elephant may swim and drown; but a lamb goes through it, as through a shallow brook." (Walch XIII,1149. 1162.) At another place Luther writes: "If reconciling were permitted, we could not retain a single article of faith." (Walch XII, 1929.) Further, think also of this, dear reader: This present pamphlet has not been written for this purpose that it be read once hurriedly and then laid aside. You would have but little benefit from this. But read it again and again, and study it with prayer and supplications unto God for the light of His Holy Spirit. For as the entire pamphlet is taken from our confession, you have in it an exceedingly rich treasure of doctrine, which our dear Lutheran Church has transmitted to us as a precious booty for our faithful preservation, captured in long and terrible struggles. Should this pamphlet fall into the hands of such a reader also who is not yet a living and believing Christian, we advise him either not to read it at all, or, at least, not before he also has become a living and believing Christian. For before this is done, what this pamphlet contains is not food for him. The question for him is rather: "What shall I do to be saved?" And the one thing needful for him is, that he first be brought on the way of true repentance to God and thus come to faith in Jesus Christ. For where the light of a living faith does not yet shine in the heart, nothing else can be expected, but that you will become offended at the doctrine of predestination, just then when it is presented not according to human reason, but according to the Word of God. Wherefore Luther writes in his golden preface to the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: "Follow this epistle in its order: concern yourself first with Christ and the Gospel, that you may know your sins and His grace, then contend against sin, as here the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 chapters have taught. Afterwards, if you" (that is, in your experience) "come to the eighth chapter, under the cross and suffering, it will rightly teach you predestination in the 9, 10 and 11 chapters, how comfortable it is. For without suffering the cross and the agonies of death, one cannot treat predestination without danger and secret anger against God. Hence, Adam must indeed first be dead, before he can bear this and drink the strong wine. So beware, that you do not drink wine while you are still a babe. Every doctrine has its measure, time and age." (S. Walch XIV, 125 f.) Let no one, therefore, buy and read this pamphlet in order to please us. Nor shall we send it or permit it to be sent to any one who does not want it, or of whom we do not know that he desires to have it. For if we send our writings to those who do not want them, this is nothing else but sneaking officiousness; but if one attempts to smuggle his writings into the congregations of others, in order to awaken strife and discord among them, and to sow the seeds of mistrust and suspicion, and, especially, to strengthen those who delight in creating a quarrel in their congregation, or those in Church discipline or already justly excommunicated: then this is so much the more shameful and a certain proof that such writers seek to peddle false wares, namely, false doctrine. Listen to what our dear Luther says about this. In his explanation of the 82 Psalm, after warning against the sneaking busy bodies who meddle in the office of others, he himself makes the following objection: "Here you will say to me, perhaps, why do you then teach with your books in the whole world, as you are only preacher here in Wittenberg? " And he answers: "I am a called minister, and had a right to teach my flock in writings. And if others desired my writings and asked me for them, it was my duty to do this, for thereby I have at no time imposed myself upon them, nor desired or requested any one to read them; just as other pious ministers and preachers write books, and do not prevent or compel any one to read them, and thereby, also, teach and run through the whole world, and yet do not sneak like the wicked uncalled men into the offices of others without the knowledge and will of the ministers." (Walch V, 1062. 1063.) Before we close this preface, we yet remark the following: At the close of each answer are figures in brackets. The first figure shows the page and the second the paragraph in the _Book of Concord_, New Market Edition (count paragraphs from top of page). With the assistance of these figures every reader can quickly and easily convince himself that all the answers are not our words, but are taken word for word from our _Formula of Concord_. God has imposed upon our American Lutheran Church the difficult task, by the controversy which has broken out on predestination, to contend for one of the most mysterious doctrines of His Word, to judge which no human reasoners, no idle, curious, vail glorious spirits, no indifferent false Christians, but only true, enlightened, humble Christians, being concerned about their salvation, who tremble before God's Word, are sufficient and capable. In this controversy on predestination the great and highly important questions are considered: "Whom have those who come to faith, remain in faith, and are saved, to thank for this? Have they to thank themselves for this? Or have they at least in part to thank themselves? Or have they to thank for this wholly and alone God's mercy and Christ's most holy merits? Does the honor of our salvation belong entirely to God alone? Or is there a cause for this in man also? Has man by nature powers to cooperate anything in the work of his salvation, to determine himself for salvation, at least, to give assent, though ever so weak? Or is every man by nature spiritually dead, and must God, therefore, do all by His grace?" Yes, about these great truths, about the doctrine of salvation alone by grace, alone on Christ's account, alone through faith given of God, the present controversy turns, not about theological quibbles, but about the most important points of practical Christianity. May God have mercy on our American Lutheran Zion, and help that no upright soul may err in this contest for truth, but that all true children of God within our Church may finally, as concerns this doctrine also, gather under the old good banner of our confession, and thus be a light to many in this hour of midnight, in our last distressful times. May God do this for Jesus Christ's sake, the common Saviour of all sinners and the eternal King of truth. C.F.W.Walther ________________________________________________________________ This text was digitized by the Association of Confessing Evangelicals and converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Rev. Robert E. Smith and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (219) 452-2148 Fax: (219) 452-2126 ________________________________________________________________