The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

and potentates, civil and ecclesiastical, of the realm, they said: “We offer
the Confession of the faith held by the pastors and preachers in our several
estates, and the Confession of our own faith, as drawn from the Holy
Scriptures, the pure Word of God.” 3 That Confession repeatedly
expresses, and in every line implies that the Word of God is the sole rule of
faith and of life. The same is true of the Apology or Defence of the
Confession by Melanchthon, which appeared in the following year, and
which was adopted by the larger part of our Church as expressing
correctly her views. 4 Seven years later, the articles of Smalcald were
prepared by Luther, for presentation at a general council, as an expression
of the views of our Church. In this he says: 5 “Not from the works or
words of the Fathers are articles of faith to be made. We have another rule,
to wit: that God's Word shall determine articles of faith--and, beside it,
none other--no, not an angel even."
Half a century after the Augsburg Confession had gone forth on its
sanctifying mission, our Church in Germany, in order that her children
might not mistake her voice amid the bewildering conflicts of theological
strife, which necessarily followed such a breaking up of the old modes of
human thought as was brought about by the Reformation, set forth her
latest and amplest Confession. This Confession, with reference to the
harmony it was designed to subserve, and under God did largely subserve,
was called the Formula of Concord. That document opens with these
words: “We believe, teach, and confess that the only rule and law, by
which all teachings and all teachers are to be estimated and judged, is
none other whatsoever than the writings of the prophets and the apostles,
alike of the Old and of the New Testament, as it is written: 'Thy word is a
lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path;' and St. Paul saith (Gal. 1: 8):
'Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you,
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.'"
"All other writings," it continues, "whether of the Fathers, or of
recent authors, be their name what they may, are by no
3 A. C. Praefat. 8
4 Apol. Con. 284:60
5 303:15