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

diverse, critical texts of the German form of the Creed, for they confess the
same faith. Second: The differences, even of a critical kind, are of a very
trifling character. Third: The Editio Princeps of Melanchthon is the highest
critical authority. Fourth: While the text of the Book of Concord has the
highest Confessional authentication, and ought not to be changed, except
by authority of the Church, it is perfectly consistent with this, that the
Editio Princeps be used as an aid in interpreting it. Identical as the two
texts are, for the most part, in their very words, absolutely identical in
doctrine, we may thank God that we have in the two the historical
evidence of the untiring conscientiousness of effort on the part of our
Fathers, to give the most perfect form of sound words to the one faith, and
that the two texts, so far from disturbing, fix more absolutely that one sense
of the Confession, the perception of which is essential to real unity on the
part of those who profess to accept it.
IV. The Papal Confutation.
The Papal Confutation was read before the Emperor, Aug. 3d. The
second Article was approved so far as, 1: "they confessed with the
Catholic Church, that the fault of origin is truly sin-condemning and
bringing eternal death to those who are not born again of Baptism and the
Holy Ghost; as also in their condemnation of the Pelagians, ancient and
modern, whom the Church had already condemned."
2. "But the declaration of the Article, that original sin is this, that men
are born without the fear of God, without trust toward God, is to be entirely
rejected, since it is manifest to every Christian that to be without the fear of
God, and trust in Him, is rather the actual offence of the adult, than the
fault of a new-born babe, which is not yet able to exercise reason, as the
Lord saith unto Moses, (Deut. i. 39:) 'Your little ones, which in that day
had no knowledge between good and evil.'"
3. "But that declaration is also rejected in which they call the fault of
origin, fleshly appetite (concupiscentia), if by this they mean that fleshly
appetite is sin, which also remains sin in a child after Baptism."
4. "For long ago the Apostolic See condemned two Articles of
Martin Luther, the second and third, concerning sin