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

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it where He will; in our hearts, when we hear the Gospel or word of<br />

Christ."<br />

"In the SEVENTH place, this faith is our righteousness before<br />

God." 265<br />

II. <strong>The</strong> XVII Doctrinal Articles.<br />

1530. <strong>The</strong> Marburg Articles which were signed by Luther,<br />

Melanchthon, Zwingli, <strong>and</strong> Oecolampadius, <strong>and</strong> the other leading<br />

theologians on both sides, were laid by Luther as the ground-work of the<br />

XVII Doctrinal Articles, which were prepared the same year, <strong>and</strong> which<br />

appeared in 1530. <strong>The</strong>se XVII Articles are the direct basis of the doctrinal<br />

portion of the Augsburg Confession. In the fourth of these Articles, Luther<br />

says: "Original sin would condemn all men who come from Adam, <strong>and</strong><br />

would separate them forever from God, had not Jesus Christ become our<br />

representative <strong>and</strong> taken upon Himself this sin, <strong>and</strong> all sins which follow<br />

upon it, <strong>and</strong> by His sufferings made satisfaction therefor, <strong>and</strong> thus utterly<br />

removed <strong>and</strong> annulled them in Himself, as is clearly taught in regard to this<br />

sin in Psalm ii., <strong>and</strong> Rom. v." 266<br />

III. <strong>The</strong> German Edition of 1533.<br />

1533. In Melanchthon's German edition of the Confession, in 1533,<br />

the only edition in the German in which any variations were made by him,<br />

<strong>and</strong> which has never been charged with deviating in any respect in<br />

meaning from the original Confession, this part of the Article runs thus:<br />

“(Original Sin) condemns all those under God's wrath who are not born<br />

again through Baptism, <strong>and</strong> faith in CHRIST, through the Gospel <strong>and</strong><br />

Holy Spirit." 267<br />

IV. Meaning of the Confession.<br />

From these historical parallels <strong>and</strong> illustrations certain facts are very<br />

clear as to the meaning of the Confession.<br />

Drift of the Article.<br />

1. <strong>The</strong> Article teaches us what original sin would do if there were no<br />

redemption provided in Christ. <strong>The</strong> mere fact that Christ has wrought out<br />

His work provides a sufficient remedy, if it be applied, to save every<br />

human creature from the effects of original sin. Let not this great fact<br />

265 <strong>The</strong> Articles are given in full in Rudelbach's <strong>Reformation</strong>, Lutherthum und Union, p. 665.<br />

266 Luther's Werke: Jena v. 14. Mentzer: Exeges. Aug. Conf. 42.<br />

267 Weber's Edit. Weimar, 1781. Corpus Reformator. xxvi. 725.

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