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

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XIII.<br />

THE DOCTRINE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER<br />

CONSIDERED IN ITS ANTITHESIS.<br />

(AUGSBURG CONFESSION. ART. X.)<br />

<strong>The</strong> Antithesis.<br />

WE have, in our previous dissertation, discussed the thetical part of the<br />

Tenth Article, <strong>and</strong> now reach the closing words, in which, very briefly<br />

stated, we have the antithesis. It is in these words: first, in the Latin, "et<br />

improbant secus docentes," "<strong>and</strong> they disapprove of those who teach<br />

otherwise;" second, in the German, "derhalben wird auch die gegenlehr<br />

verworfen," "therefore also the opposite doctrine is rejected." In the Latin,<br />

the errorists are spoken of; in the German, the error. <strong>The</strong> Latin was<br />

designed more especially' for the learned classes, the German was meant<br />

for the people, <strong>and</strong> is therefore more cautious even than the Latin against<br />

phraseology, which might be misconstrued as a warrant for personal<br />

animosity. Our confessors carefully avoided all appeals to the passions of<br />

men. Everything harsh <strong>and</strong> revolutionary was contrary to the spirit of<br />

<strong>Conservative</strong> <strong>Reformation</strong>, which is wholly distinct from that of radicalism<br />

<strong>and</strong> revolution. This conservative spirit prompts the softness of the<br />

language toward persons: "improbant," they "are disapproved of;" while it<br />

bears, in all its force, the decisiveness toward error; it "is rejected." <strong>The</strong><br />

errorists, moreover, are regarded as errorists, not as individuals. We may<br />

love, esteem, cherish, see their virtues, st<strong>and</strong> in any relation of amity, which<br />

does not imply approval of error, or connivance at it; but in so far as<br />

errorists are "secus docentes," teaching other

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