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

wise-than the truth, we disapprove of them, "improbamus." So far as their
doctrine is "gegenlehr," - counter to the truth, - it is rejected (verworfen).
“Improbant”--why used?
It has been asked why the "damnant," or harsher condemnatory
word, is used in the antitheses to the other Articles, and the seemingly
milder "improbant" is used here? The answer to this is that the heresies
condemned are more directly in conflict with the general faith confessed
by the whole Catholic or Universal Church in the OEcumenical Creeds,
and that the persons specially had in view in this "improbant," professed to
hold with our confessors on every other point than that of the Supper, and
some of them, as the Tetrapolitans, declared that even on this point the
differences were more verbal than real. Therefore our confessors, in the
exercise of that charity which "hopeth all things," and to avoid closing the
door upon all prospect of bringing those who professed to be so near them
to perfect accord, used the mildest term consistent with truth--a term which,
however, was none the less strong in the thing, because of its gentleness in
the form.
Who are meant in the Antithesis?
The question now arises, who are they that are here alluded to, and
why are they disapproved of, and their doctrine rejected? We might make
various classifications of them. One of the most natural is derived from the
various parts of the Divine testimony against which their error is arrayed.
And here it must be remembered that the antithesis is, in its logical
sequence, prospective as well as retrospective. It involves in its rejection all
future errors against the truth confessed, as well as errors then past or then
present. If a new form of error were to arise to-day in conflict with the
testimony of the Confession, it is disapproved of by that anticipation with
which truth, in its simple unity, reaches the Protean forms of errors. New
heresies are, for the most part, but the shifting of masks. The errors
classified after the plan which we suggest may be arranged under three
generic heads: The errors, first, of those who are arrayed against the
Scripture testimony as to the outward element, to wit, the Romish and
Greek Churches, which, by their doctrine of transubstantiation, deny the
presence of true bread and true