0. PREFACE
THERE are many who have laboured at an exposition of the Apocalypse, but because up to this time the spiritual sense of the Word had not been known, they could not see the arcana that remain concealed therein; for only the spiritual sense discovers these. The expositors have therefore made various guesses, and most of them have applied the things that are there to the conditions of empires, intermingling some things about ecclesiastical matters also. The Apocalypse, however, like the whole Word, does not treat in its spiritual sense of worldly things at all but of heavenly things, thus not of empires and kingdoms but of heaven and the Church.
It is necessary to know that since the last judgment accomplished in the spiritual world in the year 1757, dealt with in a special little work published in London in 1758, a new heaven has been formed of Christians, but only of those who could admit that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, in accordance with His words in Matthew xxviii 18 and who at the same time repented in the world of evil deeds. Out of this new heaven a new Church on earth (in terris) is descending, and will continue to descend. This is the New Jerusalem. That this Church is going to acknowledge the Only Lord is evident from these words in the Apocalypse:-
There came unto me one of the seven angels and spoke with me, saying, Come, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife, and he showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God Rev. xxi 9, 10);
and in another place:-
Let us rejoice and exult, for the time of the Lamb's wedding has come, and His wife has made herself ready: blessed are those who are called unto the supper of the Lamb's wedding Rev. xix 7, 9.
That there will be a new heaven, and that a new Church on earth will descend therefrom, is evident from these words there:-
I saw a new heaven and a new land, and I saw the holy city Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The One sitting upon the throne said, Behold I am making all things new; and He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and trustworthy Rev. xxi 1, 2, 5.
'A new heaven' is a new heaven of Christians. 'The new Jerusalem' is a new Church on earth, which will act as one with that new heaven. 'The Lamb' is the Lord as to the Divine Human.
To these observations some things will be added for enlightenment. The Christian heaven is below the ancient heavens. Into it, from the time of the Lord when He was in the world, have been admitted those who have worshipped the one God under three Persons and at the same time have had no idea of three Gods; and this on account of the Trinity of Persons having been received in the whole of Christendom. Those, however, who have cherished no other idea of the Lord's Human than as of the human of another man, have not been able to receive the faith of the New Jerusalem, which is that the Lord is the Only God, in Whom is the Trinity. For that reason they have been separated and sent out to the extremities. It has been given [me] to see the separations since the last judgment, and the banishments. For upon a just idea of God the entire heaven is founded, and on earth the entire Church, and in general every religion; since by means of that idea there is a conjunction, and through the conjunction light, wisdom and eternal happiness.
Every one is able to see that the Apocalypse cannot possibly be expounded except by the Only Lord, for the single words there contain arcana that would never be known without a unique (singularis) enlightenment and thus a revelation. It has therefore pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit for me, and to teach. Do not therefore suppose that I have undertaken anything there from myself, or from any angel, but from the Lord Only. The Lord indeed said to John through an angel:-
Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book Rev. xxii 10.
By this it is understood that they are to be made manifest.
THE DOCTRINAL TENETS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND RELIGION
IN A SHORT SUMMARY
Since, in chapters xvii, xviii, and xix of the Apocalypse, the Babylon that is the Roman Catholic form of religion* is again treated of, its Doctrinal Tenets ought to be disclosed at the outset, and in this order: on Baptism; the Eucharist or Holy Supper; Masses; Penance [or Repentance]; Justification; Purgatory; the Seven Sacraments; the Saints; and Power. * The Latin is religiosum. See n. 719 where this term is explained.
I. ON BAPTISM, they teach:- That after the offence of transgression the entire Adam was altered for the worse as to body and soul. That this sin was transferred to the whole human race. That this original sin is taken away solely by means of Christ's merit; and Christ's merit is applied by means of the sacrament of Baptism; and thus the whole guilt of original sin is taken away by Baptism. That in a baptised person there still remains concupiscence as an incentive to sin, but not sin. That in this way men put on Christ, are made new creatures, and obtain a full and entire remission of sins. Baptism is called the layer of regeneration and faith. That baptised persons, when they have reached manhood, ought to be questioned regarding the promises made by their sponsors, and this is the SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION. That because of lapses after Baptism a sacrament of Penance [or Repentance] is necessary.
II. ON THE EUCHARIST OR HOLY SUPPER That immediately after the consecration the very Body of Jesus Christ and the very Blood, together with His Soul and Divinity, are really and substantially contained under the form (species) of bread and wine; the Body under the form of bread and the Blood under the form of wine, by virtue of the words; but the Body itself under the form of wine, and the Blood under the form of bread, and the Soul under each, by virtue of the natural connection and concomitance whereby the parts of Christ the Lord are joined together; and the Divinity on account of the admirable hypostatic union thereof with the body and soul. Wherefore as much is contained under either form as under each; in a word, Christ whole and entire is manifest under the form of bread, and under each part of that form, and the whole also is manifest under the form of wine and its parts. Therefore the two forms are separated, and the bread is given to the laymen, and the wine to the clergy. That water should be mixed with the wine in the chalice. That laymen should receive the communion from the clergy, but the clergy should communicate themselves. That after the consecration the very Body and very Blood of Christ are in the hosts in the consecrated particles, and therefore the host* should be adored when it is being shown and carried about. That this wonderful and unique conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood, is termed transubstantiation. That under certain conditions communication under both forms may be conceded by the Pontiff. It is called supersubstantial bread, and angels' bread, which they eat without veils: it is also called spiritual food, and the antidote by which they are freed from sins. * The Latin word hostia = sacrifice or victim.
III. ON MASSES It is termed the Sacrifice of the Mass, because the sacrifice by which Christ offered Himself to God the Father is represented therein under the form of the bread and wine. Consequently it is a sacrifice truly propitiatory, pure, and in it there is nothing but what is holy. That if the people do not communicate sacramentally, but only the minister, then the people communicate spiritually, because ministers engage in it not for themselves only, but for all the faithful who pertain to the body of Christ. That masses should not be celebrated in the vulgar tongue because they contain the great instruction of the faithful people; but ministers may explain something on the Lord's days. That it has been instituted that certain things, which are mystical, be pronounced in a softened, and others in a raised tone; and that in order that there may be majesty in so great a sacrifice that is offered to God, there should be lights, fumigations of incense, vestments, and other things of this kind. That it ought to be offered for the sins, punishments, satisfactions, and any necessities of the living; and for the dead. That masses in honour of the saints are thanksgivings on account of their interceding when implored.
IV. ON PENANCE [or REPENTANCE] That besides Baptism, there is a sacrament of Penance [Repentance] by which the benefit of Christ's death and merit is applied to those who have lapsed after Baptism, so that it is called a laborious kind of baptism. That the parts of Penance are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. That CONTRITION is a gift of God, and an impulse of the Holy Spirit, not yet dwelling in but only moving a person; therefore it is a disposition. That CONFESSION should be made of all mortal sins, even the most hidden, and of the intentions. That sins that are kept back are not remitted, but those which do not come to mind after diligent considering are included in the confession. That it should be made at least once a year. That sins are to be absolved by the ministers of the Keys, and are remitted on their saying, I ABSOLVE. That absolution is after the manner of the judge's act when sentence is pronounced. That more grievous sins should be absolved by bishops, and still more grievous ones by the Pontiff. SATISFACTION is achieved by means of satisfying punishments imposed at the discretion of the minister according to the measure of the delinquency. That when eternal punishment is remitted, so is temporal punishment. That the power of INDULGENCES was bequeathed by Christ to the Church, and the use of them is most salutary.
V. ON JUSTIFICATION That a transference from the state in which man is born a son of Adam into a state of grace through the second Adam the Saviour cannot be effected without the layer of regeneration and faith, or Baptism. That the second beginning of justification is from a prevenient grace, which is a vocation with which man co-operates by turning himself. That disposition is formed by FAITH, to which he is freely moved, believing those things to be true which have been revealed: then by HOPE, while he trusts that God is propitious for Christ's sake: and by CHARITY, by which he begins to love the neighbour and have a hatred of sins. That justification, which follows, is not merely the remission of sins, but the sanctification and renewal of the inward man. Then they are not only reputed to be just, but are just, receiving justice within them, and because they accept the merit of Christ's passion, therefore justification is inserted through faith, hope, and charity. [2] That faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of justification, and this is to be justified by faith: and because none of those things which precede justification, whether faith or works, merit the grace of justification, this is to be justified gratis, for it is a prevenient grace: and yet man is justified by works, and not so much by faith. That the just may fall into light and venial sins, and still be just; and therefore the just ought to work continually, in prayers, oblations, almsgivings and fastings, lest they fall, for they are born again into a hope of glory, and not into glory. That if the just have fallen away from the grace of justification, they may again be justified through the sacrament of Penance [Repentance]. By every mortal sin grace is lost, but not faith, but faith also is lost by infidelity, which is recession from religion. That the works of a justified man are merits, and the justified, by those works which are performed by them through the grace of God and the merit of Christ, merit eternal life. That since Adam's sin, FREE-WILL is not lost or extinguished, and man co-operates by assenting to God calling, for otherwise he would be an inanimate body. They establish PREDESTINATION by saying that no one knows whether he is in the number of the predestined and among those whom God has chosen unto Himself, except by a special revelation.
VI. ON PURGATORY That all the guilt to be discharged by temporal punishment is not blotted out by justification; therefore all come into Purgatory to be freed from it before the entrance into heaven is open. That the souls there detained are assisted by the prayers (suffragii) of the faithful, and chiefly by the sacrifice of the Mass; and this should be diligently taught and proclaimed. The torments there are variously described, but are inventions and mere fictions.
VII. ON THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS That there are seven Sacraments:-Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance [Repentance], Extreme Unction, [Holy] Orders (Ordo), and Matrimony. That there are neither more nor less. That one may be more important (dignus) than another. That they contain grace; and the grace is conferred through them by the act performed. That the Sacraments of the Old Law were of the same number. Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist and Penance have been treated of above. ON THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION:- That it is derived from James v 14, 15. That it is applied to the sick near the end of life, whence it is called the Sacrament of Departing. That if they should recover, it may be applied again. That it is applied by means of oil blessed by a bishop, and with these words, 'May God grant thee indulgence for whatever offence thou hast committed through fault of the eyes, nostrils, or touch.' ON THE SACRAMENT OF ORDERS:- That there are seven orders in the ministry of the priesthood, which differ in rank, and together are called the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, which is as an army set in array. That inaugurations into the ministry are effected by unctions, and by a transference of the Holy Spirit into them. That for the ordinations of bishops and priests no secular power is required, neither is the consent of, vocation by, or authority of a magistrate required. That those who climb up to the ministry, being called and instituted only by secular powers (ab illis), are not ministers but thieves and robbers, who do not enter in by the door. ON THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY:- That dispensation in degrees [of consanguinity] and divorces belongs to the Church. That the clergy may not contract marriage. That all of them are able to have the gift of chastity, and if anyone says that he cannot, even though he has made a vow, let him be anathema; because God does not deny it to them that ask it rightly, neither does he suffer anyone to be tempted more than he can bear. That a state of virginity and celibacy is to be preferred to the conjugial state; besides more.
VIII. ON SAINTS That the saints reigning together with Christ offer up their own prayers to God for men. That Christ ought to be adored, and the saints invoked. That the invocation of saints is not idolatrous, nor opposed to the honour of the one Mediator between God and men. It is called Latria.* That the images of Christ, of Mary Mother of God, and of Saints are to be venerated and honoured, not that any divinity or virtue is believed to be in them, but because the honour which is shown unto them is referred to the prototypes which they represent; and by the images which men kiss, and before which they prostrate themselves and uncover the head, they adore Christ and venerate the saints. That the miracles of God are performed through saints.
IX. ON POWER That the Roman Pope is the successor of the Apostle Peter, and Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church and the universal Bishop. That he is above Councils. That he has the keys to open and shut heaven, thus the power of remitting and retaining sins. Therefore he, as key-bearer of everlasting life, has a right at once to earthly and heavenly empire. That bishops and priests also have such a power from him, because it was given also to the rest of the apostles, and therefore they are styled ministers of the keys. That it belongs to the Church to judge of the true sense and interpretation of Sacred Scripture, and they who go against this should be punished by penalties established by law. That it is not fitting for laymen to read Sacred Scripture, because the meaning thereof is not known except by the Church. Consequently its ministers boast that it is known to them. * Possibly this is an error for Dulia. Lairia = the kind of supreme worship lawfully offered to God alone, opposed to Dulia, that given to saints and angels, and to Hyperdulia, that given to the Virgin.
X. These [statements] are derived from Councils and Bulls, especially from the Council of Trent* and the Papal Bull confirming it, wherein all who think, believe, and act contrary to the things that have been decreed, which are in general those adduced above, they condemn by anathema. * The Council of Trent (or Trento, in the Italian Alps) began in December 1545. There were some lengthy interruptions, but the work was completed in December 1563 under Pope Pius IV, who signed the Bull confirming it on 13th November 1564.
THE DOCTRINAL TENETS OF THE CHURCH AND RELIGION OF THE REFORMED IN A SHORT SUMMARY
Since the Reformed are much treated of in the Apocalypse in its spiritual sense, their Doctrinal Tenets ought also to be disclosed at the outset before the Expositions, and in this order: on God; Christ the Lord; Justification by Faith; Good Works; the Law and the Gospel; Repentance and Confession; Original Sin; Baptism; the Holy Supper; Free-will; and the Church.
I. ON GOD On God the belief is in accordance with the Athanasian Creed, which being readily available is not quoted here. That it is a belief in God the Father as the Creator and Preserver, in God the Son as the Saviour and Redeemer, and in the Holy Spirit as the Enlightener and Sanctifier, is indeed well known.
II[A*]. ON CHRIST THE LORD On the Person of Christ the same doctrine is not taught by all the Reformed. By the LUTHERANS, thus:- That the Virgin Mary did not merely conceive and bring forth very Man, but also the very Son of God, whence she is rightly addressed and revered as the Mother of God. That in Christ there are two natures, the Divine and the Human, the Divine from what is eternal, and the Human in time. That these two natures are personally united, altogether in such a manner that there are not two Christs-one the Son of God, the other the Son of man-but so that one and the same is Son of God and Son of man, not that these two natures are mixed together into one substance, nor that one is changed into the other, but that each nature retains its own properties; and what these are is also described. That the union of these natures is hypostatic, and this is the most perfect communion such as is that of soul and body. Therefore it is rightly said that in Christ God is Man and Man is God. That He did not suffer so greatly for us as a Man only (nudus Homo), but as a Man whose Human nature has so close and ineffable a union and communion with the Son of God, as to become one Person with this. That truly the Son of God suffered for us, but yet in accordance with the properties of the Human nature. That the Son of Man, by which is understood Christ as to the Human nature, was really exalted to the right hand of God when He was taken into God. This was done as soon as He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the mother's womb. That Christ always had that Majesty by reason of the personal union, although in the state of exinanition He only exercised it so far as He saw fit. But after the resurrection He fully and entirely put off the form of a servant, and put the Human nature or essence into the plenary possession of Divine Majesty; and in this manner entered into glory. In a word, Christ is, and to eternity remains, very God and Man in one undivided Person. And being also as to His Human present at the right hand of God, He governs all things in the heavens and on earth, and also fills all things, being with us, and dwelling and operating in us. That there is no difference of adoration, because through the nature that is perceived the Divinity that is not perceived is adored. That the Divine Essence communicates and imparts its own peculiar excellences to the Human nature and performs its own Divine operations through the body as through an instrument. Thus all the fullness of the Divinity dwells in Christ bodily, in accordance with Paul. That the incarnation was accomplished so that He might reconcile the Father to us, and become a victim for the sins of the whole world, original as well as actual. That He was incarnate of (ex) the substance of the Holy Spirit, but the Human nature, which He as the Word assumed and united to Himself, was produced by (a) the Virgin Mary. That He sanctifies those who believe in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts to rule, comfort and vivify them, and defend them against the devil and the force of sin. That Christ descended to the lower regions and destroyed hell for all believers; but in what manner these things were effected, He does not wish them to scrutinise too eagerly, but that knowledge of this matter will be reserved for another age, when not only this mystery but many others also will be revealed. These [statements]** are derived from Luther, the Augsburg Confession, the Nicene Council, and the Schmalcaldic Articles. See the Formula Concordiae. By another section of the Reformed, also treated of in the Formula Concordiae, it is believed that Christ, in accordance with the Human nature, by exaltation received no more than created gifts and finite power, thus that He is a Man like any other, retaining the properties of the flesh. That therefore as to the Human nature He is not Omnipresent and Omniscient. That although absent, He as a King governs things at a distance from Himself. That as God from what is eternal He is with the Father, and as a Man born in time He is with the angels in heaven. Moreover the statement that in Christ God is Man and Man God is a figure of speech; besides other similar things. This difference of opinion, however, does away with the Athanasian Creed, which is received by all in Christendom, where are these words:- The true faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is God and Man, God of the substance of the Father born before the world, and Man of the substance of the mother born in the world; perfect God and perfect Man: Who although He is God and Man, yet there are not two but one Christ; one, not by a conversion of the Divine Essence into the body, but by the taking of His Human into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person; for as the rational soul and body is one man, so God and Man is one Christ. * The number II is repeated at the next section. ** Martin Luther: the German Protestant reformer (1483-1546), whose Ninety-Five Theses posted on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg on 31st October 1517 precipitated the Reformation. The Augsburg Confession: a document prepared by Philip Schwartzerd, known as Melancthon, a gentle classical scholar and friend of Luther. It was read on 25th June 1530 before the Emperor Charles V and a Reichstag held at Augsburg (or Augusta) in Bavaria. The Schmalcaldic Articles: a statement of faith drawn up by Luther and presented to a meeting of theologians and others at Schmalkalden in Thuringia in January 1537. The Formula Concordiae: a Form of Concord prepared by Protestant theologians in 1577 and published on 25th June 1580, the fiftieth anniversary of the Augsburg Confession. Intended to end past controversy, it presented a strictly Lutheran view in much detail. The Nicene Council: a meeting of bishops summoned by the Emperor Constantine in 325. In an effort to counter the Arian heresy the Council formulated 'The Creed of Nicaea', a forerunner of the 'Nicene Creed'.
II [B*]. ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, AND ON GOOD WORKS The justifying and saving faith of the clergy is this:- That God the Father turned Himself away from the human race on account of their iniquities, and so from justice condemned them to eternal death, and that He therefore sent the Son into the world, Who might expiate and redeem them, and make satisfaction and reconciliation; and that the Son did this by taking upon Himself the condemnation of the law and suffering Himself to be crucified, and in this manner as also by obedience He fully satisfied God's justice, even to Himself becoming Justice; and that God the Father imputes and applies this to believers as His merit, and sends them the Holy Spirit, Who produces charity, good works, and repentance as a good tree produces good fruit, and justifies, renews, regenerates, and sanctifies; and that this faith is the one and only means of salvation, and through it alone are a man's sins remitted. They distinguish between the act and state of justification. By the act of justification they understand the beginning of the justification which takes place at the moment when the man through that faith alone lays bold of Christ's merit with confidence. By the state of justification they understand the progress of that faith, which takes place by means of an interior working of the Holy Spirit, which only manifests itself by certain signs, concerning which they teach various things. They also treat of the manifest good works that are done by the man, of his volition, and which follow that faith; but they exclude them from justification because the selfhood (proprium) and thus the merit of the man is in them. This briefly is the present day faith; but the confirmations and teachings thereof are many and complicated, some of which also shall be adduced. These are:-
That men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits or works, but gratuitously for Christ's sake, through faith. By this faith they believe themselves to be received into grace, their sins being remitted for His sake, Who made satisfaction for us by His own death, and that God the Father imputes this to believers for righteousness before Him. That this faith is not only a historical knowledge that Christ suffered and died for us, but is also a heartfelt assent, confidence, and trust that sins are gratuitously remitted for Christ's sake, and that they are justified; and then these three things concur, the gratuitous promise, Christ's merit as the price, and the propitiation. That faith is the righteousness by which we are reputed righteous before God on account of the promise; and to be justified is to be absolved from sins, and it may in some measure also be termed being quickened and regenerated. That faith is reckoned to us for righteousness, not because it is so good a work, but because it lays hold of the merit of Christ. That Christ's merit is His obedience, suffering, death and resurrection. That it is necessary for there to be something through which God can be approached, and this is nothing else but faith by which reception is effected. That in the act of justification faith enters by means of the Word and the hearing, and is not an act of the man, but is the operation of the Holy Spirit: and then the man co-operates no more than a pillar of salt, a stock or a stone, doing nothing of himself and knowing nothing about it. But after the act he does co-operate, yet without any will of his own in spiritual things. In things natural, civil, and moral, it is otherwise. That nevertheless they can make progress in spiritual things so far as to will good and be delighted with it, but this itself is not from their own will, but from the Holy Spirit, and thus they co-operate not from their own powers but from the new powers and gifts that the Holy Spirit has begun in their conversion. Moreover in a true conversion, change, renovation, and movement are effected in the man's understanding and heart. That charity, good works, and repentance do not enter into the act of justification, but they are necessary in the state of justification, especially on account of God's command; and by their means they merit the bodily rewards of this life, but not the remission of sins and the glory of eternal life, because faith alone justifies without the works of the law, and saves. That in the act faith justifies the man, but in the state faith renews him. That in the renovation it is necessary, on account of God's command, that fitting works be done, as the Decalogue prescribes, because God wills that the carnal lusts should be restrained by a civil discipline, and He has therefore given doctrine, laws, public officials and penalties. It follows that it is therefore false that by works we merit the remission of sins and salvation, or that works do anything to preserve faith; and it is false also that a man be reckoned just on account of the justice of his reason and that reason is able of its own powers to love God above all things, and do His law. In a word, that faith and salvation are preserved and retained in men not by means of good works but only through the Spirit of God and through faith. But still good works are testimonies that the Holy Spirit is present and dwells in them. The statement that good works are harmful to salvation is condemned as pernicious, because the interior works of the Holy Spirit that are good should be understood, not the exterior ones proceeding from a man's own will, which are not good but evil, because merit-seeking. Moreover they teach that Christ at the last judgment is going to pronounce sentence upon good and evil works as effects proper and not proper to the man's faith. At the present day this faith reigns in the whole Reformed Christian world with the clergy, but not with the laymen except a very few. For by faith laymen understand nothing else but to believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that he who lives well and believes well will be saved; and of the Lord that He is a Saviour; for they are ignorant of the mysteries of the justification of their preachers, although they preach them until they go in at one ear and out at the other with their lay bearers. Indeed the teachers themselves reckon they are learned as the result of a knowledge of those mysteries, and in their colleges and universities they expend much labour to apprehend them. Therefore it was said above that this faith is the faith of the clergy. Still, however, the teachers teach this same faith in different ways in the kingdoms where the Reformed are. In GERMANY, SWEDEN, and DENMARK:- That the Holy Spirit operates through that faith, and justifies and sanctifies men, and afterwards renews and regenerates them successively, but without the works of the law; and those who are in that faith as the result of trust and confidence are in grace with God the Father; and then the evils that they do indeed appear, but are continually being remitted. In ENGLAND:- That that faith is producing charity unknown to the man and that the man's interiorly feeling the Holy Spirit operating within him is also the good of charity; and that if he does not feel this, and yet does good for the sake of salvation it can be termed good, but still its having merit in it is derived from the man. They also teach that that faith can work this at the last hour of death, although it is not known how. In HOLLAND:- That God the Father for the sake of the Son by means of the Holy Spirit justifies and purifies the man interiorly through that faith, but only as far as the man's own will, from which the faith turns back without touching it. Some teach that it does lightly touch, and that thus the evils of the man's will do not appear before God. Few of the laymen, however, are aware of these mysteries, and [the teachers] are unwilling to publish them just as they are, because they know that the laymen do not relish them. * The number II is repeated from the previous section.
III. ON THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL That the Law has been given by God so that it may be known what sin is, and thus that it may be held off by threat and fear, and thereafter by the promise and announcement of grace. Therefore the chief office of the Law is that original sin and all its fruits may be revealed, and it may be known how horribly man S nature has fallen and to what depths it is depraved. For this reason it thoroughly terrifies, humiliates, and prostrates a man until he despairs of himself, and anxiously desires help. This effect of the Law is called contrition, which is not active or factitious, but passive and a torment of conscience. But the Gospel is the whole doctrine concerning Christ and faith, and thus concerning the remission of sins, consequently a most joyful messenger, not reproving and terrifying, but comforting. By the Law the anger of God upon all impiety is revealed, and the man is condemned, and therefore it causes the man to look to Christ and the Gospel. There must be preaching about both, because they have been joined together. The Gospel teaches that Christ has taken upon Himself every curse of the Law, and has expiated all sins, and that through faith we follow the remission. That it is not by the preaching of the Law but of the Gospel that the Holy Spirit is given and received, and a man's heart is renewed; and the Spirit afterwards makes use of the ministry of the Law to teach and show in the Decalogue what the good will and pleasure of God is. Thus the Spirit mortifies and makes alive. That a distinction should be made between the works of the Law and the works of the Spirit, and therefore the faithful are not under the Law but under grace, for that very reason. That the righteousness of the Law does not justify, that is, it neither reconciles nor regenerates, nor by itself does it render men acceptable to God, but when the Holy Spirit is given, the fulfilling of the Law follows. That the works of the second table of the Decalogue do not justify, because thereby we act with men, and not properly with God, and yet in justification we must act with God. That Christ, because without sin He underwent the punishment of sin and was made a sacrifice on our behalf, endured that right of the Law so that it should not condemn believers, because He is a propitiation for them, for the sake of which they are reckoned righteous.
IV. ON REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION That repentance is composed of two parts, one part being contrition or the terror struck into the conscience on account of sin the other being faith, which is conceived as the result of the Gospel, and comforts the conscience by the remission of sins, and delivers from terrors. He who confesses his whole self to be sin, includes all sins, excludes none, and forgets none. Thus sins are cleansed, the man being purified, rectified and sanctified, inasmuch as the Holy Spirit does not allow sin to have dominion, but represses and restrains it. That the enumeration of sins ought to be free, the person being willing or unwilling, and much should be made of private confession and absolution. Therefore if anyone is willing he can confess his sins and receive absolution from the confessor, and the sins have then been remitted. The words which the minister is then to say in response are, 'May God be propitious to thee and confirm thy faith; be it unto thee as thou believest, and I by command of the Lord remit for thee thy sins'; but others say 'I announce to thee a remission of sins'. But still the sins are remitted neither by repentance nor by works, but by faith. Therefore the repentance of the clergy is only a confession before God that they are sinners, and a prayer that they may continue steadfastly in faith. That expiations and satisfactions are not necessary, because Christ is the Expiation and Satisfaction.
V. ON ORIGINAL SIN They teach that after Adam's fall all men propagated according to nature are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, and with lusts; and this condemns and even now brings eternal death to those who are not born again by Baptism and the Holy Spirit. It is a privation of original righteousness, together with a disordered disposition of the parts of the soul and a corrupt condition. That there is a difference between the nature itself into which man has been created, which nature exists also after the fall and continues to be a creature of God, and original sin. That there is thus a difference between the corrupt nature and the corruption that has been impressed on the nature, through which the nature has been corrupted. That no one save God only is able to separate the corruption of the nature from the nature itself. This is what will be done manifestly in the blessed resurrection, because then the nature itself that the man carries about in the world is going to be resurrected without original sin and enjoy eternal felicity. That the difference is like that between the work of God and the work of the devil. That this sin has not invaded the nature as if Satan had created any evil substantially and mixed that with the nature, but that concreated and original righteousness has been lost. That original sin is accidental; and man by reason thereof is as it were spiritually dead before God. That this evil is covered and pardoned by Christ only. That the seed itself of which man is formed has been contaminated with that sin. That also as a result of this a man receives from his parents depraved inclinations and an internal uncleanness of heart.
VI. ON BAPTISM That Baptism is not simply water, but that it is water taken by Divine command and sealed with the Word of God, and thus sanctified. That the virtue, work, fruit and end of Baptism is that men may be saved and elected into the Christian communion. That through Baptism there is made available victory over death and the devil, the remission of sins, God's grace, Christ with all His works, and the Holy Spirit with all His gifts, and eternal blessedness to all (collectively and individually) who believe. Whether through Baptism faith is also given to infants is too deep a matter for earnest inquiry. That immersion in the water signifies the mortification of the old man and the resurrection of the new. It can therefore be called the bath of regeneration, and a veritable bath in the Word, as well as in the death and burial of Christ. That the life of a Christian, once begun in this manner, is a daily baptism. That the water does not effect this, but the Word of God that is in and with the water, and the faith of God's Word added to the water. It follows as a result that baptism in the Name of God is indeed performed by men; yet it is not done by them but by God Himself. That Baptism does not take away original sin when a depraved lust is extinguished, but it takes away the guilt. But others of the Reformed believe:- That Baptism is an external bathing of water whereby an internal washing from sins is signified. That it does not confer regeneration, faith, God's grace, and salvation, but just signifies and seals them. Also that they are not conferred in and with Baptism, but afterwards as the person grows up. Moreover the grace of Christ and the gift of faith attend only the elect. And because salvation does not depend on Baptism, that it is permitted to be performed by another, failing a regular minister.
VII. ON THE HOLY SUPPER Those of the Reformed who are called Lutheran teach:- That in the Holy Supper or sacrament of the altar, the Body and Blood of Christ are truly and substantially present, and are actually distributed and received together with the bread and wine. That therefore the very Body and Blood of Christ are in, with, and under the bread and wine, and are given to Christians to masticate and drink. That therefore they are not simply bread and wine, but are included and bound up with the Word of God, and this causes them to be Christ's Body and Blood, for when the Word is added to the element it becomes a Sacrament. That nevertheless this is not a transubstantiation such as that of the Papists. That it is food for the soul nourishing and strengthening the new man. That it has been instituted in order that faith may recover and get back its strength, to give remission of sins and the new life that Christ earned for us. That thus the Body and Blood of Christ are taken not only spiritually by faith, but also by the mouth in a supernatural way, by reason of the sacramental union with the bread and wine. That the worth of this Supper rests in obedience alone, and in Christ's merit, which is applied by a true faith. In a word, that the Sacraments of the Lord's Supper and of Baptism are testimonies of the will and grace of God towards men; and the Sacrament of the Supper is a promise of the remission of sins through faith. It moves the heart to believe; and the Holy Spirit works through the Word and the Sacraments. That the consecration of the minister does not produce these [results], but it is to be attributed to the omnipotent virtue of the Lord alone. That the worthy as well as the unworthy receive the very Body and the very Blood of Christ as He hung upon the cross; but the worthy to salvation, the unworthy to damnation. That the worthy are those who have faith. That no one is to be urged to the Supper, but each person may approach when spiritual hunger impels. Others of the Reformed, however, teach:- That in the Holy Supper the Body and Blood of Christ are taken spiritually only, and that the bread and wine there are only signs, types, symbols, tokens, figures and similitudes. That Christ is not present bodily, but only by the virtue and operation out of His Divine essence; but that in heaven there is a conjunction in accordance with the communication of attributes (secundum communicationem idiomatum). That the worth of this Supper depends not only on faith, but also on preparation. That the worthy alone receive its virtue, but the unworthy merely the bread and wine. Although the latter have dissented, yet all the Reformed agree in this, that those who wish to come to that Supper worthily must necessarily practise repentance. The Lutherans [teach] that if they do not repent from evil works, and yet approach, they are damned to eternity; and the English, that otherwise the devil will enter into them as into Judas. This is evident from the prayers read before Communion.
VIII. ON FREE WILL They make a distinction between the states before the fall, after the fall, after the reception of faith and renovation, and after the resurrection. That man since the fall is entirely incapable of beginning, thinking, understanding, believing, willing, operating or cooperating anything in spiritual and Divine things of his own power, or of applying or accommodating himself to grace; but his natural will is only for those things that are against God and displeasing to Him. That thus in spiritual things man is like a stock, but still he has a capacity, not active but passive, by which he can be turned to good through the grace of God. Nevertheless there has remained with man since the fall a free will, to be able or unable to hear the Word of God, and thus a little spark of faith may be kindled in the heart, which embraces the remission of sins for Christ's sake and imparts consolation. That the human will, however, enjoys the liberty of practising civil justice, and of choosing things that are subject to reason.
IX. ON THE CHURCH That the Church is the congregation and communion of saints, and is spread through the entire world among those who have the same Christ, and the same Holy Spirit, and the same Sacraments, whether they have similar or dissimilar traditions. Also that it is principally a society of faith. And that this Church only is the Body of Christ, and the good are the Church in fact and name, but the evil in name only. That the evil and hypocrites, because they are intermixed, are members of the Church according to its external signs, provided they have not been excommunicated, but they are not members of the Body of Christ. That ecclesiastical rites, which are called ceremonies, are matters of indifference (adiaphori), and are neither the worship of God nor a part of the worship of God. That therefore the Church is at liberty to institute, change, and abrogate such things as the distinctions of vestments, times, days, foods, and other things; and therefore one Church should not condemn another on account of such things.
X. These are the Doctrinal Tenets of the Church and Religion of the Reformed in a short summary. Those, however, which the Schwengfeldians, Pelagians, Manichaeans, Donatists, Anabaptists, Arminians, Zwinglians, Anti-trinitarians, Socinians, Arians, and at this day the Quakers and Herrnhuters, teach are passed over, because they are disapproved and rejected as heretical by the Church of the Reformed.