Digging Up an Obscure Theologian: AC V Has a Busy Shovel

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Rev. Jackson, give us a little history lesson on Samuel Huber (c. 1547-1624), professor at the University of Wittenberg circa 1592.

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Tom Hardt has his own little claque in the Olde Synodical Conference. He wrote about Huber, perhaps the first Lutheran UOJ Stormtrooper. Huber was charged with Universalism.

Our investigation will be limited to the question concerning justification, leaving aside other aspects.²³ Huber’s attempt to argue for the notion of a universal justification with reference to certain Scripture passages and to God’s universal will to save all men was met by firm opposition from men such as Egidius Hunnius, Polycarp Leyser and Samuel Gesner. They referred to the fact that the Lutheran confessions did not know of any such concept.²⁴ When confronted with Huber’s interpretation of Romans 5:19b, where he understands “all” to include also unbelievers, his opponents introduce a distinction, saying that “condemnation as far as it concerns the debt belongs to all men but as far as concerns its execution (‘ACTU’) belongs only to impenitents and unbelievers. So the offer of God’s grace and Christ’s merit is universal but as far as it concerns its execution (‘ACTU’) it is limited to believers only, who are excluded from condemnation through the benefaction of Christ, grasped by faith.“²⁵ Hunnius et alii thus do not reject the idea of a universally valid grace. Against Huber, however, they reject the idea that somehow this grace would already be conferred on the individuals through the universality of atonement, a notion that they think to be present in Huber’s works. Huber rejects this accusation as a calumniation, assuring that he has only “called universal justification that whereby God, considering the satisfaction of Christ, has because of this become propitiated toward all mankind, accepting it as if everyone had made satisfaction for himself.“²⁶He assures that every individual must partake of this gift by faith in the Word and the sacraments.²⁷ On the surface this seems to be an assuring convergence of views, which explains the temporary reconciliation between the parties.²⁸

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 Here is another quotation and source linked here: 11. The Huber Controversy (1595). — Samuel Huber, a Reformed preacher in the canton of Berne, became involved in a controversy with Wolfg. Mnsctdus about election, by transcending the Lutheran doctrine, and affirming that all men are predestinated unto salvation, though, through their own fault, all will not be saved. Banished from Berne, he joined the Lutheran Church, and was appointed a preacher in Wiirtemberg. There he accused Prof. Gerlach of Crypto-Calvinism, because he taught that only believers were predestinated to salvation. The controversy was stopped by his being called to Wittenberg. But he thought he discovered similar Crypto-Calvinism in his colleagues there (Polyc. Leyscr and uEgidiusHunnius), and opposed it. All the disputations and conferences upon the subject failed to change his views; and as parties arose among the students, he was dismissed from Wittenberg. He continued the controversy with increasing virulence, and wandered about in Germany many years, endeavoring to propagate his views, but without success. (06. 1624.)