H. Schmid, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
PART IV.
OF THE MEANS OF GRACE.
S: 50. Preliminary Statement.
THE Holy Ghost employs external and visible means, by which He produces
in men the effects above described, [1] and appropriates to them
salvation in Christ, and we can only then consider an effect as
certainly produced by the Holy Spirit when it has been brought to pass
through these external means. [2] These means of grace, as they are
called, are the Word of God and the Sacraments. All those, then, who
through these means have become partakers of the salvation in Christ,
constitute an association which we call the Church.
Part IV, hence, treats, (1) Of the Word of God; (2) Of the Sacraments
as the means of grace; (3) Of the Church. [3]
CHAPTER I.
OF THE WORD OF GOD.
IN treating of the Word of God, [4] we consider its efficacy, and the
division of its contents.
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S: 51. The Efficacy of the Word of God.
As the Holy Spirit, through whom alone men are converted, operates only
by the Word, this Word must possess the power of producing in man all
those effects which are described in the preceding article, On the
State of Grace. And this power is of such a character that it is always
attended with success when no opposition is made to it on the part of
man. [5] Hence the Word is endowed with efficacy, i.e., "it has an
active, supernatural, and truly divine force or power of producing
supernatural effects; in other words, of converting, regenerating, and
renewing the minds of men." Hence the Word of God does not confine
itself merely to teaching man externally the way of salvation and
showing him the means whereby to attain it. [6] Its power is not to be
compared to the convincing force which even an eloquent human discourse
possesses; hence its power is not a natural one, such as dwells in
every human word, but it is supernatural. [7] This power is inherent in
the Word because the Holy Ghost attends it; from the moment that a Word
of God is uttered, the Holy Ghost is inseparably and continually
connected with it, [8] so that the power and efficacy of the Word is
fully identical with that of the Spirit. [9] This is a truly divine
efficacy; [10] and, just as we cannot conceive of the Holy Ghost as
separate from this efficacy, so neither can we conceive of the Word of
God as independent of it. [11] We are not, then, in any way to
represent to ourselves the relation of the Word and the Spirit as
though the Word were merely the lifeless instrument which the Holy
Ghost employed, [12] or as though the Spirit, when He wished to operate
through the Word, must always first unite Himself with it, as if He
were ordinarily separated from it. [13]
[1] QUEN. (IV, 1): "We have heretofore treated of the grounds of our
salvation; we must now consider the means by which we attain to it. The
means, properly so called, on the part of God, are the Word and
Sacraments, the saving antidotes to our spiritual disease."
The Word and Sacraments are also designated as means of salvation under
the general idea of the Word -- as the Sacraments are designated as the
Visible Word.
CONF. AUG. (V, 2). FORM. CONC. (Sol. Dec., XI, 76): "The Father will
draw none to Himself without means, but He employs His Word and
Sacraments as the ordinary means and instruments." ART. SMALCALD.
(VIII, 3): "We must firmly maintain that God bestows His Spirit and
grace on none unless through the Word and by the external Word
previously declared, that we may fortify ourselves against the
Enthusiasts, who boast they have the Spirit before the Word and without
it, and therefore judge, bend, and distort the Scriptures, or oral
Word, as they please, as Muenzer did, and many others at present do,
who wish to discriminate very acutely between the Spirit and the
letter." HOLL. (991): "The means of salvation are divinely ordained, by
which God graciously offers the salvation acquired by Christ, the
Mediator, to all men who have fallen into sin, and bestows and
preserves true faith in them, and at last introduces all who embrace
the merit of Christ and persevere in it into the kingdom of glory."
[2] FORM. CONC. (Sol. Dec., II, 56): "We should not and cannot always
judge of the presence, operations, and gifts of the Holy Spirit from
our feelings (the manner and time, viz., when they are experienced in
the heart); but, inasmuch as these are often cloaked under much
infirmity, we should be convinced from the promise that the Word of God
preached and heard is assuredly the ministry and instrument of the
Spirit, by which He truly and efficaciously operates in our hearts."
[3] From what was said in the remarks preliminary to the articles on
Faith and Justification, it follows that we cannot entirely adhere to
the systematic division of the Dogmaticians in this Part IV. They do
not treat, namely, of Faith and Works until under this head, and they
call Faith also a means of salvation, according to which, therefore,
they embrace more than do we under the phrase, means of salvation. This
they can do, because they distinguish between "the means of salvation
on the part of God, dotika, or those offering salvation (the Word and
Sacraments), and the means of salvation on our part, leptikon, or that
apprehending the offered salvation (faith in the merit of Christ)." In
this section the Dogmaticians also treat the subject of the last things
(death, resurrection of the dead, etc.), inasmuch as they designate
these as means "in a general sense, or executive and isagogical, that
is, means divinely instituted, without the previous occurrence of which
God does not accomplish the sentence of glorification, and by the final
intervention of which men persevering in the faith are introduced into
heaven."
QUEN. (I, 170): "When we attribute to the Word a divine power and efficacy to produce spiritual effects, we wish not to be understood as speaking of the Gospel only, but also of the Law. For, although the Law does not produce these gracious results directly and per se, i.e., kindle faith in Christ and effect conversion, since this is rather to be ascribed to the Gospel, still the letter is not on this account dead, but is efficacious after its kind: for it killeth, 2 Cor. 3:6; it worketh wrath, Rom. 4:15, etc. [6] HOLL. (992): "The efficacy of the divine Word is not only objective or significative, like the statue of Mercury, for instance, which points out the path, but does not give power or strength to the traveler to walk in it, but it is effective, because it not only shows the way of salvation, but saves souls." [7] QUEN. (I, 170): "The Word works not only by moral suasion, by proposing a lovely object to us, but also by a true, real, divine, and ineffable influence of its gracious power, so that it effectually and truly converts, illuminates, etc., the Holy Spirit operating in, with, and through it; for in this consists the difference between the divine and the human word." BR. (123): "(The Holy Scriptures have an active, supernatural force or power) which is to be sought neither in the elegance of their style, nor in the sublimity of their thoughts, nor in the power of their arguments; but it is far superior to every created and finite agency."
[8] HOLL. (993): "A divine power is communicated to the Word by the Holy Spirit joined with it indissolubly." Hence, there is a native or intrinsic power and efficacy belonging to the Word, deeply inherent in it. The Dogmaticians draw proofs of this, (1) From the qualities which the divine Word ascribes to itself, John 6:63; Rom. 1:16; Heb. 4:12, 13; 1 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:23; James 1:21. (2) From the similar supernatural and divine operations which are ascribed to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, ex. gr., calling, 2 Tim. 2:14; illumination, 2 Pet. 1:19; conversion, Jer. 23:29; regeneration, 1 Pet. 1:23; justification, 2 Cor. 3:9; sanctification, John 17:17. (3) HOLL. (ib.): "The Word of God, as such, cannot be conceived of without the divine virtue, or the Holy Spirit, who is inseparable from His Word. For if the Holy Spirit could be separated from the Word of God, it would not be the Word of God or of the Spirit, but a word of man. Nor is there any other Word of God, which is in God, or with which men of God have been inspired, than that which is given in the Scriptures or is preached or treasured up in the human mind. But, as it cannot be denied that that is the divine will, counsel, mind, and the wisdom of God, so it cannot be destitute of the divine virtue or efficacy." [9] QUEN. (I, 183): "We are to assume here not only a certain conjunction or union of distinct actions, or even a unity of aims or effects, but also a unity of energy and operation. For the Holy Spirit does not by Himself do something, and the Word of God by itself something else, in the conversion of men; but they produce the one effect by one and the same action. For such is the peculiar nature of the principal and subordinate causes, intrinsically united together, that they produce an effect by one and the same action. Thus the soul and the eye see by a single action, and not by distinct actions." [10] BR. (1124): "Truly that same infinite virtue which is essentially per se and independently in God, and by which He enlightens and converts men, is communicated to the Word, and, although it is communicated to the Word, yet it must be considered as divine." . . . But it by no means follows from this that there is a commingling of God and the Word in regard to this divine power; hence BR. (128) says: "They frequently and diligently impress it upon us that the same virtue belongs to God and the Scriptures, but not in the same way; for that of God is essential, fundamental, original, and independent, while that of the Scriptures is dependent and participative or derived." . . . Hence it is said of the Word that it exhibits its power and efficacy organikos, or instrumentally . . . . QUEN. (I, 172): "The divine Word is not the principal agent in the work of conversion, regeneration, and salvation, but it is only a suitable means or organ which God ordinarily uses in producing spiritual effects, not indeed by necessity or indigence, as if He so bound His efficacy in the conversion of men to His Word that He could not convert men without any means, or by any other means or organ than His Word if He wished, but of His own free will, because thus it pleased Him. 1 Cor. 1:21." [11] QUEN. (I, 170): "Whether the Word be read or not, whether it be heard and believed or not, yet the efficacy of its spiritual effects is always intrinsically inherent in it by the divine arrangement and communication, nor does this divine efficacy only come to it when it is used. For the Word of God, as such, cannot even be conceived of apart from the divine virtue and gracious working of the Holy Spirit, because this is inseparable from the Word of God." HOLL. (993) uses the following figures: "It possesses and retains its internal power and efficacy even when not used, just as the illuminating power of the sun continues, although, when the shadow of the moon intervenes, no person may see it; and just as an internal efficacy belongs to the seed, although it may not be sown in the field."The Lutheran theologians, in general, had reason to illustrate very particularly the doctrine of the operation of the Word of God, in order to oppose the Enthusiasts and Mystics, who held that the Holy Spirit operated rather irrespectively of the Word than through it; and to oppose also the Calvinists, who, led by their doctrine of predestination, would not grant that the Word possessed this power per se, but only in such cases where God chose. Hence the position that the Word also possessed a power extra usum was specially defended against Rathman (1628), who denied it, and who appears to have maintained only an objective efficacy of the Word of God. (QUEN. (I, 174) gives the following opinions of Rathman: "Rathman compares the Word of God to a statue of Mercury, to a picture, to a sign, and even to a channel; namely, to instruments altogether passive and inoperative. He asserts, moreover, that the divine efficacy is external to the Word of God, separable from it at any moment, and merely auxiliary (parastatikon); that the Holy Spirit with His virtue joins Himself to the Word only in the mind or heart of man, and only then when it is legitimately and savingly used.") But an efficacy extra usum must necessarily be maintained, if the Word of God is not to be put on a precise level with every human word.
HOLL. (992) thus sums up the doctrine: "The Word of God is the most efficacious means of salvation, for its power and efficacy are not only objective, but also effective; not consisting in moral suasion, but in supernatural operation; not external and coming to it when used by men, but intrinsic in the Word; not accidental, but necessary, by a divinely ordained necessity, and therefore not separable, but perpetual, inherent in the Word itself extra usum, as the first act. This efficacy is truly divine, producing the same effect as the Holy Spirit, who is perpetually united with the Word, which (effect) the Spirit influences together with the Word, by the divine power which belongs to the Holy Spirit originally and independently, but to the divine Word communicatively and dependently, on account of its mysterious, intimate, and individual union with the Spirit."
[15] FORM. CONC. (V, 5): "We hold the Gospel to be specifically that doctrine which teaches that man should believe, who has not kept the Law, and is therefore condemned by it; namely, that Jesus Christ has expiated and made satisfaction for all sin, and thus has procured remission of sin, righteousness before God, and eternal life, without any merit intervening on the part of the sinner." FORM. CONC. (V, 21): "Everything that consoles terrified minds, everything that offers the favor and grace of God to transgressors of the Law, is properly called the Gospel, i.e., the cheering message, that God does not wish to punish our sins, but for Christ's sake to forgive them." BR. (631): "The Gospel is the doctrine of the grace of God and of the gratuitous pardon of sin for the sake of Christ the Mediator, and His merit apprehended by faith." Hence, as far as this grace is declared in the Old Testament, so far does it also contain the Gospel. (Note 1.) Hence, BR. (ib.): "This doctrine was revealed not only in the New Testament, but also in its own way in the Old Testament (in the New more clearly)." Such intimations in the Old Testament are cited as occurring, not only in the protevangelium to the patriarchs and prophets, but also in the Ceremonial Law. BR. (632): "It is certain that those things which were contained in the ceremonial laws, had the force of Law, so far as they commanded certain acts and rites; yet as far as they represented Christ the Mediator, and His merit to be apprehended by faith, by certain rites, such as types and shadows, they are properly to be considered as Gospel." As to the relation of the Law and Gospel to the Old and New Testaments, QUEN. (IV, 61) says: "The Old Testament and the Law, and the New Testament and the Gospel, are not identical, but distinct; for they differ as the containing and the contained. For the Old Testament contains the Law as its part, but not to the exclusion of the Gospel, and the New Testament contains the Gospel as its portion, but not to the exclusion of the Law; and thus the evangelical intention of God respecting the remission of sin, grace, and salvation through the death of Christ, is declared not only in the books of the New, but also in those of the Old Testament." The word Gospel can also be used in various senses. HOLL. (1032): "Generally, but with less propriety, the word is used to designate the whole doctrine of the New Testament, taught by Christ and the Apostles, Mark 1:1; 16:15. Specially, for the doctrine of grace and the gratuitous remission of sin to be obtained by faith in Christ, whether proposed in the Old or New Testament, Rom. 10:15; Heb. 4:2. Most particularly, for the doctrine concerning the Messiah already manifested, Rom. 1:1." Here the word is taken in the second sense, for we are to describe that effect of it, which is different from the effect of the Law. (HOLL. (ib.): "In this special sense, the Gospel is sufficiently contradistinguished from the Law.") In the proper discrimination of these senses, the question is also settled, whether the Gospel also preaches repentance. FORM. CONC. (ep. V, 6): "We believe, etc., that if by the word Gospel be meant the whole doctrine concerning Christ [taken, therefore, in the general sense] which He taught in His ministrations, that we properly say and teach, that the Gospel is a preaching of repentance and the remission of sins. But when the Law and the Gospel, Moses himself, as a teacher of the Law, and Christ Himself, as a teacher of the Gospel, are compared together, we believe, teach, and confess, that the Gospel does not preach repentance or reprove sin, but properly is nothing else than a more cheering message and an announcement full of comfort."
[1] BR. (639): "Since, besides the Word of God, the Sacraments also are means of regeneration, conversion, and renovation, and therefore of conferring, sealing, and increasing faith, we must also treat more particularly of these." [2] QUEN. (IV, 73): "God has added to the Word of the Gospel as another communicative (dotikon) means of salvation, the Sacraments, which constitute the visible Word." Strictly speaking, there is but one means of salvation, which is distinguished as the audible and visible Word; through both one and the same grace is imparted to man, at one time through the mere Word, at another through the external and visible element.
[10] AP. CONF. (IV, 47): "The Sacraments are efficacious, even if they be administered by wicked ministers, because the ministers officiate in the stead of Christ and do not represent their own person." QUEN. (IV, 74): "The Sacraments do not belong to the man who dispenses them, but to God, in whose name they are dispensed, and therefore the gracious efficacy and operation of the Sacrament depend on God alone, 1 Cor. 3:5, and not on the character or quality of the minister. The dispute about the intention of the minister is more intricate. Propriety requires that he who administers the Sacraments should bring to the altar a good intention of performing what God has commanded and instituted: a mind not wandering but collected and fixed. It is absolutely necessary that the intention of Christ be observed in the external act. I say in the external act, for the intention of the minister to perform the internal act is not necessary; that is performed by the Church. On the other hand, the Church of Rome teaches that the intention of the minister is necessary to the integrity, verity, and efficacy of the Sacrament; that this intention has respect not only to the external act of administering the Sacrament according to the form of the institution, but to the design and effect of the Sacrament itself. Thus the Council of Trent: If any one declare that the intention of doing what the Church does is not required in the ministers, while they dispense the Sacraments, let him be anathema.'" (78).
HOLL. (1061): "Faith is necessarily required in order to the reception of the salutary efficacy of the Sacrament." Id. (1064): "The Sacraments confer no grace on adults, unless when offered they receive it by true faith, which existed in their hearts previously. In infants, the Holy Spirit kindles faith by the Sacrament of initiation, by which infants receive the grace of the covenant."
CHMN. (II, 35): "The Ap. CONF. correctly declares that the effect, virtue or efficacy of the Word and of the Sacraments, which are the seals of the promises, is the same . . . . As, therefore, the Gospel is the power of God unto the salvation of every one that believeth, not because there is any magical force in the letters, syllables, or sounds of the words, but because it is the means, organ, or instrument by which the Holy Spirit is efficacious, proposing, offering, presenting, distributing, and applying the merit of Christ and the grace of God to the salvation of every one that believeth; so also is power and efficacy attributed to the Sacraments, not because saving grace is to be sought in the Sacraments above and beyond the merit of Christ, the mercy of the Father, and the efficacy of the Holy Spirit, but that the Sacraments are instrumental causes in this way, that through these means or organs the Father desires to present, bestow, and apply His grace, the Son to communicate His merit to believers, and the Holy Spirit to exercise His efficacy for the salvation of everyone that believeth. As, according to this, the Sacraments effect the same grace as the Word, the question may arise, Why has God employed a twofold means to this end? CHMN. (Ex. C. Trid., II, 29) answers: "To such attacks and to the clamors of fanatics, we properly reply from the Word of God, that the Sacraments which God has instituted to be aids to our salvation can in no way be considered either useless or superfluous, or be safely neglected and despised . . . . And, indeed, (as Chrysostom says) if we were angels, we would need no external sign; but our carnal infirmity hinders, disturbs, distracts, and weakens our faith. For it is hard to continue firmly persuaded of those things proposed in the Word which are not apparent to the senses . . . . Moreover faith, when it determines that the divine promise is in general a living one, is yet principally concerned about the question, Does this promise belong to me individually? . . . God, therefore, who is rich in mercy . . . desires to present His grace to us only in one way, that is, by His mere Word; but He desires also to help our infirmity by certain aids, namely, by Sacraments instituted and annexed to the promise of the Gospel, i.e., by certain signs, rites, or ceremonies obvious to the senses, that by them He might admonish, instruct, and make us sure that what we see performed in a visible manner, externally, is effected internally in us by the power of God." "In this way the Sacraments are, in respect to us, signs confirming our faith in the promise of the Gospel; in respect to God, they are organs or instruments, through which God in the Word presents, applies, seals, confirms, increases, and preserves the grace of the Gospel promise in believers. The grace tendered in the Word is not different from that tendered in the Sacraments, nor is the promise in the Gospel different from that in the Sacraments; but the grace is the same and the Word one and the same except that in the Sacraments the Word is rendered visible, as it were, on account of our infirmity, by signs divinely appointed." The question of the necessity of the Sacraments is thus decided by CHMN. (Ex. C. Trid., II, 30): "The Sacraments are necessary both by reason of the infirmity of our faith, which needs aids of this kind, and by reason of the divine institution . . . . And in this sense we not unwillingly grant that the Sacraments are necessary to salvation, as the instrumental cause; but yet this declaration is to be added, that the necessity of the Sacraments to salvation is not so precise as that of faith and the Word . . . . But if any one have true faith in Christ form hearing the Word, and if the ability to use the Sacraments according to the divine institution be not conceded him, in such a case surely the necessity of the Sacraments to salvation is not to be considered an absolute; for then salvation would be denied to those who have no ability to use the Sacraments, although they embrace Christ as their Saviour by faith in the Word."
