A Contentious Question (1619)
The Theological Faculty of the University of Wittenberg
In 1619, the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg addressed a
controversy which had erupted between two theologians—Jacob Martini of
Wittenberg and Wenceslas Schilling of Magdeburg—on the topic of whether it is
possible to know the one true God apart from the revelation of Holy Scripture.
The dispute centered on the distinction between the natural knowledge of
God—which is available to all men through the study of nature and
conscience—and the special revelation of the Triune God contained in the Sacred
Scriptures. The opinion of the Wittenberg theological faculty was published
under the title “Streitige Frage” (“A Contentious Question”). Their careful
treatment of this topic is of great value for the Church today, as Syncretistic
controversies continue to emerge. The argumentation of “Streitige Frage”
demonstrates that there are truly no “new questions”—and it offers the modern
reader the response which the fathers in the faith formulated to answer false
teachers in past ages.
Paperback • 42 pages • ISBN 978-1475150421 • $6.99
To order through Amazon, please use this link: http://amzn.com/1475150423
A Clear Explanation of the Controversy Among the Wittenberg Theologians
Concerning Regeneration and Election (1594)
by Aegidius Hunnius, Polycarp Leyser, and Solomon Gesner (The Theological
Faculty of the University of Wittenberg)
trans. by Rev. Paul A. Rydecki
This volume is the formal response of the Theological Faculty of the
University of Wittenberg to the theology of Dr. Samuel Huber concerning the
doctrine of Justification.
From the Introduction: “The matter under controversy is whether, just
as that will of God, the satisfaction of the Son and the promises of the Gospel
are universal, so also election is to be called universal, such as when it is
stated that God elected all men equally to eternal life. Huber affirms this;
the rest of us, his colleagues, deny it. We will disprove the reasons that he
sets forth for his position briefly and in an orderly manner.
“Meanwhile, this must be dealt with first: Since both sides agree about
the universal will of God for the salvation of men and about that general love
of God which Christ mentions in John 3, can this general love and beneficent
will of God be called “election,” and thus, can it be asserted that God elected
the whole world to eternal life?
“Response: For our part, we have no desire to quarrel with anyone over
words or phrases (as long as the matter itself remains secure and there is no
danger near at hand). And for that reason, we do not bring up on charges those
who improperly and mistakenly call that “election” which we have called “the
merciful will of God.” But since Dr. Huber has concluded that the Scripture
everywhere teaches a universal election, properly speaking—so much so that he
writes that all men, truly, properly and unmistakably have been predestined and
elected to salvation; and since he does not wish to acknowledge in any way that
he has improperly said that unbelievers, too (Turks, etc.), are elect; and
since he most absurdly interprets those very passages that deal expressly with
predestination, such as John 7, Romans 8, Ephesians 1, and, similarly, 2 The.
2, 1 Pet. 1 and 2, to be concerning the election of the whole world to eternal
life; since he has not blushed publicly to accuse his dissenters, and
especially us, his colleagues, of Calvinism, in spite of all our merit; we
could not fail to perform this cleansing in the Church of God, and at the same
time come to the aid of the truth in distress and warn about the danger that
exists in this new manner of speaking in which he not only states that the
whole world was elected to eternal life, but also imagines a general
justification in which the whole world has been justified before God, with sin
having been remitted and equally forgiven to all men. In fact, he also imagines
a general adoption, and also a general sanctification of all men, a
regeneration of hypocrites through a Baptism undergone with wicked intent, and
other similar things that we will examine in an orderly fashion.”
Paperback • 86 Pages • ISBN 1891469525 • $7.99
To order A Clear Explanation... through Amazon, use this link:
http://amzn.com/1891469525
To order the Kindle edition, use this link: http://amzn.com/B00BFGFMV0
Rt. Rev. James Heiser, M.Div., S.T.M.
Repristination Press
P.O. Box 173
Bynum, Texas 76631
www.repristinationpress.com
[email protected]
+ Information for Confess And Teach For Unity's eList Subscribers +
Posts to this list are sent by/through the Confess and Teach For Unity List
Administrator at his sole discretion; you are receiving them because you are
*or have been* a subscriber to one or more email lists run by Confess and Teach
for Unity (CAT41.org). If you are no longer on any CAT 41 list and do not wish
to receive such periodic mailings regarding new mail lists and other services,
please click the 'unsubscribe link'.
NOTE: if you are on a CAT 41 list or resubscribe to any CAT 41 list, you will
be re-added to this list, as this list is the venue for necessary system
notices, etc. Whatever 'advertising' or reviews of sound, Lutheran products are
provided here are what we do for free, instead of making money off of ads that
are offensive, etc., as other 'Lutheran' services do.]
Unless otherwise noted, posts from this list may be forwarded and/or
republished via other media, provided they are not altered and list
subscription information is included.
+ + + Confess and Teach for Unity <http://www.CAT41.org> + + +
_______________________________________________
Update mailing list
[email protected]
http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/update
