EXORCISM.
This superstitious practice, which consists in a prescribed formula of
adjuration, accompanied by various menacing demonstrations, by the use
of which the priest professes to expel the evil spirits from an
individual, of whom they are supposed to have taken possession, was
practised in the Romish Church, principally before the baptism of
infants. The rite was retained, with an altered interpretation, in
various parts of the Lutheran Church in Europe, for several centuries.
In the American Lutheran Church, it was never received by the fathers
of our church, and is regarded as unscriptural and highly objectionable,
under the most favorable interpretation that can be given it.
As exorcism is not touched by the Augsburg Confession, it is also not
discussed by the Rev. Mr. Mann, in his Plea. But as others have
objected to the Platform for representing it as in any degree a part of
the Symbolic system, we will adduce evidence enough to satisfy every
impartial and reasonable reader, that it was so regarded for several
centuries, by a considerable portion of the Lutheran Church in Europe;
and that the assertion of the Platform, "_that this rite was retained,
with an altered interpretation, in various parts of the Lutheran Church
in Europe, for several centuries_," (p. 23,) is even more than
sustained.
As our church, in common with the other state churches of Europe, is
controlled by the civil government, the ministers and members of the
church were never invited or permitted to deliberate and decide on the
question what books they will receive as symbolical or binding. This
work the political rulers or princes determined for them, in
consultation with some leading divines. Still we may fairly regard those
confessional writings as symbolical, which have been prescribed by the
government, and received and _practiced_ on by the churches. Now, if the
"Taufbuechlein," " Tract or Directory for Baptism," of Luther, _in which
Exorcism is commanded_, was thus prescribed and received [tr. note:
there is a space here which could be meant to contain the word "by"] two
or three principalities or provinces of Europe, the position of the
Platform is vindicated; but the truth is, it was received by entire
kingdoms and provinces, and retained in practice for centuries; so that
the Platform is more than sustained. Let us _first_ hear the testimony
of the best authorities of Germany on the subject, and _then_ sum up
the results.
(_a_) _Dr. Guericke, [Note 1] Professor of Theology at Halle, the author
of a well-known Church History, testifies: "Moreover, the Smaller
Catechism (of Luther) contained, even in the oldest known German
edition, (Wittenberg, 1529,) several forms of prayer, the Family
diretory [sic] or selection of Scripture passages on the
duties of all orders and conditions of men, and the Directory for
marriage and _baptism, all of which supplementary tracts were also
received into the_ FIRST _authentic edition of the German "Book of
Concord_." The baptismal directory was therefore received into the very
first authentic edition of the symbolical books.
(_b_) _Dr. Koellner_, Professor of Theology at Goettingen, in his
excellent "Symbolik," p. 501, states: "There was a Latin Directory for
Baptism extant, (in the Romish church,) which Luther translated into
German unaltered in 1523. It is found in Vol. II. of his works, Jena
edition, pp. 248-252, and Vol. II. All, pp. 304-327. But in 1524 or 1526
he wrote the Baptismal Directory, and brought it into the form in which
it was added to the Catechism. Thus it is found Vol. II. of Altenb. ed.
p. 227. It was therefore added to the Catechism by Luther himself, and
at the earliest period (of the Reformation.) [Note 2] The directory for
the solemnization of matrimony was also added by Luther in the 2d
edition. Both those Tracts were usually published together with the
smaller Catechism; and were also received into the Corpus Thuring. and
into _the first edition of the Book of Concord_, June, 1580."
Again, we see that this Directory for baptism in which exorcism is
prescribed, was not only the production of Luther, but also added by
him to his Catechism, and introduced into the very first collection of
the symbolical book.
(_c_) _Dr. Baumgarten Crusius_, Professor of Theology at Jena, in his
History of Christian Doctrines, Vol. II. p. 322, thus testifies: "By
means of the religiously energetic language of Luther, _exorcism_ was
introduced among his party, and established itself amid much opposition,
(amongst others from the Papists) in rigid opposition to Calvinism, and
as is the case amongst us _at present_, (1846,) from attachment to
ancient, stern orthodoxy, and their idea of genuine Lutheranism, as well
as from the superstitious belief of a magic influence over the kingdom
of evil spirits."--"The liturgic formula (for exorcism) retained in the
Lutheran church, was first zealously espoused by the populace, when the
Crypto-Calvinists especially in Saxony, raised opposition to it; and
since then it has been regarded as a _criterion of Lutheranism_,
although exorcism is not mentioned in the Saxon Articles of Visitation,
and from an early period it was defended by the Lutheran theologians
merely as a free matter of indifference, with only a figurative
meaning." Here we find not only that exorcism has extensively prevailed
in the Lutheran church of Germany, but that as late as 1846, it still
was adhered to by some in Saxony: and that for a long time after the
rise of Crypto-Calvinism in the latter part of the sixteenth century,
adherence to this rite was regarded as a _test_ of genuine Lutheranism.
How vain therefore the attempt to deny that it was regarded as a part of
symbolic Lutheranism in some parts of the church!
(_d_.) _Dr. Augusti_, Professor of Theology at Bonn, and more recently
at Berlin, the celebrated author of numerous works, bears the following
testimony: "At the close of the sixteenth century the vindication of
exorcism was considered a proof of _Lutheran orthodoxy_ in opposition to
the Reformed and Crypto-Calvinists. In the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries there was much contention for and against it; and even in the
_nineteenth_ century its retention or rejection was not yet regarded as
a matter of indifference." p. 350.
(_e_) In _Siegel's_ Manual of Christian Ecclesiastical Antiquities, (a
learned and excellent work in four volumes, published in Leipsic, 1836,)
vol II. p. 64, 65, 67, we find the following testimony: "Inasmuch as he
(Luther) pronounced this rite not indeed as necessary, but yet as
_highly useful_, in order to remind the people very impressively of the
power of sin and the devil; it was not remarkable that the zealous
adherents of Luther were also unwilling to abandon his views on this
subject. Hence we find that _in all countries in which the views and
example of Luther were rigidly adhered to, as in Saxony, Wuertemburg,
Hanover, Sweden, and other places_, a strong attachment to exorcism
prevailed, which was often regarded _as the criterion of orthodoxy_."
"Some Lutherans cherished exorcism with a kind of _passionate
fondness_." "In the sixteenth century exorcism was alternately defended
in one place and disapproved in another; and in the latter half of the
eighteenth, attention was again directed to the subject partly by
accidental circumstances, and partly also by the great changes in the
department of theology. The result has been that exorcism has been
entirely abolished in different individual towns; and in several
countries. This, for example, was the case in Regensburg in 1781, in
Hamburg in 1786, and since 1811, in all Sweden." "In other Protestant
Lutheran Stales, it is still left to the choice of the parents, whether
they will have their children baptised with or without exorcism." "The
author (says Siegel) was himself placed in the unpleasant predicament
in the year 1836," of having been requested to perform baptism with
exorcism!!
(_f_) _Dr. Sigismund J. Baumgarten_ of Halle, one of the most learned
and profound divines that ever adorned the Lutheran church, who himself
published one of the best and the most extensively circulated editions
of the symbolical books in 1747, not only inserts the Directory for
Baptism (which inculcates exorcism) among the symbolical books, but on
p. 637 bears the following testimony: "The Directory for solemnizing
marriage, as well as the following _Directory for Baptism_, are found in
the _oldest Corp. Doctrinae_, in the _Thuringian, Julian, Brandenburg_,
and first DRESDEN EDITIONS, and also subsequently, in the Leipsic and
Reineccian," p. 637.
From these historical testimonies the following points are clearly
established:
1. That the Directory for Baptism, in which _exorcism_ is prescribed,
was certainly received into the first and authentic edition of the
German Book of Concord, or collection of symbolical books. This is
attested by Drs. Guericke, Sig. Baumgarten, and Koellner. It was
subsequently republished in various other editions, down till the recent
editions of Mueller, and also of Ludwig in our own country. In other
editions [Note 3] it was omitted, because in some portions of Germany
exorcism was rejected at an early day, as stated in the History of the
American Lutheran Church.
2. It is proved that the _practice of exorcism_ was for a long time
regarded as a _test of orthodoxy_ in many Lutheran territories of
Germany. Attested by Drs. Augusti, Baumgarten Crusius and Siegel. In
these countries editions of the symbolical books containing the
Baptismal Directory were in use, and the rite was regarded as
symbolical.
3. The rite was received and practised throughout Sweden, the entire
kingdom of Wuertemberg, Hanover, Saxony, &c., &c. Siegel and others.
[sic]
4. It is established incontestibly [sic] that the practice was continued
for centuries in some of these countries, and was but recently renounced
by others. Siegel and others. [sic]
We may therefore well affirm, that the position of the Definite
Platform on this subject has been established beyond the possibility of
serious doubt, namely, "_That this rite was retained, with an altered
interpretation, in various parts of the Lutheran Church in Europe for
several centuries_." p. 23.
As to making the symbolic character of a book depend on its being found
in any particular number of editions or in them all, it is inadmissible,
because, as Dr. Hase remarks, and the respected author of the Plea
admits, the Augsburg Confession is the only one of the Lutheran
symbolical books which has been universally received throughout the
church. These editions, moreover, have been published, some by the civil
governments, and others by private individuals; and the Lutheran church
as such, has never been called on to decide which books are symbolic.
The practice of different portions of the church is different, therefore
the distinction must be made as to the extent to which each book was
received; and as it is certain that exorcism was in some countries and
periods even regarded as a _distinctive test_ of orthodoxy, _then
and there_, this rite must have been regarded as symbolic in the
highest degree.
Note 1. Symbolik, p. 103, n. 2.
Note 2. The original is: Also von Luther selbst und schon in den ersten
_Zeugen_ von ihm dem Katechismus ange haengt." [sic on
punctuation] _Zeugen_ here is evidently a typographical error for
Zeiten.
Note 3. For particulars see the writer's History of the American
Lutheran Church, pp. 239-241.