The _Strassburg Formula of Concord_ sets forth the Scriptural and
peculiarly Lutheran point of view in the doctrine of election, according
to which a Christian, in order to attain to a truly divine assurance of
his election and final salvation, is to consider predestination not _a
priori_, but _a posteriori_. That is to say, he is not to speculate on
the act of eternal election as such, but to consider it as manifested to
him in Christ and the Gospel of Christ. Judging from his own false
conception of predestination, Calvin remarked that the _Strassburg
Formula_ did not deny but rather veiled, the doctrine of election,--a
stricture frequently made also on Article XI of the _Formula of
Concord_, whose truly Scriptural and evangelical view of election the
Reformed have never fully grasped and realized.
The _Strassburg Formula_ taught that, in accordance with Rom. 15, 4, the
doctrine of predestination must be presented so as not to bring it into
conflict with the doctrines of repentance and justification nor to
deprive alarmed consciences of the consolation of the Gospel, nor in any
way to violate the truth that the only cause of our salvation is the
grace of God alone; that the consolation afforded by election,
especially in tribulations (that no one shall pluck us out of the hands
of Christ), remains firm and solid only as long as the universality of
God's promises is kept inviolate, that Christ died and earned salvation
for all, and earnestly invites all to partake of it by faith, which is
the gift of grace, and which alone receives the salvation proffered to
all; that the reason why the gift of faith is not bestowed upon all men,
though Christ seriously invites all to come to Him, is a mystery known
to God alone, which human reason cannot fathom; that the will of God
proposed in Christ and revealed in the Bible, to which all men are
directed, and in which it is most safe to acquiesce, is not
contradictory of the hidden will of God. (Loescher, _Hist Mot_. 2, 229;
Frank 4, 126. 262; Tschackert, 560.)
Particularly with respect to the "mystery," the _Strassburg Formula_
says: "The fact that this grace or this gift of faith is not given by
God to all when He calls all to Himself, and, according to His infinite
goodness, certainly calls earnestly: 'Come unto the marriage, for all
things are now ready,' is a sealed mystery known to God alone, past
finding out for human reason; a secret that must be contemplated with
fear and be adored, as it is written: 'O the depth of the riches both of
the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and
His ways past finding out!' Rom. 11, 33. And Christ gives thanks to the
Father because He has hid these things from the wise and prudent and
revealed them unto babes. Matt. 11, 25. Troubled consciences, however,
must not take offense at this hidden way of the divine will but look
upon the will of God revealed in Christ, who calls all sinners to
Himself." This was also the teaching of the contemporary theologians.
Moerlin wrote: "God has revealed to us that He will save only those who
believe in Christ, and that unbelief is chargeable to us. Hidden,
however, are God's judgments--why He converts Paul but does not convert
Caiaphas; why He receives fallen Peter again and abandons Judas to
despair." Chemnitz: "Why, then, is it that God does not put such faith
into the heart of Judas so that he, too, might have believed and been
saved through Christ? Here we must leave off questioning and say, Rom.
11: 'O the depth!'... We cannot and must not search this nor meditate
too deeply upon such questions." Kirchner: "Since, therefore, faith in
Christ is a special gift of God, why does He not bestow it upon all?
Answer: We must defer the discussion of this question unto eternal life,
and in the mean time be content to know that God does not want us to
search His secret judgments, Rom. 11: 'O the depth,' etc." In a similar
way Chemnitz, Selneccer, and Kirchner expressed themselves in their
_Apology of the Book of Concord_, of 1582, declaring that, "when asked
why God does not convert all men, we must answer with the apostle: 'How
unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!' but not
ascribe to God the Lord the willing and real cause of the reprobation
or damnation of the impenitent." (Pieper, _Dogm_. 2, 585f.)