To restore Luther's doctrine, such was the declared purpose of the
promoters and authors of the _Formula of Concord_. And in deciding the
controverted questions, they certainly did most faithfully adhere to
Luther's teaching. The _Formula_ is an exact, clear, consistent, and
guarded statement of original Lutheranism purified of all foreign
elements later on injected into it by the Philippists and other
errorists. It embodies the old Lutheran doctrine, as distinguished not
merely from Romanism and Calvinism, but also from Melanchthonianism and
other innovations after the death of Luther. Surely Luther would not
have hesitated to endorse each and all of its articles or doctrinal
statements. Even Planck, who poured contempt and sarcasm on the loyal
Lutherans, admits: "It was almost beyond controversy that the _Formula_,
in every controverted article, established and authorized precisely the
view which was most clearly sanctioned by the _Unaltered Augsburg
Confession_, by its _Apology_ according to the edition of the year 1531,
by the _Smalcald Articles_, and by the Catechisms of Luther." (6, 697.)
This complete agreement with Luther also accounts for the fact that the
_Formula_ was immediately acknowledged by two-thirds of the Protestants
in Germany.
As for Luther, the _Formula of Concord_ regards him as the God-given
Reformer and teacher of the Church. We read: "By the special grace and
mercy of the Almighty the doctrine concerning the chief articles of our
Christian religion (which under the Papacy had been horribly obscured by
human teachings and ordinances) _were explained and purified again from
God's Word by Dr. Luther, of blessed and holy memory_." (847, 1.) Again:
"In these last times God, out of special grace has brought the truth of
His Word to light again from the darkness of the Papacy _through the
faithful service of the precious man of God, Dr. Luther_." (851, 5.)
Luther is spoken of as "this highly illumined man," "the hero illumined
with unparalleled and most excellent gifts of the Holy Ghost," "the
leading teacher of the _Augsburg Confession_." (980, 28; 983, 34.) "Dr.
Luther," says the _Formula_, "is to be regarded as the most
distinguished (_vornehmste, praecipuus_) teacher of the Churches which
confess the _Augsburg Confession_, whose entire doctrine as to sum and
substance is comprised in the articles of the _Augsburg Confession_."
(985, 41.) Again: "Dr. Luther, who, above others, certainly understood
the true and proper meaning of the _Augsburg Confession_, and who
constantly remained steadfast thereto till his end, and defended it,
shortly before his death repeated his faith concerning this article [of
the Lord's Supper] with great zeal in his last Confession." (983, 33.)
Accordingly, only from Luther's writings quotations are introduced by
the _Formula_ to prove the truly Lutheran character of a doctrine. In
this respect Luther was considered the highest authority, outweighing by
far that of Melanchthon or any other Lutheran divine. Everywhere
Luther's books are referred and appealed to, _e.g._, his "beautiful and
glorious exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians," his
book concerning Councils, his _Large Confession_, his _De Servo
Arbitrio_, his _Commentary on Genesis_, his sermon of 1533 at Torgau,
etc. (925, 28; 937, 67; 823, 21; 897, 43; 827, 2; 1051, 1; cf. 1213ff.)
Luther's doctrine, according to the _Formula of Concord_, is embodied in
the old Lutheran symbols, and was "collected into the articles and
chapters of the _Augsburg Confession_." (851, 5.) The _Augsburg
Confession_, the _Apology_, the _Smalcald Articles_, and the _Small_ and
the _Large Catechism_, says the _Formula_, "have always been regarded as
the norm and model of the doctrine which Dr. Luther, of blessed memory,
has admirably deduced from God's Word, and firmly established against
the Papacy and other sects; and to his full explanations in his
doctrinal and polemical writings we wish to appeal, in the manner and as
far as Dr. Luther himself in the Latin preface to his published works
has given necessary and Christian admonition concerning his writings."
(853, 9.) According to the _Formula_ there were no dissensions among the
Lutherans "as long as in all articles there was on all sides a unanimous
adherence to the pure doctrine of the divine Word _as the sainted Dr.
Luther explained it_." (851, 2.) Melanchthon, Agricola, Osiander, Major,
and the Philippists, departing from Luther, struck out on paths of their
own, and thus gave rise to the controversies finally settled by the
_Formula of Concord_.
As for the _Formula of Concord_ itself, the distinct object also of its
promoters and authors was to restore, reaffirm, and vindicate the
doctrine of Luther. In a letter of July 24, 1576, to Hesshusius and
Wigand, Andreae giving an account of the results of the Torgau
Convention, remarks: "For this I dare affirm and promise sacredly that
the illustrious Elector of Saxony is bent on this alone that the
doctrine of Luther, which has been partly obscured, partly corrupted,
partly condemned openly or secretly, shall again be restored pure and
unadulterated in the schools and churches, and accordingly Luther shall
live, _i.e._, Christ, whose faithful servant Luther was--_adeoque
Lutherus, hoc est, Christus, cuius fidelis minister Lutherus fuit,
vivat_. What more do you desire? Here [in the _Torgau Book_] nothing is
colored, nothing is dressed up, nothing is concealed, but everything is
in keeping with the spirit of Luther which is Christ's. _Nihil hic
fucatum, nihil palliatum, nihil tectum est, sed iuxta spiritum Lutheri,
qui Christi est_." (Schaff 1, 339.) Also the _Formula of Concord_,
therefore, contains Luther's theology.
It has been asserted that the _Formula of Concord_ is a compromise
between Luther and Melanchthon, a "synthesis or combination of the two
antagonistic forces of the Reformation, a balance of mutually
destructive principles," etc. The _Formula_, says also Seeberg
represents a "Melanchthonian Lutheranism." But the plain truth is that
the _Formula_ is a complete victory of Luther over the later Melanchthon
as well as the other errorists who had raised their heads within the
Lutheran Church. It gave the floor, not to Philip, but to Martin. True,
it was the avowed object of the _Formula_ to restore peace to the
Lutheran Church, but not by compromising in any shape or form the
doctrine of Luther, which, its authors were convinced, is nothing but
divine truth itself. In thesis and antithesis, moreover, the _Formula_
takes a clearly defined stand against all the errorists of those days:
Anabaptists, Schwenckfeldians, Antitrinitarians, Romanists, Zwinglians,
Calvinists, Crypto-Calvinists, Adiaphorists, Antinomians, Synergists,
Majorists, the later Flacianists, etc. It did not acknowledge, or leave
room for, any doctrines or doctrinal tendencies deviating in the least
from original genuine Scriptural Lutheranism. At every point it occupied
the old Lutheran ground. Everywhere it observed a correct balance
between two errors (_e.g._, Romanism and Zwinglianism, Calvinism and
synergism, Majorism and antinomianism); it steered clear of Scylla as
well as Charybdis avoiding errors to the right as well as pitfalls to
the left. The golden highway of truth on which it travels was not
Melanchthon nor a middle ground between Luther and Melanchthon, but
simply Luther and the truths which he had brought to light again.
Melanchthonianism may be defined as an effort to inoculate Lutheranism
with a unionistic and Calvinistic virus. The distinct object of the
_Formula_, however, was not merely to reduce, but to purge the Lutheran
Church entirely from, this as well as other leaven. The _Formula's_
theology is not Lutheranism modified by, but thoroughly cleansed from,
antinomianism, Osiandrianism, and particularly from Philippism.
Accordingly, while in the _Formula_ Luther is celebrated and quoted as
the true and reliable exponent of Lutheranism, Melanchthon is nowhere
appealed to as an authority in this respect. It is only in the _Preface
of the Book of Concord_ that his writings are referred to as not to be
"rejected and condemned", but the proviso is added, "in as far as
(_quatenus_) they agree throughout with the norm laid down in the _Book
of Concord_." (16.)