accedens,' that the grace is in, and not merely with or by (mit oder neben), the sacraments. " * He refers to the language of Luther in his Larger Catechism in reference to baptism. Luther says : " Interrogate, quid baptismus sit ? ita responde : non esse prorsus aquam simplicem, sed ejusmodi, quae verbo et praecepto Dei comprehensa, et illi inclusa sit, et per hoc sanctificata ita ut nihil aliud sit, quam Dei seu divina aqua." He adds, however, u non quod aqua haec per sese quavis alia sit praestantior, sed quod ei verbum ac praeceptum Dei accesserit. Quocirca mera sycophantia est et diaboli illusio, quod hodie nostri novi spiritus, ut blasphement et contumelia afficiant baptismum, verbum et institutionem Dei ab eo divellunt, nee aliter intuentur eum, quam aquam e putreo haustam ac deinceps ita blasphemo ore blaterant : Quid vero utilitatis manus aquae plena praestaret animae ? Quis vero adeo vecors et inops animi est, qui hoc ignoret, divulsis bap- tismi partibus, aquam esse aquam ? Qua vero fronte tu tibi tantum sumis, ut non verearis ab ordinatione Dei pretiosissimum KUfxrjXiov avellere, quo Deus illam constrinxit et inclusit, neque inde divelli vult aut sejungi? Quippe verbum Dei, aut prae- ceptum, item nomen Dei, in aqua ipse solet esse nucleus, qui thesaurus ipso coelo et terra omnibus modis nobilior est et prae- stantior." 2
Lutherans are wont to refer to the analogy between the Word and sacraments. The difference between them and the Reformed as to the sacraments, is analogous to the difference between the two churches as to the Word. The Reformed refer the super- natural power of the Word, not to the literal Word as written or spoken ; not to the mere moral truth therein revealed, but to the cooperation, or as Paul calls it, the demonstration, of the Spirit. The Lutherans, on the other hand, teach that there is inherent in the divine Word (not in the letters or the sound but in the truth), a supernatural, divine virtue, inseparable from it, and indepen- dent of its use; and which is the same to believers and unbe- lievers ; sanctifying and saving the former, because of their faith, and not benefiting the latter, because of their voluntary resist- ance. So the sacraments have an inherent, divine power, certain of producing saving effects, if they meet with faith in those who receive them. " The Lutheran Church," says Guerike, " regards the sacraments as actions, wherein God, through external signs by Him appointed, offers and confers his invisible and heavenly
1 Symbolik, Leipzig, 1839, p. 393, note.
a Catechismus Major, par. iv., De Baptismo; Hase, Libri Symbolici, edit. Leipzig, 1848, p. 537
506 PART IH. Ch. XX. — the means of grace.
gifts ; they see in the sacraments visible signs, which in virtue of the divine word of promise pronounced over them, in such sense contain the invisible divine gifts they signify, that they communi- cate them (mittheilen) to all who partake of them, although only to believers to their good." *
This inherent divine virtue of the sacraments does not reside in the elements ; nor does it flow from him who administers them ; nor is it due to the concurrent operation of the Holy Spirit ; but to the Word. The elements employed are in themselves mere elements ; with the Word, they are divinely efficacious, because the divine Word, wherever it is, is fraught with this divine, super- natural, saving, and sanctifying power which always takes effect on those who^have faith to receive it.
Dr. Schmid of Erlangen, however, admits that there is a dif- ference of view on this subject, between the earlier and later theologians of his Church. The former made the sacrament consist of the element and the Word, and referred its supernatural effect to the inherent divine power of the latter, agreeably to Luther's representation in his Larger Catechism, where, when speaking of baptism, he says, in words already quoted : " non tantum naturalis aqua sed etiam divina, ccelestis, sancta et sal- utifera aqua (est) .... hocque nonnisi verbi gratia, quod coeleste ac sanctum verbum est." The later theologians, how- ever, from the time of Gerhard, did not make the sacrament consist of the element and the Word ; but of something terrestrial and something celestial. The former is the element or external symbol, "quod est res corporea visibilis .... ordinata ad hoc ; ut sit rei coelestis vehiculum et medium exhibitivum." The latter, or "res ccelestis," is "res invisibilis et intelligibilis, re terrena visibili, tanquam medio divinitus ordinato exhibita, a qua fructus sacramenti principaliter dependet." According to this view the efficacy of the sacrament does not depend upon the Word, but upon this M res coelestis," of which the " res terrena " is the vehicle and medium. . The office of the Word is to unite the two. It is called the " alnov ttol7jtik6v, hoc est, efficere, ut duse illas partes essentiales unum sacramentum constituant in usu sacramentorum." 2 This doctrine of the later Lutherans is at- tended with serious difficulties. It brings them into conflict with Luther and Lutherans of the older school who are strenuous
1 Guerike's Symbolik, p. 372.
2 Schmid, Die Dogmatik der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche. Frankfort and Erlangen, 1853, pp. 415-417