Faxit Deus omnipotens, Pater Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ut per gratiam Spiritus Sancti omnes in ipso consentientes et concordes simus, atque in consensu pio, qui ipsi probetur, constanter perseveremus. Amen. May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant that by the grace of the Holy Spirit we may all be harmonious and of one accord in him, and may steadfastly persevere in a godly agreement, which may be approved by him. Amen. Art. XII. Art. XII. DE ALIIS HÆRESIBUS ET SECTIS. OF OTHER HERESIES AND SECTS, [Von anderen Rotten und Secten], quæ nunquam Augustanam Confessionem sunt amplexæ. which have never embraced the Augsburg Confession. Ne tacita cogitatione hæreses illæ et sectæ nobis tribuantur, propterea, quod earum in commemorata declaratione expressam mentionem non fecimus: visum est, articulos earum ad calcem {ut dicitur) hujus scripti nude recitare, in quibus nostri temporis hæretici a veritate dissentiunt, et sinceræ nostræ, religioni et confessioni contrarium docent. Lest such heresies and sects should tacitly be attributed to us, for the reason that we have not made express mention of them in the statement given above, it has seemed good simply to recite this document at the end of their articles of belief, wherein the heretics of our time dissent from the truth, and teach contrary to our sound confession and doctrine. Errores Anabaptistarum. Errors of the Anabaptists. Anabaptistæ in multas sectas [viel Haufen] sunt divisi, quarum aliæ plures, aliæ pauciores errores defendunt: generatim [ingemein] tamen omnes talem doctrinam profitentur, quæ neque in Ecclesia, neque in politia [noch in der Polizei und weltlichem Regiment], neque in oeconomia [Haushaltung] tolerari potest. The Anabaptists are divided into many sects, of which some maintain more, some fewer errors. Nevertheless, in a general way, they all profess such a doctrine as can be tolerated neither in the Church, nor by the police and in the commonwealth, nor in daily [domestic and social] life
Articuli Anabaptistici, qui in Ecclesia ferri non possunt. Anabaptist Articles which can not be endured in the Church. I. Quod Christus carnem et sanguinem suum, non e Maria virgine assumserit, sed e coelo attulerit. I. First, that Christ did not assume his flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, but brought them from heaven. II. Quod Christus non sit verus Deus, sed tantummodo cæteris sanctis sit superior, quia plura Spiritus Sancti dona acceperit, quam alius quispiam homo sanctus. II. That Christ is not true God, but is merely superior to other saints, because he has received more gifts of the Holy Spirit than any other holy man whatsoever. III. Quod justitia nostra coram Deo, non in solo Christi merito, sed in renovatione atque adeo in nostra propria probitate, in qua ambulemus, consistat. Ea vero Anabaptistarum justitia magna ex parte electitia et humanitus excogitata quadam sanctimonia constat, et revera nil aliud est, quam novus quidam monachatus. III. That our righteousness before God does not consist in the merit of Christ alone, but in our renewal, and thus in our own uprightness in which we walk. Now this righteousness of the Anabaptists consists in great part in a certain arbitrary and humanly devised sanctimony, and in truth is nothing else than some new sort of monkery. IV. Quod infantes non baptizati coram Deo non sint peccatores, sed justi et innocentes, et in illa sua innocentia, cum usum rationis nondum habeant, sine baptismo {quo videlicet, ipsorum opinione, non egeant) salutem consequantur. Et hoc modo rejiciunt totam de peccato originali doctrinam, reliqua etiam, quæ ex ea dependent. IV. That infants not baptized are not sinners before God, but just and innocent, and in this their innocence, when they have not as yet the use of reason, may, without baptism (of which, to wit, in the opinion of the Anabaptists, they have no need), attain unto salvation. And in this way they reject the whole doctrine of original sin, and all the consequences that follow therefrom. V. Quod infantes baptizandi non sint, donec usum rationis V. That infants ought not to be baptized until they attain the use
consequantur, et fidem suam ipsi profiteri possint. of reason, and are able themselves to profess their faith. VI. Quod Christianorum liberi eam ob causam, quia parentibus Christianis et fidelibus orti sunt (etiam præter et ante susceptum baptismum), revera sancti, et in filiorum Dei numero sint habendi. Qua de causa etiam neque Pædobaptismum magnifaciunt, neque id operam dant, ut infantes baptizentur, quod cum expressis verbis promissionis divinæ (Gen. xvii. 7 sqq. ) pugnat: ea enim tantum ad eos pertinet, qui foedus Dei observant, illudque non contemnunt. VI. That the children of Christians, ou the ground that they are sprung of Christian and believing parents (even apart from and before the receiving of baptism), are in very deed holy, and to be accounted as belonging to the children of God, for which reason they neither make much account of the baptism of children, nor take care to have their children baptized, which conflicts with the express words of the divine promise (Gen. xvii. 7 sqq.): for this only holds good to those who observe the covenant of God, and do not contemn it. VII. Quod ea non sit vera et Christiana Ecclesia, in qua aliqui adhuc peccatores reperiuntur. VII. That that is not a true Christian Church in which any sinners are yet found. VIII. Quod conciones non sint audiendæ ullæ in iis templis, in quibus aliquando Missæ Pontificiæ sunt celebratæ. VIII. That we ought not to listen to any sermons in those churches in which the Papist masses have ever been celebrated. IX. Quod homo pius nihil prorsus commercii habere debeat cum Ecclesiæ ministris, qui Evangelion Christi juxta Augustanæ Confessionis sententiam docent, et Anabaptistarum conciones ac errores reprehendunt, et quod ejusmodi Ecclesiæ ministris neque servire, neque operam locare liceat, sed quod iidem ut perversores IX. That a godly man ought to have no dealings at all with the ministers of the Church who teach the Gospel of Christ according to the tenor of the Augsburg Confession, and rebuke the preachings and errors of the Anabaptists; and that it is not lawful either to serve or to do any work for such ministers of the Church, but that they are to be
verbi divini vitandi et fugiendi sint. avoided and shunned as perverters of the divine Word. Articuli Anabaptistici, qui in Politia [in der Polizei] sunt intolerabiles. Anabaptist Articles which are intolerable in the Commonwealth. I. Quod Magistratus officium non sit, sub Novo Testamento, genus vitas, quod Deo placeat. I. That the office of the magistrate is not, under the New Testament, a condition of life that pleases God. II. Quod homo Christianus salva et illæsa conscientia officio Magistratus fungi non possit. II. That a Christian man can not discharge the office of a magistrate with a safe and quiet conscience. III. Quod homo Christianus illæsa conscientia officium Magistratus, rebus ita ferentibus, adversus improbos administrare et exequi, et subditi potestatem illam, quam Magistratus a Deo accepit, ad defensionem implorare non possint. III. That a Christian man can not with a safe conscience administer and execute the office of a magistrate, if matters so require, against the wicked, nor subjects implore for their defense that power which the magistrate has received of God. IV. Quod homo Christianus sana conscientia jusjurandum præstare, et juramento interposito obedientiam et fidem suo Principi aut Magistratui promittere nequeat. IV. That a Christian man can not with a safe conscience take an oath, nor swear obedience and fidelity to his prince or magistrate. V. Quod Magistratus, sub Novo Testamento, bona conscientia homines facinorosos capitali supplicio afficere non possit. V. That the magistrate, under the New Testament, can not with a good conscience punish criminals with death. Articuli Anabaptistici, qui in OEconomia [Haushaltung] ferri non possunt. Anabaptist Articles which can not be tolerated in daily life. I. Quod homo pius non possit conscientia salva proprium tenere I. That a godly man can not with safe conscience hold or possess
et possidere, sed quod is, quicquid omnino facultatum habeat, id totum in commune conferre [in die Gemein zu geben] debeat. any property, but that whatever means he may possess, he is bound to bestow them all as common good. II. Quod homo Christianus illæsa conscientia neque cauponariam, neque mercaturam exercere, aut arma conficere possit [kein Gastgeber, Kaufmann oder Messerschmidt sein könne]. II. That a Christian man can not with a safe conscience either keep an inn, or carry on trade, or forge weapons. III. Quod conjugibus, propter diversam religionem, divortium facere, et cum alia persona, quæ in religione non dissentiat, matrimonium contrahere liceat. III. That it is permitted married people who think differently in religion to divorce themselves, and to contract matrimony with some other persons who agree with them in religion. Errores Schwencofeldianorum. Errors of the Schwenkfeldians. I. Quod omnes illi, qui Christum, secundum carnem, creaturam esse dicunt, non habeant veram regnantis cælestis Regis agnitionem. I. That all those who affirm Christ, according to the flesh, to be a creature, have no true knowledge of the heavenly king and his reign. II. Quod caro Christi per exaltationem eo modo omnes proprietates divinas acceperet, ut Christus, quatenus homo est, potentia, virtute, majestate, gloria, Patri et to Logo, per omnia, in gradu et statu essentiæ, omnino æqualis sit, ita, ut jam utriusque in Christo naturæ una sit essentia, eædem proprietates, eadem voluntas eademque gloria; et quod caro Christi ad Sacrosanctæ Trinitatis essentiam pertineat. II. That the flesh of Christ through its exaltation has in such wise received all the divine attributes, that Christ, as he is man, is altogether like to the Father and to the Word [Logos] in power, might, majesty, in all things, in grade and state of essence, so that henceforth there is one essence of both natures in Christ, and the same attributes, the same will, and the same glory; and that the flesh of Christ pertains to the essence of the Blessed Trinity.
III. Quod ministerium verbi, prædicatum et auditu perceptum verbum, non sit instrumentum illud, per quod Deus Spiritus Sanctus homines doceat, salutaremque Christi agnitionem largiatur, et conversionem, veram poenitentiam, fidem et novam obedientiam in ipsis efficiat. III. That the ministry of the Word, the Word preached and heard, is not that instrument whereby God the Holy Ghost teaches men, and bestows the salutary knowledge of Christ, and effects conversion, true repentance, faith, and new obedience in them. IV. Quod aqua Baptismi non sit medium, per quod Dominus adoptionem in filiis Dei obsignet, et regenerationem efficiat. IV. That the water of baptism is not a means whereby the Lord seals adoption in the children of God and effects regeneration. V. Quod panis et vinum in Sacra Coena non sint organa, per quæ et cum quibus Christus corpus et sanguinem suum distribuat. V. That the bread and wine in the Holy Supper are not organs by which and with which Christ dispenses his body and blood. VI. Quod homo pius, vere per Spiritum Dei regeneratus, legem Dei in hac vita perfecte servare et implere valeat. VI. That a godly man, truly regenerated by the Spirit of God, has power perfectly to keep and fulfill the law of God in this life. VII. Quod non sit vera Ecclesia Christi, in qua non vigeat publica excommunicatio, et solennis aliquis excommunicationis modus, seu, ut vulgo dicitur, processus ordinarius. VII. That that is no true Church of Christ in which there is not in full force public excommunication, and some formal mode, or, as is commonly said, ordinary process of excommunication. VIII. Quod is Ecclesiæ minister alios homines cum fructu docere, aut vera Sacramenta dispensare non possit, qui ipse non sit vere renovatus, renatus et vere justus. VIII. That a minister of the Church who is not truly renewed, regenerate, and truly righteous, can not fruitfully teach men, or dispense true sacraments. Error Novorum Arianorum. Error of the New Arians. Quod Christies non sit verus, substantialis, naturalis Deus That Christ is not true, substantial, natural God, of the same essence
[wahrhaftiger, wesentlicher, natürlicher Gott], ejusdem cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto essentiæ; sed divina tantum majestate ita cum Patre ornatus, ut Patre sit inferior. with the Father and the Holy Ghost; but that he has merely been in such-wise adorned with divine majesty with the Father, as that he is nevertheless inferior to the Father. Error Antitrinitariorum. Error of the Antitrinitarians. Hæc prorsus nova est hæresis, quæ antehac Ecclesiis Christi ignota fuit, eorum videlicet, qui opinantur, docent et profitentur, non esse unicam tantum divinam et æternam Patris, Filii, et Spiritus Sancti essentiam: sed quemadmodum Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus tres sunt distinctæ persona, ita unamquamque personam habere distinctam, et a reliquis personis Divinitatis separatam essentiam. Et horum alii sentiunt, quod singulæ personæ in singulis essentiis æquali sint potestate, sapientia, majestate, et gloria: sicut alias tres numero differentes homines, ratione essentiæ suæ, sunt a se invicem disjuncti et separati. Alii sentiunt tres illas personas et essentias ita inæquales esse, ratione essentiæ et proprietatum, ut solus Deus Pater verus sit Deus. This is a heresy entirely new, which hitherto has been unknown to the churches of Christ--the heresy, namely, of such as imagine, teach, and profess that there is not one sole divine and eternal essence only of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; but as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons, so each person has a distinct essence, separate from the other persons of the Godhead. And some of these may think that the separate persons, in their separate essences, are of equal power, wisdom, majesty, and glory, as, for instance, three men, differing numerically in respect of their essence, are mutually separate and disjoined. Others think that these three persons and essences are so unequal in respect of essence and attributes, as that God the Father alone is true God. Hos, atque his similes errores omnes, ut eos etiam, qui ab his dependent, et ex his consequuntur, rejicimus atque damnamus: All these errors, and the errors like to these, and also those which depend on these and follow from them, we reject and condemn as