The inspiration of scripture as taught by the seventeenth century Lutheran dogmaticians

Abstract

There are two reasons which Justify an Investigation into the position of the seventeenth century Lutheran dogmatlciens regarding the inspiration of Scripture, In the first place the dogmatic!ans have had no small theological influence upon their Lutheran posterity even down to the present day, Succeeding generations of Lutherans have always studied their theology, though often superficially, unsyspatheticslly and unfortunately from seeundary sources. Their theological tenets and even their terminology and theological method have persisted in certain quarters to this day. This influence is an undeniable fact although many Lutherans today do not realise it and many others would not core to admit it, And this Influence has mode itself felt not only in conservative Lutheran circles but also In the liberal branches of the Lutheran church, K, Base's book, iiutterua redivlvu?. and Lutherdt'e Compendium der Do^nntik. which has now gone through fourteen editions, have both served to stimulate interest in the theology of the dogmatic!ens on the part of liberal Lutheran! em in Germany, Among the conservatives Phllippi, who believed in the verbal inspiration of the Bible, shows his regard for and dependence on the dogmatic!ans In hi a iilrcbliche Glsubenelehre and draws heavily from then In his prolegomena and consideration of Scripture, In America Heinrloh Cchald's very useful book, Lie hog-at lk der evangelisch-lutherischen i!rche. has been translated into English and has received wide circulation in liberal circles. The tremendous influence effected by the old dograaticians upon the large conservative segment of the Lutheran church in America Is indicated In Franz Pieper's Christliohe Dogmatik. now being translated Into English, and Adolf Hoenecke'e Ev. Luth. Doffmatlk. the two most exhaustive dogmatical works written by Lutherans In America. Both Pieper and H0eneoke evince a profound respect toward the seventeenth century dogaaticians es theologians, and in their- treatment of Scripture they follow the dogmatlclans very closely.

In the second place the attitude of the old dograoticlans toward Scripture has been the chief point where they, as representatlves of seventeenth century Lutheran orthodoxy, are remembered and Judged. No other era in Lutheran church history has been depicted by historians, even Lutheran historians, with such a spirit of antagonism, no other era has been described with such lack of sympathy and censured with such lack of Justification, as the period which these men dominated. The seventeenth century has too often been brushed aside by historians as the period of dead orthodoxy In the Lutheran church, although © cursory study of the era will reveal © genuine Christian piety expressing itself in a weslth of devotional literature and hymns which ©re sone of the finest ever brought forth in the Lutheran church. The bitterness and misery of that century in which Europe experienced only seven years of peace, the imminent threat to orthodox Lutheranism from Catholicism and Calvinism from without and syncretism from within, the fact that bitter invective wss the rule in all controversiel issues, the fact that abhorrence, hatred and intolerance of false dootrlne all of which seems to strange now was a guiding principle then, all these important facts have been too often by-passed by church historians; and thus the possibility of appreciating ing and motives and desires of these dogmaticlsns has been all but destroyed. And why such alsiost universal disapproval of these men by posterity? The answer to this question may be found partially in their stubborn, unrelenting assaults against Romanism, Calvinism, unionism and everything not strictly Lutheran, It may be found partially in their denunciation of syncretism and doctrinal indifferent ism on the part of their sore liberal brethren in the Lutheran church, But more than anything else, I believe, it is to be found in their rigid adherence to the Lutheran principle of sols ecrlotura and in their doctrine of verbal inspiration, tenets which ere not cherished by the majority of modern theologians and historians, That this Is the point where they have been remembered and Judged will be brought out in the course of this dissertation.