arnurnr~tu mqtnlngital :SntdJJly Continuing L EHRE UNO WEHRE MAGAZIN · FUER E v.-LuTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY· THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. XIX August, 1948 No.8 CONTENTS Page The Universal Priesthood and the Pastor. R. R. Caemmerer .. _ .... _. 561 Is Doctrinal Unity a Luxury? Th. Engelder ....... _ .. _._. ___ ...... _ ... _ .. ___ . 583 &says in Hermeneutics. M. H_ Franzmann .... __ . _____ ......... _. __ . ___ ._._ .. ___ .. 595 With Reference to the Formula of Absolution. W_ G. Polack-. ___ 606 The Nassau Pericopes .. -.. ___ ... __ .. __ ... _._._ .... _. ___ .. _._. __ _____ ._. ___ . __ ._._ .. __ 610 Miscellanea ._. __ . __________ . ________ . ___ ._. _______ __ . ___ . ____________________ . _____ . _____ _ G18 Theological Observer __ __ _________________ _____ __ .. __ . _. __ .. ___ ._. ___ ... ___ ._._ .... ____ ._ ... __ ._ 631 Book Review _ __ . _____ ._._ .. ___ ._. ___ ...... _._. __ . ____ ._. ___ . ___ . __ . __ ._. __ . _______ 633 Ein Prediger muss nlcht allein wei- den. also dass er die Schafe unter- weise, wle sle rechte ChrIsten sollen sein, son dern auch daneben den Woel- fen wehren., dass sie die Schafe n1cht angrelfen und mit falscher Lehre ver- fuehren und Irrtum elnfuehren. Luther Es ist kein Ding, das die Leute mehr bei der Klrche behaelt denn die gute P redlgt. - Apologie, Arl. 24 If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? -1 Cor. 14:8 Pu1.lIished by The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod CONCORDIA PUBLISIDNG HOUSE, St. Louis 18, Mo. pBIN'DD IN C'. s. A. With Reference to the Formula of Absolution By w. G. POLACK There is some discussion in various parts of Synod regard- ing our formula of absolution. Let us say at the outset that the wording of any such formula belongs in the field of things indifferent, so long as the doctrine of the Office of the Keys is maintained. For that reason we can and do have more than one formula, namely, the Declaration of Grace, p. 6, The Lutheran Hymnal, and the Absolution, p. 16 and p. 48, The Lutheran Hymnal. The Concordia Cyclopedia, under "Absolution (Liturg- ical) " rightly states: "It is immaterial whether this proclama- tion be termed 'Declaration of Grace' or 'Absolution.' In either case the forgiveness of sins declared in the Gospel is actually transmitted to all believers." In our circles, owing to the desire fm liturgical uniformity, the exclusive use of our so-called "Absolution" was well-nigh universal until the old Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book was introduced in our circles. What is Lutheran usage in this respect? It is apparent from the old Lutheran liturgies, or Kirchen- ordnungen, that there has never been anything approaching uniformity in the formula of absolution. Whatever the dif- ferences in the wording, however, the power of the Office of the Keys has not been set aside, minimized, or rej ected. The various forms of the "general" absolution grew out of the formula of the "private" absolution, as the Lutheran churches retained "Private Confession" for some time, in some places for several centuries. However, the medieval Roman form of absolution, which was deprecative, was not used. Instead, a declarative form of absolution was form- ulated. Lambert, in Memoirs of the Lutheran Liturgical Association, quotes a medieval form of absolution, as follows: "Almighty, eternal God, remit this Thy confessing servant his sins according to Thy goodness, in order that the guilt of conscience, as punishment, may do him no more harm, and the indulgence of Thy goodness is valuable to his pardon. Through Jesus Christ, etc." [606] WITH REFERENCE TO THE FORMULA OF ABSOLUTION 607 During the Middle Ages there was no unanimity in the Roman Church as to the form of absolution in the ex- omologesis of the sinner. Whatever place the priest took in reconciling the penitent to the Church, the actual forgive- ness of sin was left to God. It was Thomas Aquinas who brought the whole matter to a conclusion by teaching that the priest through the power of the keys, as instrument and servant of God, can set aside everything that hinders en- trance into heaven. As Baptism, a lifeless means, works forgiveness, so the priest, as a living instrument and as minister of God, works forgiveness of sin and remittance of punishment in the sacrament of penance. He paralleled the formula "ego absolvo te" with the baptismal formula "ego baptizo te." As indicated in Luther's statement in the Small Cate- chism, the Reformer retained the "ego absolvo te," basing it, however, on nothing else than the Word of Grace, the Gospel. Luther, too, paralleled "ego absolvo te" with "ego bapt'izo te," but for him it was in both acts the promises of the Gospel that made them effective; nothing else. "When a servant of the Church baptizes a child on the command of Christ, you do hear a mere man speaking, who is personally a sinner like yourself; but he is acting at God's command. Therefore when he says: 'I baptize thee in the name of the Father,' etc., you should hear and accept these words as if God Himself were speaking. Likewise when in absolution your sins are forgiven, then doubt as little as though God Himself had spoken the words. For God Himself does pro- nounce this sentence upon you that you should be free of your sins." (Erl.32, 121.) Harnack, in his Lehrbuch. der Liturgik, Vol. II, points out that the Lutheran churches generally did not use Luther's form. We have it in the Small Catechism, as follows: "As thou believest, so be it done unto thee. And by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive thee thy sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Depart in peace." (Triglotta, p.555.) Harnack finds it only in the Saxon churches, Naumberg KO, 1537, and Dresden KO, 1581; it is also in the Jueterbogk KO, 1562. The majority of the German church orders have such statements as: "I ab- solve thee of all thy sins" ("lch spreche dich frei, los und 608 WITH REFERENCE TO THE FORMULA OF ABSOLUTION ledig aller deiner Suende"). Others have a "declaration" of the forgiveness of sins. This "declaration," however, was held to be a personal application of the forgiveness of sins. Some orders combine the latter two forms. (Cf. also Loch- ner's Hauptgottesdienst, p. 185 f.) In the transfer of the Lutheran Church to American soil, all these types were brought over. The Common Service Book, in keeping with its purpose, to present a consensus of the liturgies of the sixteenth century, gives the absolution in the form of the Declaration of Grace, as we have it. (The Lutheran Hymnal, p. 6.) In the Order for Public Confession, however, it has this form, which includes the Retention: "Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, hath had mercy upon us, and for the sake of the sufferings, death, and resurrection of His dear Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, forgiveth us all our sins. As a Minister of the Church of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore declare unto you who do truly repent and believe in Him the entire forgiveness of all your sins: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. "On the other hand, by the same authority, I declare unto the impenitent and unbelieving, that so long as they continue in their impenitence, God hath not forgiven their sins, and will assuredly visit their iniquities upon them, if they turn not from their evil ways, and come to true re- pentance and faith in Christ, ere the day of grace be ended." Loehe's Agende fuer christliche Gemeinden des luther- ischen Bekenntnisses (our copy is dated 1844), used by the Loehe churches until it was superseded by our Synodical Kirchen-Agende, has three Absolutionsformeln, none of which follow Luther's form, but all of them are in keeping with the forms generally used in the German Lutheran churches in Europe. Lochner's Hauptgottesdienst gives the "Declaration of Grace" (same as The Lutheran Hymnal, p. 6) as the first form of absolution. He cites eleven church orders for this usage. A second form of absolution, that of Bugenhagen in Witten- berg, 1524, is presented in these words: "The almighty, merci- ful God forgive you your sins, and I at the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the stead of the holy Church, absolve you (sage euch frei, ledig und los) of all your sins, in the WITH REFERENCE TO THE FORMULA OF ABSOLUTION 609 name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then follows the "confession" of the minister: "Since I also am burdened with many weaknesses, pray God faith- fully for me, that I may carryon and fulfill this ministry diligently to His glory, to your and my comfort and salvation, as it is written, Ps. 123: 'Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.' " In the German Kirchen-Agende of our Synod (1866), which followed the Saxon Orders, we have the formula of ab- solution as customarily used today in our circles and taught to the children in our Catechism. It retains Luther's: "I for- give thee," etc. Another form, practically lost sight of today, is in the "Exhortation at Communion" (Kirchen-Agende, 1866, pp. 233-236) , in which the Confession of sins and the Absolu- tion are stated in the form of a prayer. The other American Lutheran synods generally use the Declaration of Grace as in the United Lutheran Church's Common Service Book and in The Lutheran Hymnal, referred to above. In addition, several use one or more alternate forms. The Augustana Synod, in its The Hymnal, has a very simple form on p.563: "May the Almighty, Eternal God, in His infinite mercy and for the sake of our Savior, Jesus Christ, forgive all our sins, and give us grace to amend our lives, and with Him obtain eternal life. Amen." In the Order of the Holy Communion, this form is given (p. 594): "If this be your sincere confession, and if with penitent hearts you earnestly desire the forgiveness of your sins for the sake of Jesus Christ, God, according to His promise, forgiveth you all your sins; and by the authority of God's Word and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I declare unto you that God, through His grace hath forgiven all your sins; in the Name of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." The Lutheran Hymnary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in both the Morning Service and the Order of Holy Communion uses the Declaration of Grace as in the Common Service Book. The American Lutheran Hymnal of the American Lu- theran Church, in both its orders for Morning Service, retains simply the Declaration of Grace of the Common Service Book. 39