Epitome, Article XII: Of Other Factions and Sects

In order that such [heresies and sects] may not silently be ascribed to us, because, in the preceding explanation, no mention of them has been made, we wish at the end [of this writing] simply to enumerate the mere articles wherein they [the heretics of our time] err and teach what is contrary to our Christian faith and confession above presented.

p. 529 Erroneous Articles of the Anabaptists

The Anabaptists are divided into many sects,¹ as one contends for more, another for less error; nevertheless, they all in common propound [profess] such doctrine as is neither to be tolerated nor allowed in the Church, the commonwealth and worldly government or domestic life.

¹ Among those of the sixteenth century were the Münzerites, Münsterites, Hoffmanites, Mennonites.

Articles that cannot be tolerated in the Church

1. That Christ did not assume his body and blood of the Virgin Mary, but brought them with him from heaven.²

² In order to avoid the taint of Adam. Melchior Hoffman and Simon Menno taught thus.

2. That Christ is not true God, but only [is superior to other saints, because he] has more gifts of the Holy Ghost than any other holy man.³

³ This error is referred to Ludwig Hetzer, David George or Joris, and Trechsel.

3. That our righteousness before God consists not only in the sole merit of Christ, but in renewal, and thus in our own godliness [uprightness] in which we walk.⁴ This is based in great part upon one’s own special, self-chosen [and humanly-devised] spirituality [holiness], and in fact is nothing else than a new sort of monkery.

⁴ Münzer, Hoffman and others insisted upon good works for justification.

4. That⁵ children who are not baptized are not sinners before God, but righteous and innocent, who, in their innocence, p. 530 because they have not yet attained their reason [the use of reason], will be saved without baptism (which, according to their assertion, they do not need). Therefore they reject the entire doctrine concerning original sin, and what belongs to it.

⁵ Errors 4–6 held by Anabaptists generally.

Parallel passages: Sol. Dec. xii. Cf. Augsburg Confession, i.: 5, 6 v. 4; ix.: 3; xii.: 7 sqq.; xiv.; xvi.: 3; xvii.: 2, 3; Apology, ix., xvi.; Small Articles, Part III., Art. viii.: 3 sqq.; Large Catechism, 492, ¶ 47 sqq. Formula of Concord, Ep. ii.: 13.

5. That children should not be baptized until they have attained their reason [the use of reason], and can themselves confess their faith.

6. That the children of Christians, because they have been born of Christian and believing parents, are holy and the children of God, even without and before baptism. For this reason also they neither attach much importance to the baptism of children, nor encourage it, contrary to the express words of God’s promise, which pertains only to those who keep God’s covenant and do not despise it (Gen. 17: sqq.).

7. That¹ that is no true Christian congregation [church]~ wherein sinners are still found.

¹ In errors 7-9 the Anabaptists have followed the Donatists.

8. That no sermon should be heard or attended in those churches in which the Papal masses have previously been observed and said.

9. That no one [godly man] should have anything to do with those ministers of the Church who preach the Gospel according to the Augsburg Confession, and censure the sermons and errors of the Anabaptists; also, that no one should serve or in any way labor for them, but should flee from and shun them as perverters of God’s Word.

Articles that cannot be tolerated in the Government

1. That,² under the New Testament, the magistracy is not an estate pleasing to God.

² Errors 1-4. See Confession of Mennonites, 37, 38; Gieseler’s Church History, iv.: 874.

2. That a Christian cannot, with a good, inviolate conscience, hold or exercise the office of magistrate.

3. That a Christian cannot, without injury to conscience, use the office of the magistracy against the wicked in matters as they occur [matters so requiring], nor may subjects invoke for their protection and screening the power which the magistrates possess and have received from God.

4. That a Christian cannot, with a good conscience, take an oath, neither can he by an oath do homage [promise fidelity] to his prince or sovereign.

5. That, under the New Testament, magistrates cannot, without injury to conscience, inflict capital punishment upon transgressors.

p. 531 Articles that cannot be tolerated in Domestic Life

1. That a Christian cannot [with an inviolate conscience] nold or possess property, but is in duty bound to devote it to the church.

2. That a Christian cannot, with a good conscience, be a landlord, merchant, or cutler [maker of arms].¹

¹ For they thought that these occupations conflicted with mutual love. Cf. §§ 16, 17.

3. That on account of diverse faith married persons may be divorced and abandon one another, and be married to another person of the same faith.²

² Confession of Mennonites, 39. The Münsterites defended polygamy.

p. 531 Erroneous Articles of the Schwenckfeldians

1. That all who regard Christ according to the flesh as a 2c creature have no true knowledge of Christ as reigning King of heaven.

2. That, by his exaltation, the flesh of Christ has so assumed all divine properties that Christ as man is in might, power, majesty and glory equal to the Father and to the Word, everywhere as to degree and condition of essence, so that now there is only one essence, property, will and glory of both natures in Christ, and that the flesh of Christ belongs to the essence of the Holy Trinity.

3. That the Church service [ministry of the Word], the Word preached and heard, is not a means whereby God the Holy Ghost teaches men, and works in them saving knowledge of Christ, conversion, repentance, faith and new obedience.

4. That the water of baptism is not a means whereby God the Lord seals adoption and works regeneration.

5. That bread and wine in the Holy Supper are not means through and by which Christ distributes his body and blood.

6. That a Christian who is truly regenerated by God’s Spirit can, in this life, observe and fulfil the Law of God perfectly.

7. That there is no true Christian congregation [church] where no public excommunication [and some formal mode of excommunication] or no regular process of the ban [as it is commonly called] is observed.

8. That the minister of the church who is not on his part truly renewed, regenerate, righteous and godly cannot teach other men with profit or distribute true sacraments.

p. 531 Error of the New Arians

That Christ is not true, essential, natural God, of one eternal, p. 532 divine essence with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, but is only adorned with divine majesty beneath and beside God the Father [is so adorned with divine majesty, with the Father, that he is inferior to the Father].

p. 532 Error of the Anti-Trinitarians

This is an entirely new sect, not heard of before in Christendom, composed of those who believe, teach and confess that there is not only one, eternal, divine essence of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but as God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three distinct persons, so each person has its essence distinct and separate from the other persons of the Godhead; and nevertheless [some of them think] that all three, just as in another respect three men distinct and separate from one another are of equal power, wisdom, majesty and glory, or [others think that these three persons and essences] are unequal with one another in essence and properties, so that the Father alone is properly and truly God.

These and like errors, one and all, with whatever other errors depend upon and follow from them, we reject and condemn as wrong, false, heretical, contrary to the Word of God, the three Creeds, the Augsburg Confession and Apology, the Smalcald Articles and Luther’s Catechisms, against which all godly Christians, of both high and low station, should be on their guard as they love the welfare and salvation of their souls.

That this is the doctrine, faith and confession of us all, for which we will answer, at the last day, before the just Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ, and that against this we will neither secretly nor publicly speak or write, but that we intend, by the grace of God, to persevere therein, we have, after mature deliberation, testified, in the true fear of God and invocation of his name, by signing with our own hands this Epitome.

BERGEN May 29th, 1577.

p. 533 PART SECOND.