Lehre und Wehre St. Louis, Missouri — Februar 1855, Seite 60

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60. Lutherisch=theologische Pfarrers=Bibliothek.

wir alle sind in Vergleich mit ihm gleichsam ein todter Buchstabe.*) So
schreibt endlich der große Braunschweigische Theolog Urbanus Rhegius;
„Luther ist ein solcher und ein so großer Theolog, wie kein Zeitalter einen ähn=
lichen gehabt hat.. Ich will sagen, was ich denke: wir schreiben zwar alle
und treiben die Schrift, aber mit Luthern verglichen — sind wir Schüler;
dieß Urtheil fließt nicht aus der Liebe, sondern die Liebe aus dem Urtheil.“ **)
So schreiben aber nicht nur alle erleuchteten Lehrer unserer Kirche von Luthers
Schriften, nicht anders urtheilen von denselben auch die angesehensten Lehrer
anderer Gemeinschaften. So schreibt unter anderen Calvin: „Das, bitte
ich, wollet ihr euch zu Gemüthe führen: erstlich, was für ein großer Mann
Luther sei und durch was für große Gaben er sich auszeichne, mit welchem
Muthe, mit welcher Beständigkeit, mit welcher Geschicklichkeit, mit welcher
durchdringenden Kraft zu lehren er bisher das Reich des Antichrists zu stürzen
und zugleich die Lehre des Heils zu verbreiten beflissen gewesen ist. Ich pflege
oft zu sagen: wenn er mich auch einen Teufel nennte, so
würde ich ihm doch so viel Ehre erweisen, ihn für einen
ausgezeichneten Knecht Gottes anzuerkennen.“***) Der=
selbe Calvin, nachdem er in seinem Commentar zum Propheten Jesajas
die Stelle C. 57, 1. auf Luther angewendet hatte, fährt dann fort: „Ich
hielt dafür, vor allen dieses (Beispiel) anführen zu müssen, sowohl weil dasselbe
ein jüngst vorgekommenes ist, als auch weil es in einem so ausgezeichneten
Herold des Evangeliums und Propheten Gottes mehr einleuchtend
sein sollte.Ҡ) Beza, bekanntlich unter den Reformirten ein noch heftigerer
Bestreiter der lutherischen Lehre, als selbst Calvin (Jac. Andreä nennt Beza
den „calvinischen Papst“), muß doch in seiner heftigen Schrift wider Brentius
eingestehen: „Luther war ein wahrhaft bewunderungswürdiger Mann; und
wer in ihm den Geist Gottes nicht merkt, der merkt nichts.“ ††) Johann
Bunyan, der bekannte englische Baptist, Verfasser der bekannten Erbau=
ungsschrift „Des Christen Pilgerreise“ (gest. 1688.), erzählt in seiner Selbst=

*) „Solus Lutherus vivit in suis scriptis, nos omnes sumus collatione ipsius
quasi litera mortua.“ (Löschers Unschuld. Nachr. 1718 S. 320.)

**) „Talis ac tantus theologus est Lutherus, ut nulla secula habuerint similem,
Dicam, quod sentio: scribimus quidem passim et tractamus scripturas; sed Luthero
collati discipuli sumus; hoc judicium non ex amore fluit, sed amor ex judicio.“ A. a. O.

***) „Haec cupio vobis in mentem venire: primum quantus sit vir Lutherus et
quantis dotibus excellat, quanta animi fortitudine et constantia, quanta dexteritate,
quanta doctrinae efficacia hactenus ad profligandum Antichristi regnum et simul
propagandam salutis doctrinam incubuerit. Saepe dicere solitus sum: etiamsi me
diabolum vocaret, me tamen hoc illi honoris habiturum, ut insignem Dei servum
agnoscam.“ (Epp. ed. Beza ep. 57.)

†) „Hoc (exemplum) potissimum referendum duxi, quod quum recens sit, tum
vero quod in tam insigni praecone evangelii et propheta Dei magis conspicuum esse
debeat.“ (Opp. tom. 3. p. 363.)

††) „Fuit Lutherus vere mirabilis vir, in quo qui Spiritum Dei non sentit, nihil
sentit.“ (Tract. adv. Brent. fol. 190.)

60. Lutheran-theological Pastors' Library.

we are all, compared with him, as it were a dead letter.*) So writes finally
the great Brunswick theologian Urbanus Rhegius: "Luther is such and so great
a theologian as no age has had his like. I will say what I think: we all
indeed write and treat of Scripture, but compared with Luther we are
pupils; this judgment does not flow from love, but love flows from this
judgment." **) So not only do all the enlightened teachers of our church
write of Luther's writings in this way; the most respected teachers of other
communions judge no differently of them. So Calvin, among others, writes:
"This, I beg you, take to heart: first, what a great man Luther is and with
what great gifts he is distinguished, with what courage, with what
constancy, with what skill, with what penetrating power to teach he has
hitherto been intent on overthrowing the kingdom of Antichrist and at the
same time spreading the doctrine of salvation. I am accustomed often to
say: even if he called me a devil, I would nevertheless render him such
honor as to acknowledge him for an outstanding servant of God." ***) The
same Calvin, after applying the passage Isaiah 57:1 to Luther in his
Commentary on the Prophet Isaiah, then continues: "I judged that I ought
above all to adduce this example, both because it is a recent one, and
because it ought to be more evident in so distinguished a herald of the
Gospel and prophet of God." †) Beza, known among the Reformed as an even
fiercer opponent of the Lutheran doctrine than Calvin himself (Jac. Andreä
calls Beza the "Calvinist pope"), must nevertheless admit, in his vehement
writing against Brentius: "Luther was a truly admirable man; and whoever
does not perceive the Spirit of God in him perceives nothing." ††) John
Bunyan, the well-known English Baptist, author of the well-known
devotional work "The Pilgrim's Progress" (d. 1688), relates in his

*) "Solus Lutherus vivit in suis scriptis, nos omnes sumus collatione ipsius
quasi litera mortua." [Only Luther lives in his own writings; we are all, compared
with him, as it were a dead letter.] (Löscher's Unschuldige Nachrichten, 1718, p. 320.)

**) "Talis ac tantus theologus est Lutherus, ut nulla secula habuerint similem,
Dicam, quod sentio: scribimus quidem passim et tractamus scripturas; sed Luthero
collati discipuli sumus; hoc judicium non ex amore fluit, sed amor ex judicio." [Luther
is so great and so eminent a theologian that no age has had his like. I will say what I
think: indeed we write everywhere and treat of the Scriptures; but compared with
Luther we are pupils; this judgment does not flow from love, but love flows from
judgment.] As above.

***) "Haec cupio vobis in mentem venire: primum quantus sit vir Lutherus et
quantis dotibus excellat, quanta animi fortitudine et constantia, quanta dexteritate,
quanta doctrinae efficacia hactenus ad profligandum Antichristi regnum et simul
propagandam salutis doctrinam incubuerit. Saepe dicere solitus sum: etiamsi me
diabolum vocaret, me tamen hoc illi honoris habiturum, ut insignem Dei servum
agnoscam." [I wish you to bear this in mind: first, how great a man Luther is and
with what gifts he excels, with what fortitude and constancy of spirit, with what
skill, with what effectiveness of doctrine he has hitherto labored to overthrow the
kingdom of Antichrist and at the same time to spread the doctrine of salvation. I
have been accustomed often to say: even if he called me a devil, I would nevertheless
render him this honor, that I acknowledge him an outstanding servant of God.] (Epp.
ed. Beza, ep. 57.)

†) "Hoc (exemplum) potissimum referendum duxi, quod quum recens sit, tum
vero quod in tam insigni praecone evangelii et propheta Dei magis conspicuum esse
debeat." [I judged that this example above all ought to be cited, both because it is
recent, and because it ought to be more conspicuous in so distinguished a herald of
the Gospel and prophet of God.] (Opp. tom. 3, p. 363.)

††) "Fuit Lutherus vere mirabilis vir, in quo qui Spiritum Dei non sentit, nihil
sentit." [Luther was truly a wonderful man; whoever does not perceive the Spirit of
God in him perceives nothing.] (Tract. adv. Brent., fol. 190.)