John William Baier's
                       _Compendium of Positive Theology_
                          Edited by C. F. W. Walther
                                 Published by:
                  St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1877 


         [Translator's Preface. These are the major loci or topics of        
         John William Baier's _Compendium of Positive Theology_ as ed-
         ited by Dr. C. F. W. Walther. These should be seen as the
         broad outline of Baier-Walther's dogmatics, but please don't
         assume that this is all. Each locus usually includes copious
         explanatory notes and citations from patristics and other
         Lutheran dogmaticians.]


       Chapter Eight

       On the sacraments in general.

       1. Having taken up the word of God, also the sacraments of
       regeneration, conversion and regeneration, and the conferring of
       faith, the instruments of sealing and increasing, must also be
       distinctly discussed.

       2. The word "sacrament" is ecclesiastical, when it is used about
       the sacred rites, which are signs and means or instruments of
       conferring and sealing grace.

       3. It is required truly for a sacrament properly and strictly
       speaking, 1., that it is an action commanded by God; 2. it has a
       divinely prescribed visible element; 3. that it has a promise of
       evangelical grace.

       4. The principal efficient cause of the sacraments is the triune
       God, and Christ in the assumed flesh.

       5. The internal impulsive cause is the goodness of God, the
       external or meritorious cause is the merit of Christ.

       6. The lesser principal cause ordinarily is the minister of the
       church, in cases of necessity however also laymen or women.

       7. The matter of the sacraments introduces two things: first a
       certain external and visible element; then a certain action about
       that particular element.

       8. The form of the sacrament is the word of institution, added to
       the action sensibly occupied about the element.

       9. The end to whom of the sacrament are humans carnally born and
       living.

       10. The end of whom of the sacraments, who also have the plan of
       the effects, the nearer indeed is the gathering or seal of
       evangelical grace; the ultimate end on the part of humans is their
       eternal salvation.

       11. It is possible to define the sacrament in general, that it is
       a divine action instituted out of the grace of God on account of
       the merit of Christ, occupied about an external and sensible
       element, through which, coming near by the word of institution, to
       men the grace of the gospel about the forgiveness of sins to
       eternal life is conferred or sealed.

       12. Some sacraments are of the old, others of the new testament.
       The former are said to be those, instituted before the coming of
       Christ, which point out the same from a distance and they shadow
       as by certain figures, by which exhibition at length they were
       annulled; the latter, which were instituted by Christ himself,
       bear witness to the display of the same and they offer him as
       present, remaining in the church always to the end.




       _________________________________.__________________________________ 
                                       
       This text was translated by Rev. Theodore Mayes and is copyrighted         
       material, (c)1996, but is free for non-commercial use or distribu-
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       Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

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