Thoughts on an Unconditional Confessional Subscription

(third part of several to follow)

I wrote:

What makes a subscription to the Book of Concord unconditional?

(3) When only those portions of the Book of Concord that have the defense of explicit sedes doctrinae in citation are to be upheld as normative for the belief, teaching, confession, and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church today - ?

Any time that the word "only" is used, a conditional statement is made. "I would like to eat the whole pie," I say after dinner, "but I think it would be best if I only take a small piece."

If we uphold only those beliefs, teachings, confessions, or practices in the Book of Concord that have explicit sedes doctrinae cited or available for citation, then we do not wish to subscribe unconditionally to the entire Book of Concord. If we only wish to observe those portions that carry an explicit scriptural command, if we only feel compelled to abide by those portions which can be explicitly defended from the Sacred Scriptures, then we have reservations - we reserve to ourselves the right to reject portions of what the Confessions say. We thereby attach a "condition" to our confessional subscription.

An example:

Augsburg Confession XI says that "private absolution ought to be retained in the church, and should not be discontinued"; likewise XXV says: "Confession is not abolished by our ministers. For the custom is retained among us, not to administer the Sacrament, unto those who have not been previously examined and absolved" and "Yet by our ministers it is taught with diligence, that confession, because of absolution, which is the chief part in it, should be retained for the purpose of consoling alarmed consciences, and for some other reasons."

Article XXV does not give any scriptural proof texts in order to defend the retention of the custom of private confession and absolution; in fact, the article seems to go out of its way to cite the teaching of an extra-biblical document to explain that [private] "confession is not commanded in the Scriptures, but that it was instituted by the church."

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So - was ist daß?

Even though there is no scriptural command to do so, are the ministers and churches who wish to maintain an unconditional subscription to the Lutheran Confessions required (that is, do they require it of themselves when they freely make their subscription to the Lutheran Confessions,) to offer private confession and absolution on a regular basis?

Antwort:

I believe so, but I'm interested in hearing your comments as well.