by Matthew Gaetano
Article 5 of the Colloquy of Regensburg–its statement on justification–is a famous moment in the history of dialogue between Roman Catholics and Protestants. A while ago, we published a rough translation of the agreement on original sin. I’ve provided here a translation of Articles 1 through 3 on the state of innocence, free choice, and the cause of sin. This time I used the scholarly edition in Georg Pfeilschifter’s Acta reformationis catholicae, vol. 6 (1964), 24-26. I did not use brackets for references to particular verses, though I’ll just note that the versification of Scripture that we use today did not come about until 1551, ten years after the Colloquy. Also, the references to chapter and book are sometimes in the original text and sometimes supplied by the editor. I don’t think that it is necessary to note the differences in this context. If you are interested, check the references to Melanchthon’s and Bucer’s copy in the translation on original sin.
Article 1: On the Condition of Man and the Integrity of Nature before the Fall
God created man in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1). This is not so with respect to his body, though He also granted him one that is wonderfully adorned and appropriate for divine uses, but with respect to his mind which, provided with the powers of intellect and will, He clothed with virtue for His own sake, that is, He wonderfully arrayed him with the liberty of choice, the light of wisdom, and a beauty of innocence as well as a gratuitous participation in His divinity (Sirach 17:1ff. and Ecclesiastes 7:29), so that he might be for the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:12).
Man was constituted in this integrity of His image and likeness: according to the intellect, he had a true and living knowledge of God, his archetype, and, according to the will, he had an ardent love (amor) for God and an obedience which was nonetheless obligated to increase gradually in him.
Article 2: On Free Choice
And since God endowed man with liberty of choice, He also added a commandment, leaving him in the hand of his counsel, so that, if he willed, he could–through the grace that he received and that was assisting him and through the power (vis) of the Holy Spirit– keep the commandment and preserve unstained the image in which he was created. But if he did not so will, he would lose his glory and honor by voluntary corruption and exchange life for eternal death (Sirach 15:11ff.). This liberty of choice that would have been in all of us if Adam had not fallen is now one way in the fallen after sin and before reparation, is another way after the reparation, and, finally, is yet different after glorification.
On liberty before the Fall, it has been written, “Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him”– nothing in his nature impeded him from doing good; nothing impelled him to do evil (Sirach 15:18). But this sort of concreated liberty for doing good and for restraining himself from evil was lost through the Fall of man. Only the liberty from coercion was retained, which is as much for evil (in malis) as for good (in bonis), about which it has been written, “How often would I have gathered together your children, and you were not willing” (Matt. 23:37). Certainly, it is inefficacious for beginning and for doing true justice and good works before God, as it is written, “The sensual (animalis) man does not perceive these things which are of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14) and, likewise, “The sense of the flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be subjected” (Rom. 8:7). It is only capable of doing external works and those of the present life, both good and evil. For what is not done of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). Hence Augustine in his preface to Psalm 33 says, “I would not call them good works which do not proceed from a good root.”
But about the liberty after the reparation, Christ said, “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36), and the Apostle says, “For the law of the Spirit of life renders me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). This [liberty] is restored and conserved through the Son by the work of the Holy Spirit, as Christ says, “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). And Paul says (in Rom. 8:26), “The Spirit helps our infirmity,” by which we are liberated from the servitude of sin, and we are made slaves of justice. This is what the Apostles says, “Liberated from sin, you are made slaves of justice” (Rom. 6:18). Therefore, this liberty [after reparation is] named a liberty from sin.
Finally, concerning the liberty after glorification, which is liberty from every error of judgment and depraved concupiscence, the Apostle says in 1 Cor. 13:12 and 15:28 that we will see God at that time as He is and we will perfectly adhere to Him. Indeed, God will be all in all.
And because, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, we will be made truly free, so that we will then be able to do all things in Him who comforts us (Phil. 4:13), this liberty must on that account be celebrated in sermons [and] great encomia for the people. In this way, they will understand what is gained in Christ and what pertains to the grace which is in Christ Jesus. They will understand that they can now restrain themselves from sin, obey God, and do His commandments. They will grasp that they must strive to do this with the help of the Spirit and with supreme zeal, just as the Apostle does. “Sin,” he says, “shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace, … but the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:14, 23). And [Paul] says in 2 Cor. 6:1, “And we helping do exhort you that you receive not the grace of God in vain.” For the glory of Christ and the abundance and power of His grace and the gift of justice which we receive through Him is commended in Romans 5:17. At the same time, however, it must also be inculcated diligently that there still remains in us a great infirmity for good and an inclination for evil which hinders the power of the Spirit of God and which brings forth and impels depraved desires for doing those things which we do not will to do (Galatians 5:16ff.). Accordingly, it happens that no one in this life is without sin (1 John 1:8). For this reason, we must depend more on Christ and move about in this life with fear and trembling and be zealous lest we “fail of the grace of God” (Heb. 12:15) and “grieve the Holy Spirit, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
Article 3: On the Cause of Sin
It is clear that the cause of sin is the evil will of the devil and man turning themselves away from God. This malice of the will is not from God but is from the devil and from us, just as Christ says, “When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own” (John 8:44).
And so, “by the envy of the devil, death came into the world” (Wisdom 2:24), and “through the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners” (Rom. 5:19 [Romans 2 is found in some editions]). This was done when Adam, by the cunning of the devil, lost living faith and the love of God and, in their place, imbibed trust (fiducia) in and love of himself (Gen. 3).