Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelders vii

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was endowed with the power of healing, illuminating, and renewing the mind, but ascribed this power to the Internal or Eternal Word, i.e., Christ himself. (John i. I-14; Rev. xix. 13.) He regretted that Luther, who at first was quite in accord with him, should see fit afterwards to ascribe to the written, outward, or preached word that power and efficacy which is inherent only in Christ, the Eternal Word. Luther translated Romans x. 17: "So kommt der Glaube aus der Predigt, das Predigen aber durch das Wort Gottes"--So faith cometh by preaching, but preaching by the word of God; while Schwenkfeld followed the original closely, rendering it in the equivalent of the English translation: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Upon the third point of difference Schwenkfeld would not allow Christ's human nature in its exalted state to be called a creature or created substance, holding that such denomination was "infinitely below His majestic dignity, reunited, as it is in that glorious state, with the Divine Essence." He also rejected infant baptism, holding that instruction and faith should precede baptism (Acts viii. 12, 13; Mark xvi. 15, 16; Matt. xxviii. 19) ; and that the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper were not intended as "a channel and means" through which the unregenerated participant could obtain salvation.

Having settled in his own mind the true meaning of the words uttered by our Lord at the institution of the sacramental feast, Schwenkfeld wrote out his views and submitted them to his friend Crautwald, who at first rejected them, and reproved him sharply for what he esteemed his heresy. Schwenkfeld, however, besought him to pray over the matter, and examine the words of the institution closely in the original tongue, declaring his conviction, in harmony with his theory of the operation of the Divine Word, that Christ had revealed the meaning to him. Crautwald finally promised to pray and


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