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 Two On Creation. 1. Among the works by which God exercised his highest goodness, the one that is seen in first place is creation. 2. The word "creation" indicates the production of a subsisting thing, either from nothing, or which are made independently by the subject, or dependently from the subject, or from some subject, though thus unmanageable and confused, so that from his power such an effect is not able to be produced through the strength of the agent of creation. 3. However also a production was done from nothing doubly, in so far as the effect was produced either independently from all subjects either pre-existently or co-existently; by which reason immaterial substances, angels and souls (Adam), were produced; or the effect was produced, independently indeed from pre-existent subject, but however dependently from coexisting subjects; by which reason simple bodies were produced, e.g., the heavens and the elements. 4. The rest of the works of creation, or mixed bodies are products first produced from the same simple bodies, dependently from pre- existing material. 5. According to the history of creation God completed the production of this universe within a space of six days. 6. On the first day, and when so far nothing was created, but God alone existed, God produced the heavens and the earth, and likewise the light which establishes the changes of day and night. 7. On the second day God divided the elementary waters into the waters below and above, placing between them the expanse of heaven, so that thus the water above the expanse is finely gathered together in the clouds, and the water below is more coarsely gathered circling the surface of the earth. 8. On the third day the lower waters were gathered, washing the ground, into hollows or cavities, which God called seas. However the rest of the parts of the earth appeared dry; and from those parts at once were born herbs, trees, shrubs, etc. 9. On the fourth day God made the sun, the moon, and the other stars, and he put in them a certain motion and inspired strength, so that they marked time and by their movement they are able to produce different effects on the earth. 10. On the fifth day animals were produced from the water, and winged creatures from the earth. 11. On the sixth day God produced the land animals, both quadrupeds and reptiles from the earth. 12. Finally on the same day God created humans, making his body from the ground, and a true spirit produced from nothing and joined to the body. 13. However God at the beginning put together only one masculine individual; he produced the feminine individual afterwards from a rib of the sleeping man. 14. In which place, or in what part of the earth, God produced Adam and Eve, we do not define. However, it is thought that they were made outside of paradise and afterwards were introduced into it. 15. After this work was completed and after six days, God rested. And he did not make any more species of creatures. 16. As far as that which concerns the cause of creation, it is easily established, for the Triune God is the principal efficient cause. 17. The idea of the individual creatures expressed in the divine intellect constitutes the exemplary cause of creation. 18. We seek the impulsive cause of creation only in the goodness of God. 19. We know no efficient instrumental cause of creation. 20. The material of creation is nothing of immaterial things; the material of simple bodies is given, but it did not exist before the form; the material of mixed bodies is sought in simple bodies. 21. The mode of the creation of this universe, although agreeing with the order of nature, nevertheless is clearly different from physical or natural generation, which is an argument for God's infinite, divine wisdom and power. 22. However as the world was able to be durable, God produced simple bodies in this condition, as never inwardly corrupted; however mixed bodies, which have a life liable to corruption, he gave to them a power of generating or multiplying themselves for the preserving of the species, from which power also each living species produces at the same time two individuals of both sexes. To man also at the first he joined a female partner, and he placed the power of generating life into them. 23. The ultimate goal of creation is the glory of the divine wisdom, goodness and power; the intermediate goal is the usefulness of creation to man. 24. Creation is thus defined, that it is the act of the triune God towards external things, by which God, moved by his goodness, produced this world, and everything that is in it - first indeed the simple bodies from no previously existing material, then from the simple bodies, as material unmanageable and confused, mixed bodies, which he also made independently from all immaterial substances, as one pleased by these creatures, according to an idea of his mind, by the sole authority of his will powerfully he effected and he completed the whole work in the space of six days, to the glory of his wisdom, power and goodness and the usefulness of humans. _________________________________.__________________________________ This text was translated by Rev. Theodore Mayes and is copyrighted material, (c)1996, but is free for non-commercial use or distribu- tion, and especially for use on Project Wittenberg. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: Surface Mail: 66000 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-2123 Fax: (260) 452-2126 _________________________________.__________________________________ file: /pub/resources/text/wittenberg/baier: cpt-1-02.txt .