Bullinger and Justification as the Hinge of Evangelical Doctrine

In The Decades 4.i Bullinger writes: “And although I oftener than once handled this argument in these sermons of mine; yet because it is the hook whereupon the hinge of the evangelical doctrine (which is the door to Christ) doth hang and that this doctrine (to wit, that Christ is received by faith, and not by works) is of many men very greatly resisted; I will for the declaration and confirmation sake thereof, produce here two places only, but such as be apparent enough and evident to prove and confirm it by: the one out of the gospel of Christ our Lord, the other out of Paul’s epistles.” (Parker Edition p37 there is an explanation that the words in brackets are not in the original Latin).

The Latin version is:

Et quamvis hoc argumentum tractaverim semel et iterum in hisce nostris sermonibus, quia tamen in eo volvitur cardo doctrinae evangelicae et hoc dogma (nempe fide, non operibus recipe Christum) a multis acerrime oppugnatur, duos tantum locos, sed maxime illustres pro eius declaratione et confrimatione adducam, alterum quidem ex evangelio Christi domini, alterum ex epistolis sancti Pauli.
(Peter Opitz, Sermonum Decades, p512)

One might compare what Bullinger wrote with what Calvin wrote in the Institutes at 3.11.1 which deals with the “Place and meaning of the doctrine of justification”:

“And we must so discuss them as to bear in mind that this is the main hinge on which religion turns, so that we may devote the greater attention and care to it” (Battles translation).

The Latin version is:

Et ita discutienda ut meminerimus praecipuum esse sustinendae religionis cardinem: quo maiorem attentionem curamque afferamus.

Several lines earlier in this sermon 4.i of The Decades Bullinger writes:

“But the promise is received by faith, and not by works: therefore the gospel, and Christ in the gospel, are received by faith. For we must diligently distinguish between the precepts and the promises. The promises are received by faith: the precepts are accomplished by works.” (Parker Edition, p36)

The Latin version is:

Caeterum promissio fide, non operibus recipitur, ideoque evangelium et in evangelio Christus fide recipitur. Etenim distinguendum erit diligenter inter praecepta et promissiones. Nam hae recipiuntur fide, illa perficiuntur operibus.
(Peter Opitz, Sermonum Decades, p511)

The following are the recent German translations (Heinrich Bullinger Schriften, TVZ 2006) of the same sections.

“Und obwohl ich dies in diesen meinem Predigten schon das eine oder andere Mal behandelt habe, möchte ich dennoch nur zwei, aber zwei überaus deutliche Schriftstellen zur Erklärung und Bekräftigung anführen, weil darin der Kern der Lehre des Evangeliums liegt und dieser Glaubenssatz – dass Christus durch den Glauben und nicht durch Werke empfangen wird – von vielen sehr heftig bekämpt wird: eine Stelle aus dem Evangelium Christi, des Herrn, und eine aus den Briefen des heiligen Paulus.”

“Diese Verheißung wird aber nicht durch Werke, sondern im Glauben empfangen, deshalb wird das Evangelium – und im Evangelium Christus – im Glauben empfangen. Es ist nämlich sorgfältig zwischen den Geboten und Verheiβungen zu unterschieden, denn diese werden im Glauben, jene durch Werke empfangen.”