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From the solid declaration
The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord -- Original Sin
From Historical Introductions
Book of Concord
I'm thinking there has to be a lot more background on this than whats just in the BoC. It reads almost as if the magnet and garlic juice thing was common knowledge, where as today such seems pretty strange. Granted the ore magnets of the 1500's are a different deal than the rare earth magnets of today... field strength and homogeneity would be much less... so maybe a high viscosity garlic juice just might impede the minimal fields in a measurable fashion, but it does seem a stretch. Does anyone know if this has been repeated in the 20th century?
The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord -- Original Sin
22] 6. Or that original sin is not a despoliation or deficiency, but only an external impediment to these spiritual good powers, as when a magnet is smeared with garlic-juice, whereby its natural power is not removed, but only hindered; or that this stain can be easily washed away, as a spot from the face or pigment from the wall.
From Historical Introductions
Book of Concord
Strigel illustrated his idea by the following analogy. When garlic-juice is applied to a magnet, it loses its power of attraction, but remains a true magnet, and, when goat's blood is applied, immediately regains its efficaciousness. So the will of man is hindered by original sin from beginning that which is good; but when the impediment has been removed through the operation of the Holy Spirit, the native powers of the will again become efficacious and active. (Tschackert, 524; Planck 4, 672; Preger 2, 198; Luthardt, 211.) Frank remarks: "The example of the temporarily impeded power of the magnet, which was repeated also at this juncture [in the disputation at Weimar], immediately points to the related papal doctrine, for the Catholic Andradius explains the dogma of the Tridentinum to this effect: The free will of natural man may be compared to a chained prisoner who, though still in possession of his locomotive powers, is nevertheless impeded by his fetters." (1, 136.) Also the Formula of Concord, evidently with a squint at Strigel, rejects as a Pelagian error the teaching "that original sin is not a despoliation or deficiency but only an external impediment to these spiritual good powers, as when a magnet is smeared with garlic-juice, whereby its natural power is not removed, but only hindered or that this stain can be easily washed away as a spot from the face or a pigment from the wall." (865, 22.)
I'm thinking there has to be a lot more background on this than whats just in the BoC. It reads almost as if the magnet and garlic juice thing was common knowledge, where as today such seems pretty strange. Granted the ore magnets of the 1500's are a different deal than the rare earth magnets of today... field strength and homogeneity would be much less... so maybe a high viscosity garlic juice just might impede the minimal fields in a measurable fashion, but it does seem a stretch. Does anyone know if this has been repeated in the 20th century?
