_ we
read: "On the other hand, if certain sectarists would arise, some of
whom are perhaps already extant, and in the time of the insurrection [of
the peasants, 1525] came to my own view, holding that all those who had
once received the Spirit or the forgiveness of sins, or had become
believers, even though they should afterwards sin, would still remain in
the faith, and such sin would not harm them, and hence crying thus: 'Do
whatever you please; if you believe, it all amounts to nothing: faith
blots out all sins,' etc.--they say, besides, that if any one sins after
he has received faith and the Spirit, he never truly had the Spirit and
faith: I have had before me many such insane men, and I fear that in
some such a devil is still remaining [hiding and dwelling]. It is,
accordingly, necessary to know and to teach that when holy men, still
having and feeling original sin, also daily repenting of and striving
with it, happen to fall into manifest sins, as David into adultery,
murder, and blasphemy, that then faith and the Holy Ghost has departed
from them. For the Holy Ghost does not permit sin to have dominion, to
gain the upper hand, so as to be accomplished, but represses and
restrains it so that it must not do what it wishes. But if it does what
it wishes, the Holy Ghost and faith are not present. For St. John says,
1 Ep. 3, 9: 'Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin,... and he
cannot sin.' And yet it is also the truth when the same St. John says,
1 Ep. 1, 8: 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us.'" (491, 42f.)

In an opinion of March 9, 1559, Melanchthon remarks that about 1529 some
Antinomians maintained and argued "that, since in this life sin remains
in saints, they remain holy and retain the Holy Spirit and salvation
even when they commit adultery and other sins against their
conscience.... There are many at many places who are imbued with this
error [that righteousness, Holy Spirit, and sins against the conscience
can remain in a man at the same time], regard themselves holy although
they live and persevere in sins against their consciences." (_C. R._ 9,
764. 405. 473; 8, 411.)

The perseverance of saints as taught by Zanchi was the point to which
Marbach immediately took exception. A long discussion followed, which
was finally settled by the _Strassburg Formula of Concord_ of 1563,
outside theologians participating and acting as arbiters. This
_Formula_, which