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Relics: shared notes and post-750 development

Moved here from notes/reasoning/relics.md in the tier migration. The per-question reasoning now lives on each doctrine’s reasoning page: S19.1 · S19.2 · S19.3 · S19.4.

Relics: reasoning steps

Verdicts: categories/relics.md. Weighing criteria as in justification reasoning: Scripture in context and original language; each father’s polemical setting; date and breadth of witness; explicit beats inferred; unverified texts carry no weight.

Post-750 development by tradition

Catholic

Trent XXV (Waterworth, verified): “the holy bodies of holy martyrs … are to be venerated by the faithful; through which (bodies) many benefits are bestowed by God on men”. Matches R1–R3. Medieval abuses (the trade in relics) are acknowledged in the decree’s reform sections (to verify).

Orthodox

Follows Nicaea II and John of Damascus. Matches R1–R3.

Lutheran

AC XXI (bookofconcord.org, verified): “the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their faith”, but “Scripture teaches not the invocation of saints”. Relics are not addressed directly (Luther and the Smalcald Articles to verify). It departs on R1 and R3 in practice.

Presbyterian

WCF XXI.2 (opc.org, verified): worship to God “alone; not to angels, saints, or any other creature”. Calvin’s Inventory of Relics (1543) is polemical (to verify). Sides with Vigilantius’s objection.

Oriental Orthodox

Sources: Oriental Orthodox confessional sources. Classic formulations only.

  • R1 (fathers 4/4; Scripture n/a/4): Relics honoured.
  • R2 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 2/4): Severus preached at the martyrs’ chapel on ’the commemoration of the martyrs’ (Select Letters, verified); veneration practice to verify.
  • R3 (fathers 4/4; Scripture 4/4): Affirmed (to verify).
  • R4 (fathers 4/4; Scripture n/a/4): Patristic consensus.

Anglican

Sources: Anglican confessional sources. Classic formulations only.

  • R1 (fathers 1/4; Scripture n/a/4): Art. XXII.
  • R2 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 3/4): Art. XXII: ‘Adoration … of Reliques’ a fond thing.
  • R3 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 2/4): Not affirmed.
  • R4 (fathers 0/4; Scripture n/a/4): Art. XXII.

Reformed Baptist

Sources: Reformed Baptist confessional sources. Classic formulations only.

  • R1 (fathers 1/4; Scripture n/a/4): Rejects.
  • R2 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 3/4): 1689 22.2.
  • R3 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 2/4): Not affirmed.
  • R4 (fathers 0/4; Scripture n/a/4): Vigilantius’s side.

General Baptist

Sources: General Baptist confessional sources. Classic formulations only.

  • R1 (fathers 1/4; Scripture n/a/4): Rejects.
  • R2 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 3/4): Rejects.
  • R3 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 2/4): Not affirmed.
  • R4 (fathers 0/4; Scripture n/a/4): Vigilantius’s side.

Anabaptist

Sources: Anabaptist confessional sources. Classic formulations only.

  • R1 (fathers 1/4; Scripture n/a/4): Rejects.
  • R2 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 3/4): Rejects.
  • R3 (fathers 1/4; Scripture 2/4): Not affirmed.
  • R4 (fathers 0/4; Scripture n/a/4): Vigilantius’s side.