Book of Concord Daily
Reading for May 14, 2012 (Monday of Week 20)
The Defense of the Augsburg
Confession
Article III: Of Love and the
Fulfilling of the Law.
257] We are not, therefore, on this topic
contending with the adversaries concerning a small matter. We are not seeking
out idle subtilties when we find fault with them for teaching that we merit
eternal life by works, while that faith is omitted 258] which apprehends Christ as Mediator.
For of this faith which believes that for Christ's sake the Father is
propitious to us there is not a syllable in the scholastics. Everywhere they hold
that we are accepted and righteous because of our works, wrought either from
reason, or certainly wrought by the inclination 259] of that love concerning which they
speak. And yet they have certain sayings, maxims, as it were, 260] of the old writers, which they distort
in interpreting. In the schools the boast is made that good works please on
account of grace, and that confidence must be put in God's grace. Here they
interpret grace as a habit by which we love God, as though, indeed, the
ancients meant to say that we ought to trust in our love, of which we certainly
experience how small and how impure it is. Although it is strange how they bid
us trust in love, since they teach us that we are not able to know whether it
be present. Why do they not here set forth the grace, the mercy of God toward
us? And as often as mention is made of this, they ought to add faith. For the
promise of God's mercy, reconciliation, and love towards us is not apprehended
unless by faith. With this view they would be right in saying that we ought to
trust in grace, 261] that good works please because of
grace, when faith apprehends grace. In the schools the boast is also made that
our good works avail by virtue of Christ's passion. Well said! but why add
nothing concerning faith? For Christ is a propitiation, as Paul, Rom. 3:25, says, through faith. When timid
consciences are comforted by faith, and are convinced that our sins have been
blotted out by the death of Christ, and that God has been reconciled to us on
account of Christ's suffering, then, indeed, the suffering of Christ profits
us. If the doctrine concerning faith be omitted, it is said in vain that works
avail by virtue of Christ's passion.
262] And very many other passages they
corrupt in the schools because they do not teach the righteousness of faith,
and because they understand by faith merely a knowledge of the history or of
dogmas, and do not understand by it that virtue which apprehends the promise of
grace and of righteousness, and which quickens hearts in the terrors of sin and
of death. 263] When Paul says, Rom. 10:10: With the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, we
think that the adversaries acknowledge here that confession justifies or saves,
not ex opere operato, but only on account of the faith of the heart. And Paul
thus says that confession saves, in order to show what sort of faith obtains
eternal life; namely, that which is firm and 264] active. That faith, however, which
does not manifest itself in confession is not firm. Thus other good works
please on account of faith, as also the prayers of the Church ask that all
things may be accepted for Christ's sake. They likewise ask all things for
Christ's sake. For it is manifest that at the close of prayers 265] this clause is always added: Through
Christ, our Lord. Accordingly, we conclude that we are justified before God,
are reconciled to God and regenerated by faith, which in repentance apprehends
the promise of grace, and truly quickens the terrified mind, and is convinced
that for Christ's sake God is reconciled and propitious to us. And through this
faith, 1 Peter 1:5 says, we
are kept unto salvation, ready to be revealed. 266] The knowledge of this faith is
necessary to Christians, and brings the most abundant consolation in all
afflictions, and displays to us the office of Christ, because those who deny
that men are justified by faith, and deny that Christ is Mediator and Propitiator,
deny the promise of grace and the Gospel. They teach only the doctrine either
of reason or of the Law concerning justification. 267] We have shown the origin of this case,
so far as can here be done, and have explained the objections of the
adversaries. Good men, indeed, will easily judge these things, if they will
think, as often as a passage concerning love or works is cited, that the Law
cannot be observed without Christ and that we cannot be justified from the Law,
but from 268] the Gospel, that is, from the promise
of the grace promised in Christ. And we hope that this discussion, although
brief, will be profitable to good men for strengthening faith, and teaching and
comforting conscience. For we know that those things which we have said are in
harmony with the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, with the holy Fathers,
Ambrose, Augustine, and very many others, and with the whole Church of Christ,
which certainly confesses that Christ is Propitiator and Justifier.
269] Nor are we immediately to judge that
the Roman Church agrees with everything that the Pope, or cardinals, or
bishops, or some of the theologians, or monks approve. For it is manifest that
to most of the pontiffs their own authority is of greater concern than the
Gospel of Christ. And it has been ascertained that most of them are openly
Epicureans. It is evident that theologians have mingled with Christian doctrine
more of philosophy 270] than was sufficient. Nor ought their
influence to appear so great that it will never be lawful to dissent from their
disputations, because at the same time many manifest errors are found among
them, such as, that we are able from purely natural powers to love God above
all things. This dogma, although it is manifestly false, has produced many
other errors. 271] For the Scriptures, the holy Fathers,
and the judgments of all the godly everywhere make reply. Therefore, even
though Popes, or some theologians, and monks in the Church have taught us to
seek remission of sins, grace, and righteousness through our own works, and to
invent new forms of worship, which have obscured the office of Christ, and have
made out of Christ not a Propitiator and Justifier, but only a Legislator, 272] nevertheless the knowledge of Christ
has always remained with some godly persons. Scripture, moreover, has predicted
that the righteousness of faith would be obscured in this way by human
traditions and the doctrine of works. Just as Paul often complains (cf. Gal. 4:9; 5:7; Col. 2:8,16 sq.; 1 Tim. 4:2 sq.,
etc.) that there were even at that time those who, instead of the righteousness
of faith, taught that men were reconciled to God and justified by their own
works and own acts of worship, and not by faith for Christ's sake; because men 273] judge by nature that God ought to be
appeased by works. Nor does reason see a righteousness other than the
righteousness of the Law, understood in a civil sense. Accordingly, there have
always existed in the world some who have taught this carnal righteousness
alone to the exclusion of the righteousness of faith; and such teachers will
also always exist. 274] The same happened among the people of
Israel. The greater part of the people thought that they merited remission of
sins by their works; they accumulated sacrifices and acts of worship. On the
contrary, the prophets, in condemnation of this opinion, taught the
righteousness of faith. And the occurrences among the people of Israel are
illustrations of those things which 275] were to occur in the Church.
Therefore, let the multitude of the adversaries, who condemn our doctrine, not
disturb godly minds. For their spirit can easily be judged, because in some
articles they have condemned truth that is so clear and manifest that their
godlessness appears openly. 276] For the bull of Leo X condemned a very
necessary article, which all Christians should hold and believe, namely, that
we ought to trust that we have been absolved not because of our contrition, but
because of Christ's word, Matt.
16:19: 277] Whatsoever thou shalt bind, etc. And
now, in this assembly, the authors of the Confutation have in clear words condemned
this, namely, that we have said that faith is a part of repentance, by which we
obtain remission of sins, and overcome the terrors of sin, and conscience is
rendered pacified. Who, however, does not see that this article, that by faith
we obtain the remission of sins, is most true, most certain, and especially
necessary to all Christians? Who to all posterity, hearing that such a doctrine
has been condemned, will judge that the authors of this condemnation had any
knowledge of Christ?
278] And concerning their spirit, a
conjecture, can be made from the unheard-of cruelty, which it is evident that
they have hitherto exercised towards most good men. And in this assembly we
have heard that a reverend father, when opinions concerning our Confession were
expressed, said in the senate of the Empire that no plan seemed to him better
than to make a reply written in blood to the Confession which we had presented
written in ink. What more cruel would Phalaris say? Therefore some princes also
have judged this expression unworthy to be spoken in such a meeting. Wherefore,
279] although the adversaries claim for
themselves the name of the Church, nevertheless we know that the Church of
Christ is with those who teach the Gospel of Christ, not with those who defend
wicked opinions contrary to the Gospel, as the Lord says, John 10:27: My sheep hear My voice. And
Augustine says: The question is, Where is the Church? What, therefore, are we
to do? Are we to seek it in our own words or in the words of its Head, our Lord
Jesus Christ? I think that we ought to seek it in the words of Him who is
Truth, and who knows His own body best. Hence the judgments of our adversaries
will not disturb us, since they defend human opinions contrary to the Gospel,
contrary to the authority of the holy Fathers, who have written in the Church,
and contrary to the testimonies of godly minds.
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