the augsburg confession-第3节

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civil　office；　to　sit　as　judges；　to　judge　matters　by　the　

Imperial　and　other　existing　laws；　to　award　just　punishments；　

to　engage　in　just　wars；　to　serve　as　soldiers；　to　make　legal　

contracts；　to　hold　property；　to　make　oath　when　required　by　the　

magistrates；　to　marry　a　wife；　to　be　given　in　marriage。　　



They　condemn　the　Anabaptists　who　forbid　these　civil　offices　to　

Christians。　　



They　condemn　also　those　who　do　not　place　evangelical　

perfection　in　the　fear　of　God　and　in　faith；　but　in　forsaking　

civil　offices；　for　the　Gospel　teaches　an　eternal　righteousness　

of　the　heart。　Meanwhile；　it　does　not　destroy　the　State　or　the　

family；　but　very　much　requires　that　they　be　preserved　as　

ordinances　of　God；　and　that　charity　be　practiced　in　such　

ordinances。　Therefore；　Christians　are　necessarily　bound　to　

obey　their　own　magistrates　and　laws　save　only　when　commanded　

to　sin；　for　then　they　ought　to　obey　God　rather　than　men。　Acts　

5；　29。　　



Article　XVII：　Of　Christ's　Return　to　Judgment。　



Also　they　teach　that　at　the　Consummation　of　the　World　Christ　

will　appear　for　judgment　and　will　raise　up　all　the　dead；　He　

will　give　to　the　godly　and　elect　eternal　life　and　everlasting　

joys；　but　ungodly　men　and　the　devils　He　will　condemn　to　be　

tormented　without　end。　　



They　condemn　the　Anabaptists；　who　think　that　there　will　be　an　

end　to　the　punishments　of　condemned　men　and　devils。　　



They　condemn　also　others　who　are　now　spreading　certain　Jewish　

opinions；　that　before　the　resurrection　of　the　dead　the　godly　

shall　take　possession　of　the　kingdom　of　the　world；　the　ungodly　

being　everywhere　suppressed。　　





Article　XVIII：　Of　Free　Will。　



Of　Free　Will　they　teach　that　man's　will　has　some　liberty　to　

choose　civil　righteousness；　and　to　work　things　subject　to　

reason。　But　it　has　no　power；　without　the　Holy　Ghost；　to　work　

the　righteousness　of　God；　that　is；　spiritual　righteousness；　

since　the　natural　man　receiveth　not　the　things　of　the　Spirit　

of　God；　1　Cor。　2；14；　but　this　righteousness　is　wrought　in　the　

heart　when　the　Holy　Ghost　is　received　through　the　Word。　These　

things　are　said　in　as　many　words　by　Augustine　in　his　

Hypognosticon；　Book　III：　We　grant　that　all　men　have　a　free　

will；　free；　inasmuch　as　it　has　the　judgment　of　reason；　not　

that　it　is　thereby　capable；　without　God；　either　to　begin；　or；　

at　least；　to　complete　aught　in　things　pertaining　to　God；　but　

only　in　works　of　this　life；　whether　good　or　evil。　〃Good〃　I　

call　those　works　which　spring　from　the　good　in　nature；　such　

as；　willing　to　labor　in　the　field；　to　eat　and　drink；　to　have　a　

friend；　to　clothe　oneself；　to　build　a　house；　to　marry　a　wife；　

to　raise　cattle；　to　learn　divers　useful　arts；　or　whatsoever　

good　pertains　to　this　life。　For　all　of　these　things　are　not　

without　dependence　on　the　providence　of　God；　yea；　of　Him　and　

through　Him　they　are　and　have　their　being。　〃Evil〃　I　call　such　

works　as　willing　to　worship　an　idol；　to　commit　murder；　etc。　　



They　condemn　the　Pelagians　and　others；　who　teach　that　without　

the　Holy　Ghost；　by　the　power　of　nature　alone；　we　are　able　to　

love　God　above　all　things；　also　to　do　the　commandments　of　God　

as　touching　〃the　substance　of　the　act。〃　For；　although　nature　

is　able　in　a　manner　to　do　the　outward　work；　（for　it　is　able　to　

keep　the　hands　from　theft　and　murder；）　yet　it　cannot　produce　

the　inward　motions；　such　as　the　fear　of　God；　trust　in　God；　

chastity；　patience；　etc。　　





Article　XIX：　Of　the　Cause　of　Sin。　



Of　the　Cause　of　Sin　they　teach　that；　although　God　does　create　

and　preserve　nature；　yet　the　cause　of　sin　is　the　will　of　the　

wicked；　that　is；　of　the　devil　and　ungodly　men；　which　will；　

unaided　of　God；　turns　itself　from　God；　as　Christ　says　John　8；　

44：　When　he　speaketh　a　lie；　he　speaketh　of　his　own。　　





Article　XX：　Of　Good　Works。　　



Our　teachers　are　falsely　accused　of　forbidding　good　Works。　For　

their　published　writings　on　the　Ten　Commandments；　and　others　

of　like　import；　bear　witness　that　they　have　taught　to　good　

purpose　concerning　all　estates　and　duties　of　life；　as　to　what　

estates　of　life　and　what　works　in　every　calling　be　pleasing　to　

God。　Concerning　these　things　preachers　heretofore　taught　but　

little；　and　urged　only　childish　and　needless　works；　as　

particular　holy…days；　particular　fasts；　brotherhoods；　

pilgrimages；　services　in　honor　of　saints；　the　use　of　rosaries；　

monasticism；　and　such　like。　Since　our　adversaries　have　been　

admonished　of　these　things；　they　are　now　unlearning　them；　and　

do　not　preach　these　unprofitable　works　as　heretofore。　Besides；　

they　begin　to　mention　faith；　of　which　there　was　heretofore　

marvelous　silence。　They　teach　that　we　are　justified　not　by　

works　only；　but　they　conjoin　faith　and　works；　and　say　that　we　

are　justified　by　faith　and　works。　This　doctrine　is　more　

tolerable　than　the　former　one；　and　can　afford　more　consolation　

than　their　old　doctrine。　　



Forasmuch；　therefore；　as　the　doctrine　concerning　faith；　which　

ought　to　be　the　chief　one　in　the　Church；　has　lain　so　long　

unknown；　as　all　must　needs　grant　that　there　was　the　deepest　

silence　in　their　sermons　concerning　the　righteousness　of　

faith；　while　only　the　doctrine　of　works　was　treated　in　the　

churches；　our　teachers　have　instructed　the　churches　concerning　

faith　as　follows：　　



First；　that　our　works　cannot　reconcile　God　or　merit　

forgiveness　of　sins；　grace；　and　justification；　but　that　we　

obtain　this　only　by　faith　when　we　believe　that　we　are　received　

into　favor　for　Christs　sake；　who　alone　has　been　set　forth　the　

Mediator　and　Propitiation；　1　Tim。　2；　6；　in　order　that　the　

Father　may　be　reconciled　through　Him。　Whoever；　therefore；　

trusts　that　by　works　he　merits　grace；　despises　the　merit　and　

grace　of　Christ；　and　seeks　a　way　to　God　without　Christ；　by　

human　strength；　although　Christ　has　said　of　Himself：　I　am　the　

Way；　the　Truth；　and　the　Life。　John　14；　6。　　



This　doctrine　concerning　faith　is　everywhere　treated　by　Paul；　

Eph。　2；　8：　By　grace　are　ye　saved　through　faith；　and　that　not　

of　yourselves；　it　is　the　gift　of　God；　not　of　works；　etc。　　



And　lest　any　one　should　craftily　say　that　a　new　interpretation　

of　Paul　has　been　devised　by　us；　this　entire　matter　is　

supported　by　the　testimonies　of　the　Fathers。　For　Augustine；　in　

many　volumes；　defends　grace　and　the　righteousness　of　faith；　

over　against　the　merits　of　works。　And　Ambrose；　in　his　De　

Vocatione　Gentium；　and　elsewhere；　teaches　to　like　effect。　For　

in　his　De　Vocatione　Gentium　he　says　as　follows：　Redemption　by　

the　blood　of　Christ　would　become　of　little　value；　neither　

would　the　preeminence　of　man's　works　be　superseded　by　the　

mercy　of　God；　if　justification；　which　is　wrought　through　

grace；　were　due　to　the　merits　going　before；　so　as　to　be；　not　

the　free　gift　of　a　donor；　but　the　reward　due　to　the　laborer。　　



But；　although　this　doctrine　is　despised　by　the　inexperienced；　

nevertheless　God…fearing　and　anxious　consciences　find　by　

experience　that　it　brings　the　greatest　consolation；　because　

consciences　cannot　be　set　at　rest　through　any　works；　but　only　

by　faith；　when　they　take　the　sure　ground　that　for　Christ's　

sake　they　have　a　reconciled　God。　As　Paul　teaches　Rom。　5；　1：　

Being　justified　by　faith；　we　have　peace　with　God。　This　whole　

doctrine　is　to　be　referred　to　that　conflict　of　the　terrified　

conscience；　neither　can　it　be　understood　apart　from　that　

conflict。　Therefore　inexperienced　and　profane　men　judge　ill　

concerning　this　matter；　who　dream　that　Christian　righteousness　

is　nothing　but　civil　and　philosophical　righteousness。　　



Heretofore　consciences　were　plagued　with　the　doctrine　of　

works；　they　did　not　hear　the　consolation　from　the　Gospel。　Some　

persons　were　driven　by　conscience　into　the　desert；　into　

monasteries　hoping　there　to　merit　grace　by　a　monastic　life。　

Some　also　devised　other　works　whereby　to　merit　grace　and　make　

satisfaction　for　sins。　Hence　there　was　very　great　need　to　

treat　of；　and　renew；　this　doctrine　of　faith　in　Christ；　to　the　

end　that　anxious　consciences　should　not　be　without　consolation　

but　that　they　might　know　that　grace　and　forgiveness　of　sins　

and　justification　are　apprehended　by　faith　in　Christ。　　



Men　are　also　admonished　that　here　the　term　〃faith〃　does　not　

signify　merely　the　knowledge　of　the　history；　such　as　is　in　the　

ungodly　and　in　the　devil；　but　signifies　a　faith　which　

believes；　not　merely　the　history；　but　also　the　effect　of　the　

history　　namely；　this　Article：　the　forgiveness　of　sins；　to　

wit；　that　we　have　grace；　righteousness；　and　forgiveness　of　

sins　through　Christ。　　



Now　he　that　knows　that　he　has　a　Father　gracious　to　him　through　

Christ；　truly　knows　God；　he　knows　also　that　God　cares　for　him；　

and　calls　upon　God；　in　a　word；　he　is　not　without　God；　as　the　

heathen。　For　devils　and　the　ungodly　are　not　able　to　believe　

this　Article：　the　forgiveness　of　sins。　Hence；　they　hate　God　as　

an　enemy；　call　not　upon　Him；　and　expect　no　goo