The Apology of the Augsburg ConfessionMelanchthon, Philipp
Religion
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Melanchthon, Philipp
Lutheran Church -- Catechisms
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. 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 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 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, says Peter, 1 Ep. 1, 5, we
are kept unto salvation ready to be revealed. 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. 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 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.
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