The Apology of the Augsburg ConfessionMelanchthon, Philipp
Religion
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Melanchthon, Philipp
Lutheran Church -- Catechisms
The Greek canon says also many things concerning the offering, but it
shows plainly that it is not speaking properly of the body and blood
of the Lord, but of the whole service of prayers and thanksgivings.
For it says thus: _Kai poiehson hemas axious genesthai tou
prospserein soi deehseis kai hikesias kai thusias anaimaktous huper
pantos laou._ When this is rightly understood, it gives no offense.
For it prays that we be made worthy to offer prayers and
supplications and bloodless sacrifices for the people. For he calls
even prayers bloodless sacrifices. Just as also a little afterward:
_Eti prospheromen soi tehn logikehn tautehn kai anaimakton latreian_,
We offer, he says this reasonable and bloodless service. For they
explain this inaptly who would rather interpret this of a reasonable
sacrifice, and transfer it to the very body of Christ, although the
canon speaks of the entire worship, and in opposition to the _opus
operatum_ Paul has spoken of _logikeh latreia_ [reasonable service],
namely, of the worship of the mind, of fear, of faith, of prayer, of
thanksgiving, etc.
Part 34
_Of the Mass for the Dead._
Our adversaries have no testimonies and no command from Scripture for
defending the application of the ceremony for liberating the souls of
the dead, although from this they derive infinite revenue. Nor,
indeed, is it a light sin to establish such services in the Church
without the command of God and without the example of Scripture, and
to apply to the dead the Lord's Supper, which was instituted for
commemoration and preaching among the living [for the purpose of
strengthening the faith of those who use the ceremony]. This is to
violate the Second Commandment, by abusing God's name.
For, in the first place, it is a dishonor to the Gospel to hold that
a ceremony _ex opere operato_, without faith, is a sacrifice
reconciling God, and making satisfaction for sins. It is a horrible
saying to ascribe as much to the work of a priest as to the death of
Christ. Again, sin and death cannot be overcome unless by faith in
Christ, as Paul teaches, Rom. 5, 1: Being justified by faith, we have
peace with God, and therefore the punishment of purgatory cannot be
overcome by the application of the work of another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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