tem in nobis conservari, aut re- | are preserved or retained in us not tineri, non per opera, sed tantum by works, but only by the spirit per Spiritum Dei, et per fidem of God and by faith (by which, (qua scilicet salus custoditur), namely, salvation is guarded), and bona autem opera testimonia that good works are a testimony esse, quod Spiritus Sanctus præ- that the Holy Spirit is present and sens sit, atque in nobis habitet. dwells in us.

NEGATIVA.

Falsa doctrina, superiori repugnans.

NEGATIVE.

False doctrine opposed to that above stated. I. Rejicimus igitur et damna- I. We reject, therefore, and conmus subsequentes phrases, cum demn the following phrases, when docetur: bona opera necessaria it is taught: That good works are esse ad salutem; neminem un- necessary to salvation; that no one quam sine bonis operibus salva- has ever been saved without good tum; impossibile esse sine bonis works; that it is impossible to be operibus salvari. saved without good works.

II. Repudiamus et damnamus II. We repudiate and condemn nudam hanc, offendiculi plenam, this bald phrase, full of offense et Christiana disciplina perni- and pernicious to Christian disciciosam phrasin: bona opera noxin esse ad salutem.2

pline: That good works are detrimental to salvation.

His enim postremis temporiFor in these last times it is not bus non minus necessarium est, less necessary that men should be ut homines ad recte et pie vi- admonished to a right and pious vendi rationem bonaque opera in- manner of living and to good works, vitentur atque moneantur, quam and reminded how necessary it is necessarium sit, ut ad declaran- that they should exercise themselves dam fidem atque gratitudinem to declare and set forth their faith suam erga Deum in bonis operi- and gratitude towards God by good bus sese exerceant: quam neces- works, than it is necessary to beware sarium est, cavere, ne bona opera lest good works be mingled in the negotio justificationis admiscean- matter of justification. For men tur. Non minus enim homines may incur damnation no less by Epicurea persuasione de fide, an Epicurean persuasion concern'Against Amsdorf.

1

Against Major.

quam Pharisaica et Papistica ing faith than by a Pharisaic and fiducia in propria opera et merita Papistic confidence in their own damnationem incurrere possunt. works and merits.

III. Moreover, we repudiate and condemn that dogma that faith in

III. Præterea reprobamus atque damnamus dogma illud, quod fides in Christum non amitta- Christ is not lost, and that the Holy tur, et Spiritus Sanctus nihi- Spirit, even though a man sin witlominus in homine habitet, eti- tingly and willingly, nevertheless amsi sciens volensque peccet; et dwells in him; and that the holy quod sancti atque electi [die Hei- and elect retain the Holy Spirit, ligen und Auserwählten] Spiri- even though they fall into adultum Sanctum retineant, tametsi tery or other crimes, and persevere in adulterium, aut in alia scelera in the same. prolabantur, et in iis perseverent.

Quæsitum fuit: an Evange- It has been inquired: Whether lium proprie sit tantummodo the gospel is properly only a preachconcio de gratia Dei, quæ remis- ing of the grace of God, which sionem peccatorum nobis annun- announces to us the remission of ciet: an vero etiam sit concio sins, or whether it is also a preachpænitentiæ, arguens peccatum in- ing of repentance, rebuking the credulitatis, quippe quæ non per sin of unbelief, as one which is Legem, sed per Evangelion dun- not rebuked by the Law, but only taxat arguatur. by the Gospel.

AFFIRMATIVA.

AFFIRMATIVE.

Sincera doctrina, cum norma verbi Dei con- Sound doctrine agreeing with the rule of the

gruens.

I. Credimus, docemus et confitemur, discrimen Legis et Evangelii, ut clarissimum quoddam lumen [ein besonder herrlich Licht],

Word of God.

I. We believe, teach, and confess that the distinction of the Law and of the Gospel, as a most excellently clear light, is to be retained with

singulari diligentia in Ecclesia special diligence in the Church of God, in order that the Word of God, agreeably to the admonition of St. Paul, may be rightly divided.

Dei retinendum esse, ut verbum Dei, juxta admonitionem D. Pauli, recte secari queat.

II. Credimus, docemus et con- II. We believe, teach, and confitemur, Legem esse proprie doc- fess that the Law is properly a trinam divinitus revelatam, quæ doctrine divinely revealed, which doceat, quid justum Deoque gra- teaches what is just and acceptable tum sit; quæ etiam, quicquid to God, and which also denounces peccatum est, et voluntati divine whatever is sinful and opposite to adversatur, redarguat. the divine will.

III. Quare, quicquid extat in III. Wherefore, whatever is found sacris literis, quod peccata ar- in the Holy Scriptures which conguit, id revera ad Legis concio-victs of sins, that properly belongs nem pertinet. to the preaching of the Law.

IV. Evangelion vero proprie doctrinam esse censemus, quæ doceat, quid homo credere debeat, qui Legi Dei non satisfecit, et idcirco per eandem damnatur: videlicet, quod illum credere oporteat, Jesum Christum omnia peccata expiasse, atque pro iis satisfecisse, et remissionem peccatorum, justitiam coram Deo consistentem et vitam æternam, nullo interveniente peccatoris illius merito, impetrasse.

IV. The Gospel, on the other hand, we judge to be properly the doctrine which teaches what a man ought to believe who has not satisfied the law of God, and therefore is condemned by the same, to wit: that it behooves him to believe that Jesus Christ has expiated all his sins, and made satisfaction for them, and has obtained remission of sins, righteousness which avails before God, and eternal life without the intervention of any merit of the sinner.

V. But inasmuch as the word Gospel is not always used in Holy Scripture in one and the same signification, whence also that dissension first arose, we believe, teach, and confess that if the term Gospel

V. Cum autem vocabulum 'Evangelii' non semper in una eademque significatione in Sacra Scriptura usurpetur, unde et dissensio illa primum orta est: credimus, docemus et confitemur, si vocabulum 'Evangelii' de tota is understood of the whole doctrine Christi doctrina accipiatur, quam of Christ, which he set forth in his

ipse in Ministerio suo (quemad- ministry, as did also his apostles modum et ejus Apostoli) profes- after him (in which signification sus est (in qua significatione the word is used in Mark i. 15 Mark i. 15 et Acts xx. 21 vox and Acts xx. 21), it is rightly said illa usurpatur), recte dici et do- and taught that the Gospel is a ceri, Evangelium esse concionem preaching of repentance and rede pænitentia et remissione pec- mission of sins.

catorum.

VI. But when the Law and the

VI. Quando vero Lex et Evangelion, sicut et ipse Moises, ut Gospel are compared together, as Doctor Legis, et Christus, ut well as Moses himself, the teacher Doctor Evangelii, inter se confe- of the Law, and Christ the teacher runtur: credimus, docemus et of the Gospel, we believe, teach, confitemur, quod Evangelion non and confess that the Gospel is not a sit concio pænitentiæ, arguens preaching of repentance, convicting peccata: sed quod proprie nihil of sins, but that it is properly nothaliud sit, quam laetissimum ing else than a certain most joyful quoddam nuncium, et concio ple- message and preaching full of conna consolationis, non arguens aut solation, not convicting or terrifyterrens, quandoquidem conscien- ing, inasmuch as it comforts the contias contra terrores Legis sola- science against the terrors of the tur, easque in meritum solius Law, and bids it look at the merit Christi respicere jubet, et dul- of Christ alone, and by a most sweet cissima prædicatione, de gratia preaching of the grace and favor of et favore Dei, per meritum Chri- God, obtained through Christ, lifts sti impetrato, rursus erigit.

it up again.

VII. Quod vero ad revelatio- VII. But as respects the revelanem peccati attinet, sic sese res tion of sin, the matter stands thus: habent. Velum illud Moisis om- That veil of Moses is drawn over all nium hominum oculis est obduc- men's eyes, so long as they hear only tum, quam diu solam Legis con- the preaching of the Law, and hear cionem, nihil autem de Christo nothing of Christ. Therefore they audiunt. Itaque peccata sua ex do not, by the Law, truly come to Lege non vere agnoscunt: sed know their sins, but either become aut hypocritæ fiunt, qui justitiæ hypocrites, swelling with an opinion propria opinione turgent, quales of their own righteousness, as were

olim erant Pharisæi, aut in pec- aforetime the Pharisees, or grow catis suis desperant, quod Judas desperate in their sins, as did the

proditor ille fecit. Eam ob cau- traitor Judas. On this account sam Christus sumsit sibi Legem Christ took upon him to explain the explicandam spiritualiter (Matt. Law spiritually (Matt. v. 21 sqq.; v. 21 sqq.; Rom. vii. 14), et hoc Rom. vii. 14), and in this manner modo ira Dei de cœlo revelatur is the wrath of God revealed from super omnes peccatores (Rom. i. heaven against all sinners (Rom. i. 18), ut, vera Legis sententia in- 18), in order that, by perceiving the tellecta, animadvertatur, quanta true meaning of the Law, it may be sit illa ira. Et sic demum pec- understood how great is that wratlı. catores ad Legem remissi vere And thus at length sinners, being et recte peccata sua agnoscunt. remanded to the Law, truly and Talem vero peccatorum agnitio- rightly come to know their own sins. nem solus Moises nunquam ex But such an acknowledgment of ipsis extorquere potuisset. sins Moses alone could never have extorted from them.

Although, therefore, this preaching of the passion and death of Christ, the Son of God, is full of

Etsi igitur concio illa de passione et morte Christi Filii Dei, sereritatis et terroris plena est, que iram Dei adversus peccata severity and terror, inasmuch as it ostendit, unde demum homines sets forth the anger of God against ad Legem Dei propius adducun- sin, from whence men at length are tur, postquam velum illud Moisis brought nearer to the Law of God, ablatum est, ut tandem exacte after that veil of Moses is taken. agnoscant, quanta videlicet Dominus in Lege sua a nobis exigat, quorum nihil nos præstare possumus, ita, ut universam nostram justitiam in solo Christo quærere oporteat:

away, that at length they may exactly perceive how great things God exacts from us in his Law, none of which we are able to perform, so that it behooves us to seek the whole of our righteousness in Christ alone:

VIII. Tamen, quam diu nobis VIII. Nevertheless, so long as the Christi passio et mors iram Dei passion and death of Christ place ob oculos ponunt, et hominem before the eyes the wrath of God perterrefaciunt, tam diu non and terrify man, so long they are sunt proprie concio Evangelii, not properly the preaching of the