the augsburg confession-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



who　use　the　Sacrament　should　remember　what　benefits　it　

receives　through　Christ；　and　cheer　and　comfort　the　anxious　

conscience。　For　to　remember　Christ　is　to　remember　His　

benefits；　and　to　realize　that　they　are　truly　offered　unto　us。　

Nor　is　it　enough　only　to　remember　the　history；　for　this　also　

the　Jews　and　the　ungodly　can　remember。　Wherefore　the　Mass　is　

to　be　used　to　this　end；　that　there　the　Sacrament　　

＇Communion＇　may　be　administered　to　them　that　have　need　of　

consolation；　as　Ambrose　says：　Because　I　always　sin；　I　am　

always　bound　to　take　the　medicine。　＇Therefore　this　Sacrament　

requires　faith；　and　is　used　in　vain　without　faith。＇　　



Now；　forasmuch　as　the　Mass　is　such　a　giving　of　the　Sacrament；　

we　hold　one　communion　every　holy…day；　and；　if　any　desire　the　

Sacrament；　also　on　other　days；　when　it　is　given　to　such　as　ask　

for　it。　And　this　custom　is　not　new　in　the　Church；　for　the　

Fathers　before　Gregory　make　no　mention　of　any　private　Mass；　

but　of　the　common　Mass　＇the　Communion＇　they　speak　very　much。　

Chrysostom　says　that　the　priest　stands　daily　at　he　altar；　

inviting　some　to　the　Communion　and　keeping　back　others。　And　it　

appears　from　the　ancient　Canons　that　some　one　celebrated　the　

Mass　from　whom　all　the　other　presbyters　and　deacons　received　

the　body　of　he　Lord；　for　thus　the　words　of　the　Nicene　Canon　

say：　Let　the　deacons；　according　to　their　order；　receive　the　

Holy　Communion　after　the　presbyters；　from　the　bishop　or　from　a　

presbyter。　And　Paul；　1　Cor。　11；　33；　commands　concerning　the　

Communion：　Tarry　one　for　another；　so　that　there　may　be　a　

common　participation。　　



Forasmuch；　therefore；　as　the　Mass　with　us　has　the　example　of　

the　Church；　taken　from　the　Scripture　and　the　Fathers；　we　are　

confident　that　it　cannot　be　disapproved；　especially　since　

public　ceremonies；　for　the　most　part　like　those　hitherto　in　

use；　are　retained；　only　the　number　of　Masses　differs；　which；　

because　of　very　great　and　manifest　abuses　doubtless　might　be　

profitably　reduced。　For　in　olden　times；　even　in　churches　most　

frequented；　the　Mass　was　not　celebrated　every　day；　as　the　

Tripartite　History　（Book　9；　chap。　33）　testifies：　Again　in　

Alexandria；　every　Wednesday　and　Friday　the　Scriptures　are　

read；　and　the　doctors　expound　them；　and　all　things　are　done；　

except　the　solemn　rite　of　Communion。　　







Article　XXV：　Of　Confession。　　



Confession　in　the　churches　is　not　abolished　among　us；　for　it　

is　not　usual　to　give　the　body　of　the　Lord；　except　to　them　that　

have　been　previously　examined　and　absolved。　And　the　people　are　

most　carefully　taught　concerning　faith　in　the　absolution；　

about　which　formerly　there　was　profound　silence。　Our　people　

are　taught　that　they　should　highly　prize　the　absolution；　as　

being　the　voice　of　God；　and　pronounced　by　God's　command。　The　

power　of　the　Keys　is　set　forth　in　its　beauty　and　they　are　

reminded　what　great　consolation　it　brings　to　anxious　

consciences；　also；　that　God　requires　faith　to　believe　such　

absolution　as　a　voice　sounding　from　heaven；　and　that　such　

faith　in　Christ　truly　obtains　and　receives　the　forgiveness　of　

sins。　Aforetime　satisfactions　were　immoderately　extolled；　of　

faith　and　the　merit　of　Christ　and　the　righteousness　of　faith　

no　mention　was　made；　wherefore；　on　this　point；　our　churches　

are　by　no　means　to　be　blamed。　For　this　even　our　adversaries　

must　needs　concede　to　us　that　the　doctrine　concerning　

repentance　has　been　most　diligently　treated　and　laid　open　by　

our　teachers。　　



But　of　Confession　they　teach　that　an　enumeration　of　sins　is　

not　necessary；　and　that　consciences　be　not　burdened　with　

anxiety　to　enumerate　all　sins；　for　it　is　impossible　to　recount　

all　sins；　as　the　Psalm　testifies；　19；13：　Who　can　understand　

his　errors？　Also　Jeremiah；　17　9：　The　heart　is　deceitful；　who　

can　know　it；　But　if　no　sins　were　forgiven；　except　those　that　

are　recounted；　consciences　could　never　find　peace；　for　very　

many　sins　they　neither　see　nor　can　remember。　The　ancient　

writers　also　testify　that　an　enumeration　is　not　necessary。　For　

in　the　Decrees；　Chrysostom　is　quoted；　who　says　thus：　I　say　not　

to　you　that　you　should　disclose　yourself　in　public；　nor　that　

you　accuse　yourself　before　others；　but　I　would　have　you　obey　

the　prophet　who　says：　〃Disclose　thy　self　before　God。〃　

Therefore　confess　your　sins　before　God；　the　true　Judge；　with　

prayer。　Tell　your　errors；　not　with　the　tongue；　but　with　the　

memory　of　your　conscience；　etc。　And　the　Gloss　（Of　Repentance；　

Distinct。　V；　Cap。　Consideret）　admits　that　Confession　is　of　

human　right　only　＇not　commanded　by　Scripture；　but　ordained　by　

the　Church＇。　Nevertheless；　on　account　of　the　great　benefit　of　

absolution；　and　because　it　is　otherwise　useful　to　the　

conscience；　Confession　is　retained　among　us。　　





Article　XXVI：　Of　the　Distinction　of　Meats。　



It　has　been　the　general　persuasion；　not　of　the　people　alone；　

but　also　of　those　teaching　in　the　churches；　that　making　

Distinctions　of　Meats；　and　like　traditions　of　men；　are　works　

profitable　to　merit　grace；　and　able　to　make　satisfactions　for　

sins。　And　that　the　world　so　thought；　appears　from　this；　that　

new　ceremonies；　new　orders；　new　holy…days；　and　new　fastings　

were　daily　instituted；　and　the　teachers　in　the　churches　did　

exact　these　works　as　a　service　necessary　to　merit　grace；　and　

did　greatly　terrify　men's　consciences；　if　they　should　omit　any　

of　these　things。　From　this　persuasion　concerning　traditions　

much　detriment　has　resulted　in　the　Church。　　



First；　the　doctrine　of　grace　and　of　the　righteousness　of　faith　

has　been　obscured　by　it；　which　is　the　chief　part　of　the　

Gospel；　and　ought　to　stand　out　as　the　most　prominent　in　the　

Church；　in　order　that　the　merit　of　Christ　may　be　well　known；　

and　faith；　which　believes　that　sins　are　forgiven　for　Christ's　

sake　be　exalted　far　above　works。　Wherefore　Paul　also　lays　the　

greatest　stress　on　this　article；　putting　aside　the　Law　and　

human　traditions；　in　order　to　show　that　Christian　

righteousness　is　something　else　than　such　works；　to　wit；　the　

faith　which　believes　that　sins　are　freely　forgiven　for　

Christ's　sake。　But　this　doctrine　of　Paul　has　been　almost　

wholly　smothered　by　traditions；　which　have　produced　an　opinion　

that；　by　making　distinctions　in　meats　and　like　services；　we　

must　merit　grace　and　righteousness。　In　treating　of　repentance；　

there　was　no　mention　made　of　faith；　only　those　works　of　

satisfaction　were　set　forth；　in　these　the　entire　repentance　

seemed　to　consist。　　



Secondly；　these　traditions　have　obscured　the　commandments　of　

God；　because　traditions　were　placed　far　above　the　commandments　

of　God。　Christianity　was　thought　to　consist　wholly　in　the　

observance　of　certain　holy…days；　rites；　fasts；　and　vestures。　

These　observances　had　won　for　themselves　the　exalted　title　of　

being　the　spiritual　life　and　the　perfect　life。　Meanwhile　the　

commandments　of　God；　according　to　each　one's　calling；　were　

without　honor　namely；　that　the　father　brought　up　his　

offspring；　that　the　mother　bore　children；　that　the　prince　

governed　the　commonwealth；　　these　were　accounted　works　that　

were　worldly　and　imperfect；　and　far　below　those　glittering　

observances。　And　this　error　greatly　tormented　devout　

consciences；　which　grieved　that　they　were　held　in　an　imperfect　

state　of　life；　as　in　marriage；　in　the　office　of　magistrate；　or　

in　other　civil　ministrations；　on　the　other　hand；　they　admired　

the　monks　and　such　like；　and　falsely　imagined　that　the　

observances　of　such　men　were　more　acceptable　to　God。　　



Thirdly；　traditions　brought　great　danger　to　consciences；　for　

it　was　impossible　to　keep　all　traditions；　and　yet　men　judged　

these　observances　to　be　necessary　acts　of　worship。　Gerson　

writes　that　many　fell　into　despair；　and　that　some　even　took　

their　own　lives；　because　they　felt　that　they　were　not　able　to　

satisfy　the　traditions；　and　they　had　all　the　while　not　heard　

any　consolation　of　the　righteousness　of　faith　and　grace。　We　

see　that　the　summists　and　theologians　gather　the　traditions；　

and　seek　mitigations　whereby　to　ease　consciences；　and　yet　they　

do　not　sufficiently　unfetter；　but　sometimes　entangle；　

consciences　even　more。　And　with　the　gathering　of　these　

traditions；　the　schools　and　sermons　have　been　so　much　occupied　

that　they　have　had　no　leisure　to　touch　upon　Scripture；　and　to　

seek　the　more　profitable　doctrine　of　faith；　of　the　cross；　of　

hope；　of　the　dignity　of　civil　affairs　of　consolation　of　sorely　

tried　consciences。　Hence　Gerson　and　some　other　theologians　

have　grievously　complained　that　by　these　strivings　concerning　

traditions　they　were　prevented　from　giving　attention　to　a　

better　kind　of　doctrine。　Augustine　also　forbids　that　men's　

consciences　should　be　burdened　with　such　observances；　and　

prudently　advises　Januarius　that　he　must　know　that　they　are　to　

be　observed　as　things　indifferent；　for　such　are　his　words。　　



Wherefore　our　teachers　must　not　be　looked　upon　as　having　taken　

up　this　matter　rashly　or　from　hatred　of　the　bishops；　as　some　

falsely　suspect。　There　was　great　need　to　warn　the　churches　of　

these　errors；　which　had　arisen　from　misunderstanding　the　

traditions。　For　the　Gospel　compels　us　to　insist　in　the　

churches　upon　the　doctrine　of　grace；　and　of　the　righteousness　

of　faith；　which；　however；　cannot　be　understood；　if　men　think　

that　they　merit　grace　by　observances　of　their　own　choice。　　



Thus；　therefore；　they　have　taught　that　by　the　observance　of　

human　traditions　we　cannot　merit　grace　or　be　justified；　and　

hence　we　must　not　think　such　observances　necessary　acts　of　

worship。　They　add　hereunto　testimonies　of　Scripture。　Christ；　

Matt。　15；　3；　defends　the　Apostles　who　had　not　observed　the　

usual　tradition；　which；　however；　evidently　pertains　to　a　

matter　not　unlawful；　but　indifferent；　and　to　have　a　certain　

affinity　with　the　purifications　of　the　Law；　and　says；　9：　In　

vain　do　they　worship　Me　with　the　commandments　of　men。　He；　

therefore；　does　not　exact　an　unprofitable　service。　Shortly　

after　He　adds：　Not　that　which　goeth　into　the　mouth　defileth　a　

man。　So　also　Paul；　Rom。　14；　17：　The　kingdom　of　God　is　not　meat　

and　drink。　Col。　2；　16：　Let　no　man；　therefore；　judge　you　in　

meat；　or　in　drink；　or　in　respect　of　an　holy…day；　or　of　the　

Sabbath…day；　also：　If　ye　be　dead　with　Christ　from　the　

rudiments　of　the　world；　why；　as　though　living　in　the　world；　

are　ye　subject　to　ordinances：　Touch　not；　taste　not；　handle　

not！　And　Peter　says；　Acts　15；　10：　Why　tempt　ye　God　to　put　a　

yoke　upon　the　neck　of　the　disciples；　which　neither　our　fathers　

nor　we　were　able　to　bear？　But　we　believe　that　through　the　

grace　of　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ　we　shall　be　saved；　even　as　

they。　Here　Peter　forbids　to　burden　the　consciences　with　many　

rites；　either　of　Moses　or　of　others。　And　in　1　Tim。　4；1。3　Paul　

calls　the　prohibition　of　meats　a　doctrine　of　devils；　for　it　is　

against　the　Gospel　to　institute　or　to　do　such　works　that