the augsburg confession-第8章

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God　when　they　find　matters　of　sin　in　foods；　in　days；　and　like　

things；　and　burden　the　Church　with　bondage　of　the　law；　as　if　

there　ought　to　be　among　Christians；　in　order　to　merit　

justification　a　service　like　the　Levitical；　the　arrangement　of　

which　God　had　committed　to　the　Apostles　and　bishops。　For　thus　

some　of　them　write；　and　the　Pontiffs　in　some　measure　seem　to　

be　misled　by　the　example　of　the　law　of　Moses。　Hence　are　such　

burdens；　as　that　they　make　it　mortal　sin；　even　without　offense　

to　others；　to　do　manual　labor　on　holy…days；　a　mortal　sin　to　

omit　the　Canonical　Hours；　that　certain　foods　defile　the　

conscience　that　fastings　are　works　which　appease　God　that　sin　

in　a　reserved　case　cannot　be　forgiven　but　by　the　authority　of　

him　who　reserved　it；　whereas　the　Canons　themselves　speak　only　

of　the　reserving　of　the　ecclesiastical　penalty；　and　not　of　the　

reserving　of　the　guilt。　　



Whence　have　the　bishops　the　right　to　lay　these　traditions　upon　

the　Church　for　the　ensnaring　of　consciences；　when　Peter；　Acts　

15；　10；　forbids　to　put　a　yoke　upon　the　neck　of　the　disciples；　

and　Paul　says；　2　Cor。　13；　10；　that　the　power　given　him　was　to　

edification　not　to　destruction？　Why；　therefore；　do　they　

increase　sins　by　these　traditions？　　



But　there　are　clear　testimonies　which　prohibit　the　making　of　

such　traditions；　as　though　they　merited　grace　or　were　

necessary　to　salvation。　Paul　says；　Col。　2；　16…23：　Let　no　man　

judge　you　in　meat；　or　in　drink；　or　in　respect　of　an　holy…day；　

or　of　the　new　moon；　or　of　the　Sabbath…days。　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；　which　all　are　to　perish　with　the　using）　after　

the　commandments　and　doctrines　of　men！　which　things　have　

indeed　a　show　of　wisdom。　Also　in　Titus　1；　14　he　openly　forbids　

traditions：　Not　giving　heed　to　Jewish　fables　and　commandments　

of　men　that　turn　from　the　truth。　　



And　Christ；　Matt。　15；　14。　13；　says　of　those　who　require　

traditions：　Let　them　alone；　they　be　blind　leaders　of　the　

blind；　and　He　rejects　such　services：　Every　plant　which　My　

heavenly　Father　hath　not　planted　shall　be　plucked　up。　　



If　bishops　have　the　right　to　burden　churches　with　infinite　

traditions；　and　to　ensnare　consciences；　why　does　Scripture　so　

often　prohibit　to　make；　and　to　listen　to；　traditions？　Why　does　

it　call　them　〃doctrines　of　devils〃？　1　Tim。　4；　1。　Did　the　Holy　

Ghost　in　vain　forewarn　of　these　things？　　



Since；　therefore；　ordinances　instituted　as　things　necessary；　

or　with　an　opinion　of　meriting　grace；　are　contrary　to　the　

Gospel；　it　follows　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　any　bishop　to　

institute　or　exact　such　services。　For　it　is　necessary　that　the　

doctrine　of　Christian　liberty　be　preserved　in　the　churches；　

namely；　that　the　bondage　of　the　Law　is　not　necessary　to　

justification；　as　it　is　written　in　the　Epistle　to　the　

Galatians；　5；　1：　Be　not　entangled　again　with　the　yoke　of　

bondage。　It　is　necessary　that　the　chief　article　of　the　Gospel　

be　preserved；　to　wit；　that　we　obtain　grace　freely　by　faith　in　

Christ；　and　not　for　certain　observances　or　acts　of　worship　

devised　by　men。　　



What；　then；　are　we　to　think　of　the　Sunday　and　like　rites　in　

the　house　of　God？　To　this　we　answer　that　it　is　lawful　for　

bishops　or　pastors　to　make　ordinances　that　things　be　done　

orderly　in　the　Church；　not　that　thereby　we　should　merit　grace　

or　make　satisfaction　for　sins；　or　that　consciences　be　bound　to　

judge　them　necessary　services；　and　to　think　that　it　is　a　sin　

to　break　them　without　offense　to　others。　So　Paul　ordains；　1　

Cor。　11；　5；　that　women　should　cover　their　heads　in　the　

congregation；　1　Cor。　14；　30；　that　interpreters　be　heard　in　

order　in　the　church；　etc。　　



It　is　proper　that　the　churches　should　keep　such　ordinances　for　

the　sake　of　love　and　tranquillity；　so　far　that　one　do　not　

offend　another；　that　all　things　be　done　in　the　churches　in　

order；　and　without　confusion；　1　Cor。　14；　40；　comp。　Phil。　2；　

14；　but　so　that　consciences　be　not　burdened　to　think　that　they　

are　necessary　to　salvation；　or　to　judge　that　they　sin　when　

they　break　them　without　offense　to　others；　as　no　one　will　say　

that　a　woman　sins　who　goes　out　in　public　with　her　head　

uncovered　provided　only　that　no　offense　be　given。　　



Of　this　kind　is　the　observance　of　the　Lord's　Day；　Easter；　

Pentecost；　and　like　holy…days　and　rites。　For　those　who　judge　

that　by　the　authority　of　the　Church　the　observance　of　the　

Lord's　Day　instead　of　the　Sabbath…day　was　ordained　as　a　thing　

necessary；　do　greatly　err。　Scripture　has　abrogated　the　

Sabbath…day；　for　it　teaches　that；　since　the　Gospel　has　been　

revealed；　all　the　ceremonies　of　Moses　can　be　omitted。　And　yet；　

because　it　was　necessary　to　appoint　a　certain　day；　that　the　

people　might　know　when　they　ought　to　come　together；　it　appears　

that　the　Church　designated　the　Lord's　Day　for　this　purpose；　

and　this　day　seems　to　have　been　chosen　all　the　more　for　this　

additional　reason；　that　men　might　have　an　example　of　Christian　

liberty；　and　might　know　that　the　keeping　neither　of　the　

Sabbath　nor　of　any　other　day　is　necessary。　　

There　are　monstrous　disputations　concerning　the　changing　of　

the　law；　the　ceremonies　of　the　new　law；　the　changing　of　the　

Sabbath…day；　which　all　have　sprung　from　the　false　belief　that　

there　must　needs　be　in　the　Church　a　service　like　to　the　

Levitical；　and　that　Christ　had　given　commission　to　the　

Apostles　and　bishops　to　devise　new　ceremonies　as　necessary　to　

salvation。　These　errors　crept　into　the　Church　when　the　

righteousness　of　faith　was　not　taught　clearly　enough。　Some　

dispute　that　the　keeping　of　the　Lord's　Day　is　not　indeed　of　

divine　right；　but　in　a　manner　so。　They　prescribe　concerning　

holy…days；　how　far　it　is　lawful　to　work。　What　else　are　such　

disputations　than　snares　of　consciences？　For　although　they　

endeavor　to　modify　the　traditions；　yet　the　mitigation　can　

never　be　perceived　as　long　as　the　opinion　remains　that　they　

are　necessary；　which　must　needs　remain　where　the　righteousness　

of　faith　and　Christian　liberty　are　not　known。　　



The　Apostles　commanded　Acts　15；　20　to　abstain　from　blood。　Who　

does　now　observe　it？　And　yet　they　that　do　it　not　sin　not；　for　

not　even　the　Apostles　themselves　wanted　to　burden　consciences　

with　such　bondage；　but　they　forbade　it　for　a　time；　to　avoid　

offense。　For　in　this　decree　we　must　perpetually　consider　what　

the　aim　of　the　Gospel　is。　　



Scarcely　any　Canons　are　kept　with　exactness；　and　from　day　to　

day　many　go　out　of　use　even　among　those　who　are　the　most　

zealous　advocates　of　traditions。　Neither　can　due　regard　be　

paid　to　consciences　unless　this　mitigation　be　observed；　that　

we　know　that　the　Canons　are　kept　without　holding　them　to　be　

necessary；　and　that　no　harm　is　done　consciences；　even　though　

traditions　go　out　of　use。　　



But　the　bishops　might　easily　retain　the　lawful　obedience　of　

the　people　if　they　would　not　insist　upon　the　observance　of　

such　traditions　as　cannot　be　kept　with　a　good　conscience。　Now　

they　command　celibacy；　they　admit　none　unless　they　swear　that　

they　will　not　teach　the　pure　doctrine　of　the　Gospel。　The　

churches　do　not　ask　that　the　bishops　should　restore　concord　at　

the　expense　of　their　honor；　which；　nevertheless；　it　would　be　

proper　for　good　pastors　to　do。　They　ask　only　that　they　would　

release　unjust　burdens　which　are　new　and　have　been　received　

contrary　to　the　custom　of　the　Church　Catholic。　It　may　be　that　

in　the　beginning　there　were　plausible　reasons　for　some　of　

these　ordinances；　and　yet　they　are　not　adapted　to　later　times。　

It　is　also　evident　that　some　were　adopted　through　erroneous　

conceptions。　Therefore　it　would　be　befitting　the　clemency　of　

the　Pontiffs　to　mitigate　them　now；　because　such　a　modification　

does　not　shake　the　unity　of　the　Church。　For　many　human　

traditions　have　been　changed　in　process　of　time；　as　the　Canons　

themselves　show。　But　if　it　be　impossible　to　obtain　a　

mitigation　of　such　observances　as　cannot　be　kept　without　sin；　

we　are　bound　to　follow　the　apostolic　rule；　Acts　5；　29；　which　

commands　us　to　obey　God　rather　than　men。　　



Peter；　1　Pet。　5；　3；　forbids　bishops　to　be　lords；　and　to　rule　

over　the　churches。　It　is　not　our　design　now　to　wrest　the　

government　from　the　bishops；　but　this　one　thing　is　asked；　

namely；　that　they　allow　the　Gospel　to　be　purely　taught；　and　

that　they　relax　some　few　observances　which　cannot　be　kept　

without　sin。　But　if　they　make　no　concession；　it　is　for　them　to　

see　how　they　shall　give　account　to　God　for　furnishing；　by　

their　obstinacy；　a　cause　for　schism。　　







Conclusion。　



These　are　the　chief　articles　which　seem　to　be　in　controversy。

For　although　we　might　have　spoken　of　more　abuses；　yet；　to

avoid　undue　length；　we　have　set　forth　the　chief　points；　from

which　the　rest　may　be　readily　judged。　There　have　been　great

complaints　concerning　indulgences；　pilgrimages；　and　the　abuse

of　excommunications。　The　parishes　have　been　vexed　in　many　ways

by　the　dealers　in　indulgences。　There　were　endless　contentions

between　the　pastors　and　the　monks　concerning　the　parochial

right；　confessions；　burials；　sermons　on　extraordinary

occasions；　and　innumerable　other　things。　Issues　of　this　sort

we　have　passed　over　so　that　the　chief　points　in　this　matter；

having　been　briefly　set　forth；　might　be　the　more　readily

understood。　Nor　has　anything　been　here　said　or　adduced　to　the

reproach　of　any　one。　Only　those　things　have　been　recounted

whereof　we　thought　that　it　was　necessary　to　speak；　in　order

that　it　might　be　understood　that　in　doctrine　and　ceremonies

nothing　has　been　received　on　our　part　against　Scripture　or　the

Church　Catholic。　For　it　is　manifest　that　we　have　taken　most

diligent　care　that　no　new　and　ungodly　doctrine　should　creep

into　our　churches。　



The　above　articles　we　desire　to　present　in　accordance　with　the

edict　of　Your　Imperial　Majesty；　in　order　to　exhibit　our

Confession　and　let　men　see　a　summary　of　the　doctrine　of　our

teachers。　If　there　is　anything　that　any　one　might　desire　in

this　Confession；　we　are　ready；　God　willing；　to　present　ampler

information　according　to　the　Scriptures。　



Your　Imperial　Majesty's

faithful　subjects：　



John；　Duke　of　Saxony；　Elector。

George；　Margrave　of　Brandenburg。

Ernest；　Duke　of　Lueneberg。

Philip；　Landgrave　of　Hesse。

John　Frederick；　Duke　of　Saxony。

Francis；　Duke　of　Lueneburg。

Wolfgang；　Prince　of　Anhalt。

Senate　and　Magistracy　of　Nuremburg。

Senate　of　Reutlingen。






End