Books: The Apology of the Augsburg Confession

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And the difference between this faith and the righteousness of the
Law can be easily discerned. Faith is the _latreia_ [divine service],
which receives the benefits offered by God; the righteousness of the
Law is the _latreia_ [divine service] which offers to God our merits.
By faith God wishes to be worshiped in this way, that we receive
from Him those things which He promises and offers.

Now, that faith signifies, not only a knowledge of the history, but
such faith as assents to the promise, Paul plainly testifies when he
says, Rom. 4, 16: Therefore it is of faith, to the end the promise
might be sure. For he judges that the promise cannot be received
unless by faith. Wherefore he puts them together as things that
belong to one another, and connects promise and faith. [There Paul
fastens and binds together these two, thus: Wherever there is a
promise faith is required and conversely, wherever faith is required
there must be a promise.] Although it will be easy to decide what
faith is if we consider the Creed where this article certainly stands:
The forgiveness of sins. Therefore it is not enough to believe that
Christ was born, suffered, was raised again, unless we add also this
article, which is the purpose of the history: The forgiveness of sins.
To this article the rest must be referred, namely, that for
Christ's sake, and not for the sake of our merits, forgiveness of
sins is given us. For what need was there that Christ was given for
our sins if for our sins our merits can make satisfaction?

As often, therefore, as we speak of justifying faith, we must keep in
mind that these three objects concur: the promise, and that, too,
gratuitous, and the merits of Christ, as the price and propitiation.
The promise is received by faith; the "gratuitous" excludes our
merits, and signifies that the benefit is offered only through mercy;
the merits of Christ are the price, because there must be a certain
propitiation for our sins. Scripture frequently implores mercy, and
the holy Fathers often say that we are saved by mercy. As often,
therefore, as mention is made of mercy, we must keep in mind that
faith is there required, which receives the promise of mercy. And,
again, as often as we speak of faith, we wish an object to be
understood, namely, the promised mercy. For faith justifies and
saves, not on the ground that it is a work in itself worthy, but only
because it receives the promised mercy.

And throughout the prophets and the psalms this worship, this
_latreia_, is highly praised, although the Law does not teach the
gratuitous remission of sins. But the Fathers knew the promise
concerning Christ that God for Christ's sake wished to remit sins.
Therefore, since they understood that Christ would be the price for
our sins, they knew that our works are not a price for so great a
matter [could not pay so great a debt]. Accordingly, they received
gratuitous mercy and remission of sins by faith, just as the saints
in the New Testament. Here belong those frequent repetitions
concerning mercy and faith, in the psalms and the prophets, as this,
Ps. 130, 3 sq.: If Thou Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who
shall stand? Here David confesses his sins and does not recount his
merits. He adds; But there is forgiveness with Thee. Here he
comforts himself by his trust in God's mercy, and he cites the
promise: My soul doth wait and in His Word do I hope, i.e., because
Thou hast promised the remission of sins, I am sustained by this Thy
promise. Therefore the fathers also were justified, not by the Law
but by the promise and faith. And it is amazing that the adversaries
extenuate faith to such a degree, although they see that it is
everywhere praised as an eminent service, as in Ps. 50, 15: Call upon
Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee. Thus God wishes
Himself to be known, thus He wishes Himself to be worshiped, that
from Him we receive benefits, and receive them, too, because of His
mercy, and not because of our merits. This is the richest
consolation in all afflictions [physical or spiritual, in life or in
death as all godly persons know]. And such consolations the
adversaries abolish when they extenuate and disparage faith, and
teach only that by means of works and merits men treat with God [that
we treat with God, the great Majesty, by means of our miserable,
beggarly works and merits].

Part 4

_That Faith in Christ Justifies._

In the first place, lest any one may think that we speak concerning
an idle knowledge of the history, we must declare how faith is
obtained [how the heart begins to believe]. Afterward we will show
both that it justifies, and how this ought to be understood, and we
will explain the objections of the adversaries. Christ, in the last
chapter of Luke 24, 47, commands that repentance and remission of
sins should be preached in His name. For the Gospel convicts all men
that they are under sin, that they all are subject to eternal wrath
and death, and offers for Christ's sake remission of sin and
justification, which is received by faith. The preaching of
repentance, which accuses us, terrifies consciences with true and
grave terrors. [For the preaching of repentance, or this declaration
of the Gospel: Amend your lives! Repent! When it truly penetrates
the heart, terrifies the conscience, and is no jest, but a great
terror, in which the conscience feels its misery and sin and the
wrath of God.] In these, hearts ought again to receive consolation.
This happens if they believe the promise of Christ, that for His sake
we have remission of sins. This faith, encouraging and consoling in
these fears, receives remission of sins, justifies and quickens. For
this consolation is a new and spiritual life [a new birth and a new
life]. These things are plain and clear, and can be understood by
the pious, and have testimonies of the Church [as is to be seen in
the conversion of Paul and Augustine]. The adversaries nowhere can
say how the Holy Ghost is given. They imagine that the Sacraments
confer the Holy Ghost _ex opere operato_, without a good emotion in
the recipient, as though, indeed, the gift of the Holy Ghost were an
idle matter.

But since we speak of such faith as is not an idle thought, but of
that which liberates from death and produces a new life in hearts
[which is such a new light, life, and force in the heart as to renew
our heart, mind, and spirit, makes new men of us and new creatures,]
and is the work of the Holy Ghost; this does not coexist with mortal
sin [for how can light and darkness coexist?], but as long as it is
present, produces good fruits as we will say after a while. For
concerning the conversion of the wicked, or concerning the mode of
regeneration, what can be said that is more simple and more clear?
Let them, from so great an array of writers, adduce a single
commentary upon the Sententiae that speaks of the mode of
regeneration. When they speak of the habit of love, they imagine
that men merit it through works and they do not teach that it is
received through the Word, precisely as also the Anabaptists teach at
this time. But God cannot be treated with, God cannot be apprehended,
except through the Word. Accordingly, justification occurs through
the Word, just as Paul says, Rom. 1, 16: The Gospel is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise 10, 17:
Faith cometh by hearing. And proof can be derived even from this
that faith justifies, because, if justification occurs only through
the Word, and the Word is apprehended only by faith, it follows that
faith justifies. But there are other and more important reasons. We
have said these things thus far in order that we might show the mode
of regeneration, and that the nature of faith [what is, or is not,
faith], concerning which we speak, might be understood.

Now we will show that faith [and nothing else] justifies. Here, in
the first place readers must be admonished of this, that just as it
is necessary to maintain this sentence: Christ is Mediator, so is it
necessary to defend that faith justifies, [without works]. For how
will Christ be Mediator if in justification we do not use Him as
Mediator; if we do not hold that for His sake we are accounted
righteous? But to believe is to trust in the merits of Christ, that
for His sake God certainly wishes to be reconciled with us. Likewise,
just as we ought to maintain that, apart from the Law, the promise
of Christ is necessary, so also is it needful to maintain that faith
justifies. [For the Law does not preach the forgiveness of sin by
grace.] For the Law cannot be performed unless the Holy Ghost be
first received. It is, therefore, needful to maintain that the
promise of Christ is necessary. But this cannot be received except
by faith. Therefore, those who deny that faith justifies, teach
nothing but the Law, both Christ and the Gospel being set aside.

But when it is said that faith justifies, some perhaps understand it
of the beginning, namely, that faith is the beginning of
justification or preparation for justification, so that not faith
itself is that through which we are accepted by God, but the works
which follow; and they dream, accordingly, that faith is highly
praised, because it is the beginning. For great is the importance of
the beginning, as they commonly say, _Archae aemioy pantos_, The
beginning is half of everything; just as if one would say that
grammar makes the teachers of all arts, because it prepares for other
arts, although in fact it is his own art that renders every one an
artist. We do not believe thus concerning faith, but we maintain
this, that properly and truly, by faith itself, we are for Christ's
sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God. And because "to
be justified" means that out of unjust men just men are made, or born
again, it means also that they are pronounced or accounted just. For
Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term "to be justified" is used
in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being
accounted righteous.] Accordingly we wish first to show this, that
faith alone makes of an unjust, a just man, i.e., receives remission
of sins.

The particle alone offends some, although even Paul says, Rom. 3, 28:
We conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of
the Law. Again, Eph. 2, 8: It is the gift of God; not of works, lest
any man should boast. Again, Rom. 3, 24: Being justified freely. If
the exclusive alone displeases, let them remove from Paul also the
exclusives freely, not of works, it is the gift, etc. For these also
are [very strong] exclusives. It is, however, the opinion of merit
that we exclude. We do not exclude the Word or Sacraments, as the
adversaries falsely charge us. For we have said above that faith is
conceived from the Word, and we honor the ministry of the Word in the
highest degree. Love also and works must follow faith. Wherefore,
they are not excluded so as not to follow, but confidence in the
merit of love or of works is excluded in justification. And this we
will clearly show.

Part 5

_That We Obtain Remission of Sins by Faith Alone in Christ._

We think that even the adversaries acknowledge that, in justification,
the remission of sins is necessary first. For we all are under sin.
Wherefore we reason thus:-To attain the remission of sins is to be
justified, according to Ps. 32, 1: Blessed is he whose transgression
is forgiven. By faith alone in Christ, not through love, not because
of love or works, do we acquire the remission of sins, although love
follows faith. Therefore by faith alone we are justified,
understanding justification as the making of a righteous man out of
an unrighteous, or that he be regenerated.

It will thus become easy to declare the minor premise [that we obtain
forgiveness of sin by faith, not by love] if we know how the
remission of sins occurs. The adversaries with great indifference
dispute whether the remission of sins and the infusion of grace are
the same change [whether they are one change or two]. Being idle men,
they did not know what to answer [cannot speak at all on this
subject]. In the remission of sins, the terrors of sin and of
eternal death, in the heart, must be overcome, as Paul testifies, 1
Cor. 15, 56 sq.: The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin
is the Law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, sin terrifies consciences,
this occurs through the Law, which shows the wrath of God against sin;
but we gain the victory through Christ. How? By faith, when we
comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ's
sake. Thus, therefore we prove the minor proposition. The wrath of
God cannot be appeased if we set against it our own works, because
Christ has been set forth as a Propitiator, so that, for His sake,
the Father may become reconciled to us. But Christ is not
apprehended as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone
we obtain remission of sins when we comfort our hearts with
confidence in the mercy promised for Christ's sake. Likewise Paul,
Rom. 5, 2, says: By whom also we have access, and adds, by faith.
Thus, therefore, we are reconciled to the Father, and receive
remission of sins when we are comforted with confidence in the mercy
promised for Christ's sake. The adversaries regard Christ as
Mediator and Propitiator for this reason, namely, that He has merited
the habit of love; they do not urge us to use Him now as Mediator,
but, as though Christ were altogether buried, they imagine that we
have access through our own works, and, through these, merit this
habit and afterwards, by this love, come to God. Is not this to bury
Christ altogether, and to take away the entire doctrine of faith?
Paul, on the contrary, teaches that we have access, i.e.,
reconciliation, through Christ. And to show how this occurs, he adds
that we have access by faith. By faith, therefore, for Christ's sake,
we receive remission of sins. We cannot set our own love and our
own works over against God's wrath.

Secondly. It is certain that sins are forgiven for the sake of
Christ, as Propitiator, Rom. 3, 25: Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation. Moreover, Paul adds: through faith. Therefore this
Propitiator thus benefits us, when by faith we apprehend the mercy
promised in Him, and set it against the wrath and judgment of God.
And to the same effect it is written, Heb. 4, 14. 16: Seeing, then,
that we have a great High Priest, etc., let us therefore come with
confidence. For the Apostle bids us come to God, not with confidence
in our own merits, but with confidence in Christ as a High Priest;
therefore he requires faith.

Thirdly. Peter, in Acts 10, 43, says: To Him give all the prophets
witness that through His name, whosoever believeth on Him, shall
receive remission of sins. How could this be said more clearly? We
receive remission of sins, he says, through His name i.e., for His
sake; therefore, not for the sake of our merits, not for the sake of
our contrition, attrition, love, worship, works. And he adds: When
we believe in Him. Therefore he requires faith. For we cannot
apprehend the name of Christ except by faith. Besides he cites the
agreement of all the prophets. This is truly to cite the authority
of the Church. [For when all the holy prophets bear witness, that is
certainly a glorious, great excellent, powerful decretal and
testimony.] But of this topic we will speak again after a while, when
treating of "Repentance."

Fourthly. Remission of sins is something promised for Christ's sake.
Therefore it cannot be received except by faith alone. For a
promise cannot be received except by faith alone. Rom. 4, 16:
Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace, to the end that
the promise might be sure; as though he were to say: "If the matter
were to depend upon our merits, the promise would be uncertain and
useless, because we never could determine when we would have
sufficient merit." And this, experienced consciences can easily
understand [and would not, for a thousand worlds, have our salvation
depend upon ourselves]. Accordingly, Paul says, Gal. 3, 22: But the
Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. He takes merit
away from us, because he says that all are guilty and concluded under
sin; then he adds that the promise, namely, of the remission of sins
and of justification, is given, and adds how the promise can be
received, namely, by faith. And this reasoning, derived from the
nature of a promise, is the chief reasoning [a veritable rock] in
Paul, and is often repeated. Nor can anything be devised or imagined
whereby this argument of Paul can be overthrown. Wherefore let not
good minds suffer themselves to be forced from the conviction that we
receive remission of sins for Christ's sake, only through faith. In
this they have sure and firm consolation against the terrors of sin,
and against eternal death and against all the gates of hell.
[Everything else is a foundation of sand that sinks in trials.]

But since we receive remission of sins and the Holy Ghost by faith
alone, faith alone justifies, because those reconciled are accounted
righteous and children of God, not on account of their own purity,
but through mercy for Christ's sake, provided only they by faith
apprehend this mercy. Accordingly, Scripture testifies that by faith
we are accounted righteous, Rom. 3, 26. We, therefore, will add
testimonies which clearly declare that faith is that very
righteousness by which we are accounted righteous before God, namely,
not because it is a work that is in itself worthy, but because it
receives the promise by which God has promised that for Christ's sake
He wishes to be propitious to those believing in Him, or because He
knows that Christ of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. 1, 30.

In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul discusses this topic especially,
and declares that, when we believe that God, for Christ's sake is
reconciled to us, we are justified freely by faith. And this
proposition, which contains the statement of the entire discussion
[the principal matter of all Epistles, yea, of the entire Scriptures],
he maintains in the third chapter: We conclude that a man is
justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law, Rom. 3, 28. Here
the adversaries interpret that this refers to Levitical ceremonies
[not to other virtuous works]. But Paul speaks not only of the
ceremonies, but of the whole Law. For he quotes afterward (7, 7)
from the _Decalog_: Thou shalt not covet. And if moral works [that
are not Jewish ceremonies] would merit the remission of sins and
justification, there would also be no need of Christ and the promise,
and all that Paul speaks of the promise would be overthrown. He
would also have been wrong in writing to the Ephesians, 2, 8: By
grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not of works. Paul likewise refers to Abraham and
David, Rom. 4, 1. 6. But they had the command of God concerning
circumcision. Therefore, if any works justified these works must
also have justified at the time that they had a command. But
Augustine teaches correctly that Paul speaks of the entire Law, as he
discusses at length in his book, Of the Spirit and Letter, where he
says finally: These matters, therefore, having been considered and
treated, according to the ability that the Lord has thought worthy to
give us, we infer that man is not justified by the precepts of a good
life, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

And lest we may think that the sentence that faith justifies, fell
from Paul inconsiderately, he fortifies and confirms this by a long
discussion in the fourth chapter to the Romans, and afterwards
repeats it in all his epistles. Thus he says, Rom. 4, 4. 5: To him
that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Here he clearly
says that faith itself is imputed for righteousness. Faith,
therefore, is that thing which God declares to be righteousness, and
he adds that it is imputed freely, and says that it could not be
imputed freely, if it were due on account of works. Wherefore he
excludes also the merit of moral works [not only Jewish ceremonies,
but all other good works]. For if justification before God were due
to these, faith would not be imputed for righteousness without works.
And afterwards, Rom. 4, 9: For we say that faith was reckoned to
Abraham for righteousness. Chapter 5, 1 says: Being justified by
faith, we have peace with God, i.e., we have consciences that are
tranquil and joyful before God. Rom. 10, 10: With the heart man
believeth unto righteousness. Here he declares that faith is the
righteousness of the heart. Gal. 2, 15: We have believed in Christ
Jesus that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by
the works of the Law. Eph. 2, 8. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of
works, lest any man should boast.

John 1, 12: To them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on His name; which were born, not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 3, 14.
15: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish. Likewise, v. 17: For God sent not His Son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
He that believeth on Him is not condemned.

Acts 13, 38. 39: Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren,
that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins;
and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which
ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses. How could the office
of Christ and justification be declared more clearly? The Law, he
says, did not justify. Therefore Christ was given, that we may
believe that for His sake we are justified. He plainly denies
justification to the Law. Hence, for Christ's sake we are accounted
righteous when we believe that God, for His sake, has been reconciled
to us. Acts 4, 11. 12: This is the stone which was set at naught of
you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is
there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. But the name of
Christ is apprehended only by faith. [I cannot believe in the name
of Christ in any other way than when I hear His merit preached, and
lay hold of that.] Therefore, by confidence in the name of Christ,
and not by confidence in our works, we are saved. For "the name"
here signifies the cause which is mentioned because of which
salvation is attained. And to call upon the name of Christ is to
trust in the name of Christ, as the cause or price because of which
we are saved. Acts 15, 9: Purifying their hearts by faith.
Wherefore that faith of which the Apostles speak is not idle
knowledge, but a reality, receiving the Holy Ghost and justifying us
[not a mere knowledge of history, but a strong powerful work of the
Holy Ghost, which changes hearts].

Hab. 2, 4: The just shall live by his faith. Here he says, first
that men are just by faith by which they believe that God is
propitious and he adds that the same faith quickens, because this
faith produces in the heart peace and joy and eternal life [which
begins in the present life].

Is. 53, 11: By His knowledge shall He justify many. But what is the
knowledge of Christ unless to know the benefits of Christ, the
promises which by the Gospel He has scattered broadcast in the world?
And to know these benefits is properly and truly to believe in
Christ, to believe that that which God has promised for Christ's sake
He will certainly fulfil.

But Scripture is full of such testimonies, since, in some places, it
presents the Law, and in others the promises concerning Christ, and
the remission of sins, and the free acceptance of the sinner for
Christ's sake.

Here and there among the Fathers similar testimonies are extant. For
Ambrose says in his letter to a certain Irenaeus: Moreover, the world
was subject to him by the Law for the reason that, according to the
command of the Law, all are indicted, and yet, by the works of the
Law, no one is justified, i.e., because, by the Law, sin is perceived,
but guilt is not discharged. The Law, which made all sinners,
seemed to have done injury, but when the Lord Jesus Christ came, He
forgave to all sin which no one could avoid, and, by the shedding of
His own blood, blotted out the handwriting which was against us.
This is what he says in Rom. 5, 20: "The Law entered that the offense
might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."
Because after the whole world become subject, He took away the sin of
the whole world, as he [John] testified, saying, John 1, 29: "Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." And on this
account let no one boast of works, because no one is justified by his
deeds. But he who is righteous has it given him because he was
justified after the laver [of Baptism]. Faith, therefore, is that
which frees through the blood of Christ, because he is blessed "whose
transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered," Ps. 32, 1. These
are the words of Ambrose, which clearly favor our doctrine; he denies
justification to works, and ascribes to faith that it sets us free
through the blood of Christ. Let all the Sententiarists, who are
adorned with magnificent titles, be collected into one heap. For
some are called angelic; others, subtile; and others irrefragable
[that is, doctors who cannot err]. When all these have been read and
reread, they will not be of as much aid for understanding Paul as is
this one passage of Ambrose.

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