Apology of the Augsburg Confession | Page 7

enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. The
defects and the concupiscence are punishments and sins. Death and
other bodily evils and the dominion of the devil, are properly
punishments. For human nature has been delivered into slavery, and is
held captive by the devil, who infatuates it with wicked opinions and
errors, and impels it to sins of every kind. But just as the devil cannot
be conquered except by the aid of Christ, so by our own strength we
cannot free ourselves from this slavery. Even the history of the world
shows how great is the power of the devil's kingdom. The world is full
of blasphemies against God and of wicked opinions, and the devil
keeps entangled in these bands those who are wise and righteous [many
hypocrites who appear holy] in the sight of the world. In other persons
grosser vices manifest themselves. But since Christ was given to us to
remove both these sins and these punishments, and to destroy the
kingdom of the devil, sin and death, it will not be possible to recognize
the benefits of Christ unless we understand our evils. For this reason
our preachers have diligently taught concerning these subjects, and
have delivered nothing that is new but have set forth Holy Scripture

and the judgments of the holy Fathers.
We think that this will satisfy His Imperial Majesty concerning the
puerile and trivial sophistry with which the adversaries have perverted
our article. For we know that we believe aright and in harmony with the
Church catholic of Christ. But if the adversaries will renew this
controversy, there will be no want among us of those who will reply
and defend the truth. For in this case our adversaries, to a great extent,
do not understand what they say. They often speak what is
contradictory, and neither explain correctly and logically that which is
essential to [i.e., that which is or is not properly of the essence of]
original sin, nor what they call defects. But we have been unwilling at
this place to examine their contests with any very great subtlety. We
have thought it worth while only to recite, in customary and
well-known words, the belief of the holy Fathers, which we also
follow.

PART 2
Article III: _Of Christ._
The Third Article the adversaries approve, in which we confess that
there are in Christ two natures, namely, a human nature, assumed by
the Word into the unity of His person; and that the same Christ suffered
and died to reconcile the Father to us; and that He was raised again to
reign, and to justify and sanctify believers, etc., according to the
Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.
Article IV (II): _Of Justification._
In the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and, below, in the Twentieth Article, they
condemn us, for teaching that men obtain remission of sins, not
because of their own merits, but freely for Christ's sake, through faith
in Christ. [They reject quite stubbornly both these statements. ] For
they condemn us both for denying that men obtain remission of sins
because of their own merits, and for affirming that, through faith, men
obtain remission of sins, and through faith in Christ are justified. But
since in this controversy the chief topic of Christian doctrine is treated,
which, understood aright, illumines and amplifies the honor of Christ
[which is of especial service for the clear, correct understanding of the
entire Holy Scriptures, and alone shows the way to the unspeakable
treasure and right knowledge of Christ, and alone opens the door to the

entire Bible], and brings necessary and most abundant consolation to
devout consciences, we ask His Imperial Majesty to hear us with
forbearance in regard to matters of such importance. For since the
adversaries understand neither what the remission of sins, nor what
faith, nor what grace, nor what righteousness is, they sadly corrupt this
topic, and obscure the glory and benefits of Christ and rob devout
consciences of the consolations offered in Christ. But that we may
strengthen the position of our Confession, and also remove the charges
which the adversaries advance against us, certain things are to be
premised in the beginning, in order that the sources of both kinds of
doctrine, i. e., both that of our adversaries and our own, may be known.
All Scripture ought to be distributed into these two principal topics, the
Law and the promises. For in some places it presents the Law, and in
others the promise concerning Christ, namely, either when [in the Old
Testament] it promises that Christ will come, and offers, for His sake,
the remission of sins justification, and life eternal, or when, in the
Gospel [in the New Testament], Christ Himself, since He has appeared,
promises