Apology of the Augsburg Confession | Page 9

a habit is given us, or, as they say, _prima gratia_,
"first grace," which they understand as a habit, inclining us the more
readily to love God; yet what they ascribe to this habit is of little
importance [is a feeble, paltry, small, poor operation, that would be
ascribed to Christ], because they imagine that the acts of the will are of
the same kind before and after this habit. They imagine that the will can
love God; but nevertheless this habit stimulates it to do the same the
more cheerfully. And they bid us first merit this habit by preceding
merits; then they bid us merit by the works of the Law an increase of
this habit and life eternal. Thus they bury Christ, so that men may not
avail themselves of Him as a Mediator, and believe that for His sake
they freely receive remission of sins and reconciliation, but may dream
that by their own fulfilment of the Law they merit the remission of sins,
and that by their own fulfilment of the Law they are accounted
righteous before God; while, nevertheless, the Law is never satisfied,
since reason does nothing except certain civil works, and, in the mean
time neither [in the heart] fears God, nor truly believes that God cares
for it. And although they speak of this habit, yet, without the
righteousness of faith, neither the love of God can exist in man, nor can
it be understood what the love of God is.
Their feigning a distinction between meritum congrui and meritum
condigni [due merit and true, complete merit] is only an artifice in
order not to appear openly to Pelagianize, For, if God necessarily gives
grace for the meritum congrui [due merit], it is no longer _meritum
congrui_, but meritum condigni [a true duty and complete merit]. But
they do not know what they are saying. After this habit of love [is
there], they imagine that man can acquire merit de condigno. And yet

they bid us doubt whether there be a habit present. How, therefore, do
they know whether they acquire merit de congruo or de condigno [in
full, or half]? But this whole matter was fabricated by idle men [But,
good God! these are mere inane ideas and dreams of idle, wretched,
inexperienced men who do not much reduce the Bible to practise], who
did not know how the remission of sins occurs, and how, in the
judgment of God and terrors of conscience, trust in works is driven out
of us. Secure hypocrites always judge that they acquire _merit de
condigno_, whether the habit be present or be not present, because men
naturally trust in their own righteousness, but terrified consciences
waver and hesitate, and then seek and accumulate other works in order
to find rest. Such consciences never think that they acquire merit _de
condigno_, and they rush into despair unless they hear, in addition to
the doctrine of the Law, the Gospel concerning the gratuitous remission
of sins and the righteousness of faith. [Thus some stories are told that
when the Barefooted monks had in vain praised their order and good
works to some good consciences in the hour of death, they at last had to
be silent concerning their order and St. Franciscus, and to say: "Dear
man, Christ has died for you." This revived and refreshed in trouble,
and alone gave peace and comfort.]
Thus the adversaries teach nothing but the righteousness of reason, or
certainly of the Law, upon which they look just as the Jews upon the
veiled face of Moses, and, in secure hypocrites who think that they
satisfy the Law, they excite presumption and empty confidence in
works [they place men on a sand foundation, their own works] and
contempt of the grace of Christ. On the contrary, they drive timid
consciences to despair, which, laboring with doubt, never can
experience what faith is, and how efficacious it is; thus, at last they
utterly despair.
Now, we think concerning the righteousness of reason thus, namely,
that God requires it, and that, because of God's commandment, the
honorable works which the Decalog commands must necessarily be
performed, according to the passage Gal. 3, 24: The Law was our
schoolmaster; likewise 1 Tim. 1, 9: The Law is made for the ungodly.
For God wishes those who are carnal [gross sinners] to be restrained by
civil discipline, and to maintain this, He has given laws, letters,
doctrine, magistrates, penalties. And this righteousness reason, by its

own strength, can, to a certain extent, work, although it is often
overcome by natural weakness, and by the devil impelling it to
manifest crimes. Now, although we cheerfully assign this righteousness
of reason the praises that are due it (for this corrupt nature has no
greater good [in this