The Augsburg Confession, 465th Anniversary Edition | Page 4

of the cause of religion after the manner in
which Your Imperial Majesty has wisely held that it should be dealt
with and treated namely, by such mutual presentation of writings and
calm conferring together among ourselves, we at least leave with you a
clear testimony, that we here in no wise are holding back from anything
that could bring about Christian concord, -- such as could be effected
with God and a good conscience, -- as also Your Imperial Majesty and,
next, the other Electors and Estates of the Empire, and all who are
moved by sincere love and zeal for religion, and who will give an
impartial hearing to this matter, will graciously deign to take notice and
to understand this from this Confession of ours and of our associates.
Your Imperial Majesty also, not only once but often, graciously
signified to the Electors Princes, and Estates of the Empire, and at the
Diet of Spires held A. D. 1526, according to the form of Your Imperial
instruction and commission given and prescribed, caused it to be stated
and publicly proclaimed that Your Majesty, in dealing with this matter
of religion, for certain reasons which were alleged in Your Majesty's
name, was not willing to decide and could not determine anything, but
that Your Majesty would diligently use Your Majesty's office with the
Roman Pontiff for the convening of a General Council. The same
matter was thus publicly set forth at greater length a year ago at the last
Diet which met at Spires. There Your Imperial Majesty, through His
Highness Ferdinand, King of Bohemia and Hungary, our friend and
clement Lord, as well as through the Orator and Imperial
Commissioners caused this, among other things, to be submitted: that
Your Imperial Majesty had taken notice of; and pondered, the

resolution of Your Majesty's Representative in the Empire, and of the
President and Imperial Counselors, and the Legates from other Estates
convened at Ratisbon, concerning the calling of a Council, and that
your Imperial Majesty also judged it to be expedient to convene a
Council; and that Your Imperial Majesty did not doubt the Roman
Pontiff could be induced to hold a General Council, because the matters
to be adjusted between Your Imperial Majesty and the Roman Pontiff
were nearing agreement and Christian reconciliation; therefore Your
Imperial Majesty himself signified that he would endeavor to secure the
said Chief Pontiff's consent for convening, together with your Imperial
Majesty such General Council, to be published as soon as possible by
letters that were to be sent out.
If the outcome, therefore, should be such that the differences between
us and the other parties in the matter of religion should not be amicably
and in charity settled, then here, before Your Imperial Majesty we
make the offer in all obedience, in addition to what we have already
done, that we will all appear and defend our cause in such a general,
free Christian Council, for the convening of which there has always
been accordant action and agreement of votes in all the Imperial Diets
held during Your Majesty's reign, on the part of the Electors, Princes,
and other Estates of the Empire. To the assembly of this General
Council, and at the same time to Your Imperial Majesty, we have, even
before this, in due manner and form of law, addressed ourselves and
made appeal in this matter, by far the greatest and gravest. To this
appeal, both to Your Imperial Majesty and to a Council, we still adhere;
neither do we intend nor would it be possible for us, to relinquish it by
this or any other document, unless the matter between us and the other
side, according to the tenor of the latest Imperial citation should be
amicably and charitably settled, allayed, and brought to Christian
concord; and regarding this we even here solemnly and publicly testify.
Article I: Of God.
Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the
Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and
concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any
doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and
which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power,
wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible

and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and
power, who also are coeternal, the Father the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
And the term "person" they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify,
not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself.
They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article, as
the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other
Evil- also