The Augsburg Confession, 465th Anniversary Edition | Page 7

ordinances. Therefore, Christians are necessarily bound to obey
their own magistrates and laws save only when commanded to sin; for
then they ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 5, 29.
Article XVII: Of Christ's Return to Judgment.
Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ will
appear for judgment and will raise up all the dead; He will give to the
godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men and
the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end.
They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to
the punishments of condemned men and devils.
They condemn also others who are now spreading certain Jewish
opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take
possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere
suppressed.
Article XVIII: Of Free Will.
Of Free Will they teach that man's will has some liberty to choose civil
righteousness, and to work things subject to reason. But it has no power,
without the Holy Ghost, to work the righteousness of God, that is,
spiritual righteousness; since the natural man receiveth not the things of

the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2,14; but this righteousness is wrought in the
heart when the Holy Ghost is received through the Word. These things
are said in as many words by Augustine in his Hypognosticon, Book III:
We grant that all men have a free will, free, inasmuch as it has the
judgment of reason; not that it is thereby capable, without God, either
to begin, or, at least, to complete aught in things pertaining to God, but
only in works of this life, whether good or evil. "Good" I call those
works which spring from the good in nature, such as, willing to labor in
the field, to eat and drink, to have a friend, to clothe oneself, to build a
house, to marry a wife, to raise cattle, to learn divers useful arts, or
whatsoever good pertains to this life. For all of these things are not
without dependence on the providence of God; yea, of Him and
through Him they are and have their being. "Evil" I call such works as
willing to worship an idol, to commit murder, etc.
They condemn the Pelagians and others, who teach that without the
Holy Ghost, by the power of nature alone, we are able to love God
above all things; also to do the commandments of God as touching "the
substance of the act." For, although nature is able in a manner to do the
outward work, (for it is able to keep the hands from theft and murder,)
yet it cannot produce the inward motions, such as the fear of God, trust
in God, chastity, patience, etc.
Article XIX: Of the Cause of Sin.
Of the Cause of Sin they teach that, although God does create and
preserve nature, yet the cause of sin is the will of the wicked, that is, of
the devil and ungodly men; which will, unaided of God, turns itself
from God, as Christ says John 8, 44: When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own.
Article XX: Of Good Works.
Our teachers are falsely accused of forbidding good Works. For their
published writings on the Ten Commandments, and others of like
import, bear witness that they have taught to good purpose concerning
all estates and duties of life, as to what estates of life and what works in
every calling be pleasing to God. Concerning these things preachers
heretofore taught but little, and urged only childish and needless works,
as particular holy-days, particular fasts, brotherhoods, pilgrimages,
services in honor of saints, the use of rosaries, monasticism, and such
like. Since our adversaries have been admonished of these things, they

are now unlearning them, and do not preach these unprofitable works
as heretofore. Besides, they begin to mention faith, of which there was
heretofore marvelous silence. They teach that we are justified not by
works only, but they conjoin faith and works, and say that we are
justified by faith and works. This doctrine is more tolerable than the
former one, and can afford more consolation than their old doctrine.
Forasmuch, therefore, as the doctrine concerning faith, which ought to
be the chief one in the Church, has lain so long unknown, as all must
needs grant that there was the deepest silence in their sermons
concerning the righteousness of faith, while only the doctrine of works
was treated in the churches, our teachers have instructed the churches
concerning faith as follows: --
First, that our works cannot reconcile God or merit forgiveness of sins,
grace, and justification, but that we obtain this only by faith when we
believe that we are received into