the augsburg confession-第10章

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to　teach　the　Gospel　and　to　administer　the　Sacraments。　Let　it　

not　break　into　the　office　of　another；　Let　it　not　transfer　the　

kingdoms　of　this　world；　let　it　not　abrogate　the　laws　of　civil　

rulers；　let　it　not　abolish　lawful　obedience；　let　it　not　

interfere　with　judgments　concerning　civil　ordinances　or　

contracts；　let　it　not　prescribe　laws　to　civil　rulers　

concerning　the　form　of　the　Commonwealth。　As　Christ　says；　John　

18；　33：　My　kingdom　is　not　of　this　world；　also　Luke　12；　14：　Who　

made　Me　a　judge　or　a　divider　over　you？　Paul　also　says；　Phil。　　

3；　20：　Our　citizenship　is　in　heaven；　2　Cor。　10；　4：　The　weapons　

of　our　warfare　are　not　carnal；　but　mighty　through　God　to　the　

casting　down　of　imaginations。　　



After　this　manner　our　teachers　discriminate　between　the　duties　

of　both　these　powers；　and　command　that　both　be　honored　and　

acknowledged　as　gifts　and　blessings　of　God。　

If　bishops　have　any　power　of　the　sword；　that　power　they　have；　

not　as　bishops；　by　the　commission　of　the　Gospel；　but　by　human　

law　having　received　it　of　kings　and　emperors　for　the　civil　

administration　of　what　is　theirs。　This；　however；　is　another　

office　than　the　ministry　of　the　Gospel。　　



When；　therefore；　the　question　is　concerning　the　jurisdiction　

of　bishops；　civil　authority　must　be　distinguished　from　

ecclesiastical　jurisdiction。　Again；　according　to　the　Gospel　

or；　as　they　say；　by　divine　right；　there　belongs　to　the　bishops　

as　bishops；　that　is；　to　those　to　whom　has　been　committed　the　

ministry　of　the　Word　and　the　Sacraments；　no　jurisdiction　

except　to　forgive　sins；　to　judge　doctrine；　to　reject　doctrines　

contrary　to　the　Gospel；　and　to　exclude　from　the　communion　of　

the　Church　wicked　men；　whose　wickedness　is　known；　and　this　

without　human　force；　simply　by　the　Word。　Herein　the　

congregations　of　necessity　and　by　divine　right　must　obey　them；　

according　to　Luke　10；　16：　He　that　heareth　you　heareth　Me。　But　

when　they　teach　or　ordain　anything　against　the　Gospel；　then　

the　congregations　have　a　commandment　of　God　prohibiting　

obedience；　Matt。　7；　15：　Beware　of　false　prophets；　Gal。　1；　8：　

Though　an　angel　from　heaven　preach　any　other　gospel；　let　him　

be　accursed；　2　Cor。　13；　8：　We　can　do　nothing　against　the　

truth；　but　for　the　truth。　Also：　The　power　which　the　Lord　hath　

given　me　to　edification；　and　not　to　destruction。　So；　also；　the　

Canonical　Laws　command　（II。　Q。　VII。　Cap。；　Sacerdotes；　and　Cap。　

Oves）。　And　Augustine　（Contra　Petiliani　Epistolam）：　Neither　

must　we　submit　to　Catholic　bishops　if　they　chance　to　err；　or　

hold　anything　contrary　to　the　Canonical　Scriptures　of　God。　　



If　they　have　any　other　power　or　jurisdiction；　in　hearing　and　

judging　certain　cases；　as　of　matrimony　or　of　tithes；　etc。；　

they　have　it　by　human　right；　in　which　matters　princes　are　

bound；　even　against　their　will；　when　the　ordinaries　fail；　to　

dispense　justice　to　their　subjects　for　the　maintenance　of　

peace。　　



Moreover；　it　is　disputed　whether　bishops　or　pastors　have　the　

right　to　introduce　ceremonies　in　the　Church；　and　to　make　laws　

concerning　meats；　holy…days　and　grades；　that　is；　orders　of　

ministers；　etc。　They　that　give　this　right　to　the　bishops　refer　

to　this　testimony　John　16；　12。　13：　I　have　yet　many　things　to　

say　unto　you；　but　ye　cannot　bear　them　now。　Howbeit　when　He；　

the　Spirit　of　Truth；　is　come；　He　will　guide　you　into　all　

truth。　They　also　refer　to　the　example　of　the　Apostles；　who　

commanded　to　abstain　from　blood　and　from　things　strangled；　

Acts　15；　29。　They　refer　to　the　Sabbath…day　as　having　been　

changed　into　the　Lord's　Day；　contrary　to　the　Decalog；　as　it　

seems。　Neither　is　there　any　example　whereof　they　make　more　

than　concerning　the　changing　of　the　Sabbath…day。　Great；　say　

they；　is　the　power　of　the　Church；　since　it　has　dispensed　with　

one　of　the　Ten　Commandments！　　



But　concerning　this　question　it　is　taught　on　our　part　（as　has　

been　shown　above）　that　bishops　have　no　power　to　decree　

anything　against　the　Gospel。　The　Canonical　Laws　teach　the　same　

thing　（Dist。　IX）　。　Now；　it　is　against　Scripture　to　establish　

or　require　the　observance　of　any　traditions；　to　the　end　that　

by　such　observance　we　may　make　satisfaction　for　sins；　or　merit　

grace　and　righteousness。　For　the　glory　of　Christ's　merit　

suffers　injury　when；　by　such　observances；　we　undertake　to　

merit　justification。　But　it　is　manifest　that；　by　such　belief；　

traditions　have　almost　infinitely　multiplied　in　the　Church；　

the　doctrine　concerning　faith　and　the　righteousness　of　faith　

being　meanwhile　suppressed。　For　gradually　more　holy…days　were　

made；　fasts　appointed；　new　ceremonies　and　services　in　honor　of　

saints　instituted；　because　the　authors　of　such　things　thought　

that　by　these　works　they　were　meriting　grace。　Thus　in　times　

past　the　Penitential　Canons　increased；　whereof　we　still　see　

some　traces　in　the　satisfactions。　　



Again；　the　authors　of　traditions　do　contrary　to　the　command　of　

God　when　they　find　matters　of　sin　in　foods；　in　days；　and　like　

things；　and　burden　the　Church　with　bondage　of　the　law；　as　if　

there　ought　to　be　among　Christians；　in　order　to　merit　

justification　a　service　like　the　Levitical；　the　arrangement　of　

which　God　had　committed　to　the　Apostles　and　bishops。　For　thus　

some　of　them　write；　and　the　Pontiffs　in　some　measure　seem　to　

be　misled　by　the　example　of　the　law　of　Moses。　Hence　are　such　

burdens；　as　that　they　make　it　mortal　sin；　even　without　offense　

to　others；　to　do　manual　labor　on　holy…days；　a　mortal　sin　to　

omit　the　Canonical　Hours；　that　certain　foods　defile　the　

conscience　that　fastings　are　works　which　appease　God　that　sin　

in　a　reserved　case　cannot　be　forgiven　but　by　the　authority　of　

him　who　reserved　it；　whereas　the　Canons　themselves　speak　only　

of　the　reserving　of　the　ecclesiastical　penalty；　and　not　of　the　

reserving　of　the　guilt。　　



Whence　have　the　bishops　the　right　to　lay　these　traditions　upon　

the　Church　for　the　ensnaring　of　consciences；　when　Peter；　Acts　

15；　10；　forbids　to　put　a　yoke　upon　the　neck　of　the　disciples；　

and　Paul　says；　2　Cor。　13；　10；　that　the　power　given　him　was　to　

edification　not　to　destruction？　Why；　therefore；　do　they　

increase　sins　by　these　traditions？　　



But　there　are　clear　testimonies　which　prohibit　the　making　of　

such　traditions；　as　though　they　merited　grace　or　were　

necessary　to　salvation。　Paul　says；　Col。　2；　16…23：　Let　no　man　

judge　you　in　meat；　or　in　drink；　or　in　respect　of　an　holy…day；　

or　of　the　new　moon；　or　of　the　Sabbath…days。　If　ye　be　dead　with　

Christ　from　the　rudiments　of　the　world；　why；　as　though　living　

in　the　world；　are　ye　subject　to　ordinances　（touch　not；　taste　

not；　handle　not；　which　all　are　to　perish　with　the　using）　after　

the　commandments　and　doctrines　of　men！　which　things　have　

indeed　a　show　of　wisdom。　Also　in　Titus　1；　14　he　openly　forbids　

traditions：　Not　giving　heed　to　Jewish　fables　and　commandments　

of　men　that　turn　from　the　truth。　　



And　Christ；　Matt。　15；　14。　13；　says　of　those　who　require　

traditions：　Let　them　alone；　they　be　blind　leaders　of　the　

blind；　and　He　rejects　such　services：　Every　plant　which　My　

heavenly　Father　hath　not　planted　shall　be　plucked　up。　　



If　bishops　have　the　right　to　burden　churches　with　infinite　

traditions；　and　to　ensnare　consciences；　why　does　Scripture　so　

often　prohibit　to　make；　and　to　listen　to；　traditions？　Why　does　

it　call　them　〃doctrines　of　devils〃？　1　Tim。　4；　1。　Did　the　Holy　

Ghost　in　vain　forewarn　of　these　things？　　



Since；　therefore；　ordinances　instituted　as　things　necessary；　

or　with　an　opinion　of　meriting　grace；　are　contrary　to　the　

Gospel；　it　follows　that　it　is　not　lawful　for　any　bishop　to　

institute　or　exact　such　services。　For　it　is　necessary　that　the　

doctrine　of　Christian　liberty　be　preserved　in　the　churches；　

namely；　that　the　bondage　of　the　Law　is　not　necessary　to　

justification；　as　it　is　written　in　the　Epistle　to　the　

Galatians；　5；　1：　Be　not　entangled　again　with　the　yoke　of　

bondage。　It　is　necessary　that　the　chief　article　of