the augsburg confession-第6章

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Sacrament。＇　This　worship　pleases　God；　such　use　of　the　

Sacrament　nourishes　true　devotion　toward　God。　It　does　not；　

therefore；　appear　that　the　Mass　is　more　devoutly　celebrated　

among　our　adversaries　than　among　us。　　



But　it　is　evident　that　for　a　long　time　this　also　has　been　the　

public　and　most　grievous　complaint　of　all　good　men　that　Masses　

have　been　basely　profaned　and　applied　to　purposes　of　lucre。　

For　it　is　not　unknown　how　far　this　abuse　obtains　in　all　the　

churches　by　what　manner　of　men　Masses　are　said　only　for　fees　

or　stipends；　and　how　many　celebrate　them　contrary　to　the　

Canons。　But　Paul　severely　threatens　those　who　deal　unworthily　

with　the　Eucharist　when　he　says；　1　Cor。11；27：　Whosoever　shall　

eat　this　bread；　and　drink　this　cup　of　the　Lord；　unworthily；　

shall　be　guilty　of　the　body　and　blood　of　the　Lord。　When；　

therefore　our　priests　were　admonished　concerning　this　sin；　

Private　Masses　were　discontinued　among　us；　as　scarcely　any　

Private　Masses　were　celebrated　except　for　lucre's　sake。　　



Neither　were　the　bishops　ignorant　of　these　abuses；　and　if　they　

had　corrected　them　in　time；　there　would　now　be　less　

dissension。　Heretofore；　by　their　own　connivance；　they　suffered　

many　corruptions　to　creep　into　the　Church。　Now；　when　it　is　too　

late；　they　begin　to　complain　of　the　troubles　of　the　Church；　

while　this　disturbance　has　been　occasioned　simply　by　those　

abuses　which　were　so　manifest　that　they　could　be　borne　no　

longer。　There　have　been　great　dissensions　concerning　the　Mass；　

concerning　the　Sacrament。　Perhaps　the　world　is　being　punished　

for　such　long…continued　profanations　of　the　Mass　as　have　been　

tolerated　in　the　churches　for　so　many　centuries　by　the　very　

men　who　were　both　able　and　in　duty　bound　to　correct　them。　For　

in　the　Ten　Commandments　it　is　written；　Ex。　20；　7：　The　Lord　

will　not　hold　him　guiltless　that　taketh　His　name　in　vain。　But　

since　the　world　began；　nothing　that　God　ever　ordained　seems　to　

have　been　so　abused　for　filthy　lucre　as　the　Mass。　　



There　was　also　added　the　opinion　which　infinitely　increased　

Private　Masses；　namely　that　Christ；　by　His　passion；　had　made　

satisfaction　for　original　sin；　and　instituted　the　Mass　wherein　

an　offering　should　be　made　for　daily　sins；　venial　and　mortal。　

From　this　has　arisen　the　common　opinion　that　the　Mass　takes　

away　the　sins　of　the　living　and　the　dead　by　the　outward　act。　

Then　they　began　to　dispute　whether　one　Mass　said　for　many　were　

worth　as　much　as　special　Masses　for　individuals；　and　this　

brought　forth　that　infinite　multitude　of　Masses。　＇With　this　

work　men　wished　to　obtain　from　God　all　that　they　needed；　and　

in　the　mean　time　faith　in　Christ　and　the　true　worship　were　

forgotten。＇　　



Concerning　these　opinions　our　teachers　have　given　warning　that　

they　depart　from　the　Holy　Scriptures　and　diminish　the　glory　of　

the　passion　of　Christ。　For　Christ's　passion　was　an　oblation　

and　satisfaction；　not　for　original　guilt　only；　but　also　for　

all　other　sins；　as　it　is　written　to　the　Hebrews；　10；　10：　We　

are　sanctified　through　the　offering　of　Jesus　Christ　once　for　

all。　Also；　10；　14：　By　one　offering　He　hath　perfected　forever　

them　that　are　sanctified。　＇It　is　an　unheard…of　innovation　in　

the　Church　to　teach　that　Christ　by　His　death　made　satisfaction　

only　for　original　sin　and　not　likewise　for　all　other　sin。　

Accordingly　it　is　hoped　that　everybody　will　understand　that　

this　error　has　not　been　reproved　without　due　reason。＇　　



Scripture　also　teaches　that　we　are　justified　before　God　

through　faith　in　Christ；　when　we　believe　that　our　sins　are　

forgiven　for　Christ's　sake。　Now　if　the　Mass　take　away　the　sins　

of　the　living　and　the　dead　by　the　outward　act　justification　

comes　of　the　work　of　Masses；　and　not　of　faith；　which　Scripture　

does　not　allow。　　



But　Christ　commands　us；　Luke　22；　19：　This　do　in　remembrance　of　

Me；　therefore　the　Mass　was　instituted　that　the　faith　of　those　

who　use　the　Sacrament　should　remember　what　benefits　it　

receives　through　Christ；　and　cheer　and　comfort　the　anxious　

conscience。　For　to　remember　Christ　is　to　remember　His　

benefits；　and　to　realize　that　they　are　truly　offered　unto　us。　

Nor　is　it　enough　only　to　remember　the　history；　for　this　also　

the　Jews　and　the　ungodly　can　remember。　Wherefore　the　Mass　is　

to　be　used　to　this　end；　that　there　the　Sacrament　　

＇Communion＇　may　be　administered　to　them　that　have　need　of　

consolation；　as　Ambrose　says：　Because　I　always　sin；　I　am　

always　bound　to　take　the　medicine。　＇Therefore　this　Sacrament　

requires　faith；　and　is　used　in　vain　without　faith。＇　　



Now；　forasmuch　as　the　Mass　is　such　a　giving　of　the　Sacrament；　

we　hold　one　communion　every　holy…day；　and；　if　any　desire　the　

Sacrament；　also　on　other　days；　when　it　is　given　to　such　as　ask　

for　it。　And　this　custom　is　not　new　in　the　Church；　for　the　

Fathers　before　Gregory　make　no　mention　of　any　private　Mass；　

but　of　the　common　Mass　＇the　Communion＇　they　speak　very　much。　

Chrysostom　says　that　the　priest　stands　daily　at　he　altar；　

inviting　some　to　the　Communion　and　keeping　back　others。　And　it　

appears　from　the　ancient　Canons　that　some　one　celebrated　the　

Mass　from　whom　all　the　other　presbyters　and　deacons　received　

the　body　of　he　Lord；　for　thus　the　words　of　the　Nicene　Canon　

say：　Let　the　deacons；　according　to　their　order；　receive　the　

Holy　Communion　after　the　presbyters；　from　the　bishop　or　from　a　

presbyter。　And　Paul；　1　Cor。　11；　33；　commands　concerning　the　

Communion：　Tarry　one　for　another；　so　that　there　may　be　a　

common　participation。　　



Forasmuch；　therefore；　as　the　Mass　with　us　has　the　example　of　

the　Church；　taken　from　the　Scripture　and　the　Fathers；　we　are　

confident　that　it　cannot　be　disapproved；　especially　since　

public　ceremonies；　for　the　most　part　like　those　hitherto　in　

use；　are　retained；　only　the　number　of　Masses　differs；　which；　

because　of　very　great　and　manifest　abuses　doubtless　might　be　

profitably　reduced。　For　in　olden　times；　even　in　churches　most　

frequented；　the　Mass　was　not　celebrated　every　day；　as　the　

Tripartite　History　（Book　9；　chap。　33）　testifies：　Again　in　

Alexandria；　every　Wednesday　and　Friday　the　Scriptures　are　

read；　and　the　doctors　expound　them；　and　all　things　are　done；　

except　the　solemn　rite　of　Communion。　　







Article　XXV：　Of　Confession。　　



Confession　in　the　churches　is　not　abolished　among　us；　for　it　

is　not　usual　to　give　the　body　of　the　Lord；　except　to　them　that　

have　been　previously　examined　and　absolved。　And　the　people　are　

most　carefully　taught　concerning　faith　in　the　absolution；　

about　which　formerly　there　was　profound　silence。　Our　people　

are　taught　that　they　should　highly　prize　the　absolution；　as　

being　the　voice　of　God；　and　pronounced　by　God's　command。　The　

power　of　the　Keys　is　set　forth　in　its　beauty　and　they　are　

reminded　what　great　consolation　it　brings　to　anxious　

consciences；　also；　that　God　requires　faith　to　believe　such　

absolution　as　a　voice　sounding　from　heaven；　and　that　such　

faith　in　Christ　truly　obtains　and　receives　the　forgiveness　of　

sins。　Aforetime　satisfactions　were　immoderately　extolled；　of　

faith　and　the　merit　of　Christ　and　the　righteousness　of　faith　

no　mention　was　made；　wherefore；　on　this　point；　our　churches　

are　by　no　means　to　be　blamed。　For　this　even　our　adversaries　

must　needs　concede　to　us　that　the　doctrine　concerning　

repentance　has　been　most　diligently　treated　and　laid　open　by　

our　teachers。　　



But　of　Confession　they　teach　that　an　enumeration　of　sins　is　

not　necessary；　and　that　consciences　be　not　burdened　with　

anxiety　to　enumerate　all　sins；　for　it　is　impossible　to　recount　

all　sins；　as　the　Psalm　testifies；　19；13：　Who　can　understand　

his　errors？　Also　Jeremiah；　17　9：　The　heart　is　deceitful；　who　

can　know　it；　But　if　no　sins　were　forgiven；　except　those　that　

are　recounted；　consciences　could　never　find　peace；　for　very　

many　sins　they　neither　see　nor　can　remember。　The　ancient　

writers　also　testify　that　an　enumeration　is　not　necess