the augsburg confession-第7章

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many　sins　they　neither　see　nor　can　remember。　The　ancient　

writers　also　testify　that　an　enumeration　is　not　necessary。　For　

in　the　Decrees；　Chrysostom　is　quoted；　who　says　thus：　I　say　not　

to　you　that　you　should　disclose　yourself　in　public；　nor　that　

you　accuse　yourself　before　others；　but　I　would　have　you　obey　

the　prophet　who　says：　〃Disclose　thy　self　before　God。〃　

Therefore　confess　your　sins　before　God；　the　true　Judge；　with　

prayer。　Tell　your　errors；　not　with　the　tongue；　but　with　the　

memory　of　your　conscience；　etc。　And　the　Gloss　（Of　Repentance；　

Distinct。　V；　Cap。　Consideret）　admits　that　Confession　is　of　

human　right　only　＇not　commanded　by　Scripture；　but　ordained　by　

the　Church＇。　Nevertheless；　on　account　of　the　great　benefit　of　

absolution；　and　because　it　is　otherwise　useful　to　the　

conscience；　Confession　is　retained　among　us。　　





Article　XXVI：　Of　the　Distinction　of　Meats。　



It　has　been　the　general　persuasion；　not　of　the　people　alone；　

but　also　of　those　teaching　in　the　churches；　that　making　

Distinctions　of　Meats；　and　like　traditions　of　men；　are　works　

profitable　to　merit　grace；　and　able　to　make　satisfactions　for　

sins。　And　that　the　world　so　thought；　appears　from　this；　that　

new　ceremonies；　new　orders；　new　holy…days；　and　new　fastings　

were　daily　instituted；　and　the　teachers　in　the　churches　did　

exact　these　works　as　a　service　necessary　to　merit　grace；　and　

did　greatly　terrify　men's　consciences；　if　they　should　omit　any　

of　these　things。　From　this　persuasion　concerning　traditions　

much　detriment　has　resulted　in　the　Church。　　



First；　the　doctrine　of　grace　and　of　the　righteousness　of　faith　

has　been　obscured　by　it；　which　is　the　chief　part　of　the　

Gospel；　and　ought　to　stand　out　as　the　most　prominent　in　the　

Church；　in　order　that　the　merit　of　Christ　may　be　well　known；　

and　faith；　which　believes　that　sins　are　forgiven　for　Christ's　

sake　be　exalted　far　above　works。　Wherefore　Paul　also　lays　the　

greatest　stress　on　this　article；　putting　aside　the　Law　and　

human　traditions；　in　order　to　show　that　Christian　

righteousness　is　something　else　than　such　works；　to　wit；　the　

faith　which　believes　that　sins　are　freely　forgiven　for　

Christ's　sake。　But　this　doctrine　of　Paul　has　been　almost　

wholly　smothered　by　traditions；　which　have　produced　an　opinion　

that；　by　making　distinctions　in　meats　and　like　services；　we　

must　merit　grace　and　righteousness。　In　treating　of　repentance；　

there　was　no　mention　made　of　faith；　only　those　works　of　

satisfaction　were　set　forth；　in　these　the　entire　repentance　

seemed　to　consist。　　



Secondly；　these　traditions　have　obscured　the　commandments　of　

God；　because　traditions　were　placed　far　above　the　commandments　

of　God。　Christianity　was　thought　to　consist　wholly　in　the　

observance　of　certain　holy…days；　rites；　fasts；　and　vestures。　

These　observances　had　won　for　themselves　the　exalted　title　of　

being　the　spiritual　life　and　the　perfect　life。　Meanwhile　the　

commandments　of　God；　according　to　each　one's　calling；　were　

without　honor　namely；　that　the　father　brought　up　his　

offspring；　that　the　mother　bore　children；　that　the　prince　

governed　the　commonwealth；　　these　were　accounted　works　that　

were　worldly　and　imperfect；　and　far　below　those　glittering　

observances。　And　this　error　greatly　tormented　devout　

consciences；　which　grieved　that　they　were　held　in　an　imperfect　

state　of　life；　as　in　marriage；　in　the　office　of　magistrate；　or　

in　other　civil　ministrations；　on　the　other　hand；　they　admired　

the　monks　and　such　like；　and　falsely　imagined　that　the　

observances　of　such　men　were　more　acceptable　to　God。　　



Thirdly；　traditions　brought　great　danger　to　consciences；　for　

it　was　impossible　to　keep　all　traditions；　and　yet　men　judged　

these　observances　to　be　necessary　acts　of　worship。　Gerson　

writes　that　many　fell　into　despair；　and　that　some　even　took　

their　own　lives；　because　they　felt　that　they　were　not　able　to　

satisfy　the　traditions；　and　they　had　all　the　while　not　heard　

any　consolation　of　the　righteousness　of　faith　and　grace。　We　

see　that　the　summists　and　theologians　gather　the　traditions；　

and　seek　mitigations　whereby　to　ease　consciences；　and　yet　they　

do　not　sufficiently　unfetter；　but　sometimes　entangle；　

consciences　even　more。　And　with　the　gathering　of　these　

traditions；　the　schools　and　sermons　have　been　so　much　occupied　

that　they　have　had　no　leisure　to　touch　upon　Scripture；　and　to　

seek　the　more　profitable　doctrine　of　faith；　of　the　cross；　of　

hope；　of　the　dignity　of　civil　affairs　of　consolation　of　sorely　

tried　consciences。　Hence　Gerson　and　some　other　theologians　

have　grievously　complained　that　by　these　strivings　concerning　

traditions　they　were　prevented　from　giving　attention　to　a　

better　kind　of　doctrine。　Augustine　also　forbids　that　men's　

consciences　should　be　burdened　with　such　observances；　and　

prudently　advises　Januarius　that　he　must　know　that　they　are　to　

be　observed　as　things　indifferent；　for　such　are　his　words。　　



Wherefore　our　teachers　must　not　be　looked　upon　as　having　taken　

up　this　matter　rashly　or　from　hatred　of　the　bishops；　as　some　

falsely　suspect。　There　was　great　need　to　warn　the　churches　of　

these　errors；　which　had　arisen　from　misunderstanding　the　

traditions。　For　the　Gospel　compels　us　to　insist　in　the　

churches　upon　the　doctrine　of　grace；　and　of　the　righteousness　

of　faith；　which；　however；　cannot　be　understood；　if　men　think　

that　they　merit　grace　by　observances　of　their　own　choice。　　



Thus；　therefore；　they　have　taught　that　by　the　observance　of　

human　traditions　we　cannot　merit　grace　or　be　justified；　and　

hence　we　must　not　think　such　observances　necessary　acts　of　

worship。　They　add　hereunto　testimonies　of　Scripture。　Christ；　

Matt。　15；　3；　defends　the　Apostles　who　had　not　observed　the　

usual　tradition；　which；　however；　evidently　pertains　to　a　

matter　not　unlawful；　but　indifferent；　and　to　have　a　certain　

affinity　with　the　purifications　of　the　Law；　and　says；　9：　In　

vain　do　they　worship　Me　with　the　commandments　of　men。　He；　

therefore；　does　not　exact　an　unprofitable　service。　Shortly　

after　He　adds：　Not　that　which　goeth　into　the　mouth　defileth　a　

man。　So　also　Paul；　Rom。　14；　17：　The　kingdom　of　God　is　not　meat　

and　drink。　Col。　2；　16：　Let　no　man；　therefore；　judge　you　in　

meat；　or　in　drink；　or　in　respect　of　an　holy…day；　or　of　the　

Sabbath…day；　also：　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！　And　Peter　says；　Acts　15；　10：　Why　tempt　ye　God　to　put　a　

yoke　upon　the　neck　of　the　disciples；　which　neither　our　fathers　

nor　we　were　able　to　bear？　But　we　believe　that　through　the　

grace　of　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ　we　shall　be　saved；　even　as　

they。　Here　Peter　forbids　to　burden　the　consciences　with　many　

rites；　either　of　Moses　or　of　others。　And　in　1　Tim。　4；1。3　Paul　

calls　the　prohibition　of　meats　a　doctrine　of　devils；　for　it　is　

against　the　Gospel　to　institute　or　to　do　such　works　that　by　

them　we　may　merit　grace；　or　as　though　Christianity　could　not　

exist　without　such　service　of　God。　　



Here　our　adversaries　object　that　our　teachers　are　opposed　to　

discipline　and　mortification　of　the　flesh；　as　Jovinian。　But　

the　contrary　may　be　learned　from　the　writings　of　our　teachers。　

For　they　have　always　taught　concerning　the　cross　that　it　

behooves　Christians　to　bear　afflictions。　This　is　the　true；　

earnest；　and　unfeigned　mortification；　to　wit；　to　be　exercised　

with　divers　afflictions；　and　to　be　crucified　with　Christ。　　



Moreover；　they　teach　that　every　Christian　ought　to　train　and　

subdue　himself　with　bodily　restraints；　or　bodily　exercises　and　

labors　that　neither　satiety　nor　slothfulness　tempt　him　to　sin；　

but　not　that　we　may　merit　grace　or　make　satisfaction　for　sins　

by　such　exercises。　And　such　external　discipline　ought　to　be　

urged　at　all　times；　not　only　on　a　few　and　set　days。　So　Christ　

commands；　Luke　21；　34：　Take　heed　lest　your　hearts　be