The Augsburg Confession and Apologia

The principall artycles of the faythe.

[1. Of the Trinite.] OUr Churches with full cō sent do teache that the decree of Nicene councell touchynge the vnitye of the Godhede or diuine essencie and of the .iii. parsons is true & ought to be beleued without any doutynge / that is to saye / that there is one de◊tie or diuine essencie which is both called and is in dede God / euerlastinge without bodie without partes / vnmesurable ī power wysdome and goodnes / the maker and preseruer of all thinges aswel visible as inuisible and yet be .iii. distinete parsons of all one godhede or essencie and of all one power and whiche be coeternall / that is to saye the father sonne and holy ghost. And thys worde (parson) they vse in the same signifycation that other doctours of the church haue in thys mater vsed it / so that it signifyeth not a parte or qualitie in an other / but yt which hathe a proper beinge of it selfe.

[Heresyes] They dampne all heresies of thē that impugne this article / as ye Manichees who did put two pryncyples or begynnynges one good and an other badde / also the Ualentinians the Arrians the Eunomians the Mahometistes & all suche other. They dāpne also the Samosatens both olde and newe whiche where as they contende that there is but one only parson / they dispute of the worde (whiche we cal the seconde parson) p. 6and of the holy goste craftely and wyckedly saynge that they be nat distincte persons but that the worde (whiche we as I sayde do call the seconde parson) signifyeth a worde pronounced with the voyce / and the gost or spirite signifieth a mouynge whiche is created in thinges.

[2. Of original synne] Also they teache that after the fall of Adam all men which be issued and deryued accordinge to nature / be borne with synne (that is to wyte) without feare of god without trust or affiaunce in god / and with a concupiscence or luste / and that thys disease or sore or vyce originall is in dede synne whiche dampneth and bryngeth euē nowe also euerlastynge dethe to them which be not borne newe agayne through baptisme and the holy goste.

p. 6They dampne the Pelagians and other which denye that this vice originall is synne / [Heresyes] and (to the vtter defacynge and abbrydgīge the glorie of the merites and benifytes of Christ) they dispute that man of hys owne naturall powers without the holy goost may satisfye the lawe & be pronounced and declared ryght wyse in the syght of god for the honest warkes of reason.

[3. Of the humanitie and diuinitie of Christe.] Also they teache that the worde (that is to saye) the sonne of god dyd take mans nature in the wōbe of the blessed virgyne Marie / so that there be two natures / a diuine nature & an humane nature in vnitie of parson inseperably conioyned and knytte / one Christe / truely god / and truely man / borne of the virgyne Marie / truly sufferinge his passion / crucifyed / deade / and buryed / to thentent to brynge vs agayne into fauour with the father almyghty / and to then◊ē ◊ to be a sacrifyce and host nat only for Original synnes / but also for all actuall synnes of men. The same Christ went downe to the helles / and truly rose agayne the thyrde day / and then ascē ded to the heuens / that he shulde there sy◊◊e at the ryght hande of the father and perpetually ◊eygne and haue dominion ouer all creatures / and sanctifye them whiche beleue in hym / sendynge the holy goste into theyr hartes / who gouerneth comforteth and quyckeneth them and defendeth them agaynste the deuyll and power of synne. The same Christe shal openly returne agayne / to thentent to iudge as well the quicke as the dede. &c̄. accordynge to the Crede of the Apostles.

[4. Of iustifycation.] Also they teache that men can nat be made ryghtuous in the syght of God by theyr owne proper powers merites or workes / but yt they be freely iustifyed for Christes sake throughe fayth / whē they beleue that they be takē agayn into fauour and that theyr synnes be forgyuen for Christes sake / who with his dethe hath satisfyed for our synnes. Thys faythe god repute◊h and taketh in stede of ryghtwysnes before hym. As Paule teacheth in the thyrde & fourth chapiters to the Romans.

[5. Of the obteinīge of fayth.] To the obteynynge of this fayth / was ordeyned the ministerie of teachynge the gospell and gyuinge the sacramentes. For by the worde & by the sacramentes as by instrumentes is gyuen p. 7the holy gost who worketh fayth wher and whan it pleaseth god in them whiche heare the gospel (that is to wyt) that god nat for our own merites but for Christe iustifyeth those whiche beleue that they be receiued into fauour & grace for Christes sake.

They dampne the Anabaptistes & other which thynke that the holy gost cūmeth to men without any e◊terne or outwarde worke / [Heresyes] by there owne preparations and workes.

Also they teach that this faythe ought to brīge forth good frutes & that men ought to do good warkes cōmaunded by god / [6. Of good workes.] because of goddes wyll and pleasure / but nat that we shulde truste that by tho workes we deserue to be iustifyed in the syght of god. For the forgyuenes of synnes and iustification is purchased by fayth / as testifyeth also Christ which sayth. Whē ye haue done al these thinges / yet say / we be vnprofyta◊le seruauntes. The same thynge the olde wryters of the churche do teache. For. S Ambrose sayth. [Saynt. Ambrose] Hoc constitutum est a deo, vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit, sine opere▪ so la fide, gratis accipiens remissionem peccatorum. That is to saye. That is ordeyned and instituted of god that who beleueth in christ / is saued without worke / only by fayth freely receyuynge forgyuenes of synnes.