The Apology of the Augsburg Confession

Article V (III) Love and Fulfilling the Law

[1/122*] On this topic the adversaries quote against us, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17); likewise, “It is the doers of the law who will be justified” (Romans 2:13), and many other things about the Law and works. Before we reply to this, we must first declare what we believe about love and the fulfilling of the Law.

* A different numbering system appears in some editions of the Apology.

[3/124] These and similar sentences testify that we are to keep the Law when we have been justified by faith, and so grow in fulfilling the Law more and more ‹by the Spirit›. Furthermore, we are not talking about ceremonies, but about the Law that addresses the movements of the heart, namely, the Ten Commandments. [4/125] Faith brings the Holy Spirit and produces a new life in hearts. It must also produce spiritual movements in hearts. The prophet Jeremiah shows what these movements are when he says, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts” (31:33). Therefore, when we have been justified by faith and regenerated, we begin to fear and love God, to pray to Him, to expect aid from Him, to give thanks and praise Him, and to obey Him in times of suffering. We also begin to love our neighbors, because our hearts have spiritual and holy movements.

[5/126] These things cannot happen until we have been justified through faith and regenerated (we receive the Holy Spirit). First, because the Law cannot be kept without Christ; likewise, the Law cannot be kept without the Holy Spirit. [6/127] But the Holy Spirit is received through faith, as Paul declares in Galatians 3:14, “that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” [7/128] Also remember, how can the human heart love God while it knows that He is terribly angry and is oppressing us with earthly and endless distress? The Law always accuses us. It always shows that God is angry. [8/129] God is not loved until we receive mercy through faith. Not until then does He become someone we can love.

[9/130] Civil works (i.e., the outward works of the Law) can be done in some measure, without Christ and without the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, from what we have said, it seems that what belongs only to the divine Law (i.e., the heart’s affections toward God), which are commanded in the First Table, cannot be done without the Holy Spirit. [10/131] But our adversaries are fine theologians. They focus on the Second Table and political works. They don’t care about the First Table. They act as though the First Table were of no matter. They certainly require only outward fulfillment of the Law. They in no way consider the Law that is eternal and placed far above the sense and intellect of all creatures. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart.”

[11/132] Christ was given for this purpose, that forgiveness of sins might be bestowed on us for His sake. He was also given so that the Holy Spirit might bring forth in us new and eternal life and eternal righteousness. Therefore, the Law cannot truly be kept unless the Holy Spirit is received through faith. So Paul says that the Law is established through faith, and not made useless, because the Law can only be kept when the Holy Spirit is given. [12/133] Paul teaches, The veil that covered the face of Moses cannot be removed except by faith in Christ, by which the Holy Spirit is received. (See 2 Corinthians 3:14–18.) For he says, “Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” [2 Corinthians 3:15–17]. [13/134] Paul understands by the “veil” the human opinion about the entire Law, the Ten Commandments and the ceremonies. In other words, hypocrites think that outward and civil works satisfy God’s Law, and that sacrifices and observances justify a person before God by the outward act (ex opere operato). [14/135] But then this veil is removed from us (i.e., we are freed from this error) when God shows to our hearts our uncleanness and the hatefulness of sin. Then, for the first time, we see that we are far from fulfilling the Law. We learn to know how flesh is self-secure and doesn’t care. It does not fear God and is not completely certain that we are cared for by God. It imagines that people are born and die by chance. Then we experience that we do not believe that God forgives and hears us. But when we hear about the Gospel and the forgiveness of sins, we are consoled through faith, we receive the Holy Spirit so that now we are able to think correctly about God, to fear and believe God, and so on. From these facts it is clear that the Law cannot be kept without Christ and the Holy Spirit.

[15/136] We profess that the work of the Law must be begun in us, and that it must be kept continually more and more. At the same time we also speak about both spiritual movements and outward good works. Therefore, the adversaries falsely charge that our theologians do not teach good works. They not only require good works, but they also show how they can be done. [16/137] The result convicts the hypocrites, who by their own powers try to fulfill the Law. For they cannot do the things they attempt. [17/138] Human nature is far too weak to resist the devil by its own powers. He holds as captive everyone who has not been freed through faith. [18/139] There is need for Christ’s power against the devil. For we know that for Christ’s sake we are heard and have the promise. We may pray for the governance and defense of the Holy Spirit, that we may neither be deceived and err, nor be pushed to do anything against God’s will. Psalm 68:18 teaches this very thing: “You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in Your train and receiving gifts among men.” Christ has overcome the devil, and has given to us the promise and the Holy Spirit, in order that—by divine aid—we ourselves may also overcome. So 1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” [19/140] Again, we teach not only how the Law can be kept, but also how God is pleased if anything is done. This is not because we satisfy the Law, but because we are in Christ, as we shall explain shortly. Therefore, it is clear that we require good works. [20/141] In fact, we also say this: Our love for God, even though it is small, cannot possibly be separated from faith. For we come to the Father through Christ. When forgiveness of sins has been received, then we are truly certain that we have a God [Exodus 20:3], that is, that God cares for us. We call upon Him, we give Him thanks, we fear Him, we love Him as 1 John 4:19 teaches, “We love because He first loved us.” In other words, we love Him because He gave His Son for us and forgave us our sins. In this way John shows that faith comes first and love follows. [21/142] Likewise, the faith of which we speak exists in repentance. I mean that faith is conceived in the terrors of conscience, which feels God’s wrath against our sins and seeks forgiveness of sins, seeks to be freed from sin. In such terrors and other troubles, this faith ought to grow and be strengthened. [22/143] Therefore, it cannot exist in people who live by the flesh, who are delighted by their own lusts and obey them. So, Paul says in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” So, too, “We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (8:12–13). [23/144] Paul is writing about faith that receives forgiveness of sins in a terrified heart and flees from sin. Such faith does not remain in those who obey their desires, neither does it dwell with mortal sin.

[24/145] From these effects of faith the adversaries select one, namely, love, and teach that love justifies. It is clear that they only teach the Law. They do not teach that forgiveness of sins is first received through faith. They do not teach about Christ as Mediator, that we have a gracious God for Christ’s sake, but for the sake of our love. Yet, they do not say what the nature of this love is, neither can they say. [25/146] They proclaim that they fulfill the Law, although this glory belongs to Christ alone. They set up confidence in their own works against God’s judgment. For they say that they merit according to righteousness (de condigno) grace and eternal life. This confidence is absolutely ungodly and useless. For in this life we cannot satisfy the Law, because the sinful nature does not stop bringing forth ‹evil inclination and desire›, even though the Spirit in us resists them.

[26/147] But someone may say, “Since we also confess that love is a work of the Holy Spirit, and since it is righteousness, because it is the fulfilling of the Law, why do we not teach that love justifies?” To this we must reply: In the first place, it is certain that we do not receive forgiveness of sins through our love or for the sake of our love, but for Christ’s sake, by faith alone. [27/148] Faith alone looks upon the promise. It knows that because of the promise, it is absolutely certain that God forgives, because Christ has not died in vain. Such faith overcomes the terrors of sin and death. [28/149] If anyone doubts whether sins are forgiven him, he dishonors Christ. For he judges that his sin is greater or more effective than Christ’s death and promise, even though Paul says, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). This means that mercy is more comprehensive than sin. [29/150] If anyone thinks that he receives forgiveness of sins because he loves, he dishonors Christ and will discover in God’s judgment that this confidence in his own righteousness is wicked and useless. Likewise, it is necessary that faith alone reconciles and justifies. [30/151] We do not receive forgiveness of sins through other powers of the Law, or because of these: patience, chastity, obedience toward magistrates, and so on. (Nevertheless, these virtues ought to follow faith.) Likewise, we do not receive forgiveness of sins because of love for God, even though this must follow. [31/152] Besides, this way of speaking is well known. At times we use a word for something and we use the same word for the cause and effects of that thing (synecdoche). For example, in Luke 7:47, Christ says, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.” Christ Himself interprets this when He adds, “Your faith has saved you” [7:50]. Christ did not mean that the woman had merited forgiveness of sins by that work of love. [32/153] That is why He adds, “Your faith has saved you.” But faith is that which freely obtains God’s mercy because of God’s Word. If anyone denies that this is faith, he does not understand at all what faith is. [33/154] The story in this passage shows what Christ calls “love.” The woman came with the opinion that forgiveness of sins should be sought in Christ. This worship is the highest worship of Christ. She could think nothing greater about Christ. To seek forgiveness of sins from Him was truly to acknowledge the Messiah. To think of Christ this way, to worship Him this way, to embrace Him this way, is truly to believe. Furthermore, Christ used the word love not toward the woman, but against the Pharisee. He contrasted the entire worship of the Pharisee with the entire worship offered by the woman. He rebuked the Pharisee because he did not acknowledge that He was the Messiah, even though he performed the outward duties that a guest and a great and holy man deserved. Christ points to the woman and praises her worship, ointment, tears, and so forth. These were all signs of faith and a confession—with Christ she sought forgiveness of sins. It is indeed a great example. Not without reason, this moved Christ to rebuke the Pharisee, who was a wise and honorable man, but not a believer. He charges him with lack of holiness and admonishes him by the example of the woman. In this way, Christ shows that it is disgraceful for the Pharisee. While an unlearned woman believes God, he, a doctor of the Law, does not believe. He does not acknowledge the Messiah and does not seek from Him forgiveness of sins and salvation. [34/155] So Christ praises her entire worship. This often happens in the Scriptures, that by one word we embrace many things. Below we shall speak at greater length about similar passages such as Luke 11:41, “But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.” He requires not only alms, but also the righteousness of faith. He says here, “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much” [Luke 7:47]. This means she has truly worshiped Me with faith and faith’s exercises and signs. He means the entire worship. Meanwhile, He teaches this: Forgiveness of sins is properly received by faith, even though love, confession, and other good fruit ought to follow. He does not mean that these fruit are the price, or are the atonement that reconciles us to God, because of which the forgiveness of sins is given. [35/156] We are disputing about a great subject, about Christ’s honor, and where good minds may seek for sure and firm consolation. We are disputing whether confidence is to be placed in Christ or in our works. [36/157] If it is to be placed in our works, the honor of Mediator and Atoning Sacrifice will be withdrawn from Christ. Yet we shall find, in God’s judgment, that this confidence is useless. From this confidence, consciences rush directly into despair. If forgiveness of sins and reconciliation do not happen freely for Christ’s sake, but for the sake of our love, no one will have forgiveness of sins. He would only have it when he had fulfilled the entire Law, because the Law does not justify as long as it can accuse us. [37/158] Therefore, it is clear that we are justified through faith, since justification is reconciliation for Christ’s sake. For it is very certain that forgiveness of sins is received through faith alone.

[No One Can Keep the Law Perfectly]

[38/159] Now let us reply to the objection stated above: The adversaries are right in thinking that love is the fulfilling of the Law and that obedience to the Law is certainly righteousness. But they make a mistake in this matter. They think that we are justified by the Law. Since we are not justified by the Law, we receive forgiveness of sins and reconciliation through faith for Christ’s sake. This is not because of love or the fulfilling of the Law; it follows necessarily that we are justified through faith in Christ.

[39/160] In the second place, this fulfilling of the Law, or obedience toward the Law, is indeed righteousness, when it is complete. But it is small and impure in us. So our righteousness is not pleasing for its own sake and is not accepted for its own sake. [40/161] From what has been said above, it is clear that justification means not the beginning of the renewal, but the reconciliation by which we are accepted afterward. It can now be seen much more clearly that starting to fulfill the Law does not justify, because such fulfillment is only accepted on account of faith. Nor must we trust that we are accounted righteous before God by our own perfection and fulfilling of the Law, but rather for Christ’s sake.

[41/162] ‹In the third place,› Christ does not stop being our Mediator after we have been renewed. They err who imagine that He has merited only a first grace, and that, afterward, we please God and merit eternal life by our fulfilling of the Law. [42/163] Christ remains Mediator, and we should always be confident that for His sake we have a reconciled God, even though we are unworthy. Paul clearly teaches this when he says, “I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Paul knows that through faith he is counted righteous for Christ’s sake, according to the passage “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven” (Psalm 32:1; see also Romans 4:7). But this forgiveness is always received through faith. Likewise, the credit for the righteousness of the Gospel comes from the promise. Therefore, it is always received through faith. It must always be regarded as certain that we are counted righteous through faith for Christ’s sake. [43/164] If the regenerate afterward think that they will be accepted because of the fulfilling of the Law, when would a conscience be certain that it pleased God? We never satisfy the Law! [44/165] So we must always run back to the promise. Our infirmity must be recognized in this matter. We must regard it as certain that we are counted righteous for the sake of Christ, “who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). If anyone thinks that he is righteous and accepted because of his own fulfillment of the Law, and not because of Christ’s promise, he dishonors this High Priest. This cannot be understood. How could someone imagine that a person is righteous before God when Christ is excluded as the Atoning Sacrifice and Mediator?

[45/166] ‹In the fourth place,› what need is there of a long discussion? All Scripture, all the Church cries out that the Law cannot be satisfied. Therefore, starting to fulfill the Law does not please on its own account, but on account of faith in Christ. [46/167] Otherwise, the Law always accuses us. For who loves or fears God enough? Who has enough patience to bear the troubles brought by God? Who does not frequently doubt whether human affairs are ruled by God’s counsel or by chance? Who does not frequently doubt whether he is heard by God? Who is not frequently enraged because the wicked enjoy a better life than the righteous, because the righteous are oppressed by the wicked? Who fulfills his own calling? Who loves his neighbor as himself? Who is not tempted by lust? [47/168] Paul says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). Likewise, “I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (7:25). Here he openly declares that he serves the law of sin. David says in Psalm 143:2, “Enter not into judgment with Your servant, for no one living is righteous before You.” Here even God’s servant prays for the removal of judgment. Likewise, “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity” (Psalm 32:2). Therefore, in our weakness sin is always present, which could be charged against us. A little while after he says, “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to You” (32:6). Here he shows that even saints ought to seek forgiveness of sins. [48/169] They are more than blind who do not realize that wicked desires in the flesh are sins, of which Paul says, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). [49/170] The flesh distrusts God, trusts in present things, seeks human aid in trouble, even contrary to God’s will. It flees from suffering, which it ought to bear because of God’s commands. It doubts God’s mercy and so on. The Holy Spirit in our hearts fights against such tendencies in order to suppress and kill them and to produce new spiritual motives. [50/171] We will collect more testimonies below about this topic, although they are clearly everywhere not only in the Scriptures, but also in the Holy Fathers.

[Church Fathers and St. Paul Affirm Justification through Faith]

[51/172] Augustine well says, “All God’s commandments are fulfilled when whatever is not done, is forgiven.” Therefore, he requires faith even in good works. He says this to show that we may believe we please God for Christ’s sake, and even our works are not worthy and pleasing of themselves. [52/173] Jerome, against the Pelagians, says:

[53/174] Therefore, when starting to fulfill the Law, faith ought to be present, which certainly believes that we have a reconciled God for Christ’s sake. For mercy cannot be received except through faith, as has been repeatedly said above. [54/175] Paul says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” Here’s what we ought to understand: People regenerated through faith not only receive the Holy Spirit, and have motives that agree with God’s Law, but we ought also to realize that they are far distant from the Law’s perfection. This point has the greatest importance by far, and we must add it to the argument also. [55/176] We cannot conclude that we are counted righteous before God because of our fulfilling of the Law. Justification must be sought elsewhere in order that the conscience may become peaceful. For we are not righteous before God as long as we flee from God’s judgment and are angry with God. [56/177] Therefore, we must conclude that we are counted righteous for Christ’s sake being reconciled through faith. This is not because of the Law or our works. Because of faith, beginning to fulfill the Law pleases God. Because of faith, there is no charge that we fulfill the Law imperfectly, even though the sight of our impurity terrifies us. If justification is to be sought elsewhere, our love and works do not justify. [57/178] Christ’s death and satisfaction ought to be placed far above our purity, far above the Law itself. This truth ought to be set before us so that we can be sure of this: We have a gracious God because of Christ’s satisfaction and not because of our fulfilling the Law.

[58/179] Paul teaches this in Galatians 3:13, when he says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” This means that the Law condemns all people. But Christ—without sin—has borne the punishment of sin. He has been made a victim for us and has removed that right of the Law to accuse and condemn those who believe in Him. He Himself is the Atonement for them. For His sake they are now counted righteous. Since they are counted righteous, the Law cannot accuse or condemn them, even though they have not actually satisfied the Law. Paul writes the same way to the Colossians, “You have been filled in Him” (2:10). This is like saying, “Although you are still far from the perfection of the Law, the remnants of sin do not condemn you. For Christ’s sake we have a sure and firm reconciliation, if you believe, even though sin dwells in your flesh.”

[59/180] The promise should always be in sight. Because of His promise, God wishes to be gracious and to justify for Christ’s sake, not because of the Law or our works. In this promise timid consciences should seek reconciliation and justification. By this promise they should sustain themselves and be confident that they have a gracious God for Christ’s sake, because of His promise. So works can never make a conscience peaceful. [60/181] Only the promise can. If justification and peace of conscience must be sought in something other than love and works, then love and works do not justify. This is true even though they are virtues and belong to the righteousness of the Law, insofar as they are a fulfilling of the Law. Obedience to the Law justifies by the righteousness of the Law—if a person fulfills it. But imperfect righteousness of the Law is not accepted by God unless it is accepted because of faith. So legal righteousness does not justify, that is, it neither reconciles nor regenerates nor by itself makes us acceptable before God.

[61/182] From this it is clear that we are justified before God through faith alone. Through faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins and reconciliation, because reconciliation or justification is a matter promised for Christ’s sake, not for the Law’s sake. Therefore, it is received through faith alone, although, when the Holy Spirit is given, the fulfilling of the Law follows.

Reply to the Adversaries’ Arguments

[62/183] Now, when the grounds of this case have been understood (the distinction between the Law and the promises, or the Gospel), it will be easy to resolve the adversaries’ objections. For they quote passages about the Law and works and leave out passages about the promises. [63/184] But a final reply can be made to all opinions about the Law, namely, that the Law cannot be kept without Christ, and that if civil works are done without Christ, they do not please God. Therefore, when works are commended, it is necessary to add that faith is required. They are commended because of faith. They are the fruit and testimonies of faith. [64/185] Ambiguous and dangerous cases produce many and various solutions. For the judgment of the ancient poet is true:

In just and sure cases, one or two explanations derived from the sources correct all things that seem to offend. This happens also in our case here. For the rule I have just quoted explains all the passages that are quoted about the Law and works. [65/186] We acknowledge that Scripture teaches the Law in some places and the Gospel in other places (i.e., the free promise of forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake). But our adversaries absolutely abolish the free promise when they deny that faith justifies and when they teach that we receive forgiveness of sins and reconciliation because of love and our works. [66/187] If forgiveness of sins depends on our works, it is completely uncertain. The promise will be abolished. [67/188] Therefore, we tell godly minds to consider the promises, and we teach about free forgiveness of sins and about reconciliation, which happens through faith in Christ. Afterward, we add also the teaching of the Law. It is necessary to distinguish these things aright, as Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:15. We must see what Scripture says about the Law and what it says about the promises. For it praises works in such a way that it does not remove the free promise.

[68/189] Good works are to be done because of God’s command and for the exercise of faith—confessing the faith and giving thanks. Good works must be done for these reasons. They are done in the flesh, which is not as yet entirely renewed. The flesh hinders the Holy Spirit’s motives and adds some of its uncleanness to the works. Yet, because of Christ, they are holy, divine works, sacrifices, and acts belonging to the rule of Christ, who in this way displays His kingdom before this world. For in these works He sanctifies hearts and represses the devil. In order to retain the Gospel among people, He openly sets the confession of saints against the kingdom of the devil and, in our weakness, declares His power. [69/190] Consider the dangers, labors, and sermons of the apostle Paul, of Athanasius, Augustine, and the rest who taught the churches. These deeds are holy works and true sacrifices acceptable to God. They are Christ’s battles [Colossians 2:15] through which He repressed the devil and drove him away from those who believed. [70/191] David’s labors, in waging wars and in his home government, are holy works, true sacrifices, and battles fought by God. They defend the people who had God’s Word against the devil, in order that the knowledge of God might not be entirely extinguished on earth. [71/192] We think this way also about every good work in the humblest callings and in private affairs. Through these works Christ celebrates His victory over the devil, just as the distribution of alms by the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:1) was a holy work, a sacrifice and battle of Christ against the devil, who labors so that nothing may be done to praise God. [72/193] To demean such works (the confession of doctrine, sufferings, works of love, suppression of the flesh) would be to demean the outward rule of Christ’s kingdom among people. [73/194] Here also we add something about rewards and merits. We teach that rewards have been offered and promised for the works of believers. We teach that good works have merit, not for forgiveness of sins, for grace, or for justification (for these we receive only through faith), but for other rewards, bodily and spiritual, in this life and after this life. For Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:8, “Each will receive his wages according to his labor.” [74/195] There will be different rewards according to different labors. But forgiveness of sins is given alike and equal to all people, just as Christ is one, and is offered freely to all who believe that for His sake their sins are forgiven. Therefore, forgiveness of sins and justification are received only through faith, not because of any works. This is clear because of the terrors of conscience, because none of our works can turn away God’s wrath, as Paul clearly says in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith.” Because faith makes sons of God, it also makes coheirs with Christ. [75/196] Because by our works we do not merit justification, through which we are made sons of God, and coheirs with Christ. We do not merit eternal life by our works. Faith receives it because faith justifies us and has a reconciled God. But eternal life is due to the justified, according to the passage in Romans 8:30, “Those whom He justified He also glorified.” [76/197] Paul (Ephesians 6:2) tells us the commandment about honoring parents, by mentioning the reward added to that commandment. He does not mean that obedience to parents justifies us before God. But when obedience happens in those who have been justified, it merits other great rewards. [77/198] God puts His saints to work in various ways and often holds back the rewards of works-righteousness. He does this so that they may learn not to trust in their own righteousness and may learn to seek God’s will rather than the rewards. This can be seen with Job, Christ, and other saints. And many psalms teach us about this. They console us against the happiness of the wicked, as Psalm 37:1 says, “Be not envious.” Christ says in Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [78/199] By these praises of good works, believers are undoubtedly moved to do good works. [79/200] Meanwhile, the teaching of repentance is also proclaimed against the godless, whose works are wicked. God’s wrath, which He has threatened against all who do not repent, is displayed. [80/201] Therefore, we praise and require good works and show many reasons why they ought to be done.

Paul also teaches this about works when he says in Romans 4:9–25 that Abraham received circumcision. He did not seek to be justified by this work, for he had already attained justification through faith. He was counted righteous. But circumcision was added so that (a) Abraham might have a written sign in his body, (b) admonished by this, he might exercise faith, and (c) by this work he might also confess his faith before others and, by his testimony, invite others to believe. [81/202] “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice” (Hebrews 11:4). Because he was just by faith, the sacrifice that he made was pleasing to God. It is not that he merited forgiveness of sins and grace by this work, but he exercised his faith and showed it to others, in order to invite them to believe.

[82/203] In this way good works ought to follow faith. Yet people who cannot believe and be sure that they are freely forgiven for Christ’s sake, and that freely they have a reconciled God for Christ’s sake, use works in a far different way. When they see the works of saints, they judge in a human way that saints have merited forgiveness of sins and grace through these works. So they imitate them, thinking that through similar works they merit forgiveness of sins and grace. They think that through these works they appease God’s wrath and are counted righteous for the sake of these works. [83/204] We condemn this godless opinion about works. In the first place, it hides Christ’s glory when people offer to God these works as a price and atonement. This honor, due to Christ alone, is credited to our works. Second, they do not find peace of conscience in these works. In true terrors, heaping up works upon works, they eventually despair because they find no work pure ‹important and precious› enough. The Law always accuses and produces wrath. Third, such persons never attain the knowledge of God. For in anger they run from God, who judges and afflicts them. They never believe that they are heard. [84/205] But faith shows God’s presence, since it is certain that God freely forgives and hears us.

[85/206] Furthermore, this godless opinion about works always has existed in the world. The heathen had sacrifices, derived from the fathers. They imitated their works. They did not maintain their faith, but thought that the works were an atonement and price by which God would be reconciled to them. [86/207] The people in the Law ‹the Israelites› imitated sacrifices with the opinion that they would appease God by means of these works, so to say, ex opere operato. We see here how seriously the prophets rebuke the people: Psalm 50:8, “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,” and Jeremiah 7:22, “I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Such passages do not condemn works, which God certainly had commanded as outward exercises in this government. They condemn the godless opinion that people thought, that by their works they appeased God’s wrath, and so cast away faith. [87/208] Because no works ease the conscience, new works, in addition to God’s commands, were made up from time to time. The people of Israel had seen the prophets sacrificing on high places [e.g., 1 Samuel 9:10–14, 19]. Besides, the examples of the saints very greatly move the minds of people who hope to obtain grace by similar works just as these saints received it. Therefore, the people began, with remarkable zeal, to imitate their work, in order that by such a work they might merit forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness. But the prophets had been sacrificing on high places, not so that they might merit forgiveness of sins and grace by these works, but because they taught on these places. So they presented a testimony of their faith there. [88/209] The people had heard that Abraham had sacrificed his son [Genesis 22]. Therefore, they also, in order to appease God by a most cruel and difficult work, put their sons to death [e.g., 2 Kings 16:3]. But Abraham did not sacrifice his son with the opinion that this work was a price and atoning work by which he was counted righteous. [89/210] In a similar way, the Lord’s Supper was instituted in the Church. So by remembering Christ’s promises (about which we are taught in this Sacrament), faith would be strengthened in us, and we would publicly confess our faith and proclaim Christ’s benefits, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” But our adversaries contend that the Mass is a work that justifies us by the outward work (ex opere operato) and removes the guilt and liability to punishment in those for whom it is celebrated. That’s what Gabriel Biel writes.

[90/211] Anthony, Bernard, Dominic, Francis, and other Holy Fathers selected a certain kind of life either for the sake of study or other useful exercises. In the meantime, they believed that by faith they were counted righteous for Christ’s sake and that God was gracious to them, not because of their own exercises. But the multitude since then has imitated not the faith of the Fathers, but their example without faith. By such works the multitude thought they might merit forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness. They did not believe that they received these freely on account of Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice. [91/212] The world judges that all works are an atonement by which God is appeased. They are a price by which we are counted righteous. It does not believe that Christ is the Atonement. It does not believe that through faith we are freely counted righteous for Christ’s sake. Since works cannot ease the conscience, other works are continually chosen, new rites are performed, new vows are made, and new orders of monks are formed beyond God’s command, in order that some great work may be sought that may be set against God’s wrath and judgment. [92/213] Contrary to Scripture, the adversaries uphold these godless opinions about works. They say these things about our works: they are an atonement, they merit forgiveness of sins and grace, and we are counted righteous before God by them (and not through faith, for Christ’s sake as the Atonement). What is this other than to deny Christ the honor of Mediator and Atoning Sacrifice? [93/214] We believe and teach that good works must be done (fulfilling of the Law ought to follow faith). Nevertheless, we give Christ His own honor. We believe and teach that through faith, for Christ’s sake, we are counted righteous before God. We are not counted righteous because of works without Christ as Mediator. We do not merit forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness by works. We cannot set our works against God’s wrath and justice. Works cannot overcome the terrors of sin. But the terrors of sin are overcome through faith alone. Only Christ the Mediator is to be presented by faith against God’s wrath and judgment. [94/215] If anyone thinks differently, he does not give Christ due honor. Christ has been set forth so that He might be an Atonement, that through Him we might have access to the Father. [95/216] We are speaking now about the righteousness through which we approach God (not humans) but by which we receive grace and peace of conscience. [96/217] Conscience, however, cannot be eased before God, unless through faith alone. Faith is certain that God for Christ’s sake is reconciled to us, according to Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace.” This is because justification is only a matter freely promised for Christ’s sake. Therefore, it is always received before God through faith alone.

[Passages the Adversaries Misuse]

[97/218] Now we will reply to those passages that the adversaries quote in order to prove that we are justified by love and works. From 1 Corinthians 13:2, they quote, “If I have all faith … but have not love, I am nothing.” Here they triumph greatly. Paul testifies to the entire Church (they say) that faith alone does not justify. [98/219] But a reply is easy after we have shown above what we teach about love and works. This passage of Paul requires love. We also require this. For we have said above that renewal and beginning to fulfill the Law must exist in us, according to Jeremiah 31:33, “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” If anyone should cast away love, even though he has great faith, he does not keep his faith. For he does not keep the Holy Spirit. [99/220] Nor indeed does Paul in this passage talk about the way of justification. Instead, he writes to those who, after they had been justified, should be urged to bring forth good fruit lest they lose the Holy Spirit. [100/221] Furthermore, the adversaries treat the matter in a ridiculous way. They quote this one passage, in which Paul teaches about fruit. Yet they leave out many other passages in which he discusses the way of justification in a regular order. Besides, they always add a correction to the other passages that speak of faith, namely, that the passages ought to be understood as applying to “faith formed by love.” They add no correction that there is also need for faith, which believes we are counted righteous for Christ’s sake as the Atonement. So the adversaries exclude Christ from justification and teach only a righteousness of the Law. [101/222] But let us return to Paul. No one can conclude anything more from this text than this: love is necessary. We confess this. It is also necessary not to steal. But the reasoning will not be correct if someone would put the argument like this: “Not to commit theft is necessary. Therefore, not to commit theft justifies.” Justification is not the approval of a particular work, but of the entire person. Therefore, this passage from Paul does not harm us. Only, the adversaries must not add to it whatever they please by imagination. Paul does not say that love justifies. He says, “I am nothing” [1 Corinthians 13:2]. In other words, faith—however great it may have been—is extinguished. He does not say that love overcomes the terrors of sin and of death, that we can set our love against God’s wrath and judgment, or that our love satisfies God’s Law. He does not say that we have access to God by our love without Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice, that we receive the promised forgiveness of sins by our love. Paul says nothing about this. He does not, therefore, think that love justifies, because we are justified only when we receive Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice and believe that for Christ’s sake God is reconciled to us. Neither is justification even to be dreamed of without Christ as the Atonement. [102/223] If there is no need of Christ, if we can overcome death by our love, if we have access to God by our love without Christ as the Atonement, then let our adversaries remove the promise about Christ. Let them abolish the Gospel. [103/224] The adversaries corrupt very many passages, because they bring to them their own opinions and do not derive the meaning from the passages themselves. For what difficulty is there in this passage if we remove the interpretation that the adversaries attach to it out of their own mind? They do not understand what justification is or how it occurs. The Corinthians, being justified before, had received many excellent gifts. In the beginning, they glowed with zeal, just as is generally the case. Then dissensions began to arise among them, as Paul points out. They began to dislike good teachers. So Paul rebuked them, calling them back to offices of love. These are necessary. Yet it would be foolish to imagine that works of the Second Table (through which we interact with humans and not properly with God) justify us. But in justification we interact with God. His wrath must be appeased and conscience must be eased about God. None of these happen through the works of the Second Table.

[104/225] But they object that love is preferred to faith and hope. For Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “The greatest of these is love.” Now, it is reasonable that the greatest and chief virtue should justify. [105/226] Yet Paul, in this passage, properly speaks about love toward one’s neighbor and indicates that love is the greatest, because it has the most fruit. Faith and hope have to do only with God. But love has infinite offices outwardly toward humanity. Indeed, let us grant to the adversaries that love toward God and our neighbor is the greatest virtue, because the chief commandment is this: “You shall love the Lord your God” (Matthew 22:37). But how will they conclude from this that love justifies? [106/227] They say, “The greatest virtue justifies.” By no means! For just as the greatest, or first, Law does not justify, so also the Law’s greatest virtue does not justify. But the virtue that justifies receives Christ, which brings to us Christ’s merits, by which we receive grace and peace from God. This virtue is faith. As it has often been said, faith is not just knowledge. But it is willing to receive or take hold of those things that are offered in the promise about Christ. [107/228] Furthermore, this obedience toward God (i.e., to want to receive the offered promise) is no less a divine service (latreia) than is love. God wants us to believe Him and to receive from Him blessings. He declares this to be true divine service.

[108/229] The adversaries base justification on love because they everywhere teach and require the righteousness of the Law. We cannot deny that love is the Law’s highest work. Human wisdom gazes at the Law and seeks justification in it. So the scholastic doctors, great and talented men, proclaim love as the Law’s highest work and base justification on this work. Deceived by human wisdom, they did not look upon the uncovered, but upon the veiled face of Moses, just like the Pharisees, philosophers, and followers of Muhammad. [109/230] But we preach the foolishness of the Gospel, in which another righteousness is revealed: for Christ’s sake as the Atonement, we are counted righteous when we believe that God has been reconciled to us for Christ’s sake. Neither are we ignorant about how far distant this teaching is from the judgment of reason and the Law. Nor are we ignorant that the Law’s teaching about love makes a much greater show. For it is wisdom. But we are not ashamed of the Gospel’s foolishness. We defend this truth for the sake of Christ’s glory and ask Christ, by His Holy Spirit, to help us so that we may be able to make this clear and obvious.

[110/231] The adversaries, in the Confutation, have also quoted Colossians 3:14 against us, “love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” From this they conclude that love justifies because it makes people perfect. Although a reply about perfection could be made here in many ways, we will simply recite Paul’s meaning. It is certain that Paul spoke about love toward one’s neighbor. We must not think that Paul would credit either justification or perfection to the works of the Second Table, rather than to the works of the First. If love makes people perfect, there will then be no need of Christ as the Atonement (for faith receives Christ as the only Atonement). This is far distant from Paul’s meaning, who never allows Christ to be excluded as the Atonement. [111/232] Therefore, he speaks not about personal perfection, but about the integrity common to the Church. For this reason, he says that love is a bond or connection to show that he speaks about the binding and joining together of the many members of the Church. In all families and in all states unity should be nourished by mutual offices, and peace cannot be maintained unless people overlook and forgive certain mistakes among themselves. In a similar way, Paul commands that there should be love in the Church in order that it may preserve unity, bear with the harsher manners of brethren as there is need, and overlook certain less serious mistakes. This must happen or else the Church will fly apart into various schisms, and hostilities and factions and heresies will arise from the schisms.

[112/233] Unity cannot last (is necessarily dissolved) whenever the bishops impose heavier burdens upon the people, or when they have no respect for weakness in the people. Dissensions arise when the people judge too severely the conduct of teachers or despise the teachers because of certain less serious faults. For then, another kind of teaching and other teachers are sought after. [113/234] On the other hand, perfection (i.e., the Church’s integrity) is preserved when the strong bear with the weak, when the people put up with some faults in the conduct of their teachers, and when the bishops make some allowances for the people’s weakness. [114/235] The books of all the wise are full of these teachings about fairness, namely, that in everyday life we should make many allowances mutually for the sake of common peace. Paul teaches about this frequently both here and elsewhere. Therefore, the adversaries do not argue carefully from the term perfection that love justifies. For Paul speaks of common integrity and peace. Ambrose interprets this passage in this way, “Just as a building is said to be perfect or entire when all its parts are fitly joined together with one another.” [115/236] Furthermore, it is disgraceful for the adversaries to preach so much about love while they don’t show it anywhere. What are they doing now? They are tearing apart churches. They are writing laws in blood and asking the most merciful prince, the emperor, to enforce them. They are killing priests and other good men if any one of them has slightly indicated that he does not entirely approve of their clear abuses. What they are doing is not consistent with their claims of love, which if the adversaries would follow, the churches would be peaceful and the state would have peace. This turmoil would be lessened if the adversaries would stop being so bitter about certain traditions. These traditions are useless for godliness and are hardly observed by those very persons who most earnestly defend them. The adversaries easily forgive themselves, but do not likewise forgive others according to the passage in the poet, “‘I forgive myself,’ Maevius said.” [116/237] But what they do is very far from those praises of love that they recite here from Paul. They do not understand the word any more than the walls of a building that echo it back. [117/238] They cite also this sentence from Peter, “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Peter also speaks of love toward one’s neighbor because he joins this passage to the rule that commands love for one another. No apostle would have imagined (a) our love overcomes sin and death, (b) love satisfies God’s wrath and reconciles us to God, while excluding Christ as Mediator, and (c) love in and of itself is righteousness before God without Christ as Mediator. For this love, if such a thing could exist, would be a righteousness of the Law, not of the Gospel. The Gospel promises reconciliation and righteousness to us if we believe that, for the sake of Christ as Reconciler, the Father has been reconciled, and that Christ’s merits are given to us. [118/239] Peter urges us, a little before, to come to Christ that we may be built upon Him. He adds in 1 Peter 2:6, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” When God judges and convicts us, our love does not free us from confusion. But faith in Christ frees us from these fears because we know that for Christ’s sake we are forgiven.

[119/240] Besides, this sentence about love is taken from Proverbs 10:12, where the complete opposite clearly shows how love ought to be understood, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” [120/241] This verse teaches precisely the same thing as Paul does in Colossians: if any dissensions would occur, they should be moderated and settled by our fair and patient conduct. Dissensions, it says, increase by means of hatred. We often see that tragedies arise from the most trifling offenses. Certain petty offenses occurred between Gaius Caesar and Pompey. If one had yielded a very little to the other, civil war would not have arisen. But while each gave in to his own hatred, the greatest commotions arose from a matter of no importance. [121/242] Many heresies have also arisen in the Church only from the hatred of the teachers. Therefore, this verse does not refer to a person’s own faults, but to the faults of others. When it says that “love covers a multitude of sins,” it means those of others. Even though these offenses occur, love overlooks, forgives, and yields to them, not carrying all things to the extremity of justice. Peter, therefore, does not mean that love merits the forgiveness of sins in God’s sight or that it is an atoning sacrifice excluding Christ as Mediator. He also does not mean that such love regenerates and justifies, but that it is not gloomy, harsh, and uncooperative toward people. It overlooks the mistakes of its friends, while it deplores the harsher manners of others. A well-known saying puts it this way: Know, but do not hate, the manners of a friend. [122/243] Nor did the apostle thoughtlessly teach so often about this office what the philosophers call leniency (epieikeia). For this virtue is necessary for keeping public harmony ‹in the Church and the civil government›. Harmony in the Church cannot last unless pastors and churches mutually overlook and pardon many things.

[123/244] From James 2:24, they cite, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” No other passage is supposed to be more contrary to our belief. But the reply is easy and plain. If the adversaries do not attach their own opinions about the merits of works, the words of James have in them nothing that is unhelpful to us. But wherever there is mention of works, the adversaries add their own false, godless opinions. They say we merit the forgiveness of sins by means of good works, that good works are a satisfaction and price on account of which God is reconciled to us, and that good works overcome the terrors of sin and of death. They also say that good works are accepted in God’s sight on account of their goodness, and that they do not need mercy and Christ as Reconciler. None of these things came into James’s mind. Yet, the adversaries defend such teachings like this passage of James as an excuse.

[124/245] First, we must consider that the passage is more against the adversaries than against us. For the adversaries teach that a person is justified by love and works. They say nothing about faith, by which we receive Christ as Reconciler. In fact, they condemn this faith, not only in sentences and writings, but also by the sword and capital punishment. They endeavor to exterminate it in the Church. James teaches much better. He does not leave out faith, or present love in preference to faith, but retains faith, so that in justification Christ may not be excluded as Reconciler! When Paul forms a summary of the Christian life, he also includes faith and love in 1 Timothy 1:5, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

[125/246] Second, the subject matter itself shows that the works spoken of here follow faith and that such faith is not dead, but living and effective in the heart. James did not believe that we earn the forgiveness of sins and grace by good works. After all, he is talking about the works of those who have been justified, who have already been reconciled and accepted, and who have received forgiveness of sins. Therefore, the adversaries err when they conclude that James teaches that we merit forgiveness of sins and grace by good works and that we have access to God by our works, apart from Christ as Reconciler.

[126/247] Third, James said a little earlier that regeneration happens through the Gospel. For he says in James 1:18, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” When James says that we have been reborn by the Gospel, he teaches that we have been born again and justified through faith. For the promise about Christ is grasped only through faith when we set it against the terrors of sin and of death. James does not, therefore, think that we are born again through our works.

[127/248] From these things it is clear that James does not contradict us. He criticized lazy and secure minds that imagine they have faith, although they do not have it. He made a distinction between dead and living faith. [128/249] He says that faith that does not bring forth good works is dead. He also says that a living faith brings forth good works. Furthermore, we have shown already several times what we mean by faith. For we do not mean passive knowledge, such as devils have. Instead, we mean faith that resists the terrors of conscience and encourages and comforts terrified hearts. [129/250] Such faith is not an easy matter, as the adversaries dream. Neither is it a human power, but it is a divine power. Through faith we are reborn and overcome the devil and death. Paul says to the Colossians that faith is powerful through the power of God and overcomes death, “In which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God” (2:12). Since this faith is a new life, it necessarily produces new movements and works. So James is right in denying that we are justified by such a faith that is without works. [130/251] But when he says that we are justified by faith and works, he certainly does not say that we are born again by works. Neither does he say that Christ is our Reconciler only partly, and our works are our atoning sacrifice in part. Nor does he describe the way of justification, but only the nature of the just, after they have already been justified and regenerated. [131/252] Here “to be justified” does not mean that a righteous person is made from a wicked person. It means to be pronounced righteous in a judicial sense, as in Romans 2:13, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” These words “doers of the law who will be justified” contain nothing contrary to our doctrine. We, too, believe about James’s words, “A person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (2:24) because people are certainly pronounced righteous having faith and good works. As we have said, the saints’ good works are righteous and please God because of faith. For James praises only works produced by faith, as he testifies when he says of Abraham, “Faith was completed by his works” (2:22). “Doers of the law who will be justified,” namely, those who believe God from the heart are pronounced righteous. Afterward, they have good fruit, which please Him because of faith. So they are the fulfillment of the Law. [132/253] These things, simply put, contain nothing incorrect. However, they are distorted by the adversaries, who attach to them godless opinions made in their mind. For it does not follow that (a) works earn the forgiveness of sins, (b) works regenerate hearts, (c) works are an atoning sacrifice, (d) works please without Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice, and (e) works do not need Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice. James says nothing about these things. Yet, the adversaries shamelessly conclude such things from James’s words.

[133/254] Certain other passages about works are also cited against us.

Even these passages would contain nothing contrary to us if the adversaries would not falsely attach something to them. For they contain two things. One is a preaching either of the Law or of repentance. This preaching not only convicts those doing wrong, but also commands them to do what is right. The other is a promise that is added. But it is not said that sins are forgiven without faith, or that works themselves are an atoning sacrifice. [135/256] Furthermore, these two things should always be understood in the preaching of the Law. First, the Law cannot be obeyed unless we have been reborn through faith in Christ, just as Christ says in John 15:5, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” Second, some outward works can certainly be done. But this general judgment, which interprets the whole Law, must be retained. “Without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6). The Gospel must also be retained, that through Christ we have access to the Father. (See Hebrews 10:19; Romans 5:2.) [136/257] For it is clear that we are not justified by the Law. Otherwise, why would we need Christ or the Gospel, if the preaching of the Law alone would be enough? So, in the preaching of repentance, it is not enough to preach the Law, or the Word that convicts of sin. The Law works wrath and only accuses. The Law terrifies consciences, because consciences never are at rest unless they hear God’s voice clearly promising the forgiveness of sins. So the Gospel must be added, that for Christ’s sake sins are forgiven and that we obtain the forgiveness of sins by faith in Christ. If the adversaries exclude Christ’s Gospel from the preaching of repentance, they are rightly judged blasphemers against Christ.

[137/258] Isaiah preaches repentance as follows:

So the prophet both urges repentance and adds the promise. But in such a sentence it would be foolish to consider only the words “correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless.” For he says in the beginning, “Cease to do evil,” where he criticizes impiety of heart and requires faith. Also, the prophet does not say that through the works “correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless,” they can merit the forgiveness of sins by the outward act (ex opere operato), but he insists that such works are necessary in the new life. At the same time, he means that the forgiveness of sins is received through faith. So the promise is added. [138/259] We must understand all similar passages in this way. Christ preaches repentance when He says, “Forgive,” and He adds the promise, “and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). He does not say that when we forgive we merit the forgiveness of sins by our outward act (ex opere operato) as they term it. But He requires a new life, which certainly is necessary. At the same time, He means that forgiveness of sins is received through faith. So when Isaiah says, “Share your bread with the hungry” (58:7), he requires a new life. Nor does the prophet speak of this work alone, but, as the text shows, of the entire repentance. At the same time, he means that the forgiveness of sins is received through faith. [139/260] For the following is sure, and none of the gates of hell can overthrow it: the preaching of the Law is not enough in the preaching of repentance. This is true because the Law works wrath and always accuses. But the preaching of the Gospel should be added so that forgiveness of sins is granted us. Our sins are forgiven if we believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. Otherwise, why would we need the Gospel? Why would we need Christ? This belief should always be in view so that it may oppose those who cast Christ and the Gospel aside and wickedly distort the Scriptures to human opinions, such as the idea that we purchase the forgiveness of sins by our works.

[140/261] Faith is required also in the sermon of Daniel (4:24[–27]). For Daniel did not mean that the king should only give alms. He includes repentance when he says, “Break off your … iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed” [4:27]. This means, break off your sins by a change of heart and works. Here also, faith is required. Daniel proclaims to him many things about the worship of the only God, the God of Israel. He converts the king not only to give alms, but much more, to have faith. For we have the excellent confession of the king about the God of Israel, “There is no other god who is able to rescue in this way” (Daniel 3:29). Therefore, in Daniel’s sermon there are two parts. One part gives a commandment about the new life and the works of the new life. In the other part, Daniel promises the forgiveness of sins to the king. This promise of the forgiveness of sins is not a preaching of the Law, but a truly prophetic and evangelical voice. Daniel certainly meant that the promise should be received in faith. [141/262] For Daniel knew that the forgiveness of sins in Christ was promised not only to the Israelites, but also to all nations. Otherwise, he could not have promised to the king the forgiveness of sins. For without God’s sure Word about His will, a person has no power to claim, especially when terrified by sin, that God ceases to be angry. In his own language, Daniel speaks clearly about repentance and even more clearly brings out the promise, “Break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed” [4:27]. These words teach about all of repentance. They direct the king to become righteous, then to do good works, to defend the miserable against injustice, as was the king’s duty. Righteousness is faith in the heart. [142/263] Furthermore, sins are redeemed by repentance. In other words, the obligation or guilt is removed because God forgives those who repent, as it is written in Ezekiel 18:21–22. Nor are we to conclude from this that He forgives on account of works that follow, on account of alms. Rather, He forgives only those who take hold of it on account of His promise. Only those who truly believe take hold of this promise, and through faith overcome sin and death. These, being reborn, should produce fruit worthy of repentance, just as John the Baptist says. (See Matthew 3:8.) The promise, therefore, was added, “There may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity” (Daniel 4:27). [143/264] Jerome expresses some doubt here, which is beside the matter. In his commentaries he argues much more unwisely that the forgiveness of sins is uncertain. But let us remember that the Gospel gives a sure promise of the forgiveness of sins. To deny that there must be a sure promise of the forgiveness of sins would completely abolish the Gospel. Let us dismiss Jerome concerning this passage. The promise is displayed even in the words “Break off,” for it shows that the forgiveness of sins is possible, that sins can be redeemed, that is, that their obligation or guilt can be removed or God’s anger can be appeased. But our adversaries, overlooking the promises everywhere, consider only the laws. They falsely attach the human opinion that forgiveness happens on account of works. The text does not say this, but instead requires faith. For wherever a promise is, there faith is required. For a promise cannot be received unless through faith.

[144/265] Works are recognizable among human beings. Human reason naturally admires works. Reason sees only works and does not understand or consider faith. Therefore, it dreams that these works merit forgiveness of sins and justify. This opinion of the Law naturally sticks in people’s minds. It cannot be driven out, unless we are divinely taught. [145/266] The mind must be recalled from such earthly opinions to God’s Word. We see that the Gospel and the promise about Christ have been laid before us. When, therefore, the Law is preached, when works are commanded, we should not reject the promise about Christ. But the promise must first be grasped, in order that we may be able to produce good works pleasing to God, as Christ says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Therefore, if Daniel would have used words like these, “Redeem your sins by repentance,” the adversaries would not have noticed this passage. Since Daniel has actually expressed this thought in other words, the adversaries distort his words to the harm of the doctrine of grace and faith. However, Daniel meant his words most especially to include faith. [146/267] Therefore, we respond to the words of Daniel as follows: Since he is preaching repentance, he is teaching not only about works, but also about faith, as the story itself testifies in the context. Second, because Daniel clearly presents the promise, he necessarily requires faith, which believes that sins are freely forgiven by God. In repentance he mentions works. Yet he does not say that we merit the forgiveness of sins by these works. Daniel speaks not only about the forgiveness of the punishment, for forgiveness of the punishment is sought in vain unless the heart first receives the forgiveness of guilt. [147/268] Besides, if the adversaries understand Daniel as speaking only about the forgiveness of punishment, this passage will prove nothing against us. It will then become necessary for them also to confess that the forgiveness of sin and free justification come before good works. Afterward, even we concede that the punishments by which we are chastised are soothed. This happens by our prayers, by our good works, and finally by our entire repentance, according to 1 Corinthians 11:31, “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.”

[148/269] Therefore, in all our praising of works and in the preaching of the Law, let us keep this rule: the Law is not kept without Christ. As He Himself has said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” [John 15:5]. Likewise, “Without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6). For it is very certain that the doctrine of the Law is not intended to remove the Gospel and to remove Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice. Let the Pharisees, our adversaries, be cursed. They interpret the Law to assign Christ’s glory to works. (In other words, they say works are an atoning sacrifice, that they merit the forgiveness of sins.) Works are always rightly praised in this way: they are pleasing because of faith. For works do not please without Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice. “Through Him we have also obtained access [to God]” (Romans 5:2), not by works without Christ as Mediator. [149/270] Therefore, when it is said in Matthew 19:17, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments,” we must believe that without Christ the commandments are not kept and cannot please. So in the Decalogue itself, in the First Commandment, the most liberal promise of the Law is added, “But showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:6). But this Law is not kept without Christ. For it always accuses the conscience that does not satisfy the Law. Therefore, the conscience flies in terror from the Law’s judgment and punishment. For the Law works anger (Romans 4:15). A person keeps the Law when he hears that for Christ’s sake God is reconciled to us, even though we cannot satisfy the Law. When Christ is apprehended as Mediator through this faith, the heart finds rest and begins to love God and to keep the Law. It knows that now, because of Christ as Mediator, it is pleasing to God, even though the incomplete fulfilling of the Law is far from perfection and is very impure. [150/271] We must conclude this about the preaching of repentance. For although the Scholastics have said nothing at all about faith in the doctrine of repentance, yet we think that none of our adversaries is so mad as to deny that Absolution is a voice of the Gospel. And Absolution ought to be received through faith, in order that it may comfort the terrified conscience.

[151/272] The doctrine of repentance—because it not only commands new works, but also promises the forgiveness of sins—necessarily requires faith. The forgiveness of sins is not received unless through faith. Therefore, in those passages that refer to repentance, we should always understand that not only works, but also faith is required. For example, Matthew 6:14 says, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Here a work is required, and the promise of the forgiveness of sins is added. This does not happen because of the work, but through faith, because of Christ. [152/273] Just as Scripture testifies in many passages:

[153/274] What need is there to recite testimonies? This is the very voice unique to the Gospel, namely, that for Christ’s sake, and not for the sake of our works, we obtain the forgiveness of sins through faith. Our adversaries work to suppress this voice of the Gospel by means of distorted passages, which contain the doctrine of the Law or of works. It is true that in the doctrine of repentance works are required, because certainly a new life is required. But here the adversaries wrongly add that by such works we merit the forgiveness of sins, or justification. [154/275] Christ often connects the promise of the forgiveness of sins to good works, yet not because He means that good works are an atoning sacrifice (for they follow reconciliation). Christ makes this connection for two reasons. One is because good fruit must necessarily follow. He reminds us that if good fruit do not follow, the repentance is hypocritical and fake. The other reason is that we have need of outward signs of so great a promise. A conscience full of fear has need of much consolation. [155/276] Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are signs that continually remind, cheer, and encourage despairing minds to believe more firmly that their sins are forgiven. So the same promise is written and portrayed in good works, in order that these works may remind us to believe more firmly. Those who produce no good works do not encourage themselves to believe, but despise these promises. On the other hand, the godly embrace them and rejoice that they have the signs and testimonies of so great a promise. So they exercise themselves in these signs and testimonies. Therefore, just as the Lord’s Supper does not justify us by the outward act (ex opere operato) without faith, so alms do not justify us by the outward act (ex opere operato) without faith.

[156/277] The address of Tobit 4:11 ought to be received this way also, “Alms free from every sin and from death.” We will not say that this is an exaggeration, although we should see it that way so that we do not detract from the praise of Christ, whose right it is to free from sin and death. But we must come back to the rule that without Christ, the doctrine of the Law is of no profit. [157/278] Therefore, those alms please God that follow reconciliation or justification, and not those that come before. They do not free from sin and death by the outward act (ex opere operato). As we have said above about repentance, we ought to embrace faith and its fruit. So here we must say about alms that this entire newness of life saves. Alms also are the exercises of faith, which receives the forgiveness of sins and overcomes death, while it exercises itself more and more, and in these exercises receives strength. We grant also this, that alms merit many favors from God, lessen punishments, and merit our defense in the dangers of sins and of death, as we have said a little before about the entire repentance. [158/279] Tobit’s address, regarded as a whole, shows that faith is required before alms, “Be mindful of the Lord, your God, all your days” [4:5]. Afterward, “Bless the Lord, your God, always, and desire of Him that your ways be directed by Him” [4:19]. This, however, belongs properly to that faith, which believes that God is reconciled to it because of His mercy, and which wishes to be justified, sanctified, and governed by God. [159/280] But our adversaries, charming men, pick out mutilated sentences in order to deceive those who are unskilled. Afterward, they attach something from their own opinions. Therefore, entire passages are to be required. According to the common rule it is inappropriate, before the entire Law is thoroughly examined, to judge or reply when any single clause of it is presented. When produced in their entirety, passages very frequently bring the interpretation with them.

[160/281] Luke 11:41 is also cited in a mutilated form, namely, “But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.” The adversaries are very stupid. Time and again we have said that the Gospel about Christ should be added to the preaching of the Law. Because of Christ, good works are pleasing. But our adversaries teach everywhere that, Christ being excluded, justification is merited by the works of the Law. [161/282] When this passage is produced unmutilated, it will show that faith is required. Christ rebukes the Pharisees, who think that they are cleansed before God (that is, that they are justified) by frequent bathings. This is just as some pope or other who says that holy water “sanctifies and cleanses the people,” and the gloss says that it cleanses “from venial” sins. Such also were the opinions of the Pharisees that Christ rebuked. Against this phony cleansing He sets up a double cleanness: one inward, the other outward. He bids them be cleansed inwardly and adds concerning the outward cleanness: “But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.” [162/283] The adversaries do not rightly apply the phrase “everything,” for Christ adds this conclusion to both parts: “All things will be clean unto you, if you will be clean within, and will outwardly give alms.” He shows that outward cleanness is to be connected to works commanded by God, and not to human traditions. These traditions were the bathings held at that time, like the daily sprinkling of water. (The clothing of monks, the distinctions of food, and similar pompous acts appear this way to us now.) But the adversaries distort the meaning by transferring the universal phrase to only one part like Sophists: “All things will be clean to those having given alms.” [163/284] Yet Peter says in Acts 15:9, “having cleansed their hearts by faith.” When this entire passage is examined, it presents a meaning harmonizing with the rest of Scripture. If the hearts are cleansed and then outwardly alms are added (i.e., all the works of love), they are entirely clean (i.e., not only within, but also without). Why is not Christ’s entire speech added to it? There are many parts of the rebuke, some of which give commandments about faith and others about works. It is not the place of an honest reader to pick out the commands about works, while the passages about faith are skipped.

[164/285] Last, readers are to be reminded of this: the adversaries give the worst advice to godly consciences when they teach that the forgiveness of sins is earned by works. Conscience, in seeking forgiveness through works, cannot be confident that the work will satisfy God. It is always tormented, and continually invents other works and other acts of worship, until it completely despairs. This course is described by Paul in Romans 4:5. There he proves that the promise of righteousness is not obtained because of our works. We could never affirm that we had a reconciled God, for the Law always accuses. So the promise would be in vain and uncertain. He concludes that this promise of the forgiveness of sins and of righteousness is received through faith, not because of works. This is Paul’s true, simple, and genuine meaning. In it the greatest consolation is offered to godly consciences, and Christ’s glory is shown forth. He certainly was given to us for this purpose, namely, that through Him we might have grace, righteousness, and peace.

[165/286] So far we have reviewed the chief passages that the adversaries cite against us. They point to these passages to try to show that faith does not justify, and that we merit the forgiveness of sins and grace by our works. But we hope that we have shown clearly enough to godly consciences that (a) these passages are not opposed to our doctrine; (b) the adversaries wickedly distort the Scripture to their opinions; (c) most of the passages that they cite have been garbled; (d) while leaving out the clearest passages about faith, they only select from the Scripture passages about works, and even these they distort; (e) everywhere they add certain human opinions to what the words of Scripture say; (f) they teach the Law in such a way as to suppress the Gospel about Christ. [166/287] The entire doctrine of the adversaries is, in part, derived from human reason. In part, it is a doctrine of the Law, not of the Gospel. For they teach two ways of justification: one derived from reason, and the other derived from the Law, not from the Gospel, or the promise about Christ.

[The Adversaries’ Teaching Based on Reason and the Law]

[167/288] The former way of justification they teach is that people merit grace by good works both in a merely agreeable way (de congruo) and in a wholly deserving way (de condigno). This way is a doctrine of reason. For reason, not seeing the uncleanness of the heart, thinks that it pleases God if it performs good works. Therefore, other works and other acts of worship are constantly invented by people in great peril, to defend against the terrors of conscience. The pagans and the Israelites slew human victims and undertook many other most painful works in order to appease God’s anger. Afterward, orders of monks were invented, and these challenged each other in the severity of their observances against the terrors of conscience and God’s anger. This way of justification (because it is according to reason and is completely occupied with outward works) can be understood and be done to a certain extent. To this end the canon lawyers have distorted the misunderstood Church ordinances, which were enacted by the Fathers for a far different purpose. The Fathers did not intend that we follow the ordinances in order to seek after righteousness, but they were given for the sake of mutual peace among people, so there might be a certain order in the Church. In this way, the canon lawyers also distorted the Sacraments, and most especially the Mass. Through them they seek righteousness, grace, and salvation by the outward act.

[168/289] Another way of justification is handed down by the scholastic theologians when they teach that we are righteous through a habit infused by God, which is love. They say that, aided by this habit, we keep God’s Law outwardly and inwardly, and that this fulfilling of the Law is worthy of grace and of eternal life. This doctrine is plainly the doctrine of the Law. For what the Law says is true, “You shall love the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Also, “You shall love your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18). Love is, therefore, the fulfilling of the Law.

[169/290] But it is easy for a Christian to judge about both of these ways [of justification] because both exclude Christ. They are, therefore, to be rejected. In the former, which teaches that our works are an atoning sacrifice for sin, the impiety is clear. The latter way contains much that is harmful. It does not teach that, when we are born again, we make use of Christ. It does not teach that justification is the forgiveness of sins. It does not teach that we attain the forgiveness of sins before we love, but falsely represents that we rouse in ourselves the act of love, through which we merit the forgiveness of sins. Nor does it teach that we overcome the terrors of sin and death through faith in Christ. It falsely claims that, by their own fulfilling of the Law, without Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice, people come to God. Finally, it claims that this very fulfilling of the Law, without Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice, is righteousness worthy of grace and eternal life. Nevertheless, scarcely a weak and feeble fulfilling of the Law happens even in saints.

[170/291] Truly, if anyone will think about it, he will most easily understand that the Gospel has not been given in vain to the world, and that Christ has not been promised and set forth, has not been born, has not suffered, has not risen again in vain. He will most easily understand that we are justified not by reason or by the Law. Therefore, in regard to justification, we are compelled to disagree with the adversaries. For the Gospel shows another way. The Gospel compels us to make use of Christ in justification. The Gospel teaches that through Christ we have access to God through faith. It teaches that we ought to set Him as Mediator and Atoning Sacrifice against God’s anger. The Gospel teaches that through faith in Christ the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation are received, and the terrors of sin and of death are overcome. [171/292] Paul also says that righteousness is not of the Law, but of the promise. The Father has promised that He wants to forgive, that for Christ’s sake He wants to be reconciled. This promise, however, is received through faith alone, as Paul testifies in Romans 4:13. This faith alone receives the forgiveness of sins, justifies, and regenerates. Then love and other good fruit follow. Therefore, we teach that a person is justified (as we have said above) when conscience, terrified by the preaching of repentance, is cheered and believes that for Christ’s sake it has a reconciled God. “Faith is counted as righteousness [before God]” (Romans 4:3, 5). [172/293] When the heart is cheered and quickened through faith in this way, it receives the Holy Spirit. He renews us, so that we are able to keep the Law, to love God and God’s Word, to be submissive to God in afflictions, to be chaste, to love our neighbor, and so on. Even though these works are far from the perfection of the Law, on account of faith they please God. Through faith we are accounted righteous, because we believe that for Christ’s sake we have a reconciled God. These things are plain and in harmony with the Gospel and can be understood by persons of sound mind. [173/294] From this foundation it can easily be decided why we attribute justification to faith, and not to love. Love follows faith, because love is the fulfilling of the Law [Romans 13:10]. But Paul teaches that we are justified not from the Law, but from the promise, which is received only through faith. We neither come to God without Christ as Mediator, nor receive the forgiveness of sins for the sake of our love, but for the sake of Christ. [174/295] Likewise, we are not able to love God while He is angry, and the Law always accuses us, always presents an angry God to us. Therefore, we must first take the promise through faith that for Christ’s sake the Father is reconciled and forgives. [175/296] Afterward, we begin to keep the Law. Our eyes are to be cast—far away from human reason, far away from Moses—upon Christ. We are to believe that Christ is given to us, in order that for His sake we may be counted righteous. In the flesh we never satisfy the Law. [176/297] Therefore, we are counted righteous, not because of the Law, but because of Christ. His merits are granted us, if we believe on Him. We are not justified by the Law, because human nature cannot keep God’s Law and cannot love God. We are justified from the promise, in which, for Christ’s sake, reconciliation, righteousness, and eternal life have been promised. If anyone, therefore, has considered these foundations, he will easily understand that justification must necessarily be attributed to faith. It is not in vain that Christ has been promised and set forth, that He has been born and has suffered and been raised again. The promise of grace in Christ is not in vain. It was made immediately from the beginning of the world, apart from and beyond the Law. The promise should be received through faith, as 1 John 5:10–12 says:

Christ says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Paul says in Romans 5:2, “Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” By faith in Christ, therefore, the promise of the forgiveness of sins and of righteousness is received. Neither are we justified before God by reason or by the Law.

[177/298] These things are so plain and so clear we wonder how the insanity of the adversaries is so great that it calls them into doubt. The proof is clear. Since we are justified before God not from the Law, but from the promise, it is necessary to attribute justification to faith. What can be opposed to this proof, unless someone wishes to abolish the entire Gospel and the entire Christ? [178/299] Christ’s glory becomes more brilliant when we teach that we make the most of Him as our Mediator and Atoning Sacrifice. Godly consciences see that the most abundant consolation is offered to them in this doctrine. They see that they ought to believe and most firmly assert that they have a reconciled Father for Christ’s sake, and not for the sake of our righteousness. Yet, they also see that Christ aids us, so that we are able to keep the Law as well. [179/300] The adversaries deprive the Church of such great blessings as these when they condemn, and work to wipe out, the doctrine about the righteousness of faith. Therefore, let all good minds beware of consenting to the godless counsels of the adversaries. In the adversaries’ teaching about justification, no mention is made of Christ and how we ought to set Him against God’s anger, as though we were able to overcome His anger by love, or to love an angry God. [180/301] In regard to these things, consciences are left in uncertainty. For if they think that they have a reconciled God because they love and keep the Law, they will always doubt whether they have a reconciled God. This is so because they either do not feel this love, as the adversaries acknowledge, or they certainly feel that it is very small. Much more often they feel that they are angry at God’s judgment. They feel He oppresses human nature with many terrible evils, with troubles of this life, the terrors of eternal anger, and so on. When, therefore, will conscience be at rest? When will it be quieted? When, in this doubt and in these terrors, will it love God? What else is the doctrine of the Law than a doctrine of despair? [181/302] Let any one of our adversaries come forward to teach us about this love, how he himself loves God. They do not at all understand what they say. They only echo, just like the walls of a house, the little word love without understanding it. Their teaching is confused and shadowy. It not only transfers Christ’s glory to human works, but also leads consciences either to arrogance or to despair. [182/303] But our teaching, we hope, is readily understood by pious minds and brings godly and wholesome consolation to terrified consciences. For as the adversaries mock that “also many wicked people and devils believe” [cf. James 2:19], we have frequently said already that we speak of faith in Christ, namely, of faith in the forgiveness of sins, of faith that truly and heartily assents to the promise of grace. This is not brought about without a great struggle in human hearts. People of sound mind can easily judge the faith that believes we are cared for by God, that we are forgiven and heard by Him. It is something that surpasses nature. For by itself the human mind makes no such decision about God [1 Corinthians 2:14–16]. Therefore, this faith of which we speak is neither in the wicked nor in devils.

[183/304] Furthermore, if any learned person objects that righteousness is in the will and, therefore, it cannot be attributed to faith, which is in the intellect, the reply is easy. In the schools even such persons acknowledge that the will commands the intellect to agree with God’s Word. We say also quite clearly, “Just as the terrors of sin and death are not only thoughts of the intellect, but also horrible movements of the will fleeing God’s judgment, so faith is not only knowledge in the intellect, but also confidence in the will. In other words, it is to want and to receive that which is offered in the promise, namely, reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins.” [184/305] Scripture uses the term faith this way, as the following sentence of Paul testifies in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Furthermore, in this passage, to justify means (according to court language) to acquit a guilty person and declare him righteous. But this happens because of the righteousness of another, namely, of Christ. This righteousness is communicated to us through faith. [185/306] Therefore, since our righteousness in this passage is the credit of the righteousness of another, we must here speak about righteousness in a way different than in philosophy or in a civil court. (There we seek after the righteousness of one’s own work, which certainly is in the will.) So Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” And in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” [186/307] But because Christ’s righteousness is given to us through faith, faith is righteousness credited to us. In other words, it is that by which we are made acceptable to God on account of the credit and ordinance of God, as Paul says, “Faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:3, 5). [187/308] Although, because of certain hard-to-please people, we must say technically: Faith is truly righteousness, because it is obedience to the Gospel. For it is clear that obedience to the command of a superior is truly a kind of distributive justice. This obedience to the Gospel is credited for righteousness. So, only because of this—because we grasp Christ as the Atoning Sacrifice—are good works, or obedience to the Law, pleasing. We do not satisfy the Law, but for Christ’s sake this is forgiven us, as Paul says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). [188/309] This faith gives God the honor, gives God that which is His own. By receiving the promises, it obeys Him. Just as Paul also says, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God” (Romans 4:20). [189/310] So the worship and divine service of the Gospel is to receive gifts from God. On the contrary, the worship of the Law is to offer and present our gifts to God. However, we can offer nothing to God unless we have first been reconciled and born again. This passage, too, brings the greatest comfort, as the chief worship of the Gospel is to desire to receive the forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness. Christ says of this worship, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). And the Father says, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). [190/311] The adversaries speak of obedience to the Law, but they do not speak of obedience to the Gospel. We cannot obey the Law, unless we have been born again through the Gospel. We cannot love God, unless we have received the forgiveness of sins. [191/312] For as long as we feel that He is angry with us, our human nature runs away from His anger and judgment. If anyone should object that this view of faith (which desires those things offered by the promise) becomes confused with hope, we answer as follows. Hope expects promised things, and hope and faith cannot be separated in reality. Such needless debate takes place in the schools. The Epistle to the Hebrews defines faith as “the assurance (exspectatio) of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1). Yet if anyone wants a distinction between faith and hope, we say that the object of hope is properly a future event, but that faith is concerned with future and present things. Faith receives the forgiveness of sins offered in the promise in the present.

[192/313] From these statements we hope that it is clear both what faith is and that we are justified, reconciled, and regenerated through faith. We are compelled to hold on to these teachings because we want to teach the righteousness of the Gospel, not the righteousness of the Law. For those who teach that we are justified by love teach the righteousness of the Law. They do not teach us in justification to trust in Christ as Mediator. [193/314] These things are also clear. We overcome the terrors of sin and death not through love, but through faith. For we cannot set up our love and fulfilling of the Law against God’s wrath, because Paul says, “Through [Christ] we have also obtained access [to God] by faith” (Romans 5:2). We often emphasize this sentence so that we are understood. The sentence shows most clearly our whole argument and, when carefully considered, can teach abundantly about the whole matter. It can console good minds. So, it is helpful to have it at hand and in sight, that we may be able to set it against the doctrine of our adversaries. They teach that we come to God not through faith, but through love and merits, without Christ as Mediator. This sentence also helps us when we fear, so that we may cheer ourselves and exercise faith. [194/315] This is also clear. We cannot keep the Law without Christ’s aid. He Himself says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So, before we keep the Law, our hearts must be born again through faith.

[Results of the Adversaries’ Teaching]

[195/316] It is clear why we find fault with the adversaries’ doctrine about good works rewarded because of God’s generosity (meritum condigni). The decision is very easy.

First. The adversaries do not even mention faith, that we please God through faith for Christ’s sake. Rather, they imagine that good works, worked by the aid of the habit of love, make a righteousness worthy to please God by itself, and also worthy of eternal life. So they have no need of Christ as Mediator. [196/317] What else is this than to transfer Christ’s glory to our works? It means we would please God because of our works, not because of Christ. But this robs Christ of the glory of being the Mediator. He is the Mediator forever, and not merely in the beginning of justification. Paul also says that if one justified in Christ seeks righteousness elsewhere, he affirms that Christ is a minister of sin (Galatians 2:17), that is, that He does not fully justify. [197/318] What the adversaries teach is most silly. They teach that good works merit grace because of God’s mercy (de condigno). They mean that after the beginning of justification, if conscience is terrified (which happens), grace must be sought through a good work, and not through faith in Christ.

[198/319] Second. The doctrine of the adversaries leaves consciences in doubt, so that they never can be quieted. This is so because the Law always accuses us, even in good works. For always “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit” (Galatians 5:17). How will an unbelieving conscience have peace if it believes that for the sake of one’s own work, it ought now to please God and not for Christ’s sake? What work will it find, what will it trust as worthy of eternal life if, indeed, hope begins from merits? [199/320] Against these doubts Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God” (Romans 5:1). We should be firmly convinced that we are granted righteousness and eternal life for Christ’s sake. He says about Abraham, “In hope he believed against hope” (Romans 4:18).

[200/321] Third. How will a conscience know when a work was done by the inclination of this habit of love so that it is possible to conclude that the work merits grace in a wholly deserving way (de condigno)? This very distinction has been created to dodge the Scriptures. It teaches that people merit grace at one time in a merely agreeable way (de congruo) and at another time in a wholly deserving way (de condigno). As we have said above, the intention of the one who works does not matter. Hypocrites, in their security, simply think their works are worthy and that they are regarded righteous. On the other hand, terrified consciences have doubts about all works, and for this reason continually seek other works. For this is what it means to merit “in a merely agreeable way” (de congruo). It means to doubt and, without faith, to work, until despair takes place. In short, all that the adversaries teach about this matter is full of errors and dangers.

[201/322] Fourth. The entire Church confesses that eternal life is attained through mercy. Augustine speaks this way in On Grace and Free Will. There he speaks about the works of the saints completed after justification, “God leads us to eternal life not by our merits, but according to His mercy.” He says in his Confessions, Book IX: “Woe to the life of man, however much it may be worthy of praise, if it be judged with mercy removed.” And Cyprian, in his treatise on the Lord’s Prayer, says this:

[202/323] But the subject is well known and has very many and very clear testimonies in Scripture and in the Church Fathers. They all declare with one mouth that, even though we have good works, yet in these very works we need mercy. [203/324] Faith, looking upon this mercy, cheers and consoles us. The adversaries teach wrongly when they praise merits and add nothing about this faith that takes hold of mercy. For, as we have said before, the promise and faith mutually agree with each other. The promise is grasped only through faith. So we say that the promised mercy agrees with the requirement of faith and cannot be taken hold of without faith. So we justly find fault with the doctrine about wholly deserving merit (meritum condigni), since it teaches nothing of justifying faith. It also hides Christ’s glory and office as Mediator. [204/325] We should not be regarded as teaching anything new in this matter. The Church Fathers have clearly handed down the doctrine that we need mercy even in good works.

[205/326] Scripture also often teaches the same. “Enter not into judgment with Your servant, for no one living is righteous before You” (Psalm 143:2). This passage denies absolutely—even to all saints and servants of God—the glory of righteousness, if God does not forgive, but judges and convicts their hearts. For when David boasts in other places about his righteousness, he speaks about his own cause against the persecutors of God’s Word. He does not speak of his personal purity. He asks that God’s cause and glory be defended, “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me” (Psalm 7:8) Likewise, in Psalm 130:3, he says that no one can endure God’s judgment, if God were to mark our sins:

[208/329] In the Lord’s Prayer the saints ask for the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, even the saints have sins. The innocent shall not be innocent (Numbers 14:18; [cf. Exodus 34:7]).

Namely, flesh and righteousness of the flesh cannot endure God’s judgment. [209/330] Jonah 2:8 also says, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love,” that is, all confidence is empty, except confidence in mercy. Mercy delivers us; our own merits, our own efforts, do not. [210/331] So Daniel also prays:

So Daniel teaches us in praying to seize mercy, that is, to trust in God’s mercy and not to trust in our own merits before God. [211/332] We also wonder what our adversaries do in prayer, if the ungodly people ever ask anything of God. If they declare that they are worthy because they have love and good works and ask for grace as a debt, they pray precisely like the Pharisee who says, “I am not like other men” (Luke 18:11). He who prays for grace in this way does not rely upon God’s mercy and treats Christ with disrespect. After all, He is our High Priest, who intercedes for us. [212/333] So prayer relies upon God’s mercy, when we believe that we are heard for Christ’s sake. He is our High Priest, as He Himself says, “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14). Without this High Priest we cannot approach the Father.

[Salvation Is by God’s Mercy]

[213/334] Here Christ’s declaration also applies, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:10). These words clearly declare that God saves by mercy and because of His promise, not that it is due because of the value of our works. [214/335] But at this point the adversaries play wonderfully with Christ’s words. In the first place, they turn His words around and then turn them against us. Even more, they claim it can be said: “If we have believed all things, say, we are unprofitable servants.” Then they add that works do not profit God, but works do profit us. [215/336] See how the childish study of slick logic delights the adversaries? Although these foolish things do not deserve a response, we will still reply to them in a few words. Their reversal of words is defective. [216/337] In the first place, the adversaries are deceived regarding the term faith. If faith would signify historical knowledge that the wicked and the devils also possess, the adversaries would correctly argue that faith is unprofitable when they say: “When we have believed all things, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants.’” But we are not speaking of historical knowledge, but of confidence in God’s promise and mercy. This confidence in the promise confesses that we are unprofitable servants. Yes, this confession that our works are unworthy is the very voice of faith, as appears in this example of Daniel 9:18, which we cited, “We do not present our pleas before You because of our righteousness.” [217/338] Faith saves because it takes hold of mercy, or the promise of grace, even though our works are unworthy. Understood this way, namely, that our works are unworthy, the word reversal does not injure us: “When you shall have believed all things, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants.’” We teach the same as the entire Church when we teach that we are saved by mercy. [218/339] But if they mean to argue from these similar statements: “When you have done all things, do not trust in your works,” also, “When you have believed all things, do not trust in the divine promise,” there is no connection. These statements are not alike. The causes and objects of confidence in the former statement are very different from those of the latter. In the former, confidence lies in our own works. In the latter, confidence lies in the divine promise. Christ, however, condemns confidence in our works; He does not condemn confidence in His promise. He does not wish us to lose hope of God’s grace and mercy. He attacks our works as unworthy, but does not attack the promise that freely offers mercy. [219/340] Here Ambrose says well, “Grace is to be acknowledged; but nature must not be disregarded.” [220/341] We must trust in the promise of grace and not in our own nature. The adversaries act predictably and distort, against faith, the judgments that have been given on behalf of faith. We leave, however, these thorny points to the schools. [221/342] The slick logic is plainly childish when they interpret “unprofitable servant” to mean that works are unprofitable to God, but are profitable to us. Christ does speak about that profit that makes God a debtor of grace to us, although it is out of place to discuss here about what is profitable or unprofitable. For “unprofitable servants” means “insufficient,” because no one fears God as much, loves God as much, and believes God as much as he should. [222/343] Let us overlook these cold jokes of the adversaries. If they are ever brought to the light, levelheaded people will easily decide what they should conclude. The adversaries have found a flaw in words that are very plain and clear. But everyone sees that confidence in our own works is condemned in this passage.

[223/344] Let us hold on to this confession of the Church: we are saved by mercy. Let no one think, “Hope will be uncertain if we are to be saved by mercy. It will be unsure without something coming out first that distinguishes those who obtain salvation from those who do not.” We must give such a person a satisfactory answer. For the Scholastics, moved by this reason, seem to have invented the doctrine of wholly deserving merit (meritum condigni). [224/345] Thinking about such a thing can greatly exercise the human mind. We will, therefore, reply briefly. It is essential to believe that we are saved by mercy so that hope may be sure, so that there may be a resulting distinction between those who obtain salvation and those who do not. When this is expressed in this way without explanation, it seems foolish. For in civil courts and in human judgment, issues about rights or debts are certain, and mercy is uncertain. But the matter is different in God’s judgment. Here mercy has a clear and certain promise and command from God. The Gospel is properly the command that directs us to believe that God is reconciled to us for Christ’s sake. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). [225/346] Whenever mercy is spoken of, faith in the promise must be added. This faith produces sure hope, because it relies upon God’s Word and command. If hope would rely upon works, then it would be uncertain, because works cannot quiet the conscience, as has been said before. [226/347] Faith makes a distinction between those who obtain salvation and those who do not obtain it. Faith makes the distinction between the worthy and the unworthy, because eternal life has been promised to the justified. Faith justifies.

[227/348] Here again the adversaries will cry out that there is no need of good works if they do not merit eternal life. These lies we have refuted above. Of course, it is necessary to do good works. We say that eternal life has been promised to the justified. But those who walk according to the flesh [Galatians 5:19–21] retain neither faith nor righteousness. For this very reason we are justified: being righteous, we may begin to do good works and to obey God’s Law. [228/349] We are regenerated and receive the Holy Spirit for the very reason that the new life may produce new works, new dispositions, the fear and love of God, hatred of lustful desires (concupiscence), and so on. [229/350] This faith arises in repentance and should be established and grow amid good works, temptations, and dangers. This is so that we may continually be more firmly persuaded that God cares for us, forgives us, and hears us for Christ’s sake. This is not learned without many and great struggles. How often is conscience aroused, how often does it awaken even to despair when it shows either old or new sins, or the impurity of our nature! This handwriting is not blotted out without a great struggle [Colossians 2:14]. Experience testifies what a difficult matter faith is. [230/351] While we are encouraged in the midst of the terrors and receive comfort, other spiritual movements grow at the same time: knowledge of God, fear of God, hope and love of God. We are “renewed,” as Paul says, “in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10) and, “Beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). In other words, we receive the true knowledge of God, so that we truly fear Him, we truly trust that we are cared for by Him, and that we are heard by Him. [231/352] This regeneration is the beginning of eternal life as Paul says, “If Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10). [232/353] And, “Longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked” (2 Corinthians 5:2–3). The honest reader can judge from these statements that we certainly require good works, since we teach that faith arises in repentance and is bound to increase in repentance. We place Christian and spiritual perfection in these matters, if repentance and faith grow together in repentance. The godly can understand this better than the adversaries’ teaching about contemplation or perfection. [233/354] However, just as justification applies to faith, so also eternal life applies to faith. Peter says, “Obtaining the outcome [or fruit] of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9). For the adversaries confess that the justified are children of God and coheirs of Christ. [234/355] Afterward, because works please God on account of faith, they earn other bodily and spiritual rewards. For there will be distinctions in the glory of the saints.

[235/356] Here the adversaries reply that eternal life is called a reward and that, therefore, it is merited in a wholly deserving way (de condigno) by good works. We reply briefly and plainly. Paul calls eternal life a “gift” (Romans 6:23), because by the righteousness presented for Christ’s sake, we are made at the same time sons of God and coheirs of Christ. As John says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). Augustine says, as also do very many others who follow him, “God crowns His gifts in us.” Elsewhere it is written, “Your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:23). If these passages seem to conflict for the adversaries, they themselves may explain them. [236/357] But the adversaries are not fair judges. They leave out the word gift. They also leave out the primary teachings of the entire matter. Further, they select the word reward and twist its meaning not only against Scripture, but also against the common use of language. In this way, they conclude that because our works are called a reward, there should be a price paid for eternal life. They assume they are worthy of grace and life eternal and do not stand in need of mercy or of Christ as Mediator or of faith. [237/358] This logic is altogether new. We hear the term reward and are supposed to conclude that there is no need of Christ as Mediator, or of faith having access to God for Christ’s sake, not for the sake of our works! Who does not see that these are unrelated sentences wrongly joined together? [238/359] We do not argue about the term reward. We argue whether good works are of themselves worthy of grace and of eternal life, or whether they please only on account of faith, which takes hold of Christ as Mediator. [239/360] Our adversaries not only attribute this to works, namely, that they are worthy of grace and of eternal life, but they also state falsely that works have surplus merits. The adversaries maintain that these merits can be granted to other people to justify them, as when monks sell to others the merits of their orders. They heap up these freakish ideas in the manner of Chrysippus, especially about this one word reward.

[240/361] Stop, reader! You don’t have the whole chain of arguments. For certain “sacraments” of this purchase must be added: the hood is placed upon the dead. The blessings brought to us in Christ, and the righteousness of faith, have been hidden by such additions.

[241/362] We are not trying to start a needless word battle about the term reward. But this is a great, exalted, and very important matter about where Christian hearts can find true and certain comfort. It is about whether our works can give consciences rest and peace, whether we are to believe that our works are worthy of eternal life, or whether that is given to us for Christ’s sake. These are the real questions regarding these matters. If consciences are not rightly taught about these, they can have no certain comfort. However, we have stated clearly enough that good works do not fulfill the Law, that we need God’s mercy, that through faith we are accepted by God, that good works—be they ever so precious, even if they were the works of St. Paul himself—cannot bring rest to the conscience. It makes sense that we are to believe that we receive eternal life through Christ by faith, not because of our works or of the Law. But what do we say of the reward that Scripture mentions? If the adversaries will admit that we are regarded righteous through faith because of Christ, and that good works please God because of faith, we will not afterward argue much about the term reward. We confess that eternal life is a reward; it is something due because of the promise, not because of our merits. For the justification has been promised, which we have previously shown to be properly God’s gift. To this gift the promise of eternal life has been added, according to Romans 8:30, “Those whom He justified He also glorified.” [242/363] Here belongs what Paul says, “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me” (2 Timothy 4:8). The justified are due the crown because of the promise. [243/364] Saints should know this promise, not that they may labor for their own profit, for they ought to labor for God’s glory. But saints should know it so they may not despair in troubles. They should know God’s will: He desires to aid, to deliver, and to protect them. Although the perfect hear the mention of penalties and rewards in one way, the weak hear it in another way. The weak labor for the sake of their own advantage. [244/365] Yet the preaching of rewards and punishments is necessary. God’s wrath is set forth in the preaching of punishments. This applies to the preaching of repentance. Grace is set forth in the preaching of rewards. Just as Scripture, in the mention of good works, often embraces faith—for it wishes righteousness of the heart to be included with the fruit—so sometimes it offers grace together with other rewards. We find this in Isaiah 58:8–14, and frequently in other places in the Prophets. [245/366] We also affirm what we have often said, that although justification and eternal life go along with faith, nevertheless, good works merit other bodily and spiritual rewards and degrees of reward. According to 1 Corinthians 3:8, “Each will receive his wages according to his labor.” The righteousness of the Gospel, which has to do with the promise of grace, freely receives justification and new life. But the fulfilling of the Law, which follows faith, has to do with the Law. In it a reward is offered and is due, not freely, but according to our works. Those who earn this are justified before they do the Law. As Paul says, “He has … transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” and we are “fellow heirs with Christ” (Colossians 1:13; Romans 8:17). [246/367] But whenever merit is mentioned, the adversaries immediately transfer the matter from other rewards to justification. Yet the Gospel freely offers justification because of Christ’s merits and not of our own. His merits are delivered to us through faith. Works and troubles do not merit justification, but other payments, as the reward is offered for the works in these passages: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Here clearly the measure of the reward is connected with the measure of the work. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land” (Exodus 20:12). Also here the Law offers a reward to a certain work. [247/368] The fulfilling of the Law earns a reward, for a reward properly relates to the Law. Yet we should be mindful of the Gospel, which freely offers justification for Christ’s sake. We neither obey the Law, nor can obey it, before we have been reconciled to God, justified, and reborn. Nor would fulfilling the Law please God, unless we were accepted because of faith. People are accepted because of faith. For this very reason the initial fulfilling of the Law pleases and has a reward in this life and in the next. [248/369] Regarding the term reward, many other remarks, derived from the nature of the Law, might be made here. Since they are too long, they must be explained in another connection.

[The Adversaries’ Other Arguments]

[249/370] The adversaries insist that good works have the right to merit eternal life, because Paul says:

[250/371] In these and all similar passages in which works are praised in the Scriptures, it is necessary to understand not only outward works, but also the faith of the heart. Scripture does not speak of hypocrisy, but of the righteousness of the heart with its fruit. [251/372] Furthermore, whenever the Law and works are mentioned, we must know that Christ cannot be excluded as Mediator. He is the end of the Law, and He Himself says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We have said above that all passages about works can be judged according to this rule. When eternal life is granted to works, it is granted to those who have been justified. Only justified people, who are led by the Spirit of Christ, can do good works. Without faith and Christ as Mediator, good works do not please, according to Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please [God].” [252/373] When Paul says, “He will render to each one according to his works,” not only the outward work ought to be understood, but all righteousness or unrighteousness. So, “Glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good,” namely, to the righteous. “You gave Me food” (Matthew 25:35) is cited as the fruit and witness of the righteousness of the heart and of faith and, therefore, eternal life is given to righteousness. [253/374] In this way Scripture, at the same time with the fruit, embraces the righteousness of the heart. Scripture often names the fruit, so that the inexperienced understand better. It also names them to show that a new life and rebirth are required, and not hypocrisy. But rebirth happens through faith, in repentance.

[254/375] No sane person can judge otherwise. Neither do we needlessly attempt to make a fine distinction, trying to separate the fruit from the righteousness of the heart. If only the adversaries would have conceded that the fruit pleases because of faith, and because of Christ as Mediator, and that by themselves they are not worthy of grace and of eternal life. [255/376] We condemn this failure in the doctrine of the adversaries. In some passages of Scripture, understood either in a philosophical or a Jewish manner, they abolish the righteousness of faith and exclude Christ as Mediator. From these passages they conclude that works merit grace, sometimes in a merely agreeable way (de congruo), and at other times in a wholly deserving way (de condigno), namely, when love is added. They maintain that works justify, and because they are righteousness they are worthy of eternal life. This error clearly abolishes the righteousness of faith, which believes that we have access to God for Christ’s sake, not for the sake of our works. It also contradicts the truth that through Christ, as Priest and Mediator, we are led to the Father and have a reconciled Father, as has been said well enough before. [256/377] This teaching about the righteousness of faith is not to be neglected in Christ’s Church, because without it we cannot consider Christ’s office. Then the doctrine of justification that is left is only a doctrine of the Law. We should keep the Gospel and the doctrine about the promise, granted for Christ’s sake.

[Conclusion]

[257/378] We are not arguing with the adversaries about a small matter. We are not trying to make a fine distinction when we find fault with them for teaching that we merit eternal life by works, while faith that takes hold of Christ as Mediator is left out. [258/379] For there is not a syllable in the Scholastics about this faith that believes the Father is reconciled to us for Christ’s sake. Everywhere they hold that we are accepted and righteous because of our works, completed either from reason, or certainly worked by the inclination of that love they speak about. [259/380] Yet they have certain sayings, proverbs, as it were, of the old writers. They distort these in interpretation. [260/381] In the schools it is boasted that good works please because of grace and that confidence must be put in God’s grace. Here they understand grace as a habit by which we love God. It is as though the ancients meant that we should trust in our love, even though from experience we know how small and how impure it is. It is strange how they ask us to trust in love, since they teach us that we are not able to know whether it is present. Why do they not present the grace, the mercy of God toward us? While they are at it, they should add faith. For the promise of God’s mercy, reconciliation, and love toward us is not grasped unless by faith. With this view they would rightly say that we should trust in grace, that good works please because of grace, when faith takes hold of grace. [261/382] In the schools it is bragged that our good works work by virtue of Christ’s passion. Well said! But why add nothing about faith? For Christ is an Atoning Sacrifice, as Paul says, “by faith” (Romans 3:25). When fearful consciences are comforted by faith, and are convinced that our sins have been blotted out by Christ’s death, and that God has been reconciled to us because of Christ’s suffering, then, indeed, Christ’s suffering profits us. If the teaching about faith is left out, saying that works are useful by virtue of Christ’s passion is of no use at all.

[262/383] They corrupt very many other passages in the schools because they do not teach the righteousness of faith and because they understand faith as merely a knowledge of the history or of dogmas. They do not understand faith to be a virtue, which takes hold of the promise of grace and of righteousness, and which enlivens hearts in the terrors of sin and of death. [263/384] When Paul says, “With the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:10), we think that the adversaries admit that confession justifies or saves, not by the outward act, but only because of the faith of the heart. Paul says that confession saves in order to show what sort of faith receives eternal life, namely, that which is firm and active. [264/385] That faith, however, that does not present itself in confession is not firm. So other good works please because of faith, just as the prayers of the Church ask that all things may be accepted for Christ’s sake [John 14:13–14]. They likewise ask all things for Christ’s sake. For it is clear that this clause is always added at the close of prayers: “Through Christ, our Lord.” [265/386] So we conclude that we are justified before God, are reconciled to God and reborn through faith. In repentance this faith lays hold of the promise of grace and truly enlivens the terrified mind. It is convinced that for Christ’s sake God is reconciled and favorable toward us. “Through” this faith, 1 Peter 1:5 says, “[We] are being guarded … for a salvation ready to be revealed.” [266/387] The knowledge of this faith is necessary to Christians, brings the most abundant comfort in all troubles, and shows us Christ’s office. Those who deny that people are justified through faith and that Christ is Mediator and the Atoning Sacrifice, deny the promise of grace and the Gospel. When it comes to justification, they teach only the doctrine either of reason or of the Law. [267/388] We have shown how this came to be, so far as can be done here. We have also explained the objections of the adversaries. Good people will easily judge these things if they will think in this way whenever a passage about love or works is quoted. It is certain that the Law cannot be kept without Christ and that we cannot be justified from the Law, but from the Gospel, that is, from the grace promised in Christ. [268/389] We hope that this discussion, although brief, will be helpful to good people for strengthening faith and teaching and comforting the conscience. For we know that what we have said is in harmony with the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures, with the Holy Fathers, Ambrose, Augustine, and very many others, and with Christ’s whole Church, which certainly confesses that Christ is the Atoning Sacrifice and Justifier.

[269/390] Nor do we immediately conclude that the Roman Church agrees with everything that the pope or cardinals or bishops or some of the theologians or monks approve. For it is clear that most pontiffs consider their own authority of greater concern than Christ’s Gospel. It has been determined that most of them are openly mere searchers for pleasure. Clearly theologians have mingled more of philosophy with Christian doctrine than was necessary. [270/391] Their influence should not appear so great that it will be unlawful to disagree with their arguments, because at the same time many clear errors are found among them. One of these maintains that, from purely natural powers, we are able to love God above all things. This preaching, although it is clearly false, has produced many other errors. [271/392] For the Scriptures, the Holy Fathers, and the judgments of all the godly everywhere respond. Therefore, popes, or some theologians, and monks in the Church have taught us to seek the forgiveness of sins, grace, and righteousness through our own works and to invent new forms of worship, which have clouded over Christ’s office and have made out of Christ not the Atoning Sacrifice and Justifier, but only a Legislator. Yet, the knowledge of Christ has always remained with some godly persons. [272/393] Scripture, furthermore, has predicted that the righteousness of faith would be clouded over by human traditions and the teaching of works in this way. Paul often complains about this. (See Galatians 4:9; 5:7; Colossians 2:8, 16–19; 1 Timothy 4:2–5; etc.) There were even during his time those who—instead of the righteousness of faith—taught that people were reconciled to God and justified by their own works and own acts of worship, and not through faith for Christ’s sake. People judge by nature that God should be appeased by works. [273/394] Nor does reason see a righteousness other than the righteousness of the Law, understood in a civil sense. So there have always been some who have taught this earthly righteousness alone to the exclusion of the righteousness of faith. [274/395] Such teachers will always exist. The same thing happened among the people of Israel. The majority of the people thought
that they merited the forgiveness of sins by their works. Therefore, they piled up sacrifices and acts of worship.
On the contrary, the prophets, in condemnation of this
opinion, taught the righteousness of faith. What happened among the people of Israel are illustrations of those things
that were to happen in the Church [1 Corinthians 10:11]. [275/396] Therefore, let the multitude of the adversaries, who condemn our doctrine, not disturb godly minds. For the adversaries’ spirit can easily be judged, because in some articles they have condemned truth that is so clear and apparent that their godlessness appears openly. [276/397] The bull of Leo X condemned a very necessary article, which all Christians should hold and believe. It stated that we should trust that we have been forgiven not because of our sorrow, but because of Christ’s word “Whatever you bind …” (Matthew 16:19). [277/398] And now, in this assembly, the authors of the Confutation have clearly condemned the following: (a) faith is a part of repentance, (b) we obtain forgiveness of sins by faith, (c) and by faith we overcome the terrors of sin, so the conscience is soothed. Who does not see that this article—that by faith we obtain the forgiveness of sins—is most true, most certain, and especially necessary to all Christians? Who to all posterity, hearing that such a doctrine has been condemned, will judge that the authors of it had any knowledge of Christ?

[278/399] It is possible to make a guess about their spirit based on that inexpressible cruelty, which it is agreed they exercised among many good people up to this point. We received [news] in this gathering about a certain reverend father of the imperial senate. When opinions were stated about our confession, he saw nothing more useful to say to the council than “to write back with blood” to what we wrote in ink. Could Phalaris say anything more cruel? Some princes also have judged this expression unworthy to be spoken in such a meeting. [279/400] Even though the adversaries claim the name of the Church for themselves, we know that Christ’s Church is with those who teach Christ’s Gospel, not with those who defend wicked opinions contrary to the Gospel. As the Lord says, “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). And Augustine says:

In this way the judgments of our adversaries will not disturb us, since they defend human opinions contrary to the Gospel, contrary to the authority of the Holy Fathers who have written in the Church, and contrary to the testimonies of godly minds.