CONFESSION OF AUGSBOURG

or AUGUST AN CONFESSION. A confe ion of faith, drawn up by Melancthon, and presented by him and Luther to the emperor Charles V. at Augsbourg, in the year 1530. It was divided into two parts, and was designed to support all the points of the Luther an reformation, and to show the heterodoxy of the Church of Rome.— Maimbourg, Hist. du Luther an is me . The first part contained twenty-one articles. The first acknowledged and agreed to all the decisions of the first four general councils, concerning the Trinity. The second admitted of original sin, but defined it differently from the Church of Rome, making it to consist only in concupiscence. The third contained the substance of the Apostles’ Creed. The fourth maintained, against the Pelagians, that a man cannot be justified by the mere strength and capacity of nature; and, against the Roman Catholics, that justification is the effect of faith, exclusive of good works. The fifth agreed with the Church of Rome, that the word of God , and the sacraments, are the means of conveying the Holy Spirit , but differed from that communion, by a erting that this Divine operation is never present without faith. The sixth affirmed, that our faith ought to produce good works, purely in obedience to God , and not in order to our own justification. The seventh made the true Church to consist of none but the righteous. The eighth acknowledged the validity of the sacraments, though administered by hypocrites or wicked persons. The ninth a erted, against the Anabaptists, the nece ity of infant baptism. The tenth acknowledged the presence of the body and blood of Christ under the consecrated elements; adding, that this mysterious presence in the holy sacrament continued with the elements only during the time of receiving, and that the eucharist ought to be given in both kinds. The eleventh granted the nece ity of absolution to penitents, but denied their being obliged to make a particular confe ion of their sins. The twelfth condemned the Anabaptists, who affirm, that whoever is once justified cannot fall from grace; as also the Nov a tians, who refused absolution to sins committed after baptism; a erting withal, against the Church of Rome, that a repenting sinner is not made capable of forgivene by any acts of penance whatever. The thirteenth required actual faith from those who participate of the sacraments. The fourteenth forbad those, who were not lawfully called, to teach in the Church, or administer the sacraments. The fifteenth appointed the observation of the festivals, and prescribed the ceremonies of the Church. The sixteenth acknowledged the obligation of civil laws. The seventeenth acknowledged the resurrection, heaven, and hell, and condemned the two following errors of the Anabaptists and Fifth-monarchy men; viz. That the punishment of the devils and the damned will have an end, and that the saints will reign with Christ a you sand years upon earth. The eighteenth declared, that our wills are not sufficiently free, in actions relating to the promoting of our salvation. The nineteenth maintained, that, notwithstanding God created man, and still continues to preserve him, God neither is, nor can be, the author of sin. The twentieth affirmed, that good works are not altogether unprofitable: and the twenty-first forbad the invocation of saints. The second part of the August an Confe ion is altogether in opposition to the Church of Rome, referring to the seven principal abuses, on which the Luther ans found the nece ity of separating from the communion of that Church. The first head enjoined communion in both kinds, and forbad the proce ion of the holy sacrament. The second condemned the celibacy of priests. By the third, private ma es were abolished, and some part at least of the congregation were obliged to communicate with the priest. The fourth declared against the nece ity of making a particular confe ion of sins to the priest. The fifth rejected tradition. The sixth disallowed of monastic vows: and the seventh a erted, that the power of the Church consisted only in preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments. This confe ion of faith was signed by the Elector of Saxony, and his eldest son, by the Marquis of Bran den bourg, by the Landgrave of He e, the Prince of Hainault, and the republics of Nuremberg and Rutlingua. It was argued before the emperor Charles V., but rejected; the Roman Catholics having a majority of votes in the council. This was followed by a conference between seven deputies of each party; in which, Luther being absent, Melancthon, by his mollifying explanations, brought both sides to an agreement in relation to fifteen of the first twenty-one articles. But the conference broke up without adjusting all the differences between them.