the augsburg confession-第9章

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most　of　them　have　taken　the　vows　before　they　reached　these　

ages。　　



Finally；　even　though　the　violation　of　a　vow　might　be　censured；　

yet　it　seems　not　forthwith　to　follow　that　the　marriages　of　

such　persons　must　be　dissolved。　For　Augustine　denies　that　they　

ought　to　be　dissolved　（XXVII。　Quaest。　I；　Cap。　Nuptiarum）；　and　

his　authority　is　not　lightly　to　be　esteemed；　although　other　

men　afterwards　thought　otherwise。　　



But　although　it　appears　that　God's　command　concerning　marriage　

delivers　very　many　from　their　vows；　yet　our　teachers　introduce　

also　another　argument　concerning　vows　to　show　that　they　are　

void。　For　every　service　of　God；　ordained　and　chosen　of　men　

without　the　commandment　of　God　to　merit　justification　and　

grace；　is　wicked；　as　Christ　says　Matt。　16；　9：　In　vain　do　they　

worship　Me　with　the　commandments　of　men。　And　Paul　teaches　

everywhere　that　righteousness　is　not　to　be　sought　from　our　own　

observances　and　acts　of　worship；　devised　by　men；　but　that　it　

comes　by　faith　to　those　who　believe　that　they　are　received　by　

God　into　grace　for　Christ's　sake。　　



But　it　is　evident　that　monks　have　taught　that　services　of　

man's　making　satisfy　for　sins　and　merit　grace　and　

justification。　What　else　is　this　than　to　detract　from　the　

glory　of　Christ　and　to　obscure　and　deny　the　righteousness　of　

faith？　It　follows；　therefore；　that　the　vows　thus　commonly　

taken　have　been　wicked　services；　and；　consequently；　are　void。　

For　a　wicked　vow；　taken　against　the　commandment　of　God；　is　not　

valid；　for　（as　the　Canon　says）　no　vow　ought　to　bind　men　to　

wickedness。　　



Paul　says；　Gal。　5；　4：　Christ　is　become　of　no　effect　unto　you；　

whosoever　of　you　are　justified　by　the　Law；　ye　are　fallen　from　

grace。　To　those；　therefore；　who　want　to　be　justified　by　their　

vows　Christ　is　made　of　no　effect；　and　they　fall　from　grace。　

For　also　these　who　ascribe　justification　to　vows　ascribe　to　

their　own　works　that　which　properly　belongs　to　the　glory　of　

Christ。　　



Nor　can　it　be　denied；　indeed；　that　the　monks　have　taught　that；　

by　their　vows　and　observances；　they　were　justified；　and　

merited　forgiveness　of　sins；　yea；　they　invented　still　greater　

absurdities；　saying　that　they　could　give　others　a　share　in　

their　works。　If　any　one　should　be　inclined　to　enlarge　on　these　

things　with　evil　intent；　how　many　things　could　he　bring　

together　whereof　even　the　monks　are　now　ashamed！　Over　and　

above　this；　they　persuaded　men　that　services　of　man's　making　

were　a　state　of　Christian　perfection。　And　is　not　this　

assigning　justification　to　works？　It　is　no　light　offense　in　

the　Church　to　set　forth　to　the　people　a　service　devised　by　

men；　without　the　commandment　of　God；　and　to　teach　that　such　

service　justifies　men。　For　the　righteousness　of　faith；　which　

chiefly　ought　to　be　taught　in　the　Church；　is　obscured　when　

these　wonderful　angelic　forms　of　worship；　with　their　show　of　

poverty；　humility；　and　celibacy；　are　east　before　the　eyes　of　

men。　



Furthermore；　the　precepts　of　God　and　the　true　service　of　God　

are　obscured　when　men　hear　that　only　monks　are　in　a　state　of　

perfection。　For　Christian　perfection　is　to　fear　God　from　the　

heart；　and　yet　to　conceive　great　faith；　and　to　trust　that　for　

Christ's　sake　we　have　a　God　who　has　been　reconciled；　to　ask　of　

God；　and　assuredly　to　expect　His　aid　in　all　things　that；　

according　to　our　calling；　are　to　be　done；　and　meanwhile；　to　be　

diligent　in　outward　good　works；　and　to　serve　our　calling。　In　

these　things　consist　the　true　perfection　and　the　true　service　

of　God。　It　does　not　consist　in　celibacy；　or　in　begging；　or　in　

vile　apparel。　But　the　people　conceive　many　pernicious　opinions　

from　the　false　commendations　of　monastic　life。　They　hear　

celibacy　praised　above　measure；　therefore　they　lead　their　

married　life　with　offense　to　their　consciences。　They　hear　that　

only　beggars　are　perfect；　therefore　they　keep　their　

possessions　and　do　business　with　offense　to　their　consciences。　

They　hear　that　it　is　an　evangelical　counsel　not　to　seek　

revenge；　therefore　some　in　private　life　are　not　afraid　to　take　

revenge；　for　they　hear　that　it　is　but　a　counsel；　and　not　a　

commandment。　Others　judge　that　the　Christian　cannot　properly　

hold　a　civil　office　or　be　a　magistrate。　　



There　are　on　record　examples　of　men　who；　forsaking　marriage　

and　the　administration　of　the　Commonwealth；　have　hid　

themselves　in　monasteries。　This　they　called　fleeing　from　the　

world；　and　seeking　a　kind　of　life　which　would　be　more　pleasing　

to　God。　Neither　did　they　see　that　God　ought　to　be　served　in　

those　commandments　which　He　Himself　has　given　and　not　in　

commandments　devised　by　men。　A　good　and　perfect　kind　of　life　

is　that　which　has　for　it　the　commandment　of　God。　It　is　

necessary　to　admonish　men　of　these　things。　　



And　before　these　times；　Gerson　rebukes　this　error　of　the　monks　

concerning　perfection；　and　testifies　that　in　his　day　it　was　a　

new　saying　that　the　monastic　life　is　a　state　of　perfection。　　



So　many　wicked　opinions　are　inherent　in　the　vows；　namely；　that　

they　justify；　that　they　constitute　Christian　perfection；　that　

they　keep　the　counsels　and　commandments；　that　they　have　works　

of　supererogation。　All　these　things；　since　they　are　false　and　

empty；　make　vows　null　and　void。　　





Article　XXVIII：　Of　Ecclesiastical　Power。　



There　has　been　great　controversy　concerning　the　Power　of　

Bishops；　in　which　some　have　awkwardly　confounded　the　power　of　

the　Church　and　the　power　of　the　sword。　And　from　this　confusion　

very　great　wars　and　tumults　have　resulted；　while　the　Pontiffs；　

emboldened　by　the　power　of　the　Keys；　not　only　have　instituted　

new　services　and　burdened　consciences　with　reservation　of　

cases　and　ruthless　excommunications；　but　have　also　undertaken　

to　transfer　the　kingdoms　of　this　world；　and　to　take　the　Empire　

from　the　Emperor。　These　wrongs　have　long　since　been　rebuked　in　

the　Church　by　learned　and　godly　men。　Therefore　our　teachers；　

for　the　comforting　of　men's　consciences；　were　constrained　to　

show　the　difference　between　the　power　of　the　Church　and　the　

power　of　the　sword；　and　taught　that　both　of　them；　because　of　

God's　commandment；　are　to　be　held　in　reverence　and　honor；　as　

the　chief　blessings　of　God　on　earth。　　



But　this　is　their　opinion；　that　the　power　of　the　Keys；　or　the　

power　of　the　bishops；　according　to　the　Gospel；　is　a　power　or　

commandment　of　God；　to　preach　the　Gospel；　to　remit　and　retain　

sins；　and　to　administer　Sacraments。　For　with　this　commandment　

Christ　sends　forth　His　Apostles；　John　20；　21　sqq。：　As　My　

Father　hath　sent　Me；　even　so　send　I　you。　Receive　ye　the　Holy　

Ghost。　Whosesoever　sins　ye　remit；　they　are　remitted　unto　them；　

and　whosesoever　sins　ye　retain；　they　are　retained。　Mark　16；　

15：　Go　preach　the　Gospel　to　every　creature。　　



This　power　is　exercised　only　by　teaching　or　preaching　the　

Gospel　and　administering　the　Sacraments；　according　to　their　

calling　either　to　many　or　to　individuals。　For　thereby　are　

granted；　not　bodily；　but　eternal　things；　as　eternal　

righteousness；　the　Holy　Ghost；　eternal　life。　These　things　

cannot　come　but　by　the　ministry　of　the　Word　and　the　

Sacraments；　as　Paul　says；　Rom。　1；　16：　The　Gospel　is　the　power　

of　God　unto　salvation　to　every　one　that　believeth。　Therefore；　

since　the　power　of　the　Church　grants　eternal　things；　and　is　

exercised　only　by　the　ministry　of　the　Word；　it　does　not　

interfere　with　civil　government；　no　more　than　the　art　of　

singing　interferes　with　civil　government。　For　civil　government　

deals　with　other　things　than　does　the　Gospel。　The　civil　rulers　

defend　not　minds；　but　bodies　and　bodily　things　against　

manifest　injuries；　and　restrain　men　with　the　sword　and　bodily　

punishments　in　order　to　preserve　civil　justice　and　peace。　　



Therefore　the　power　of　the　Church　and　the　civil　power　must　not　

be　confounded。　The　power　of　the　Church　has　its　own　commission　

to　teach　the　Gospel　and　to　administer　the　Sacraments。　Let　it　

not