# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 07 22_S186
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

186

free to do and to live as they please. For the salvation and redemption of Christians he declared in a blasphemous manner to be, namely, a deliverance from that bondage by which men were bound to good deeds according to the commandment of God, and were not free to do what they would. This is a bitter and truly most thoroughly satanic mockery, by which he sought to deride and scoff at the doctrine of the Apostles concerning the righteousness of faith, freely, by grace, and concerning Christian liberty, and to make it suspected and hateful to pious hearts. Earnestly and from the heart we also shudder at the blasphemy of Basilides, who pretended that we are saved by sheer grace through faith in such a way that all possible actions are now altogether alike, and that the same, without any distinction, together with all lust, might be indulged and committed. We also reject and condemn the doctrine of the Gnostics, who said that they are saved by mere knowledge; and that because of the excellence of faith they become so spiritual that they cannot fall from grace, whatever they may commit. We also testify our great displeasure at the saying of Aetius and Eunomius, which Augustine cites: These are said to have been such enemies of good morals that they asserted: no one could be harmed in the least, either by the commission of any sin or by continuing in it, if only he held to the faith which they taught.

These things I have cited here for the purpose that upright, honest men, wherever they may be, might see that our churches are reviled in a wholly unjust manner by such slanders, as if we rejected the other benefit of the Son of God, namely the renewal of the Spirit, and shut out utterly from our churches the doctrine of repentance and of the new obedience, of love and of good works. It was also necessary to premise this declaration, in order that the real point on which this controversy turns and is conducted, and which is so craftily and with so great diligence covered and hidden by the Tridentines, might be clearly and plainly indicated and set forth. For by no means is this the question; whether believers, after they have received forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ, are also renewed in the spirit of their mind? nor is this the question: whether renewal also belongs to the benefits of Christ? nor is it disputed whether in a man there must be repentance and contrition, and a good purpose, and whether love must be begun and good works follow? For all this we confess and teach quite clearly and plainly, and also diligently urge it in our churches. Since now these things stand thus, let the reader consider and reflect within himself what a wretched, unworthy, shameful trick and artifice it is, in so serious a matter, in so important a doctrinal controversy, to play with sophistical, yea, juggling arts, evasions, perversions and subterfuges, and to obscure and conceal the true state of the question and of the controversy.

Testimonies from Luther's writings, gathered by M. Martin Statius, evangelical preacher at St. John's in Danzig, in his Lutherus redivivus, (Luther risen again from the dead); which clearly and manifestly prove that the reproaches and accusations of the Papists against Luther and his doctrine and that of his fellow believers are nothing else than shameless, malicious revilings and slanders.

1. Testimony. Showing, if faith makes righteous before God, where then the works remain?

We have a clear and definite manner of speaking of grace and of the forgiveness of sin; because we distinguish works and faith purely and rightly, and assign to each its own nature and its office, whereby one is put in a position to judge and decide with certainty concerning all other parts and doctrines. But if this right distinction is not kept clear, then something of the works, which are to help faith, always remains mixed in. This one sees in the Papists, among whom the very best have taught, and still teach, that works or love give faith strength and form; as they say: faith is formed, and love is the form of faith; and they cite very gloriously the saying of St. Paul, Gal. 5: In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love; they understand by this that faith obtains grace and salvation not before works, but through works; although St. Paul here does not speak of what faith is or does in its own work, (which he has taught plainly and abundantly before throughout the whole Epistle), nor of what love is or does; but sums up quite briefly what a wholly Christian life should be, namely, faith and love: faith toward God, which lays hold of Christ and receives forgiveness of sin without any works; then love toward the neighbor, which, as the fruit of faith, proves that the faith is right, and not idle or false, but active and living. Therefore he does not say that love is active, but that faith is active; that faith exercises love and makes it active, and not love faith, as the Papists pervert it, ascribing thus everything to love and nothing to faith; whereas St. Paul ascribes everything to faith; as that which not only receives grace from God, but is also active toward the neighbor, and brings forth and works love or works. Now all doctrines, too, which point us to works are against Baptism; in which we are to receive grace without works and keep it forever, as St. Paul everywhere mightily urges this doctrine.

2. Testimony. Not faith alone, but works also are required of true Christians; that this doctrine is not papistical, and what the difference is between Luther's doctrine and that of the Papists.

We show how one comes to be pious before God; they, the Papists, however, how to be so only before men; where they do it ever so well; although they would exalt the same (piety) as if it were to count before God; they brew it all into one porridge, as people who have nothing of what they say or set forth, known or experienced. For what is it that thou criest much: he who would get to heaven must keep the commandments, etc. By this thou wilt not bring it to pass. For look at thyself, and search in thy bosom, and thou wilt find that thou wast born in sins and hast lived in them; and that thou art not able to give what the law requires; why then dost thou open the mouth of the people and speakest with such words: thou shalt be pious, so wilt thou be saved, from which nothing follows, and whereby thou showest no one how he is to come to it. The words I hear well enough, what the law requires: but how do I bring it about that it so goes? Thou pointest me again to myself, and sayest: Thou must do good works. But how do I stand before God? even if I have done good works and have been pious before men, as thou teachest me; and how does it come about that I am sure that God also holds me for such? For there is my own heart and conscience against me, and says No to it. But thou shouldst teach me, as St. Paul does in 1 Timoth. 1. and everywhere: that piety must proceed from sheer, unfalsified faith; that one must above all things obtain the mercy-seat, and have and add there what we lack; only then is the saying: "Keep the commandments," rightly understood; for this is what the law wills, that thou be wholly pious, both before God and before men. When thou hast that, then go forth among the people, and exercise love, and do good works; so alone does one come rightly to the matter, and fulfil all such sayings; for in this way man gives and does what the law requires: first, before God; yet not through himself, but through Christ, without whom we can do nothing before God; then also through himself before men. Such a one is now wholly pious; inwardly through faith, or Christ; then outwardly through his doing; yet so, that forgiveness of sin also is joined therewith; in the manner,