# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1851 08 19_S203
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

203

acquit or absolve, but to adorn the heart with the quality of an indwelling righteousness. And with this battering-ram and wall-breaker he thinks to storm and cast to the ground the whole doctrine of the imputation of righteousness. We must therefore see with what sort of examples, and how surely and firmly, he proves this. In the first line of battle he sets a testimony from Sirach 1, 18.: The fear of God or piety makes the heart righteous (pietas justificat cor), and in the old Latin Bible (vulgata) this translation is indeed found; but Sirach in his own language (the Greek) has not this expression there. But let the reader observe here this, of which we have also spoken before, namely: why the Tridentine Synod resolved and commanded that the old Latin translation of the Bible, called the Vulgate, should be held altogether and throughout for an authentic one. For what Sirach has not written, but which has crept into the context from elsewhere, that Andradius cites as authentic, (as of equal validity and authority with the original text) in order to undermine and overthrow the righteousness of faith. But he passes over what Sirach himself wrote in that same first chapter: Unrighteous wrath cannot be justified, that is, cannot be acquitted of guilt. — It is to be wondered at that he has not also cited this, that in the Vulgate Ps. 73, 13. stands: Then have I cleansed my heart in vain (justificavi), where in the Hebrew, however, a quite different word stands. — But from the apocryphal book of Sirach he adduces yet another passage of equal worth and force of proof: From the Revelation of John he adduces in confirmation of his assertion the words from Cap. 22, 11.: He that is holy, let him be holy still; according to the Vulgate: Qui justus est, justificetur adhuc etc. But the answer to this is easy: Andradius is indeed contending for the opinion according to which justification and sanctification are to be one and the same; and this opinion he would confirm from that saying of John: but precisely here John distinguishes, as also Paul in 1 Cor. 6, expressly, justification from sanctification. The reader sees, then, what sort of proofs those of Andradius are. For it is by no means against us that it is here said: He that is holy, let him be holy still, literally: he that makes righteous or is justified, let him be justified still, since the forgiveness of sins is something perfect and whole, nothing divided or patched; for in the flesh of the justified there dwells also sin, which often takes them captive, so that they still stumble in many ways. Just as those, therefore, to whom their sins are forgiven nevertheless pray daily: Forgive us our debts: so also he who is righteous is still justified. For continually in this life the apostolic message goes forth: Be ye reconciled to God. With these testimonies, then, Andradius has by no means yet proved that meaning of the word to justify, which as the advocate of the Tridentine Council he has undertaken to defend against the doctrines of our churches, as every reader can judge for himself. For that he forces and twists, with violence, the saying in Isaiah: by his knowledge shall he justify many, is a great impudence: for there the explanation is at once added how that justification is to be understood, "for he shall bear their iniquities": as Luke 1, Zacharias in his song of praise: to give knowledge of salvation, which is in the remission of sins. Everything, therefore, stands fast that I have said against the Jesuits concerning the proper and true meaning of the word to justify in the article of justification. But I repeat here what was said above: that the question here is not whether renewal belongs among the benefits of Christ; whether a man, when he is reconciled with God, is also at the same time renewed by the Holy Ghost; whether new obedience must follow; for all this we teach clearly and plainly: but this is the question: how and whereby we are justified, so that we are received and taken up by God into grace and unto eternal life. These points must be repeated again and again, that they may not be able to twist this controversy and debate upon us, as if we denied renewal itself in its place and in its order.

Further Considerations upon This.

Here, namely, justification is dealt with as it is taken in the judicial sense according to the Holy Scripture: where God, as the Judge, to a man accused on account of his sins (who, however, with a penitent and believing heart takes refuge in Christ, the mercy-seat,) — imputes the righteousness of His Son, and for its sake does not impute his sins, but fully absolves him in His judgment from all sins and acquits him. In this, however, we regard not only the act of justification in the divine court, what takes place in the judgment of God; but also what goes on in the heart and conscience; since God justifies or makes righteous no one in His judgment, and much less assures him in his conscience of the justification obtained and of the forgiveness of sins, unless He has first wrought repentance and faith in him, even if at first it were only in small measure. And here the following chief points are to be noted, which occur in justification, and are experienced in the heart of a penitent sinner, though in different measure: First, the Holy Ghost convicts the man, through His office of reproof by means of the Word of God, of his many sins and transgressions, and shows him that between him and other, even gross sinners, there is by nature no difference at all, but that he also is in sins, and lacks the glory which he should have before God, the divine glory, the righteousness created in Adam, or the image of God. Therefore it is said in the words referred to: there is no difference; they are all sinners, and come short of the glory which they should have before God. Concerning this Luther says in the marginal gloss: "Mark this, that he says: 'they are all sinners,' this is the chief part and central point of this Epistle and of the whole Scripture, namely, that all is sin which is not redeemed by the blood of Christ and made righteous in faith. Therefore take this text well to heart; for here lies prostrate the work, merit and glory of all, as he himself says here, and there remains only pure God's grace and honor." The man, now, who is justified, is first to be regarded as an accused person: for otherwise, if he were not accused, he would not need to be justified or absolved. He is a sinner and transgressor of all the commandments of God; and precisely on account of such sin and transgression of his he is set before God's judgment-seat in his conscience and accused. The Judge is God Himself, against whom he has just sinned, and who has power to condemn him or to acquit him. This our God and Judge, however, is in this judgment to be regarded indeed as a righteous, but no longer as an angry judge toward us; but as one who is already reconciled with us through Christ, and has nothing but thoughts of peace over us; as full satisfaction has already been made to Him through Christ for all our guilt, and everything has been paid. Thus it is no court of wrath, but a court of grace, before which we are summoned; which, namely, has in view no punishing, rejecting and condemning, but only forgiving, absolving, and pardoning. Wherefore we have no cause at all to fear the process of justification, but may be glad when the Lord rightly awakens us in our conscience and leads us in. Through Christ, our Advocate, we shall well win the case before so gracious and already reconciled a Judge. Yet in this holy judgment everything must proceed rightly according to sentence and law; since God makes righteous not every man, but only one who is truly penitent and believing. For justification gives to no secure sinner a letter of license to go on sinning unpunished. The righteousness obtained in justification is not such a garment as covers, in an impenitent man, all his persistent and wilful sins, as the world supposes; but only a poor, mourning sinner, hungering for grace, is clothed with it, who puts off both the defiled coat of the flesh and his own righteousness, and, as he is justified, so also at the same time becomes born again and another man. Upon the old, fleshly, unbroken, stony heart the oil and the balm of the divine comfort of the forgiveness of sins and