Translating the Augsburg Confession Part LXII (Article VII.vii)

VII. De Potestate Ecclesiastica. (vii.)

Relinquitur[1] igitur, quum ordinationes, institutae[2] tamquam necessariae aut cum opinione promerendae[3] gratiae, pugnent cum evangelio, quod[4] non liceat ullis episcopis tales cultus instituere aut exigere. Necesse est enim in ecclesiis retineri doctrinam de libertate Christiana, quod[5] non sit necessaria servitus legis ad iustificationem, sicut in Galatis, 5, 1, scriptum est: Nolite iterum iugo servitutis subiici. Necesse est retineri praecipuum evangelii locum, quod[6] gratiam per fidem in Christum gratis consequamur, non propter certas observationes aut propter cultus ab hominibus institutos.[7]

Quid igitur sentiendum est[8] de die Dominico et similibus ritibus templorum? Ad haec respondent, quod[9] liceat episcopis seu pastoribus facere ordinationes, ut[10] res ordine gerantur in ecclesia, non ut per illas mereamur gratiam, aut satisfaciamus pro peccatis, aut obligentur conscientiae, ut[11] iudicent esse[12] necessarios cultus, ac sentiant se[13] peccare, quum sine offensione aliorum violant. Sic Paulus 1 Cor. 11, 5. 6 ordinat, ut[14] in congregatione mulieres velent capita, 1 Cor. 14, 30, ut ordine audiantur in ecclesia interpretes etc.

Tales ordinationes convenit[15] ecclesias propter caritatem et tranquillitatem servare eatenus, ne[16] alius alium offendat, ut[17] ordine et sine tumultu omnia fiant in ecclesiis, 1 Cor. 14, 40; cf. Phil. 2, 14; verum ita, ne[18] conscientiae onerentur, ut[19] ducant res esse necessarias ad salutem, ac judicent se[20] peccare, quum violant eas sine aliorum offensione; sicut nemo dixerit peccare[21] mulierem, quae in publicum non velato[22] capite procedit sine offensione hominum.

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[1] Relinquitur: It remains

[2] Institutae: a perfect passive participle modifying ordinationes

[3] Promerendae: a gerundive

[4] Quod…exigere: a quod substantive clause introduced by relinquitur

[5] Quod…iustificationem: a quod substantive clause

[6] Quod…institutos: a quod substantive clause

[7] Institutos: a perfect passive participle modifying cultus

[8] Sentiendum est: a passive periphrastic: What, therefore, must be thought

[9] Quod…ordinations: a quod substantive clause

[10] Ut…conscientiae: four purpose clauses

[11] Ut…iudicent and sentiant: an indirect command

[12] Esse…cultus: an indirect command

[13] Se peccare: an indirect command

[14] Ut…etc.: indirect commands

[15] Convenit: It is appropriate; this introduces an indirect statement where ecclesias is the accusative subject and servare is the infinitive main verb

[16] Ne…offendat: a negative purpose clause

[17] Ut…ecclesiis: a purpose clause

[18] Ne… onerentur: a result clause

[19] Ut…iudicent: two purpose clauses

[20] Se peccare: an indirect statement

[21] Peccare mulierem: an indirect statement

[22] Velato: a perfect passive participle modifying capite

Therefore, it remains that when orders, instituted as necessary or with the belief of meriting grace, are in conflict with the gospel, no bishops are allowed to institute or value such worship. For it is necessary in the churches to retain the doctrine of Christian liberty that the slavery of the law is not necessary for justification as in Galatians 5, 1 it is written: Do not be placed under a yoke of slavery again. It is necessary to retain the special place of the gospel: that we acquire grace freely through faith in Christ, not on account of observances or on account of worship instituted by men.

Therefore, what must be thought about the Lord’s days and similar rites of the church? To these they respond that bishops or pastors are allowed to make orders in order to maintain order in the church not so that we merit grace through them or we make satisfaction for sins or so consciences are bound to declare publicly that they are necessary worship and think that they sin when they violate them without offense to others. In 1 Corinthians 11, 5. 6 Paul orders that in the church women cover their heads, and in 1 Corinthians 14, 30 he orders that interpreters are listened to in an orderly manner in the church, etc. 

It is appropriate that the churches preserve such customs on account of charity and tranquility so far lest anyone offend another so that everything happens in the churches in an ordered manner without confusion as it is written in 1 Corinthians 14, 40 and Philippians 2, 14. But in such a way that consciences are not burdened so that they think that things are necessary for salvation and judge that they sin, when they violate them without offense to others; thus no one has said that women sin, who proceed into public with an uncovered head without offense to people.

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