Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: Praefatio Ad Apologia Confessionis Augustanae (iv)

Posted: August 25, 2023 | Author: lexsemperaccusat | Filed under: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin Translation | Tags: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin, Lutheranism, Translation | Leave a comment

Semper hic meus mos fuit in his controversiis, ut[1], quantum omnino facere possem, retinerem formam usitatae doctrinae, ut[2] facilius aliquando coire[3] concordia posset. Neque multo secus nunc facio, etsi recte possem longius abducere huius aetatis homines ab adversariorum opinionibus.

Sed adversarii sic agunt causam, ut[4] ostendant se[5] neque veritatem neque concordiam quaerere, sed ut[6] sanguinem nostrum exsorbeant.

Et nunc scripsi, quam moderatissime[7] potui; ac si quid[8] videtur dictum[9] asperius, hic mihi praefandum est[10], me[11] cum theologis ac monachis, qui scripserunt confutationem, litigare, non cum Caesare aut Principibus, quos, ut debeo, veneror. Sed vidi nuper confutationem[12] et animadverti adeo insidiose, et calumniose scriptam esse, ut fallere; etiam cautos in certis locis posset.[13]

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[1] A result clause

[2] A purpose clause

[3] Take an implied nos as a direct object: to unite us

[4] A purpose clause

[5] Se…quaerere:

[6] A purpose clause

[7] Quam+ superlative to indicate the greatest degree possible: As moderately as I am able

[8] Quid=aliquid

[9] Dictum (esse) to form an indirect statement

[10] The passive periphrastic with a dative of agency: I must say this

[11] Me…principibus; an indirect statement

[12] Confutationem…esse: An indirect statement with animadverti and scriptam esse as compound main verbs

[13] Has an impersonal subject: it is possible…

This was always my custom in these controversies: that as much as I was able to do entirely, I retained the form of the usual doctrine so that some time more easily harmony was able to unite us. And I am not doing much differently now although I am far more rightly able to draw away more men of this age from the opinions of the adversaries.

But the adversaries express their cause in such a way so that they show themselves to seek neither the truth nor harmony but so that they can drain our blood.

I also wrote as moderately as I was able; and if anything seems to have been said too harshly, I must say this that I quarrel with the theologians and monks who wrote the confutation, not with the Emperor or the princes whom, as I ought, I honor. But I saw recently that the confutation both to be judged so deceitfully and to have been written under false pretenses as to deceive; it is possible even for the cautious in certain locations.

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Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: Praefatio Ad Apologia Confessionis Augustanae (iii)

Posted: August 11, 2023 | Author: lexsemperaccusat | Filed under: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin Translation | Tags: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin, Lutheranism, Translation | Leave a comment

Postea editum est decretum quoddam, in quo gloriantur adversarii, quod[1] nostram confessionem ex Scripturis confutaverint.

Habes igitur, lector, nunc apologiam nostram, ex qua intelliges, et quid adversarii iudicaverint (retulimus enim bona fide[2]), et quod[3] articulos aliquot contra manifestam Scripturam Spiritus Sancti damnaverint, tantum abest, ut[4] nostras sententias per Scripturas labefactaverint.

Quamquam autem initio apologiam instituimus communicato[5] cum aliis consilio, tamen ego inter excudendum[6] quaedam[7] adieci. Quare meum nomen profiteor, ne quis[8] queri possit sine[9] certo auctore librum editum esse.

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[1] A quod substantive clause: that they refuted

[2] An ablative of manner

[3] A quod substantive clause: that they condemned

[4] Tantum abest ut: a substantive clause of result: it is so far (from being the case)

[5] A perfect passive participle modifying consilio

[6] A gerund in the accusative as the object of the preposition inter: between printings

[7] A neuter substantive: certain things

[8] A negative purpose clause: quis=aliquis

[9] Sine…esse: an indirect statement introduced by queri

Afterwards a certain decree was published in which the adversaries boasted that they refuted our confession from the Scriptures.

Therefore, you have, reader, now our apology from which you will understand both what the adversaries determined (for we have recalled their arguments in good faith) and that they condemned several articles against the clear Scripture of the Holy Spirit,so much was lacking that it is so far from undermining our arguments through the Scriptures.

However, although in the beginning we established our apology with a plan communicated to others, nevertheless, I between printings added certain things. Therefore, I offer my name lest anyone be able to complain that the writing was edited without sure authority.

Check out my published works: https://lexsemperaccusat.wordpress.com/2022/09/29/published-books/

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Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: Praefatio Ad Apologia Confessionis Augustanae (ii)

Posted: August 10, 2023 | Author: lexsemperaccusat | Filed under: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin Translation | Tags: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin, Lutheranism, Translation | Leave a comment

Instituta est autem deinde pacificatio, in qua apparuit, nostros[1] nullum onus quamlibet incommodum detrectare, quod sine offensione conscientiae suscipi posset. Sed adversarii obstinate hoc postulabant, ut[2] quosdam manifestos abusus atque errores approbaremus; quod quum non possemus facere, iterum postulavit Caesarea Maiestas, ut[3] Principes nostri assentirentur confutationi. Id facere Principes nostri recusaverunt. Quomodo enim assentirentur in causa religionis scripto non inspecto? Et audierant[4] articulos quosdam damnatos esse, in quibus non poterant iudicia adversariorum sine scelere comprobare.

Iusserant autem me et alios quosdam parare apologiam confessionis, in qua exponerentur Caesareae Maiestati causae, quare[5] non reciperemus confutationem, et ea, quae obiecerant adversarii, diluerentur. Quidam enim ex nostris inter praelegendum capita locorum et argumentorum exceperant. Hanc apologiam obtulerunt ad extremum Caesareae Maiestati, ut[6] cognosceret nos maximis et gravissimis causis impediri, quominus confutationem approbaremus. Verum Caesarea Maiestas non recepit oblatum[7] scriptum.

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[1] Nostros…detrectare: an indirect statement

[2] Ut…approbaremus: an indirect command

[3] Ut…confutationi: an indirect command

[4] Audierant=audiverant

[5] Quare…diluerentur: an indirect question

[6] Ut…impediri: a purpose clause

[7] A perfect passive participle

Moreover, a reconciliation, in which it appears that our princes are refusing no burden however so much harmful which they are able to accept it without offense to conscience, has not been adopted,  But the adversaries obstinately demand this: that we approve certain clear abuses and errors, because when we were not able to do this, again hisImperial Majesty demanded that our princes assent to the confutation. Our princes refused to do this. For how would they assent in a matter of religion with a work which had not been examined? They also heard that certain articles had been condemned in which they were not able to accept the judgments of the adversaries without wickedness.

However, they had ordered me and certain others to prepare a defense of the confession in which our causes were set forth to his Imperial Majesty: in what way we would not accept the confutation, and those things, which the adversaries had objected to, would be explained. For certain people from us among our choosing had removed the titles of topics and arguments. They offered this apology at the end to his Imperial Majesty so that he would be aware that we were hindered by very great and serious reasons so that we would not approve the confutation. But his Imperial Majesty did not accept our offered writing.

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Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (Part I)

Posted: August 9, 2023 | Author: lexsemperaccusat | Filed under: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin Translation | Tags: Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Latin, Lutheranism, Translation | Leave a comment

Praefatio Ad Apologia Confessionis Augustanae (i)

Philippus Melanchthon Lectori S. D.

Postquam confessio Principum nostrorum publice praelecta est, theologi quidam ac monachi adornaverunt confutationem nostri scripti, quam[1] quum[2] Caesarea Maiestas curasset etiam in consessu Principum praelegi, postulavit a nostris Principibus, ut[3] illi confutationi assentirentur.

Nostri autem, quia audierant[4] multos articulos improbatos esse, quos abiicere sine offensione conscientiae non poterant, rogaverunt sibi exhiberi exemplum confutationis, ut[5] et videre, quid[6] damnarent adversarii, et rationes eorum refellere possent. Et in tali causa, quae ad religionem et ad docendas[7] conscientias pertinet, arbitrabantur fore[8], ut[9] non gravatim exhiberent suum scriptum adversarii. Sed non potuerunt id impetrare nostri nisi periculosissimis conditionibus, quas recipere non poterant.

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[1] A relative pronoun modifying confutationem

[2] Quum…praelegi: a cum temporal clause

[3] Ut…assentirentur: an indirect command introduced by postulavit

[4] A syncopated form of audiverant which introduces the indirect statement multos…esse

[5] A purpose clause

[6] An indirect question

[7] A gerundive modifying ad conscientias: to teaching consciences

[8] A succinct indirect statement introduced by arbitrantur: that it would be so

[9] A result clause

Philip Melancthon greets the reader.

After the confession of our princes was read publicly, certain theologians and monks prepared a refutation of our writing which when his Imperial Majesty arranged also to be read in the assembly of the princes, he demanded from our princes that they  agree with the refutation.

Our princes, however, because they had heard that many of our articles were condemned, which were not able to be abandoned without offense to conscience, asked that a copy of the refutation be presented to them so that they might both see what the adversaries condemned and be able to refute the reasoning of the adversaries. And in so great a cause, which pertains to religion and to the teaching of consciences, they believed it would be so that the adversaries would not begrudgingly display their writing. But our princes were not able to obtain it except with very dangerous conditions which they were not able to accept.

Check out published works which includes Latin Readers and Vocabulary books for the Small Catechism and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: https://lexsemperaccusat.wordpress.com/2022/09/29/published-books/

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