Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: (Art. III) De Dilectione et Impletione Legis (xli)

Quarto. Tota ecclesia confitetur, quod[1] vita aeterna per misericordiam contingat. Sic enim inquit Augustinus de gratia et libero arbitrio, quum quidem loquitur de operibus sanctorum post iustificationem factis:[2] Non meritis nostris[3] Deus nos ad aeternam vitam, sed pro sua miseratione perducit. Et lib. 9 Confess.: Vae hominum vitae quantumcunque laudabili, si remota[4] misericordia iudicetur! Et Cyprianus in enarratione orationis dominicae: Ne[5] quis sibi quasi innocens placeat et se extollendo[6] plus pereat, instruitur et docetur[7] peccare quotidie, dum quotidie pro peccatis iubetur orare.

Sed res nota est et habet plurima et clarissima testimonia in Scriptura et ecclesiasticis patribus, qui uno ore omnes praedicant nos etiamsi habeamus bona opera, tamen in illis bonis operibus misericordia indigere. Hanc misericordiam intuens[8] fides erigit et consolatur nos. Quare adversarii male docent, quum ita efferunt merita, ut[9] nihil addant de hac fide apprehendente[10] misericordiam. Sicut enim supra diximus[11] promissionem et fidem correlativa esse, nec apprehendi promissionem nisi fide, ita hic, dicimus[12] promissam misericordiam correlative requirere fidem, nec posse apprehendi nisi fide.

Iure igitur reprehendimus doctrinam de merito condigni, quum nihil de fide iustificante[13] tradat et obscuret gloriam et officium mediatoris Christi. Neque nos quidquam hac in re novi docere existimandi sumus,[14] quum patres in ecclesia hanc sententiam tam clare tradiderint, quod[15] misericordia indigeamus etiam in bonis operibus.

Et Scriptura idem saepe inculcat. In Psalmo 143, 2: Non intres[16] in iudicium cum servo tuo, quia non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens.[17] Hic simpliciter detrahit omnibus etiam sanctis et servis Dei gloriam iustitiae, si non ignoscat Deus, sed iudicet et arguat corda eorum. Nam quod alibi gloriatur David de sua iustitia, loquitur de causa sua adversus persecutores Verbi Dei, non loquitur de personali munditie, et rogat[18] causam et gloriam Dei defendi, ut Psalmo 7, 9: Iudica me, Domine, secundum iustitiam meam et secundum innocentiam meam super me.[19] Rursus Psalmo 130, 3 ait[20] neminem posse sustinere iudicium Dei, si observet peccata nostra: Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine, Domine, quis sustinebit? Et Iob. 9, 28: Verebar omnia opera mea.

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[1] A quod substantive clause

[2] A perfect passive participle

[3] An ablative of cause: because of our merits

[4] A perfect passive participle modifying the implied subject of iudicetur: vita

[5] Introduces a negative purpose clause

[6] A gerund in the ablative singular

[7] The implied subjects of these verbs is aliquis, and they introduce an indirect statement

[8] A present active participle

[9] Introduces a result clause

[10] A present active participle

[11] Introduces two indirect statements

[12] Introduces two indirect statements

[13] A present active participle

[14] The passive periphrastic

[15] A quod substantive clause

[16] The optative subjunctive: May you not…

[17] A present active participle

[18] Introduces an indirect statement

[19] Upon me

[20] Introduces an indirect statement

Vocabulary
Correlativus, a, um- correlative; corresponding	Os, oris, n.- mouth, speech
Enarratio, enarrationis, f.- recounting; exposition	Perduco, ere, perduxi, perductus- to lead, guide; conduct
Extollo, ere- to extol; raise	Persecutor, persecutoris, m.- persecutor; prosecutor, plaintiff
Iniquitas, iniquitatis, f.-iniquity, sin, injustice	Quantumcunque (adv.)- however much; as much as
Instruo, ere, instruxi, instructus- to instruct, teach; construct; prepare	Quotidie (adv.)- daily, each day
Laudabilis, e- praiseworthy	Removeo, ere, removi, remotus- to remove
Miseratio, miserationis, f.- pity, compassion	Vae (interj.)- Woe!

Fourth. The whole church confesses that eternal life is attained through mercy. Augustine says this concerning grace and free will when indeed he speaks about the works of the saints which are done after justification: “God does not lead us to eternal life on account of our merits but for His compassion.” And in Book 9 of the Confessions, he writes, “Woe to the life of men however praiseworthy it is if it is judged to be removed from mercy!” And Cyprian in his exposition of the Lord’s prayer says, So that no one is pleased as if he were innocent and destroys himself with his boasting, he is instructed and taught that he sins daily while he is ordered to pray daily for his sins. 

But the matter is known and has very many and very clear testimonies in the Scripture and the church fathers who with one mouth declare that we, even if we have good works, nevertheless we need mercy in those good works. Considering this mercy, faith raises and consoles us. For this reason the adversaries teach wrongly when they raise merits in such a way that they add nothing about this faith which grasps mercy. For thusly we said above that the promise and faith are correlated and the promise is not grasped except by faith; thusly we say here that the promised mercy relatedly requires faith and is not able to be grasped except by faith.

Therefore, we rightly condemn the doctrine of merito condigni since it teaches nothing concerning the faith which justifies and it obscures the glory and office of the mediator Christ. And we must not be thought to teach anything new in this matter since the fathers in the church taught this teaching so clearly that we need mercy even in our good works.

And Scripture often impresses the same thing. In Psalm 143:2, “May you not enter into judgment with your servant because no living thing will be justified in your sight.”Here it simply removes the glory of righteousness from everyone even the saints and servants of God if God does not pardon but judges and convicts their hearts. For because David elsewhere boasts concerning his righteousness, he speaks concerning his cause against the persecutors of the Law of god, and he is not speaking about his personal cleanness, and he asks to defend the cause and glory of God as he does in Psalm 7:9: “Judge me, Lord, according to my righteousness and according to my innocence upon me.” Again in Psalm 130:3 he says that no one is able to bear the judgment of God if He should observe our sins: “If you should observe our iniquities, Lord, Lord who will endure?” And in Job 9:28, “I was afraid of all my works.”

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