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

Adversarii nostri non solum hoc tribuunt operibus, quod[1] sint digna gratia et vita aeterna, sed fingunt etiam, quod[2] merita supersint sibi, quae donare aliis et iustificare alios queant, ut quum monachi suorum ordinum merita vendunt aliis. Haec portenta Chrysippeo more coacervant, hac una voce mercedis audita:[3] Merces appellatur, igitur habemus opera, quae sunt pretium, pro quo debetur merces; igitur opera per sese, non propter mediatorem Christum placent. Et quum alius alio[4] plura habeat merita, igitur quibusdam supersunt merita. Et haec merita donare aliis possunt isti, qui merentur.

Mane, lector, nondum habes totum huius soriten.[5] Addenda sunt[6] enim certa sacramenta huius donationis, mortuis induitur cucullus etc. Talibus coacervationibus beneficium Christi et iustitia fidei obscurata sunt.

Non movemus inanem λογομαχίαν[7] de vocabulo mercedis. Si concedent adversarii, quod[8] fide propter Christum iusti reputemur, et quod[9] bona opera propter fidem placeant Deo, de nomine mercedis postea non valde rixabimur. Nos fatemur[10] vitam aeternam mercedem esse, quia est res debita propter promissionem, non propter nostra merita. Est enim promissa iustificatio, quam supra ostendimus proprie esse donum Dei. Et huic dono coniuncta est promissio vitae aeternae, iuxta illud, Rom. 8, 30: Quos iustificavit, eosdem et glorificavit.

Huc pertinet, quod Paulus ait 2 Tim. 4, 8: Reposita est mihi corona iustitiae, quam reddet mihi Dominus iustus iudex etc. Debetur enim corona iustificatis[11] propter promissionem. Et hanc promissionem scire sanctos oportet, non ut[12] propter suum commodum laborent, debent enim laborare propter gloriam Dei; sed ne[13] desperent in afflictionibus, scire eos oportet voluntatem Dei, quod[14] velit eos adiuvare, eripere, servare. Etsi aliter perfecti, aliter infirmi audiunt mentionem poenarum et praemiorum;[15] nam infirmi laborant sui commodi causa.[16]

---

[1] A quod substantive clause

[2] A quod substantive clause

[3] An ablative absolute

[4] An ablative of comparison: than another

[5] A type of extended syllogism in which intermediate conclusions are ommitted

[6] The passive periphrastic

[7] Logomachia arguments or conflicts over terminology or words

[8] A quod substantive clause

[9] A quod substantive clause

[10] Introduces an indirect statement

[11] A perfect passive participle used substantially

[12] A negative purpose clause

[13] A negative purpose clause

[14] A quod substantive clause

[15] An elliptical construction in which aliter perfecti and aliter infirmi both depend upon audiunt mentionem poenarum et praemiorum: even if the perfect hear the mention of the punishments and rewards in one way and the weak hear it in another…

[16] An ablative of cause: for their own benefit

Vocabulary
Coacervatio, coacervationis, m.- heaping, pilling together; adding together	Repono, ere, reposui, repositus- to store up; restore; repeat; put pack
Coacervo, are, avi, atus- to heap up, pile up, gather together; amass, collect	Sorites, soritae, m.- sorite; an accumulation of arguments
Cucullus, i, m.- cowl, hood	Supersum, superesse, superfui, superfuturus- to be in excess, be superfluous; survive
Portentum, i, n.- portent, omen; monster	Vendō, ere, vendidī, venditus- to sell

Our adversaries not only attribute this to works: that they are worthy of grace and eternal life but they pretend also that merits are so great for them, which they are able to give to others and to justify others as when the monks of their orders sell merits to others. These portents they heap up in the fashion of Chrysippus when this one word reward is heard: It is called a reward; therefore, we have works, which are the price for which the reward is owed; therefore, works in and of themselves, not on account of the mediator Christ, are worthy. And since one has more merits than another, therefore, merits are superfluous for certain persons. And these merits are able to be donated to others by the one who is meritorious.

Wait, reader, you do not yet have the whole sorites of this. For certain sacraments of this gift must be added: the cowl is placed on the dead etc. With so many heaps the benefits of Christ and the righteousness of faith are obscured.

We are not stirring vain logomachia about the word reward. If the adversaries will concede that we are considered just through faith on account of Christ and that good works please God on account of faith, henceforth we will not quarrel very much about the word reward. We confess that eternal life is a reward, because it is a thing owed on account of the promise not on account of our merits. For it is the promised justification, which above we have shown is properly a gift of God. And the promise of eternal life is joined to this gift: concerning that Romans 3:30 says, “Those whom He has justified, the same ones He has also glorified.”

From this that which Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:8 pertains, “The crown of righteousness, which the Lord, a righteous judge, will restore to me, has been stored up for me.” For crowns are owed to the justified on account of the promise. And it is necessary that the saints know this promise, not so that they labor for their own benefit for they ought to labor on account of the glory of God; but so that they do not despair in afflictions, it is necessary for them to know the will of God: that He wants to help, raise and save them. Even if the perfect hear the mention of punishments and rewards one way and the weak hear it another way; for the weak labor for their own benefit. 

CAVE, EMPTOR, SELF PROMOTION: Check out my author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09F3PXYJY

Check out the Concordia Latin Reader series:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKL4MPXD?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_tkin

If you like this content, leave a review on Amazon and give my books five stars! 
And follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550921382723&mibextid=ZbWKwL

---