Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: (Art. IV) De Ecclesia (ix)

Check out the ninth part of Translating the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: On the Church. As always you’ll find the Latin text with notes, a listing of the Latin words which have not appeared in the previous sections, and an English translation.

Damnant adversarii et hanc partem septimi articuli, quod diximus[1] ad veram unitatem ecclesiae satis esse, consentire de doctrina evangelii et administratione sacramentorum, nec necesse esse,[2] ubique similes traditiones humanas esse seu ritus aut ceremonias ab hominibus institutas.[3] Hic distinguunt universales et particulares ritus et probant articulum nostrum, si intelligatur de particularibus ritibus; de universalibus ritibus non recipiunt. Non satis intelligimus, quid[4] velint adversarii. Nos de vera, hoc est, spirituali unitate loquimur, sine qua non potest existere fides in corde seu iustitia cordis coram Deo. Ad hanc, dicimus,[5] non esse necessariam similitudinem rituum humanorum sive universalium sive particularium, quia iustitia fidei non est iustitia alligata[6] certis traditionibus, sicut iustitia legis erat alligata Mosaicis ceremoniis, quia illa iustitia cordis est res vivificans[7] corda. Ad hanc vivificationem nihil conducunt humanae traditiones sive universales, sive particulares, nec sunt effectus Spiritus Sancti, sicut castitas, patientia, timor Dei, dilectio proximi et opera dilectionis.

Nec leves causae fuerunt, cur hunc articulum poneremus. Constat[8] enim multas stultas opiniones de traditionibus serpsisse in ecclesiam. Nonnulli putaverunt[9] humanas traditiones necessarios cultus esse ad promerendam iustificationem.[10] Et postea disputaverunt, qui[11] fieret, quod[12] tanta varietate coleretur Deus, quasi vero observationes illae essent cultus, et non potius externae et politicae ordinationes, nihil ad iustitiam cordis seu cultum Dei pertinentes,[13] quae alibi casu, alibi propter quasdam probabiles rationes variant. Item aliae ecclesiae alias propter tales traditiones excommunicaverunt, ut propter observationem Paschatis, picturas et res similes. Unde imperiti existimaverunt[14] fidem seu iustitiam cordis coram Deo non posse existere sine his observationibus. Exstant enim de hoc negotio multa inepta scripta Summistarum et aliorum.

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[1] Introduces an indirect statement

[2] Introduces an indirect statement

[3] A perfect passive participle

[4] Introduces an indirect question

[5] Introduces an indirect statement

[6] A perfect passive participle

[7] A present active participle

[8] Introduces an indirect statement

[9] Introduces an indirect statement

[10] Ad with the gerundive to reflect purpose

[11] How

[12] A quod substantive clause

[13] A present active participle

[14] Introduces an indirect statement

Vocabulary
Alligo, are, avi, atus- to implicate, involve in; hinder, impede, detain	Probabilis, e- commendable; justifiable; plausible
Conducō, ere, condūxī, conductus- to be expedient; be proper, fitting; to undertake	Serpo, ere, serpsi, serptus- to creep in
Particularis, e- particular	Varietas, varietatis, f.- variety, difference
Pictura, ae, f.- painting, picture	Variō, āre, āvī, ātus- to change; vary

The adversaries condemn also this part of the seventh article because we said that it was enough for the true unity of the church to agree concerning the doctrine of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments, not that it was necessary that everywhere there are similar human traditions or rites or ceremonies instituted by men. Here they distinguish universal from particular rites, and they approve our article if concerning particular rites it is understood; they do not receive it in regard to universal rites. We do not understand enough what the adversaries want. We are speaking about true, that is, spiritual unity without which faith in the heart or the righteousness of the heart toward God cannot exist. To this we say that a similarity of human rights, either universal or particular, is not necessary because the righteousness of faith is not the righteousness implicated in certain traditions, just as the righteousness of the law was implicated in the Mosaic ceremonies because that righteousness of the heart is a thing which makes hearts alive. To this vivification human traditions, neither universal nor particular, offer nothing, and they are not effects of the Holy Spirit, such as chastity, patience, the fear of God, love of neighbor and works of love.

And the reasons why we put forward this article were not trivial. For it is agreed that many foolish opinions about traditions have crept back into the church. Some think that human traditions are necessary forms of worship for meriting justification. And afterwards they disputed how it happened that God was worshiped in such different ways, as if truly those observations were worship and not rather external and political orders which do not pertain to the righteousness of the heart or the worship of God and which vary in one place by chance and another place on account of certain justifiable reasons. Likewise some churches excommunicated on account of such great traditions, as on account of the observation of Easter, icons and other similar things. Whence the unlearned thought that faith or righteousness of the heart before God could not exist without these observations. For many unskilled writings of the Summists and exist on this matter.

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