The Apology of the Augsburg Confession

by Philipp Melanchthon

CONTENTS Philip Melanchthon's Introduction to the Apology Part One: On Articles I-II of the Augustana Part Two: On Articles III-IV of the Augustana Part Three: What is Justifying Faith? Part Four: That Faith in Christ Justifies Part Five: That We Obtain Remission of Sins by Faith Alone in Christ Part Six: On Article III: Love and the Fulfilling of the Law Part Seven: Reply to the Arguments of the Adversaries Part Eight: Continuation of: Reply to the Arguments... Part Nine: Second Continuation of: Reply to the Arguments... Part Ten: Third Continuation of: Reply to the Arguments... Part Eleven: Articles Seven and Eight of the Augustana Part Twelve: Article Nine of the Augustana Part Thirteen: Article Ten of the Augustana Part Fourteen: Article Eleven of the Augustana Part Fifteen: Article Twelve of the Augustana Part Sixteen: Article Six of the Augustana (Pt. 1) Part Seventeen: Article Six of the Augustana (Pt. 2) Part Eighteen: Article Seven of the Augustana Part Nineteen: Article Fourteen of the Augustana Part Twenty: Article Fifteen of the Augustana Part Twenty-One: Article Sixteen of the Augustana Part Twenty-Two: Article Seventeen of the Augustana Part Twenty-Three: Article Eighteen of the Augustana Part Twenty-Four: Article Nineteen of the Augustana Part Twenty-Five: Article Twenty of the Augustana Part Twenty-Six: Article Twenty-One of the Augustana Part Twenty-Seven: Article Twenty-Two of the Augustana Part Twenty-Eight: Article Twenty-Three of the Augustana Part Twenty-Nine: Article Twenty-Four of the Augustana Part Thirty: A Definition of the term "Sacrifice" Part Thirty-One: What the Fathers Thought About Sacrafice Part Thirty-Two: Of the Use of the Sacrament and Sacrifice Part Thirty-Three: Of the Term "Mass" Part Thirty-Four:Of the Mass for the Dead Part Thirty-Five: Of Monastic Vows Part Thirty-Six: Of Ecclesiatical Power Part Thirty-Seven: End

Genres: Theology, Christianity, History, Religion

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Philipp Melanchthon (16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560), born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems. He stands next to Luther and Calvin as a reformer, theologian, and molder of Protestantism. Along with Luther, he is the primary founder of Lutheranism.[1] They both denounced what they believed was the exaggerated cult of the saints, asserted justification by faith, and denounced the coercion of the conscience in the sacrament of penance by the Catholic Church, that they believed could not offer certainty of salvation. Melanchthon made the distinction between law and gospel the central formula for Lutheran evangelical insight. By the "law", he meant God's requirements both in Old and New Testament; the "gospel" meant the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

Utterly magnificent. This response to the Confutation of the Augsburg Confession does more than simply address concerns: it reviews each point, in turn, of the Augsburg Confession and explains the theological reasoning behind it. Thus, it presents a thorough analysis of the Lutheran faith. Any Christian, regardless of denomination, can find value here. The heart of this book—the main point, as it were—is that we are saved entirely by Christ's merit and not at all by our own. It's an important book for understanding the history of the Protestant movement, but its greatest power lies in the spiritual consolation it offers its readers. I read the translation by Charles Arand, and the prose is excellent: clear, solid, and strong. If this book is long, it only because Melanchthon takes time to address each point with a high degree of care and attention. The result is a powerful defense of the Lutheran doctrines, an emphasis on our need for the Savior, and a balm for troubled souls.

[Josué Roque]

Long but insightful. I am starting to love Philip Melanchthon.