AUGSBURG CONFES'SION. The chief cre dal statement of faith in the Lutheran Church. Its history is the following: With it view to an amicable arrangement of the religious split that had existed in Germany since 1517. Charles V., as protector of the Church, had convoked a diet of the Empire, to meet at Augsburg, on April 8, 1530, and had acquired from the Protestant States a brief summary of the doctrines in which they differed from the Catholic Church. The Elector John, of Saxony, therefore, in March, called on his Wittenberg theologians—Luther, Melanchthon, Justus Jonas, and Bugenhagen—to draw up articles of faith. They took as a basis, in so far as pure doctrine was concerned, articles signed at the Colloquy of :\ (October 1-4, 1529) with the Zwinglians, substituting a strictly Lutheran one on the Lord's Supper, which had been adopted at. Schwabach shortly after (Octo ber 16). These doctrinal articles, supplemented and with a practical part newly added, were laid before the Elector at Torgau (March. 1530). The Diet of Augsburg was opened June 20, 1530; but Melanchthon had arrived there on May 2, and on the way had begun the famous Confession. This he finished in Augsburg, using as material the articles mentioned and various other papers, besides frequently consulting with Luther, who stayed at Coburg; since. being under the Im perial ban, he was technically an outlaw, and could not safely attend the Diet. The document was first entitled an A yo1ogy, as if Lutheranism was on the defensive. It was also originally in tended to he merely the reply of the Elector of Saxony. but it was so shaped as to he acceptable to all the princes and cities that had accepted Lutheranism in their Confession of Faith. It \VII S a work of infinite labor, and reflected the highest credit on Melanehthcm. Luther heartily indorsed it. At last. on Saturday, June 25, 1530, it was formally presented to the Emperor in the private chapel of the Episcopal Palace. where the Diet met. It was in both Latin and German, and was read aloud in German. Ilia neither original
was ever seen again by the Protestants, and both have probably perished.
The Augsburg Confession consists of these parts: I. Preface to the Emperor Charles V. IT. Chief Articles of Faith: (1) Of God; (2) Of original sin ; (3) Of the Son of God ; (4) Of justification; (5) Of the ministry of the Word; (Ii) Of new obedience: (7-8) Of the Church; (9) Of baptism; (10) Of the Lord's Supper; (11) Of (12) Of repentance; (13) Of the use of sacraments; (14) Of ecclesiastical order; (15) of ecclesiastical rites: (16) Of civil matters; (17) Of Christ's second coming to judgment; (18) (If free-will; (19) Of the cause of sin; (20) Of faith and good works; (21) Of the worship of saints. ( 1 II.) Ar ticles in whien are recounted the abuses which have been corrected. (22) Of both kinds in the Lord's Supper; (23) Of the mar riage of priests; (24) Of the mass; (25) of confession: (26) Of distinction of meats; (27) (If monastic vows: (28) Ecclesiastical power. The document was signed by the Elector of Sax ony, the two Dukes of Liineburg, the Duke of Saxony, the Hargrave of Brandeldfurg, the Landgrave of Hesse. the Prince of Anhalt, the Senate and Magistracy of Nuremberg, and the Senate of Reutlingen.
Melanchthon, not looking upon the as binding, began shortly after to make some alterations in its expressions; at last, in 1540, he published a Latin edition (Confessio , in which there were important changes and additions. This was especially the case with the article on the Lord's Supper, in which, with a view to conciliation, he endeavored to unite the views of the Lutherans and Calvinists. This gave rise subsequently to much controversy. Orthodox Lutheranism repudiated the alterations of Melanchthon, and long continued to subject his memory to great almse: though it is clear that Melanchthon and his adherents contemplated no substantial departure in doctrine from the or0 nal Confession. Consult Jacobs, The Book of Concord (Philadelphia, 1882) for the Augsburg Confession, its documents, and full discussion.