Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/160

154 as fundamental in all Protestant churches. The meaning of which was, that the sinner has only to believe that the full penalty of his transgressions has been paid by the suffering and death of Christ—the wrath of God thereby appeased and his pardon secured. This was "laying hold on salvation" through faith alone—charity and works being utterly excluded as necessary factors. To quote a few passages from the Formula Concordiæ which contained the accepted Protestant creed of that day:

"Justification by faith alone, is remission of sins, deliverance from damnation, reconciliation with the Father, adoption as sons, and is effected by the imputation of the merit or righteousness of Christ."—"Good works have nothing to do with justification by faith."—" The business of justification is between God and us, and is to appease his wrath."—"If any one, therefore, believes he can obtain the remission of his sins because he is possessed of charity, he brings a reproach on Christ by an impious and vain confidence in his own righteousness."—"Good works are to be utterly excluded in treating of justification and eternal life."—"The position that good works are necessary to salvation, is to be rejected, because it takes away the comfort of the gospel and gives occasion to doubt of the grace of God."—"That good works are necessary unto salvation, ought not to be taught and defended, but rather exploded and rejected by the churches as false."—Pp. 87, 89, 589, 704, 70S, Leipsic edition, 1756.