_The Confutatio Pontificia:
         In Reference To The Matters Presented To His Imperial Majesty
          By The Elector Of Saxony And Some Princes And States Of The
            Holy Roman Empire, On The Subject And Concerning Causes
           Pertaining To The Christian Orthodox Faith, The Following
                Christian Reply Can Be Given._ August 3, 1530.
                              Edited by J.M. Reu.
                                 Published in
              _The Augsburg Confession, A Collection of Sources._
     (Fort Wayne, IN: Concordia Theological Seminary Press), pp. 349-383.


                                To Article XX.

 In the twentieth article, which does not contain so much the confession of the
 princes and cities as the defense of the preachers, there is only one thing
 that pertains to the princes and cities - viz. concerning good works, that
 they do not merit the remission of sins, which, as it has been rejected and
 disapproved before, is also rejected and disapproved now. For the passage in
 Daniel is very familiar: "Redeem thy sins with alms," Dan. 4:24; and the
 address of Tobit to his son: "Alms do deliver from death and suffereth not to
 come into darkness," Tobit 4:10; and that of Christ: "Give alms of such things
 as ye have, and behold all things are clean unto you," Luke 11:41. If works
 were not meritorious why would the wise man say: "God will render a reward of
 the labors of his saints"? Wisd. 10:17. Why would St. Peter so earnestly
 exhort to good works, saying: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence
 by good works to make your calling and election sure"? 2 Pet. 1:19. Why would
 St. Paul have said: "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of
 love, which ye have showed towards his name"? Heb. 6:10. Nor by this do we
 reject Christ's merit but we know that our works are nothing and of no merit
 unless by virtue of Christ's passion. We know that Christ is "the way, the
 truth and the life,". John 14:6. But Christ, as the Good Shepherd, who "began
 to do and teach," Acts 1:1, has given us an example that as he has done we
 also should do, John 13:15. He also went through the desert by the way of good
 works, which all Christians ought to pursue, and according to his command bear
 the cross and follow him. Matt. 10:38; 16:24. He who bears not the cross,
 neither is nor can be Christ's disciple. That also is true which John says:
 "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he
 walked," 1 John 2:6. Moreover, this opinion concerning good works was
 condemned and rejected more than a thousand years ago in the time of
 Augustine. 

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