Book of Concord source text
- Document
- Augsburg Confession
- Article/chapter
- Article XII: Of Repentance
- Source pages
- 22
- Numbered paragraphs
- 10
- Source status
- public-domain / publicly licensed source text
Article XII: Of Repentance.
1]Of Repentance they teach that for those who have fallen after Baptism there is remission of sins whenever they are converted
2]and that the Church ought to impart absolution to those thus returning to repentance. Now, repentance consists properly of these
3]two parts: One is contrition, that is,
4]terrors smiting the conscience through the knowledge of sin; the other is faith, which is born of
5]the Gospel, or of absolution, and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven, comforts
6]the conscience, and delivers it from terrors. Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruits of repentance.
7]They condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those once justified can lose the Holy Ghost. Also those who contend that some may attain to such
8]perfection in this life that they cannot sin.
9]The Novatians also are condemned, who would not absolve such as had fallen after Baptism, though they returned to repentance.
10]They also are rejected who do not teach that remission of sins comes through faith but command us to merit grace through satisfactions of our own.
