The doctrine of the second advent and millennium (rejected in Art. XVII.), if we except the
dreams of the radical wing of the Anabaptists, has found advocates among sound and orthodox
Lutherans, especially of the school of Bengel, and must be regarded as an open question.
The last Article of the doctrinal part expresses the assurance that the Lutherans hold no
doctrine which is contrary to the Scriptures, or to the Catholic or even the Roman Church, as far
as known from the fathers, and differ from her only on certain traditions and ceremonies. Luther
knew better, and so did the Romanists. Only Melanchthon, in his desire for union and peace, could
have thus deceived himself; but he was undeceived before he left Augsburg, and in the Apology
of the Confession be assumed a very different tone.
II. The second part of the Confession rejects, in seven articles, those abuses of Rome which
were deemed most objectionable, and had been actually corrected in the Lutheran churches; namely,
the withdrawal of the communion cup from the laity (I.), the celibacy of the clergy (II.), the sacrifice
of the mass (III.), obligatory auricular confession (IV.), ceremonial feasts and fasts (V.), monastic
vows (VI.), and the secular power of the bishops as far as it interferes with the purity and spirituality
of the church (VII.). This last Article is virtually a protest against the principle of Erastianism or
Caesaro-papacy, and would favor in its legitimate consequences a separation of church and state.
"The ecclesiastical and civil powers," says the Confession, "are not to be confounded. The
ecclesiastical power has its own commandment to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments.
Let it not by force enter into the office of another, let it not transfer worldly kingdoms," etc. And
as to the civil power, it is occupied only with worldly matters, not with the gospel, and "defends
not the minds, but the bodies and bodily things, against manifest injuries." This protest has been
utterly disregarded by the Protestant rulers in Germany. The same Article favors the restoration of
the episcopal jurisdiction with purely spiritual and ecclesiastical authority. This also was wholly
disregarded by the signers, who were unwilling to give up their summepiscopate which they had
claimed and exercised since 1526 with the consent of the Reformers.
The Confession concludes with these words: "Peter forbids bishops to be lords, and to be
imperious over the churches (1 Pet. 5:3). Now, our meaning is not to take the rule from the bishops,
but this one thing only is requested at their hands, that they would suffer the gospel to be purely
taught, and that they would relax a few observances which cannot be held without sin. But if they
will remit none, let them look how they will give account to God for this, that by their obstinacy
they afford cause of division and schism."^969 Thus the responsibility of schism in the Latin Church
was thrown upon Rome. But even if Rome and the Diet had accepted the Augsburg Confession,
the schism would still have occurred by the further progress of the Protestant spirit, which no power
on earth, not even Luther and Melanchthon, could arrest.
The style of the Latin edition is such as may be expected from the rare classic culture and
good taste of Melanchthon; while the order and arrangement might be considerably improved.
The diplomatic preface to the Emperor, from the pen of a lawyer, Chancellor Brück, is
clumsy, tortuous, dragging, extremely obsequious, and has no other merit than to introduce the
reader into the historical situation. The brief conclusion (Epilogus) is from the same source, and is
(^969) It was Melanchthon’s wish (which Köllner chose as motto for his Symb. d. luth. Kirche): "Utinam utinam possim non quidem
dominationem confirmare, sed administrationem restituere episcoporum. Video enim, qualem habituri simus ecclesiam, dissolutaπολιτεία
ecclesiastica." Occasionally lonely voices are heard for the restoration of episcopacy in the Lutheran Church, but without effect. See F.
Haupt, Der Episcopat der deutschen Reformation, oder Artikel 28 der Augsburg Conf., Frankf., 1866; Luther und der Episcopat, 1866.