Martin Chemnitz on Justification

More from the Braunschweig-Woelfenbuettel Church Order of 1569.

Regarding the article of the justification of the poor sinner by God unto eternal life.

This article encompasses the doctrine of how we poor sinners may obtain the grace of God, so that we who with our sins have angered him, may again be reconciled that he not enter into judgement with us, deal with us according to our sins and reward us according to our misdeeds; rather graciously remove, cover and not reckon our sins to us, be our gracious Father and accept us as his dear children and heirs of eternal life and blessedness. This article, as the Apology correctly states, is the most important article of all of Christian doctrine. All of Holy Scripture serves chiefly [to give us] the clear, correct understanding of [this article]. It alone opens the door to the entire bible. Without it no poor conscience may have a correct, constant consolation or acknowledge the riches of the grace of Christ. Therefore this article shall and must be the end and goal [finis et scopus] to which and upon which all doctrine and preaching shall be directed. And this article shall indeed be set forth to the people with great care, fundamentally, plainly, clearly and simply, because upon it depends the salvation of all men.

This doctrine from the holy divine Scripture is, however, fundamentally set forth and explained at length in the [Augsburg] Confession and Apology, whence and from which pastors shall take the matter itself and the form of sound words [used there regarding it] [res ipsas et formam sanorum verborum]. Hitherto in papaldom this article has not been purely taught. It has been falsified according to papistic propensity by some in a gross and evident manner. Some have painted the error in a subtle and plausible fashion. Thus a true recounting is necessary so that this high, necessary article, which alone points the way to grace and eternal life, may be kept pure from all error, and every misleading byway may be exposed and blocked. Not only those [errors] which are coarse and [easily] comprehensible [must be exposed], but especially those through which the simple may be taken in by pretense and deceived. For in this article this statement is completely true: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." Gal. 5[9]. And the basis and reason how and why the papistic doctrine and other fanaticism [schwermerei] regarding justification are false and incorrect shall be very clearly and definitely shown from God's word.


When they teach that man must and can merit God's grace, forgiveness of sin and salvation for himself, either through self-chosen holiness or through human laws or through the merit and intercession of the saints, it is easy to overturn their error. For Christ alone through his obedient suffering and death has merited such benefits for us. Thus such merit cannot be ascribed to us or any other creature without insult and disparagement of the Lord Christ. Thus the statements of the scriptures are also clear regarding human laws and self-chosen forms of divine service [gottesdiensten], Is. 29[13]; Deut. 12[8] and 17[12]; Is. 1[11f.]; Col. 2[8]. [The scriptures are likewise clear] regarding the merit of other saints, Ez. 18[4;20]; Psalm 49[8]; Mt. 25[1ff.].

Those who ascribe such merit to the works which God has commanded in His Word have a somewhat better disguise, but the scripture expressly takes righteousness before God and salvation away from even the works of the law, Rom. 3[28]; Gal. 3[11]; i.e., even from those which God has commanded in His Word. This distinction must be carefully explained. This is so that the impression not be given that it were somehow wrong to do such good works. Rather, our good works in this life are not perfect or completely pure on account of the sin, which resides in the flesh. Thus we can not merit grace and salvation from God by them. And neither should we make an idol of our good works, as happens when we would put them in the place of the Lord Jesus Christ as the merit for salvation.