“The Formula of Concord is the result of controversies within the Lutheran Church after the breach with the Papacy had become complete… It required more than a single generation for the Evangelical faith in all its power to penetrate the minds and lives of even its staunchest adherents; and when we recall the deplorable condition into which the Church had fallen, and the deep ignorance not only of the people, but also of the ministry, described in the introductions to the Catechisms, we cannot wonder at the subsequent internal struggles, when the controversy with the Papists absorbed less attention…

“Political intrigues added their elements of discord, and pressure was brought to bear upon the Church to shape her faith according to the desires of civil rulers for state alliances.

“Men of amiable temper or desponding hearts, were flattered or terrified into making concessions for the sake of peace, in which while they imagined they were yielding little, they were yielding everything… For when for the sake of peace men are willing to yield to Rome so far as not only to consent to the reintroduction of all the superstitious ceremonies of the Mass, but even to erase the word alone out of the doctrine of Justification by Faith, we should not be surprised at the readiness, when the pressure from the other extreme was strongest, with which similar concessions to the detriment of sound doctrine were not only proposed, but forced with violence upon the churches. — Henry Eyster Jacobs, from “The Lutheran Confessions: A Brief Introduction”

Book Contents

• Translation Notes
• The Formula Of Concord
• Part First. Epitome
  • Introduction
  • Chapter I. Of Original Sin
  • Chapter II. Of the Free Will
  • Chapter III. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God
  • Chapter IV. Of Good Works
  • Chapter V. Of the Law and the Gospel
  • Chapter VI. Of the Third Use of the Law
  • Chapter VII. Of the Lord’s Supper
  • Chapter VIII. Of the Person of Christ
  • Chapter IX. Of the Descent of Christ to Hell
  • Chapter X. Of Church Rites which are [commonly] called Adiaphora or Matters of Indifference
  • Chapter XI. Of God’s Eternal Foreknowledge [Predestination] and Election
  • Chapter XII. Of Other Factions [Heretics] and Sects, which Never Embraced the Augsburg Confession
• Part Second. Solid Declaration
  • Preface
  • Chapter 1. Of Original Sin
  • Chapter II. Of the Free Will, or Human Powers
  • Chapter III. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God
  • Chapter IV. Of Good Works
  • Chapter V. Of the Law and the Gospel
  • Chapter VI. Of the Third Use of the Divine Law
  • Chapter VII. Of the Holy Supper
  • Chapter VIII. Of the Person of Christ
  • Chapter IX. Of the Descent of Christ to Hell
  • Chapter X. Of Church Rites which are [commonly] called Adiaphora, or Matters of Indifference
  • Chapter XI. Of God’s Eternal Foreknowledge [Predestination] and Election
  • Chapter XII. Of Other Factions [Heretics] and Sects, which Never Embraced the Augsburg Confession

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2020
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0