His Imperial Majesty to hear us with forbearance in regard to matters
of such importance. For since the adversaries understand neither
what the remission of sins, nor what faith, nor what grace, nor what
righteousness is, they sadly corrupt this topic, and obscure the
glory and benefits of Christ and rob devout consciences of the
consolations offered in Christ. But that we may strengthen the
position of our Confession, and also remove the charges which the
adversaries advance against us, certain things are to be premised in
the beginning, in order that the sources of both kinds of doctrine, i.
e., both that of our adversaries and our own, may be known.

All Scripture ought to be distributed into these two principal topics,
the Law and the promises. For in some places it presents the Law,
and in others the promise concerning Christ, namely, either when [in
the Old Testament] it promises that Christ will come, and offers, for
His sake, the remission of sins justification, and life eternal, or
when, in the Gospel [in the New Testament], Christ Himself, since He
has appeared, promises the remission of sins, justification, and life
eternal. Moreover, in this discussion, by Law we designate the Ten
Commandments, wherever they are read in the Scriptures. Of the
ceremonies and judicial laws of Moses we say nothing at present.

Of these two parts the adversaries select the Law, because human
reason naturally understands, in some way, the Law (for it has the
same judgment divinely written in the mind); [the natural law agrees
with the law of Moses, or the Ten Commandments] and by the Law they
seek the remission of sins and justification. Now, the Decalog
requires not only outward civil works, which reason can in some way
produce, but it also requires other things placed far above reason,
namely, truly to fear God, truly to love God, truly to call upon God,