What it means to subscribe to the Lutheran confesssions: citations

In response to my posting yesterday "What it means to subscribe to the Lutheran confessions" (the listing of the 18 assertions from the confessions -- and the citations -- is stolen from my friend Fr. William Weedon's website), several people asked for citations of where these things are to be found. Here ya go:


1. Virginity is a higher gift than marriage.

2. Mary prays for the Church

3. Mary is called the most holy virgin

4. Prayer for the dead is not useless

5. It would be wicked thing for private absolution to disappear from the church

6. The bread in the Lord’s Supper is Christ’s body.

7. Pastors do not commune those they have not examined and absolved.

8. Mary is the Mother of God.

9. Justification can mean “to declare righteous” or “to make righteous” because Scripture speaks both ways.

10. 2 Maccabees is Scripture.

11. In the Eucharist the flesh of Christ given for the life of the world is our food and makes us alive by joining us to Christ.

12. We should teach people that church rites (made by humans) are to be kept if they can be observed without sin and contribute to peace and good order.

13. The best way for the Church to be governed is to have one head, Christ, and all the bishops – equal in office – keep diligently together in unity of teaching, faith, sacraments, prayers and works of love.

14. When the church is deprived of valid judicial process, you can’t remove ungodly teachings and impious forms of worship.

15. An ordination performed by a pastor in his own church is valid by divine right.

16. Children should be taught to make the sign of the cross.

17. The baptized children of God have free will and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

18. After Baptism, the inborn corruption is to daily decrease so that we become increasingly gentle, patient, and meek, breaking away from greed, hatred, envy, and pride.

Answer Key:

1. Apology XXIII (XI), paragraph 38; Apology XXII:10

2. Apology XXI (IX), paragraph 27

3. Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, VIII, paragraph 24

4. Apology XXIV (XII), paragraph 96

5. Apology XII:100

6. SA 3 III:6:1

7. Apology XXIV:1

8. Formula of Concord, Epitome VIII:12

9. Apology, Article IV, par. 71, 72.

10. Apology XXI (IX), paragraph 9

11. Apology XXII:10

12. AC XV:1

13. SA Part II:4:9

14. Treatise on the Primacy and Power of the Pope, par. 51

15. Treatise on the Primacy and Power of the Pope, par. 65

16. Small Catechism, Morning / Evening Prayers, par, 1, 4

17. Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, II:67

18. Large Catechism IV:65-67