Apology (Parts 12-17): Commentary

The third act [of this play] remains, concerning satisfactions. But this contains the most confused discussions. They imagine that eternal punishments are commuted to the punishments of purgatory, and teach that a part of these is remitted by the power of the keys, and that a part is to be redeemed by means of satisfactions. They add further that satisfactions ought to be works of supererogation, and they make these consist of most foolish observances, such as pilgrimages, rosaries, or similar observances which do not have the command of God. Then, just as they redeem purgatory by means of satisfactions, so a scheme of redeeming satisfactions which was most abundant in revenue [which became quite a profitable, lucrative business and a grand fair] was devised. For they sell [without shame] indulgences which they interpret as remissions of satisfactions. And this revenue [this trafficking, this fair, conducted so shamelessly] is not only from the living, but is much more ample from the dead. Nor do they redeem the satisfactions of the dead only by indulgences, but also by the sacrifice of the Mass. In a word, the subject of satisfactions is infinite. Among these scandals (for we cannot enumerate all things) and doctrines of devils lies buried the doctrine of the righteousness of faith in Christ and the benefit of Christ.

Apology (Part 16): Article VI, Of Confession and Satisfaction and
Apology (Part 17)

Again, the roles of Law and Gospel come into play in confession and satisfaction. Part 14 addressed the confession of sins, while these two sections go into greater detail. The "satisfaction" is that which a believer was taught he or she must do to atone for sin. That is the Law, and in the Law, as the Rolling Stones might say, "we can't get no satisfaction." Melanchthon also tells of ecclesiastical abuses, that priests didn't absolve sins, but rather were even going around getting dirt on their parishioners!

But these satisfactions extended into the man-made doctrine of purgatory. And what better way to rob a family of comfort than to preach their souls in torment in Purgatory?

The articles this week focused on sacraments in the Roman church. Luther accepted Baptism and the Lord's Supper as sacraments. Confession was grudgingly accepted as a sacrament by Luther since confession and absolution had a mandate

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