ansgressions
whereby ye have transgressed; and make ye a new heart, and a new spirit;
for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the
death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves
and live." Also St. Paul: "The spirits of the prophets are subject to
the prophets," 1 Cor. 14:32. Likewise 2 Cor. 9:7: "Every man according
as he purposeth in his heart; not grudgingly or of necessity." finally,
Christ overthrew all the Manichaeans with one word when he said: "Ye
have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them
good." Mark 14:7; and to Jerusalem Christ says: "How often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not!" Matt. 23:37.

To Article XIX.

The nineteenth article is likewise approved and accepted. For God,
the supremely good, is not the author of evils, but the rational and
defectible will is the cause of sin; wherefore let no one impute his
midsdeeds and crimes to God, but to himself, according to Jer. 2:19:
"Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall
reprove thee;" and Hos. 13:9: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself;
but in me is thy help." And David in the spirit acknowledged that God is
not one that hath pleasure in wickedness, Ps. 5:4.

To Article XX.

In the twentieth article, which does not contain so much the confession
of the princes and cities as the defense of the preachers, there is only
one thing that pertains to the princes and cities--viz. concerning good
works, that they do not merit the remission of sins, which, as it has
been rejected and disapproved before, is also rejected and disapproved
now. For the passage in Daniel is very familiar: "Redeem thy sins with
alms," Dan. 4:24; and the address of Tobit to his son: "Alms do deliver
from death and suffereth not to come into darkness," Tobit 4:10; and
that of Christ: "Give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all
things are clean unto you," Luke 11:41. If works were not meritorious
why would the wise man say: "God will render a reward of the labors of
his saints"? Wisd. 10:17. Why would St. Peter so earnestly exhort to
good works, saying: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence by
good works to make your calling and election sure"? 2 Pet. 1:19. Why
would St. Paul have said: "God is not unrighteous to forget your work
and labor of love, which ye have showed towards his name"?