Augsburg Confession, Conscience

15 Although this teaching is despised by inexperienced men, God-fearing and anxious consciences find by experience that it offers the greatest consolation because the consciences of men cannot be pacified by any work but only by faith when they are sure that for Christ’s sake they have a gracious God. 16 It is as Paul teaches in Rom. 5:1, “Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God.” 17 This whole teaching is to be referred to that conflict of the terrified conscience, nor can it be understood apart from that conflict. 18 Accordingly inexperienced and profane men, who dream that Christian righteousness is nothing else than civil or philosophical righteousness, have bad judgment concerning this teaching.

19 Consciences used to be plagued by the doctrine of works when consolation from the Gospel was not heard. 20 Some persons were by their consciences driven into the desert, into monasteries, in the hope that there they might merit grace by monastic life. 21 Others invented works of another kind to merit grace and make satisfaction for sins. 22 Hence there was very great need to treat of and to restore this teaching concerning faith in Christ in order that anxious consciences should not be deprived of consolation but know that grace and forgiveness of sins are apprehended by faith in Christ.

Tappert, T. G. (2000, c1959). The Augsburg confession : Translated from the Latin (The Confession of Faith: 2, XX, 15-22). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.