which came into existence on the day of Pentecost. Luther simply threw
out the errors which had crept into the Church during the course of the
centuries, and held fast the doctrines taught in God's Word. As a
separate and distinct Church, the Lutheran Church dates from the year
1530, when the Augsburg Confession was read before the emperor and diet
of the German Empire.[5] Her doctrines are laid down in her six
Confessions, contained in the Book of Concord.

[Footnote 5: Since a particular Church is no older than her distinctive
confession, the Lutheran Church is more than thirty years older than the
Roman Catholic Church; for the Augsburg Confession was adopted in 1530,
while the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, which are the
Confession of the Roman Catholic Church, were not completed until 1563.
The ecumenical creeds are accepted by both Churches, and therefore prove
nothing as regards their _relative_ age.]

THE CHURCH OF THE PURE GOSPEL. The Lutheran Church receives the Holy
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only rule and standard
of religious teaching. The Roman Catholic Church accepts the tradition
of the Church as of equal authority with the Holy Scriptures.

The Lutheran Church teaches the great central doctrine of the Gospel,
that we are saved by _faith alone_ without works. The Roman Catholic
Church teaches that we are justified by faith _and works_.

The Lutheran Church abides by the teachings of Scripture even when she
cannot understand them. The other Protestant Churches explain away and
reject some teachings of Scripture because they cannot understand them.

HER NAME. The name Lutheran was first given to our Church by her