_The Confession of Faith:
             Which Was Submitted to His Imperial Majesty Charles V
                  At the Diet of Augsburg in the Year 1530_.
                        by Philip Melanchthon, 1497-1560
                   Translated by F. Bente and  W. H. T. Dau
                                 Published in:
                   _Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books
                         of the Ev. Lutheran Church_.
           (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921), pp. 37-95.


        Article VIII: What the Church Is.  
         
        Although the Church properly is the congregation of saints and 
        true believers, nevertheless, since in this life many 
        hypocrites and evil persons are mingled therewith, it is 
        lawful to use Sacraments administered by evil men, according 
        to the saying of Christ: The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in 
        Moses' seat, etc. Matt. 23, 2. Both the Sacraments and Word 
        are effectual by reason of the institution and commandment of 
        Christ, notwithstanding they be administered by evil men.  
         
        They condemn the Donatists, and such like, who denied it to be 
        lawful to use the ministry of evil men in the Church, and who 
        thought the ministry of evil men to be unprofitable and of 
        none effect.  
        

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