"On Preaching" from the Confessions (#10)

The past couple of years, my confirmation students were asked to pick a topic from the confessions and write a paper. I have been surprised by the number of students who chose "monastic vows" as the topic of their paper. Today's quote is from "Monastic Vows" in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession:

Meanwhile they neither hear nor preach the Gospel about the free forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake, about the righteousness of faith, about true penitence, about works that have the command of God. But they spend their time either on philosophical discussions or on ceremonial traditions that obscure Christ. (Tappert, The Book of Concord. Fortress Press: Philadelphia, 1959, p.278; Apology XXVII: 54)