We must not enact traditions, in addition to the Gospel, as if they are acts of forgiveness or righteousness...

We must keep in the Church the doctrine that we receive the forgiveness of sins freely for Christ's sake, through faith.  We must also keep the doctrine that human traditions are useless services and, therefore, neither sin nor righteousness should be placed in meat, drink, clothing, and like things.  Christ wished the use of such things to be left free, since He says, "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person" (Matthew 15:11); and Paul says, "The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking" (Romans 14:17).  Therefore, the bishops have no right to enact traditions in addition to the Gospel, so that people must merit the forgiveness of sins, or that they think are services that God approves as righteousness. They must not burden consciences (as though it were a sin to leave such observances undone).  All this is taught by that one passage in Acts 15:9, where the apostles (Peter) say that hearts are cleansed through faith.  Then they prohibit the imposing of a yoke and show how great a danger this is, and multiply the sin of those who burden the Church.  "Why do you tempt God?" they say.  Our adversaries are not terrified even by this thunderbolt.  They defend traditions and godless opinions with violence.
~BOC, AP, XXVIII (XIV), 7-8

Offerings are for the benefit of the Church...

They themselves should remember that riches have been given to bishops as alms for the administration and advantage of the churches. As the rule says, "The benefit is given because of the office." Therefore, they cannot with a good conscience possess these alms and defraud the Church.  The Church has need of this money to support ministers, aid education, care for the poor, and establish courts, especially for marriage   So great is the variety and extent of marriage controversies that there is need for a special court, for which the endowments of the church are needed.  Peter predicted that there would be godless bishops who would abuse the alms of the Church for luxury and neglect the ministry.  Therefore, let those who defraud the Church know that they will pay God the penalty for this crime.
~BOC, PPP, 79-82

The errors of the kingdom of the pope detract from Christ's glory and bring destruction to souls...

In this our consciences are excused well enough, for the errors of the kingdom of the pope are clear.  Scripture with its entire voice cries out that these errors are a teach of darkness and of Antichrist.  The idolatry in the abuse of the Masses is clear.  The Masses are used for the most shameful moneymaking.  The doctrine of repentance has been utterly corrupted by the pope and his followers.  They teach that sins are forgiven because of the value of our words.  Then they tell us to doubt whether the forgiveness takes place.  They nowhere teach that sins are forgiven freely for Christ's sake, and that by this faith we obtain forgiveness of sins.

So they hide Christ's glory and rob consciences of firm consolation.  They abolish true divine services (i.e., the exercises of faith struggling with despair).

They have clouded over the doctrine about sin.  They have invented a tradition about the listing of offenses, producing many errors and despair.

In addition, they have invented satisfactions, with which they have also hidden Christ's benefit.

From these, indulgences have been borne.  These are pure lies, fabricated for the sake of making money.

How many abuses and what horrible idolatry the invocation of saints has produced!

What shameful acts have arisen from the tradition of celibacy!

What darkness the doctrine of vows has spread over the Gospel!  They pretend that vows are righteousness before God and merit the forgiveness of sins.  So they have transferred the benefit of Christ to human traditions and have completely snuffed out the doctrine about faith.  They have pretended the most silly traditions are services of God and perfection.  They have preferred these to the works of the callings that God requires and has ordained.  These errors should not be treated lightly.  They detract from Christ's glory and bring destruction to souls.  They cannot be passed by unnoticed.
~BOC, PPP, 42-48

The authority to administer the Gospel lies with the Church....

Wherever the Church is, there is the authority to administer the Gospel.  Therefore, it is necessary for the Church to retain the authority to call, elect, and ordain ministers.  This authority is a gift that in reality is given to the Church.  No human power can take this gift away from the Church.  As Paul testifies to the Ephesians, when "He ascended...He gave gifts to men" (Ephesians 4:8).  He lists among the gifts specifically belonging to the church "pastors and teachers" (4:11), and adds that they are given for the ministry, "for the building up of the body of Christ" (4:12).  So wherever there is a True Church, the right to elect and ordain ministers necessarily exists.  In the same way, in a case of necessity even a layman absolves and becomes the minister and pastor of another.  Augustine tells the story of two Christians in a ship, one of whom baptized the catechumen, who after Baptism then absolved the baptizer.
~BOC, PPP, 67

The Church is those who hear the voice of their Shepherd...

We do not agree with them that they are the Church.  They are not the Church.  Nor will we listen to those things that, under the name of Church, they command or forbid.  Thank God, today a seven-year-old child knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd.  For the children pray, "I believe in one holy Christian Church."  This holiness does not come from albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other ceremonies they made up without Holy Scripture, but from God's Word and true faith.
~BOC, SA, III, XII, 1-3

The cause of our sin is our own will...

Our churches teach that although God creates and preserves nature, the cause of sin is located in the will of the wicked, that is, the devil and ungodly people.  Without God's help, this will turns itself away from God, as Christ says, "When he lies, he speaks out of his own character" (John 8:44).
~BOC, AC, XIX

Repentance holds contrition and faith...

We have declared why we assigned these two parts, contrition and faith, to repentance.  We have done this willingly.  Many writings about repentance are published that cite the fathers in a butchered way,  The adversaries have distorted these to put faith out of sight.  Among these are, "Repentance is to lament past evils, and not to commit again deeds that ought to be lamented."  Again, "Repentance is a kind of vengeance of him who grieves, thus punishing in himself what he is sorry for having committed."  In these passages, no mention is made of faith.  Not even in the schools, when they interpret them, is anything added about faith.  Therefore, in order that the doctrine of faith might be clearer, we have named it among the parts of repentance. For experience shows that those passages are dangerous that require contrition or good works, and make no mention of justifying faith.  Caution can justly be desired in those who have collected these centos of the Sentences and decrees.  Since the Fathers speak in some places about one part of repentance, and in other places about another part, it would have been good to select and combine their judgement not only about one part but about both, that is, about contrition and faith.

...

Therefore, there are sentences written by the Fathers not only about contrition and works, but also about faith.  But the adversaries, since they understand neither the nature of repentance nor the language of the Fathers, select passages about a part of repentance, namely, about works.  They overlook the declarations made elsewhere about faith, since they do not understand them.
~BOC, AP, XII (V), 91-93, 97