The Augsburg Confession consists of the 28 articles that constitute the basic confession of the Lutheran churches, presented June 25, 1530, in German and Latin at the Diet of Augsburg to the Emperor Charles V by seven Lutheran princes and two imperial free cities (Nuremburg and Reutlingen).
History
First issued in 1530 during the Diet of Augsburg, this set of creeds set out to bring Religious peace to Europe. They failed in that regard, however, because the Emperor failed to realize exactly how the position of the German Lutherans was solidified at the time. Melanchthon, the primary author, laid it out to be relatively open to both the Roman Catholic Church and the reformed non-Lutheran parties, inheriting many Christian doctrines in the process. It stressed salvation by grace, as opposed to by works (the view of the Roman Catholic church), which was one of Lutheranism's founding tennants. This earned it's rejection by the Catholic Church. It, however, is still used to day as the primary statement of faith among Lutherans. In fact, modern Lutherans must express fidelity to its interpretations at the time they're ordained.
Purpose
The principal author, Philipp Melanchthon, drew on earlier Lutheran statements of faith. The purpose was to defend the Lutherans against misrepresentations and to provide a statement of their theology that would be acceptable to the Roman Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire.
"The Augsburg Confession (1530) is the most widely accepted specifically Lutheran confession, or statement of faith. It was prepared by the German religious reformer Melanchthon, with Martin Luther's approval, as a summary document for the German nobility, who were called to a diet at Augsburg on June 25, 1530, by the Holy Roman emperor Charles V to present their "Lutheran" views."
--http://mb-soft.com/believe/txn/augsburg.htm
Index
Preface
Article 1: God
Article 2: Original Sin
Article 3: The Son of God
Article 4: Justification
Article 5: The Ministry of the Church
Article 6: The New Obedience
Article 7: The Church
Article 8: What The Church Is
Article 9: Baptism
Article 10: The Holy Supper of Our Lord
Article 11: Confession
Article 12: Repentance
Article 13: The Use of the Sacraments
Article 14: Order in the Church
Article 15: Church Usages
Article 16: Civil Government
Article 17: The Return of Christ to Judgment
Article 18: Free Will
Article 19: The Cause of Sin
Article 20: Faith and Good Works
Article 21: Of the Worship of the Saints
Article 22: Of Both Kinds in the Sacrament
Article 23: Of the Marriage of Priests
Article 24: Of the Mass
Article 25: Confession
Article 26: The Distinction of Foods
Article 27: Monastic Vows
Article 28: Ecclesiastical Powers
Conclusion
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