A06491:228
The chief and principal articles of the Christen faith to hold against the Pope,…The chiefe and pryncypall articles of the Christen faythe to holde againste the Pope,…
The chief and principal articles of the Christen faith to hold against the Pope, and all papists, and the gates of hell, with other three very profitable and necessary books the names or titles, whereof are contain in the leaf next following. Made by Doctor Marten Luther. To the reader. In this book shall you find Christian reader the right probation of the right old catholic Church, and of the new false Church, whereby either of them is to be known. Read and judge.The chiefe and pryncypall articles of the Christen faythe to holde againste the Pope, and al papistes, and the gates of hell, with other thre very profitable and necessary bokes the names or tyttels, whereof are conteyne in the leafe next followynge. Made by Doctor Marten Luther. To the reader. In thys boke shal you fynde Christian reader the ryght probation of the righte olde catholyke Churche, and of the newe false Churche, whereby eyther of them is to be knowen. Reade and iudge.
printed by S. Mierdman for Gwalter Lynne, 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Like as if I should ask a drunken man being half sleeping half waking, or a fool I pray the tell me, who, or where is the Church? And he should answer me, ten times one after another, nothing else but thus, men ought to hear the Church. Howe should I hear the church not knowing, who or where she is? Yea say they we Papists, have abidden in the first old church from the Apostles time hitherto, therefore be we rightly descended from the old church, & remain hitherto, but ye be fallen from us, & are become a new church against us. Answer, But how then if I should prove, that we abide by the right old church: yea that we be the right old church? and that ye be fallen from us, that is from the old church, & have reared a new church against the old church: that same let us hear.
Lyke as yf I should aske a dronken man beyng halfstepyng half wakyng, or a foole I praye the tell me, who, or where is the Church? And he shoulde answer me, tenne tymes one after another, nothing elles but thus, mē ought to heare the Churche. Howe shoulde I heare the church not knowing, who or where she is? Yea saye they we Papistes, haue abydē in the first old church frō the Apostles time hitherto, therfore be we rightly descēded frō the olde churche, & remayne hitherto, but ye be fallē frō vs, & are become a new churche agaynst vs. Answer, But howe then yf I should proue, that we abyde by the right old church: yea that we be the right old church? and that ye be fallē from vs, that is frō the old church, & haue reared a newe church againste the old church: that same let vs heare.
1First, will nor can no man deny this, that we as well as the papists came out of the holy baptism, & are called christians of the same. Now is baptism no new thing, nor yet of us at this time invented, but it is even the same old baptism, that Christ hath instituted, wherein the Apostles and the primitive church, and all christians thereafter, hitherto are baptised. Have we now the same baptism, & the first old (and as in Symbol standeth Catholice, that is the hole christen) church and are even baptised in the same, then belong we surely in the same old and hole christen church, which with us together, & we with her together come of one manner of baptism, & is concerning baptism, no difference. Baptism is the chief & first sacrament, without the which all other be nothing, as they must confess them selves. Therefore can not the papists, with the trueth call us a new church or heretics, sense we be children of the old baptism, as well as the Apostles them selves, & the hole Christianity.