A06491:490
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.
The first Article of the Creation. I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
The fyrst Article of the Creation. I beleue in God the Father almightie, maker of heauen and earth.
Here shineth first a great light in thy heart. If thou wilt have it. And teacheth the with few words that, which can not be expressed with all tongues, nor written with many books, Namely what thou art, whence thou comest, and whence heaven and earth do come. For thou art the creation, making, Creature and handy work of God. That is, of thy self, and in thy self, art thou nothing, canst nothing knowest nothing, and art able to do nothing. For what wast thou a thousand years a gone? What was heaven and earth six thousand year agone? Even so hole nothing, as the thing is nothing, which never shall be made. But whatsoever thou art knowest, ⟨image 121⟩canst or mayest, the same is the creation of God, even as thou doest here confess with thy mouth, wherefore thou hast nothing to rejoice of before God but that thou art nothing at all, and that he is thy maker and creator, and can turn the to nothing every moment. Of this light knoweth the imagination of man nothing at all. Many high learned men have sought and searched, what heaven and earth. Man and creature might be, but they have not found it. But here saith our belief, that God made all things of nought. Here is the pleasant garden of the soul to walk in, in the works of God, how be it, it is to long to writ of it at this time.
Here shyneth fyrst a great lighte in thy harte. Yf thou wilte haue it. And teacheth the with fewe wordes that, whiche can not be expressed with all tonges, nor written with many bokes, Namely what thou arte, whence thou comest, and whence heauen and earth do come. For thou arte the creatiō, makynge, Creature and handy worke of God. That is, of thy selfe, and in thy selfe, arte thou nothing, canst nothing knowest nothinge, and arte able to do nothinge. For what wast thou a thousande yeres a gone? Vvhat was heauē and earth sixe thousande yere agone? Euen so hole nothing, as the thing is nothinge, whiche neuer shall be made. But whatsoeuer thou arte knoweste,