A06511:126
The last will and last confession of martin Luther's faith co[n]cerming [sic] the [principal…The last wil and last confession of martyn luthers faith co[n]cerming [sic] the [principal…
The last will and last confession of martin Luther's faith co[n]cerming [sic] the [principal articles of religion which are in controversy, which he will defend & may[n]teine until his death, against the pope and the gates of hell draw[n] forth by him at the request of the princes of germany which have reformed their [sic] churches after the gospel, to be offered up at the next general council in all their names & now published before that all the world may have an evident testimony of his faith if it shall fortune him to dye before there be any such cou[n]cel, tra[n]slated out of latin beware of the pope & of his false prophets and bishops for they will come in sheep's clothing and in angels faces but yet inwardly they are ravening wolves [sic].The last wil and last confession of martyn luthers faith co[n]cerming [sic] the [principal articles of religion which are in controuersy, which he wil defend & mai[n]teine vntil his death, agaynst the pope and the gates of hell drawe[n] furth by him at the request of the princes of germany which haue reformed theier [sic] churches after the gospel, to be offred vp at the next general councel in all their names & now published before that all the world may haue an euydent testimony of his faith if it shal fortune him to dye before there be any such cou[n]cel, tra[n]slated out of latyn beware of the pope & of his false prophetes and bissopes for thei wil come in shepys clothing and in angels facys but yet inwardly thei are ravening wolnys [sic].
Wesel : D. van der Straten?, 1543
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.
Of the vows of monks friars & such other
Of the vowes of monkes frires & such other
For as much as the vows of religious men do directly repugn with the principal of our faith they ought to be broken & utterly to taken a way. for they be of the number of those things whereof christ speaketh / Math 24. saying I am christ &c. For he that voweth to live after the religion of monks & friars he believeth that he professeth a more perfect state of living than the common sort of christen men / & he goeth about to bring unto heaven by his works not only himself but other also / & this as much as to deny christ. They make this boast also as Thomas doth that their vows be be equal unto baptism which is a contumelious blasphemy against god.
For as moch as the vowes of religios mē do directly repugne with the prīcipal of our faith they ought to be brokē & vtterly to takē a way. for thei be of the nōber of those thīgs wherof christ speaketh / Math 24. saīg I am christ &c. For he that voweth to lyue after the religyōof mōkes & frires he bileueth that he ꝓfesseth a more ꝑfite state of liuīg thā the comō sort of christē men / & he goeth about to bryng vnto heauē by his workes not only hīself but other also / & this as moch as to denye christ. Thei make this bost also as Thomas doth that their vowes be be equal vnto baptyme which is a cōtumelios blasphemy against god.