A06511:30
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.
Wherefore Purgatory with all his pomp / high honour and merchandise must be taken for a mock & a mist of the devil. For it is contrary to the principal article of our redemption which teacheth that all souls be redeemed & delivered through no works of man / but only therow christ alone. Furthermore we have no commandment of god concerning dead souls / and therefore this purgatory / although it were no error or Idolatry / might lawfully be condemned.
Wherfor Purgatory with all his pompe / high honor and marchandise must be taken for a mocke & a mist of the deuel. For it is contrary to the principal article of our redempcyon which teacheth that al sowles be redemed & delyuered thorow no workes of man / but only therow christ alone. Furthermore we haue no commandment of god concerning dead sowles / and therfor this purgatory / although it were no error or Idolatry / might laufully be condemned.
The papists are wont to allege .S. Austen. for this article & they city the testimonies of divers doctors which have written (as they say) of purgatory.
The papistrs are wont to alledge .S. Austen. for this article & thei cyte the testimonys of dyuers doctors which haue written (as thei say) of purgatory.
They think that we understand not / for what ⟨image 10⟩purpose they speak such sentences. S. Austen writeth not that there is a purgatory / neither hath he any place of scripture whereby he can prove it: but he leaveth it in doubt whether there be a purgatory or no / and he saith that his mother required to have a memory at the altar or the receiving of the sacrament which thing whatsoever be / it is nothing else than a superstitious imagination of a few men / which can make no article of our faith / for that is the office of god alone. But the papists do so wrest & writhe such testimonies of men / that the people should believe more faithfully / their filthy / wicked and abominable merchandise of selling & offering masses into purgatory for dead souls &c. Which they shall never prove by S. Austen. When they have ones condemned those purgatory merchandise of masses (whereof S. Austen did never in his life ones dream) than will we dispute with them whether .S. Austen without any authority of scripture / ought to be received & allowed or no / and whether it be lawful to have memories of dead souls when the sacrament is received or no for we may not take all the doings and sayings of holy fathers for articles of our faith. For by that means / their manner & order of living / their clothes or garments and their houses also wherein