A06511:39
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.
Part › Of the invocation of saints.Part › Of the inuocacyon of saintes.
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 invocation of saints.
Of the inuocacyon of saintes.
The invocation of saints is also an abuse of Antichrist which repugneth with the former principal article of our redemption and it obscureth or drowneth the knowledge of christ.
The inuocacyon of saintes is also an abuse of Antichrist which repugneth with the former principal article of our redempcyon and it obschureth or drowneth the knoulege of christ.
And there is no commandment / counsel or example thereof in the holy scripture / and again although the praying unto saints were never so good (as it is a very devilish abuse) yet we may receive all things much better & also more excellent / of christ than of any saint. And not with standing that the angels do pray for us in heaven (as christ himself also doth) and the saints hereupon earth / and peradventure they that be in heaven also / ⟨image 13⟩yet it followeth not thereupon that we ought to invocate / honour or pray unto angels & saints or to fast / keep holy day / sing or hear masses & to sacrifice or make any oblation in the worship of any saint or angel / nor yet to build any temples or altars or to make any service for them or to worship & serve them many divers ways / to take them for patrons or defenders to seek help for all manner of things of them and to believe that everyone of them hath a peculiar proper virtue by him self / some for one thing & some for another as the papists both teach and do. For it is very mere Idolatry so to do for as much as all such honour is peculiarly due to god only & to no other. Thou mayest / I will not say contrary / as a christen man and as a saint pray for me / up on earth while thou livest / not for one thing / but for all manner of things: notwithstanding I must not by & by / honour thee and call up on thee as a god / nor yet set up a fasting day & an holy day in thy honour / or to ordain masses to be hard & said or any other oblations to be done in thy honour / and so to put & fix all the hope of my salvation in the there be other ways where by I may have the in reverence / love the / rejoice in thee / and give the thanks in christ. Now if these Idolatrissh service and honouring of angels and dead saints were drowned and brought out of memory /