A06511:89
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.
As for contrition this hath ever been the manner & order thereof. for as much as no man could ⟨image 22⟩remember all his sins particularly (specially all and every one that he had committed the whole year / ) thus they trifled and dallied therewith / that if any secret & privy sins should afterward come to his remembrance / he must do penance also for them & teherse them at his next confession / and in the mean time they were committed to the grace and mercy of god furthermore because no man could tell certainly how great his contrition ought to be whereby he might fully satisfy god / they addet this comfort to the people that he which could not have perfect contrition / should labour at least to have attrition / which I may call an half contrition or a little spice of contrition / for as for they them selves understood neither the one nor the other and they know no more what these words contrition and attrition do signify than I do.
As for contricyon this hath euer bene the maner & order therof. for as moch as no man could ⟨image 22⟩remember all his sinnes particularly (specially all and euery one that he had committed the whole yeare / ) thus thei trifled and dalyd therwith / that if any secret & preuy sinnes shuld afterward come to his rememberance / he must do penance also for them & teherse them at his next confessyon / and in the meane time thei were committed to the grace and mercy of god furthermore because no man could tel certēly how gret his cōtricyon ought to be wherby he migh fully satisfye god / thei addet this comfort to the peple that he which could not haue perfight contricyon / shuld labor at leaft to haue attricyon / which I may call an half contricyon or a litel spice of contricyon / for as for thei them selues vnderstode neither the one nor the other ād thei knowe no more what these wordes contricyon and attrieyon do signifye than I do.
Now this attrition (as they call it) was reputed sufficient for contrition / when so ever they were confessed. And if it chanced at any time that some man should say in his confession that he could not have perfect contrition or that he could not lament mourn and be sorry for his sins (which thing might happen in such as were taken and ravished with the love of some harlot or in such as did burn with desire to be revenged of their emnys & cetera) than they to