A15877:42
The Reckoning and Declaration of the Faith
The reckoning and declaration of the faith and belief of huldrike Zwingli bishop of ziiryk the chief town of Helvetia, sent to Charles .v. that now is Emperor of Rome: holding a parliament or counsel at Ausbrough with the chief lords and learned men of Germany, the year of our Lord M.D.xxx. in the month of July.The rekenynge and declaracion of the fayth and belefe of huldrike zwyngly byshoppe of ziiryk the chefe town of Heluitia, sent to Charles .v. that nowe is Emproure of Rome: holdynge a parlement or counsayll at Ausbrough with the chefe lordes and lerned men of Germanye, the yere of our Lorde M.D.xxx. in the moneth of July.
printed by Richard wire, 1548printed by Richarde wyer, 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.
First bringing for me the word of god, secondarily, pressing as it were with engines unable to be resisted against our adversaries: that is, with arguments taken & groū dead of the scriptures. And last of all declaring the old divines to have ever ben in this same our sentence. Thou therefore in the mean time (oh holy spirit the creator) be present, and illumine the minds of thine, fill the breasts whom thou haste created with grace and light. Christ himself the mouth and wisdom of the father God almighty thus saith.1 Pore men shall ye ever have with you but me shall ye not have always. Here is only the presence of his body denied to be ever with us: but as touching his godhead he is ever present with us. For so is he ever every ⟨image 20⟩where according to his other saying, I will be with you until the worlds end,2 that is as touching his godly power and goodness. Austen is of this our sentence in his .l. treatise upon John. Nether can our adversaries by any cavillation prove the humanity and manhood of christ to be where soever is his godhead, or else to say that his person should be divided, for so to say, were to take away the very manhood of Christ, for nothing may be every where but the godhead. The manhood to be in one place & the godhead every where, doth not deuyde the person, no more then the Son to have assumed the manhood, divideth not the unite of the essence. Yea it should be more able to separate the unite of the essence, while one person assumeth unto him a creature, which the other in nowise take not, then the humanity to be in one place and the divinity every where should deuyde the person: when even in the creatures we see the bodies to be bound to one place, and yet their power and virtue to be spread exceedingly wide. As is an ensample in the sun whose body is but in one place, and yet is his virtue and power stretched over all places.
Fyrste bringyng for me the worde of god, secondarely, pressynge as it were with engynnes vnable to be resisted agaynst our aduersaries: that is, with argumētes taken & groū ded of the scriptures. And laste of all declarynge the olde diuynes to haue euer ben in this same our sentence. Thou therfore in the meane tyme (oh holy spirit the creator) be present, and illumyne the myndes of thyne, fyll the brestes whō thou haste created with grace and lyghte. Christe hymselfe the mouth and wysdome of the father God almyghtie thus sayth.