A15877:5
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.
¶The Preface of the translator, unto the reader.¶The Preface of the translatour, vnto the reader.
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.
¶The Preface of the translator, unto the reader.
¶The Preface of the translatour, vnto the reader.
When I had chanced upon this Reckoning of the faith of this so excellently learned & godly flock feeder, even the good herdman / that set his life for his sheep, and had seen it not yet unto this day to be confuted nor damned of any christen learned man, but as it was then openly exhibited unto the Emperor's Mayest, and to his noble learned counsel, so standeth it still yet untouched with any just contradiction of holy scriptures: I could not but think this his faith to be christen & catholic, word thy for the glory of god & profit of his church to be translated into many tongues, that many mought read it with fruit. Wherefore s•th•• England (as they say) be many highly learned Bishops and lawyers in the speculative, but few in pract•k divinity sharp in natural, but dull in spiritual judgment: me thought it convenient, the book to be translated into their mother tongue, that yet at the least the learned in christ might judge thereof and say their minds. And for because there be many lay men of better judgment & knowledge then the speculative priests and prelates for all their latin and greek to, therefore, ⟨image 2⟩here haste thou it (Oh lay reader) which only knowest but the English tongue, that even thy self mightest also with thy English Bible freely try and judge it, as the apostle biddeth the prove all things, & hold that at good is.