A15877:57
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.
¶ The .xii article.
In the .xii. I believe that feigned loud •ye of ⟨image 29⟩Purgatory fire to be a thing so contumelious and injurious unto the free redemption given through Christ, as it hath ben lucrose and profitable to authors and inuentor• thereof. For if it be necessary that our since must needs be purged with such fiery torments, then were Christ dead in vain, then were grace and favour void. Which what can be invented more pernicious in all christen religion? either what christ have they which will be called christen & yet fear they this fire, yea smoke rather then fire / but hell wherewith Ixion and Tantalus, the unfaithful rebels and sturdy adversaries to god are punished for ever / I do not only believe but I know it also.1 For the verity, when he speaketh of the universal judgement he affirmeth that after that judgement some shall go into fire everlasting. Wherefore after the general judgment there shall be fire perpetual. By which saying, the Catabaptistes may the feebler pretext & cloak their error with this their Perpetuum (whereby they teach,2 3that their perpetuum dure no longer then unto domes day. For here speaketh christ of the perpetual fire to burn after that judgment to torment the devil with his aū gels with the ungodly that contemn god, ⟨image 29⟩with those mischievous tyruntꝭ which oppress the truth with lies, not helping of faith & mercy their pore neighbours being in necessity. These said articles constantly I believe I teach, & defend, not by mine own words but by the scripture of God. And I promise & profess (god willing) so to do while I live: except any man can as apertly and plainly (as we have now done) the same, say forth & confirm the contrary by the very holy scriptures truly understanden. For unto v it is no less joyous and pleasant then true and just, to submit these our sayings unto the holy scriptures and to the church that jugeth by the spirit according to the Scriptures. We might have had declared these thin ges all plentuouslyer, and more at length: but when the occasion would not suffer it, we are contented with these as they are, which we think to be such articles as men may lightly carp and touch at (as it is now a days the common manner) but yet shall there no man confute & pluck them quite away.