A15880:168
The account reckoning and confession of the faith of Huldrik Zwinglius bishop of Zuryk…The accompt rekenynge and confession of the faith of Huldrik Zwinglius byshop of Zuryk…
The account reckoning and confession of the faith of Huldrik Zwinglius bishop of Zuryk the chief town of Helvetia sent unto Charles the fifth now Emperor of Rome, holding a counsel with the most noble princes, estates and learned men of Germany assembled together at Augsburg. 1530. in the month of July. Translated out of latin by Thomas Cotsforde. And imprinted at Geneva. In April. 1555.The accompt rekenynge and confession of the faith of Huldrik Zwinglius byshop of Zuryk the chief towne of Heluetia sent vnto Charles the fyfte nowe Emperoure of Rome, holdynge a counsel wyth the moost noble princes, estates and learned men of Germany assembled together at Ausburgh. 1530. in the moneth of Iuly. Translated out of latyn by Thomas Cotsforde. And imprinted at Geneua. In April. 1555.
printed by Egidius Van der Erve, 1555
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.
We may lawfully praise the grace and free gifts of God so liberally distributed to our congregations. For out of all doubt so have our congregations (which here the Lord God by our ministry) received the word of truth,1 the lying & untruth are shrunken: pride, riot and excess are broken: reviling, slandering, chiding and dissension are trudged away from among us, which doubtless, if they be not the ⟨p. 62⟩fruits of the holy spirit, what are they else? Consider with your selves, O most mighty Emperor and all ye princes & nobles,2 what good fruit this visor of mans doctrine hath brought to you. The Masses that are bought and sold, as they have increased the outrageous lust and wantonness as well of princes as of the people, so have they brought in and enlarged the filthy lust & excessive pride of Popes, cardinals, and bishops and the unsatiable covetousness and gluttony of merciless Massemongers What mischief is it, that this mass mart, with chopping, changing, buying and selling thereof hath not procured and set forward? who is able to wast and scatter abroad the exceeding richesse that is heaped together by massing, except they be stopped and strangled even in the veins & that in time? God therefore much better reform these things than you all, whom we gladly both call & believe to be the chief and most mighty here in earth, & grant you grace to cut away the roots of that wicked Mass and of all other errors in the church, and that you may bring ⟨p. 63⟩o pass, that Proud Rome with all her dirty dregs, which she hath thrusted into all christendom, and specially into your Germany, may be utterly forsaken and left. And as you tender your own salvations, what power so ever you have hitherto executed against the purity of Christs Gospel, that you may have grace now at the last wholly to bend the same against the wicked enforcements of the ungodly Papists, that true righteousness which through your negligences is banished, and innocency, which is obscured with feigned and counterfeited colours, may be brought again unto us.
We maye lawfully prayse the grace and free gyftes of God so lyberaly distributed to our congregations. For owt of al dowte so haue oure congregacions (whyche here the Lord God by our ministerie) receaued ye word of truth,