A15880:192
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
Letter › ¶Three mo sorts of confession of since.Letter › ¶Thre mo sortes of confession of synnes.
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 for knowledge: As wham a simple man or woman that hath herd little or no preaching of God's word,1 by reason whereof they have almost no knowledge of God or his commandments, neither of the profession of baptism, neither of faith, neither have they in a manner any knowledge at all of the way of salvation by Christs death. Is it not needful (think you) for such ignorant persons to hunt & seek out some discrete & learned minister of God's word, & to knowledge unto him their great ignorance, & to require at his mouth the knowledge of the law of the Lord & of the way of salvation?2 Is it not written, that the ⟨p. 75⟩priests lips should be sure of knowledge, that men may seek the law at his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of hosts? It is mete therefore ye priests should have good knowledge in God's holy word, for they are appointed to be shepherds over the flock of Christ, to feed the souls of God's people with the delicate food of God's word, & specially with that holy bread of life Christ Jesus, that cane down from heaven to save all his people from their since. But alas for pity, the spiritual shepherds into many places of the world & specially in England are very rude, unlearned & unable to teach other men, because they themselves lack the knowledge & right understanding of the holy scriptures. For how should they teach other being unlearned their selves? Doubtless it hath been herd of in not a few places of England,3 that the parishioner hath ben better learned in holy scripture than the parson or vicar, which thing is much to be lamented. Is it not a great shame, yea is it not utterly against nature; that the sheep should be wiser and better learned than the shepherd. But no men are so much in this behalf to be blamed, as ⟨p. 76⟩the Babilonical bishops, partly for admitting such doltish dodipoles to the office of priesthood: and partly for the instituting to fat benefices and to the cure and charge of christen souls so many unlearned idiots, which neither can nor will feed them with the spiritual food of God's word. Our Lord redress this matter. Amen.