A15880:193
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.
1Secondarily, this private confession is very needful for counsel, specially for such persons, whose consciences are encumbered with scrupulous superstition of meats, vows, or with perplexed doubts in causes of matrimony, of restitution of wrong gotten or withholden goods, of reconciliation, and such other: Or else, if they before assaulted with divers temptations of their ghostly enemy the devil, & know no remedies how to avoid them. In all these and such like doubtful cases, whom ought they rather to go unto and ask counsel, then of the herdsman of their souls? In worldly affairs & businesses which way a man may defend his right title of inheritance, & how he may overthrow his adversary that would do him wrong, men will spare for no ⟨p. 77⟩labour nor cost, but will retain of their counsel the best learned men of law that they can get: Much more in spiritual matters for the souls health ought every true christian to seek for the best learned & discretest ministers of God's word, to satisfy their consciences in doubtful causes, & to show them apt remedies for the avoiding of their sundry temptations of their ghostly enemy the devil. For if he be a good spiritual physician, he will minister unto the patient a convenient medicine for the healing of his spiritual sickness & disease. And the patients duty (if he will recover his health) is no less than thankfully & obediently to embrace and receive the wholesome counsel of his spiritual physician. For the wise man sayeth:2 He that is wise will be counselled. Wham John the Baptist preached in the desert, the people came unto him from Jerusalem, & all the regions round about Jordan, & were baptised of him in Jordan, confessing their since. And the publicans cam also to be baptised,3 & said unto him: Master, what shall we do? Lo here the publicans, which were very extortioners & bribers, ere the preaching ⟨p. 78⟩of John the baptist came unto repentance, & calling him master asked him counsel how they should order their lives. Than he like a discrete ghostly father said unto them thus: Require no more than is appointed you As though he should say: for as much as heretofore you have ben extortioners & very caterpillars & bribers, & have taken more of the poor people for task, tribute & custom then you ought to have done: