The Confession of the Faith of the Germans

After that the confession of our princes was in open audience solemnly read, certain divines & friars prepared a confutation of our writing, which when the Emperors majesty had caused to be solemnly red in the assemble of the princes, he required them to assent unto it. But our princes hearing that many articles were there disproved which to renounce without grudge of conscience they could not, demanded that a copy of the confutation might be to them exhibited, to the intent that they might both see what their adversaries condemned and also refute their reasons. And in such cause which appertained to christen faith and instruction of the conscience, they thought that the adversaries would not have made it strange to exhibit their writing. But our rulers could in nowise obtain it, onles they would have bound them selves to most perilous and unequal conditions which they could not do except they would caste them selves into a manifest danger. After this, there was published a pacification in which appeared that our heads refused no burden were it never so painful so that it might be sustained without offence of conscience. But the adversaries obstinately required us to allow certain manifest abuses and errors, which thing when we might not do, again the emperors majesty required ⟨image 40⟩our princes to assent to the confutation which to do our princes utterly refused. For how should they assent in a matter touching the faith to the thing that they never red? And they heard that certain articles were there condemned in which thing they could not allow the judgement of the adversaries without offence. There were also certain other which required me to make an Apology or defence of the confession in which should be expounded unto the emperor the causes why we received not the confutation and the things solved which the adversaries objected. For there were certain of us which when their confutation was red noted the sum of their places and arguments. This Apology they offered at last unto the emperors majesty to the intent that he might know that most grave & high causes letted us to allow their confutation. Howe be it the emperor received not the book that was offered him. After this cam forth a proclamation, in which our adversaries do triumph that they have confuted by scripture our confession.

AFter that the confessyon of our prynces was in open audience solempnely redde, certaine diuines & friars prepared a confutation of our wryting, whiche whan the Emperours maiestie had caused to be solempnely red in the assemble of the prynces, he requyred thē to assent vnto it. But our prynces hearynge that many articles were there disproued whiche to renounce without grudge of consciēce they coulde nat, demaūded that a copy of the cōfutacion myght be to them exhibited, to the entent that they myght bothe see what theyr aduersaries condempned and also refute their reasons. And in suche cause whiche apperteyned to chrysten faythe and instruction of the conscience, they thought that the aduersaries wolde nat haue made it straunge to exhibite theyr wrytyng. But our rulers coulde in nowyse obtayne it, onles they wolde haue boūde them selues to moste perelouse and vnegal cō dicions whiche they coulde nat do excepte they wolde caste them selues into a manifest daunger. After this, there was publyshed a pacification in whiche appered that our hedes refused no burdayne were it neuer so payneful so that it myght be susteyned without offence of conscience. But the aduersaries obstinatly required vs to allowe certaine manifest abuses and errours, which thyng whan we myght nat do, agayne the emperours maiestie requyred