A22612:216
The Confession of the Faith of the Germans
The confession of the faith of the Germans exhibited to the most victorious Emperor Charles the. v. in the Council or assemble holden at Augusta the year of our Lord. 1530. To which is added the apology of Melanchthon who defendeth with reasons invincible the aforesaid confession translated by Richard Taverner at the commaundeme[n]t of his master Thomas Cromwell chief Secretary to the kings grace.The confessyon of the fayth of the Germaynes exhibited to the moste victorious Emperour Charles the. v. in the Councell or assemble holden at Augusta the yere of our Lorde. 1530. To which is added the apologie of Melancthon who defendeth with reasons inuincible the aforesayde confesyon translated by Rycharde Tauerner at the commaundeme[n]t of his master Thomas Cromwel chefe Secretarie to the kynges grace.
Imprinted at London : In fletestrete, by me Robert Redman, dwelling at the sign of the George next to saint Dunstones Churche, 1536Imprynted at London : In fletestrete, by me Robert Redman, dwellynge at the sygne of the George nexte to saynt Dunstones Churche, 1536
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 seventh article of our confession they damn in which we said,1 that the church is a congregation of saints or holy men. And they make a long process, that evil persons are na• to be segregate or divided fro• the church, sith that Johan Baptist compared the church to the flour of the Barn• in which both corn and chaff be laid together on an heap.2 And Christ compared it to a net in which be caught both good fishes and bad. Without doubt, it is a true said proverb. Against the biting of a sycophant or slanderer there is no remedy. Nothing can be spoken so circumspectly but that a captious slanderer shall find occasion to deprave it. We, even for this very cause did add the eight article least any man should think that we severed the evil persons and hypocrites from the outward society of the church, or plucked away the virtue from the sacraments which be ministered by hypocrites and evil men. Wherefore here needeth no long defence against this slander. The eight article doth sufficiently purge us. For we grant that hypocrites and evil men be in this life mixed in the church and be members of the church, as touching the outward society of the signs of the church, that is to wit, of the word, profession, and sacraments namely if they be not excommunicate. Nor the ⟨image 92⟩sacraments be not therefore without virtue because evil men minister them, or evil men receive them. For Paul prophecieth that the time should come when Antichrist should sit in the temple of god, that is to say, should have dominion and bear offices in the church. But the church is not only a society of extern things and rites, as other policies or civil societies be, but principally it is a society of faith and of the holy ghost in mens hearts, which yet notwithstanding hath outward notes & tokens whereby it may be known as the sincere and pure teaching of the gospel, and the ministration of the sacraments agreeable to the Evangel of Christ. And this church only is called the body of Christ, which, Christ with his spirit reneweth, sanctifieth, and governeth, as testifieth Paul saying. And him he made head above all, of the church which is his body, that is to say, an entirety or the hole congregation of him which worketh all together in all men.