The Confession of the Faith of the Germans

That confession than was made, not because that without it, there could be no remission of since before god, but because satisfactions could not be enjoined onles the kind of the sin were first known, For according to the diversity of since, sundry canons and constitutions were made. And of that usage & manner of open penance, we have now only the name left of satisfaction. For the holy fathers would not receive again sinners & evil famed persons, onles they had first known and proved the repentance of them, so much as might be. And of this thing there appeareth to have ben many causes. For it was a good ensample to cause other to beware, to chastise and correct them that had offended (as the gloss teacheth in the decrees) and it was an unseemly thing and not convenient to receive notorious sinners forthwith to the communion. These manners and customs have ben laid down many ⟨image 122⟩years ago. Neither is it requisite to set them up again, for they be not necessary to remission of since before god, Neither was this the mind & opinion of the fathers, that men should merit remission of since by such usages, or such works. How be it those sights and spectacles of open penitents be rum out to beguile the unlearned & unskilled men, in that that they through this occasion think that by those works they merit remission of since before god. But if any man hath so thought, he had a Judaical and an heathen thought. For heathen men also had certain purgations and satisfactions of since, by which they imagined them selves to be reconciled to god. But now the custom and usage being said down and put away, the name of satisfaction doth remain, and a certain steppe & token of the custom, which is, that in confession be enjoined certain satisfactions, which they call & define to be works not of duty. we call them canonical satisfactions. And of this our opinion is (likewise,¹ as it was of the rehearsal of since) that canonical satisfactions be not necessary by the law of god to the remission of since, no more than these old spectacles & shows of satisfactions in open penance were necessary by the law of god to the remission of sins. For that sentence concerning faith must be retained and kept, that by faith we obtain remission of since for Christs sake, and not for any works of ours, either going before or following.

That confession than was made, nat because that without it, there could be no remission of synnes before god, but because satisfactions coude not be enioyned onles the kynde of the synne were fyrst knowen, For accordynge to the diuersitie of synnes, sundry canons and constitutions were made. And of that vsage & maner of open penaūce, we haue nowe onely the name lefte of satisfaction. For the holy fathers wold not receiue agayne synners & euyll famed persones, onles they had fyrst knowen and proued the repentaunce of them, so moche as myghte be. And of this thīg there appereth to haue ben many causes. For it was a good ensample to cause other to beware, to chastise and correcte them that had offended (as the glose teachethe in the decrees) and it was an vnsemelye thynge and not cōuenient to receyue notorious synners forthwith to the cōmunion. These maners and customes haue ben laide down many