A22612:325
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.
❧Of things politic. ❧
❧Of thynges politike. ❧
The .xvj. article our adversaries do receive without any exception, in which we did confess, that it is lawful for a christen man to bear office / to exercise judgements / according to the laws of emperors or kings or according to other present laws / to set & appoint punishments by the law, to keep war rightfully / to make bargains by the law / to keep somewhat as proper or several / to take an oath, when it is required of the rulers and governors, to contract matrimony, finally that lawful civil ordinances be good creatures of god / and the ordinances of god, which a christen man may safely use. This hole place of the diversity of the kingdom of Christ, and of the civil kingdom, hath been profitably set forth to light by the writings of our learned men / that the kingdom of Christ is spiritual, that is to wit, beginning to work in th• heart knowledge of god / fear of god / faith / eternal justice / & eternal life. And in the mean season it doth suffer us outwardly to use the civil ordinances that be lawful, of whatsoever nations they be among whom we do live, likewise as it suffereth us to use physic, carpenters craft, meat, drink, the air. Nether doth the gospel make new laws of the civil state, but it commandeth that we obey the present laws whether they have been made by heathen & not christened men, or else by other / and with this obedience it biddeth us to exercise charity. For Carolostadius was mad which did lay upon us the Judicial laws of Moses.1 Of these things our men have therefore written ⟨image 148⟩the more plenteously, because monks & friars have sparkled many pestilent opinions in to the church. They called it the evangelical policy or governance to have all things in commune / they said, that these be counsels, not to keep any thing proper / not to revenge. These opinions do greatly deface the gospel and the spiritual kingdom / and they be perilous to common weals. For the gospel doth not destroy the good order of a city, or of an house: but much rather doth approve and allow it / and doth bid us not only for fear of punishment, but also for consciences sake, to obey them as being the ordinance of god.