A22612:437
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.
Now hearken our sad and discrete judges, how shameful a sentence they have put in the ⟨image 203⟩confutation:1 Thus they say, It is expressed in the holy scriptures, that the religious life duly observed & kept, which through God's grace all religious persons may observe and keep, doth merit eternal life / and that Christ hath promised it more largely to them, which shall forsake house or brethren. &c. These be the words of our adversaries, in which this is first a very shameless lye, to say that it is expressed in holy scripture, that Monastical life doth merit eternal life. For where do the holy scriptures in any place speak of Monastical life? Thus our adversaries defend their cause / thus the wretched men allege the scriptures, when every man knoweth, that Monastical life is a thing newly devised: and yet they allege y• authority of scripture, and say, that this their decree is expressed in the scriptures. Besides this, they do injury and dishonour to Christ, in saying, that men by Monastical life do merit eternal life. God doth not give this honour no not to his own law, that it should merit eternal life, as he him self saith plainly in the .xx. chapter of Ezekiel,2 I gave unto them precepts, that were not good, and judgements, in which they shall not live. First this is undoubted, that monkish life doth not merit remission of since, but that we freely receive it by faith, as it hath ben said before. Secondly this also is written, that for Christs sake, through mercy is given eternal life to them, which by faith receive remission, and plead not their own merits against the judgement of god, as Bernard most gravely and wisely doth say,3 It is necessary saith ⟨image 203⟩he, first of all to believe, that remission of since can not be obtained nor had, but by God's indulgence and pardon. Secondarily, that thou cannest have no good work, onles he giveth it unto thee. Finally, that thou can nest not by no manner works merit eternal life, oneles it also be freely given. Other things that follow, concerning the same sentence, we have heretofore recited. And Bernard addeth in the end these words, Let no man deceive him self. For if he consider well, he shall find without any doubt, that he is not able, no not with ten thousands to mete him, which cometh against him with twenty thousands.