A22612:450
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 the power of the Church.
❧ Of the power of the Churche.
Here our adversaries make a foul crying out & do brag stoutly of the privileges and liberties of the church, and at last add this conclusion. All things be vain, which in this present article be alleged against the liberty of churches, & of priests. This is a false accusation, and a starkly. For we disputed of other matters in this article. ⟨image 210⟩which god doth allow as justice, and to charge and lade consciences, so that it were sin to leave them undone. All these things even one place in the Acts doth teach, where the apostles say,1 that hearts be purified and made clean by faith. And afterwards they forbid to lay on a yoke, and show how great jeopardy it is, where they make it a very grievous and heinous offence of them, which lade and overcharge the congregation. Why do ye tempt god, say they? But adversaries be nothing afeard with this thunder and sore sentence, when they with violence defend their own traditions and wicked opinions. For heretofore also they have condemn ned our .xv. article, in which we did put, that traditions do not merit remission of since. And here they say, that traditions do help to eternal life. Do they merit remission of since? Be they services, which god doth allow as justices? Do they quicken the hearts? Paul in his epistle to the Colossians doth therefore deny,2 that traditions be available or helping to eternal justice and eternal life: because meat, drink, apparel, & such other be things decaying and perishing with use and occupying. But eternal life in the heart, is wrought by eternal things (that is to wit) by the word of god, and the holy ghost. Let our adversaries therefore declare, if they can, how traditions help to eternal life. And for as much as the gospel doth evidently witness, that there ought not traditions to be laid upon the church, to merit remission of since, or to be services, which god doth allow as justice, or to charge